The 40 Best Horror Movie Characters of All Time
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I’ll never forget watching A Nightmare on Elm Street for the first time. A movie about kids who are attacked in their dreams? Sign me up. Afterward, I couldn’t sleep for a week (Freddy Krueger tends to have that effect), but I was hooked. Who knew fictional characters could be so scary?
Since then, my horror movie knowledge has evolved—and frankly, Freddy could learn a thing or two from his peers. The genre is full of creative villains who hunt their prey with the most twisted tactics imaginable. Have you ever heard of Abigail? She’ll sink her teeth into you, then jeté away. And what about the Grabber? He’ll trap you, taunt you, and take your life.
But the thing is, for every great villain, there’s a good hero—which, in my humble opinion, is why horror movies are bearable to watch. The scares are exciting, but we need someone to root for, too. What would Scream be without Gale Weathers? Her pesky journalism brings comedic relief, and her quick wit helps defeat Ghostface.
Because they explore the dichotomy between good and bad, horror movies tend to have some of the most fascinating characters. To honor the genre, we’ve rounded up our favorites below. There are heroes, villains, an embalmed hand, and even a spooky goat. Thanks to them, these films are impossible to turn away from.
The Smiles, Smile
I have a recurring nightmare in which I’m reading on the subway and look up to find everyone smiling at me. Imagine my surprise when Smile came out. The film follows a woman who is haunted by a spirit that forces people to smile and then commit unspeakable acts. Can you imagine anything scarier?
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Esther, Orphan
She’s the best little liar there ever was. If you’re not familiar, Esther is an orphan who is adopted by a nice couple. Soon after, she begins testing her new parents’ patience. They can sense that something is wrong, but Esther’s behavior isn’t just childhood rebellion. She’s not who they think she is.
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Tree Gelbman, Happy Death Day
Tree Gelbman might be one of the toughest protagonists in horror-movie history. She’s murdered on her birthday, then wakes up and is forced to relive the day until she finds her assailant. Somehow she manages to crack the case, kick some ass, and keep a relatively positive attitude about the whole ordeal!
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Abigail, Abigail
Abigail (not to be confused with M3GAN) is about a little girl who’s kidnapped and held for ransom. Her captors think it's an easy job, but to their surprise, Abigail is a ballerina vampire. That’s right. A pirouette-loving, blood-sucking vampire—meaning not only is she lethal, but she’s incredibly nimble, too.
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The Grabber, The Black Phone
Ethan Hawke is scarier than ever in The Black Phone. He plays the Grabber, an abductor who plucks kids from the street and holds them captive in his basement. To make matters worse, he hides behind a devil mask to psychologically torment his victims.
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M3GAN, M3GAN
M3GAN: robot, girl boss, best friend, living nightmare, princess, queen, dancer, singer, killer, master swordswoman. We’ll say no more, because nothing else needs to be said. —Brady Langmann
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The Devil, Le Manoir du Diable
Three minutes is all it took to scare the bejesus out of people in 1896. Granted, film for entertainment was a relatively new thing to the world at this stage, but director Georges Méliès was onto something when he clocked that a good scare made for good visual entertainment. The film may have been only a few minutes long, but the French illusionist conjured up fear with a character who still haunts us to this day. And yes, that is the whole film. —Justin Kirkland
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Ma, Ma
What can I say? She doesn’t drink alone, and I respect that. Octavia Spencer’s Ma is campy horror excellence because the premise of the film is insane (and somehow uncomfortably relatable). High school went poorly for this woman, so she waited years and years, had a daughter who she essentially holds captive in a Munchausen-by-proxy situation, and then invites high schoolers to her basement to make them pay for their parents’ transgressions. It’s vicious—and inspirational. —J.K.
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Mrs. Carmody, The Mist
Honestly, screw The Mist and its surprise twist that completely deflates the whole movie. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about Marcia Gay Harden’s end-times-style pulpit-eer, Mrs. Carmody. As soon as the titular mist settles in over the town, Mrs. Carmody comes to life as a Bible-thumping terror who starts suggesting that maybe the way forward is to deal with the sinners and offer God a child sacrifice. She’s a terror and a real anthropomorphized version of right-wing Twitter. God bless Mrs. Carmody. Somebody has to. —J.K.
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The Hand, Talk to Me
If the scariest monsters truly are faceless, then Talk to Me’s the Hand—is that the name we’re rolling with?—takes the cake. If you ever see this thing whipped out at a party, maybe go to the next room. Or, you know, leave. —B.L.
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Annie Wilkes, Misery
It’s called stan culture. Look it up. But seriously, long before Eminem recorded “Stan,” there was Annie Wilkes. The Stephen King protagonist (yeah, we went there) ends up caretaking for her favorite author after an accident, which is nice until she starts badgering him about what Misery’s next installment will look like. Annoying, right? Then when she doesn’t like the answer, she holds him hostage and… well, let’s just say there’s a sledgehammer scene. —J.K.
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Gale Weathers, Scream Franchise
In the pursuit of truth, a great journalist makes enemies. A great journalist gets her hands dirty. A great journalist fucks up serial killers, even if her bangs get away from her every once in a while. Monica be damned, there’s no Courteney Cox role better than Gale Weathers, the scathing dark heart of Scream. While those in Weathers’s orbit may admire her most for her best-selling books or the Stab movie franchise they inspire, let’s give her credit for the many near-fatal injuries she has survived (and avenged). But she was never braver than the morning she put on that chartreuse skirt-suit and thought, Now I’m TV ready. —J.K.
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Chris Washington, Get Out
It truly is difficult to decide which one of Jordan Peele’s characters from Get Out is the most genius. Each one plays an important role in the film’s analysis of systemic racism in America. I mean, Lakeith Stanfield is only in the movie for a few minutes and he should have his own entry on this list! But if we have to choose just one, it must be our hero, Chris Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, whose single tear remains a haunting image in 21st-century cinema. —Matt Miller
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Black Phillip, The Witch
In a movie called The Witch, one might not expect the main antagonist to be a huge black goat. But this is no ordinary goat. Phillip is actually the devil in disguise, set to destroy a puritanic Christian family. But in the real world, the goat actor was also somewhat of a villain. The 210-pound billy named Charlie was reportedly a pain in the ass to work with and seriously wounded his costar Ralph Ineson. Regardless, his on-set behavior didn’t stop him from becoming a superstar. —M.M.
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Jack Torrance, The Shining
It is without a doubt the finest performance of Jack Nicholson’s storied career. Never have those insane eyes and brows been put to better use than to illustrate Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness. There’s a reason his delivery of the line “Here’s Johnny” remains one of the best movie moments of all time. This is a film in which he can go from insane to casually sipping a cocktail with a ghost bartender in a matter of minutes. —M.M.
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Pennywise, It
From the moment Stephen King first imagined him into existence to the book’s two acclaimed adaptations, Pennywise the dancing clown has ruined clowns for multiple generations. Whether played by Tim Curry or Bill Skarsg?rd, he is a terror to behold. Or perhaps he’s just a misunderstood demon clown who is legitimately funny. We’ll let you decide. —M.M.
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Summerisle Pagans, The Wicker Man
As far as I could tell, the pagans on Summerisle are actually the heroes of The Wicker Man. Here’s some conservative Christian cop coming into their small village and telling them what to believe and how to live. He threatens them. He insults them. He’s kind of an intrusive asshole! Sure, they lured him there to kill him as a sacrifice to their pagan gods in return for a bountiful harvest, but who are we to judge what’s wrong or right? —M.M.
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Norman Bates, Psycho
Sixty years after Psycho, it’s easy to think of Norman Bates as just another fantastical movie monster in the horror genre. But what’s easy to forget is that the most terrifying thing about him is that he’s a perfect example of the kind of violent white men who exist in American society even today. Entire psychological profiles have been written to examine the mind of Norman—an emotionally abused, sexually oppressed man with mommy issues and dissociative personality disorder. He might be one of the most iconic movie villains of all time, but he’s also very real. —M.M.
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The Mother, Barbarian
Don’t make me talk about the Mother, even if the real villain of Barbarian isn’t the Mother. Please. I’m still not ready. —B.L.
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Daniel Robitaille, Candyman
You never actually learn Daniel Robitaille’s name in the original 1992 film. He’s known only as Candyman, and it’s impossible to think of him as a villain. Candyman is a victim of a heinous hate crime. The son of a former slave, Robitaille is brutally murdered for impregnating a white woman. He haunts the Chicago projects that stand atop what was the place of his death, killing anyone who summons him. He’s certainly one of the most complex, nuanced, and political characters on this list. The terror of Candyman is the terror of America itself—a place that is still haunted by the ghosts of its racist past and present. —MM
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The Flying Monkeys, The Wizard of Oz
Is The Wizard of Oz a horror movie? If you—from your youth to this very day—prefer to shield your eyes when a character appears onscreen, I think that movie qualifies as horror. And do I ever dread having to look at the Flying Monkeys. From the Wicked Witch’s henchmen’s weird prosthetic blue faces to the very off-putting growl/hoot noise they make when they waddle/fly, I want nothing to do with any of it. So yes, I still cover my eyes during a children’s movie. No shame to admit you do, too. —Lauren Kranc
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Alien, Alien Franchise
Is there any science fiction shot as indelible as the moment in Alien 3 when the titular creature bestows a slimy kiss on the cheek of a cowering Sigourney Weaver? Several decades and sequels later, the alien’s hijinks haven’t gotten old—or any less bloodcurdling. Each film features a cat-and-mouse game between a new gang of interstellar travelers, who get progressively dumber, and our old pal the xenomorph, whose familiar tricks include slicing through metal and bone with its acidic blood, chomping on people’s faces, and bursting merrily from the chest of its host. If those visuals didn’t horrify you enough, check out the ending of Alien: Resurrection, when a newborn xenomorph is violently atomized into space through a hole in the spaceship’s hull. Truly the stuff of nightmares. —Adrienne Westenfeld
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Babadook, The Babadook
I’ve heard that the Australians, generally, are nice and pleasant people. But not this guy! This tall glass of heebie-jeebies is not only an allegory for Australia’s colonial history, but a dude who somehow delivers genuine scares wearing a top hat. Impressive, really. While we all know that The Babadook’s screaming little child was the real monster here, we’re still thinking about Mister Babadook all these years later. —B.L.
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Count Orlok, Nosferatu
You don’t get much more OG than Nosferatu’s dastardly vampire, Count Orlok. I mean, the guy was iconic enough to appear in a silent German film in 1922 and influence the genre for the next century. But Count Orlok is really on our list because of this: He gives a master class in horror-movie weirdness. The dude is just weird! Skulks around his castle, flings his talons around like life is a game of shadow puppets, and acts just mysterious enough to make you wonder what the hell his deal is. May your legacy (and chic trench coat) never die. —B.L.
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Frank, Donnie Darko
Behold, the greatest horror-villain zinger in the history of the genre, courtesy of Donnie Darko’s rather large, probably imaginary, costumed bunny, Frank. Donnie Darko: “Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?” Frank: “Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?” Frank is galaxy brain personified, the buried corner of our id that would tell us—you know, if it weren’t buried—that time travel is real! You can get away with anything! The world is ending soon! (Though he’s probably right about that last one.) —B.L.
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Pearl, X Trilogy
Thanks to Mia Goth’s unrivaled performance, Ti West’s X franchise has gifted us an all-time horror villain. If you need any evidence, just watch (or rewatch) Pearl’s credits, where Goth smiles at the camera for an impossible amount of time, unblinking, with tears streaming from her eyes.
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Madame Blanc, Suspiria
If we were to measure scary-movie bads in terms of skill—like, how good they are at bein’ bad— you wouldn’t get much better than the deputy headmistress of Tanz Dance Akademie, Suspiria’s Madame Blanc. Yeah, the ballerina-school coven is technically a group endeavor. But Joan Bennett (and later Tilda Swinton) gives an all-timer of a turn as the dance instructor/witch. Raining maggots, reanimated corpses, bloodthirsty dogs? Cruelty at its best. —B.L.
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Fog, The Fog
Ah, fog. One of the most underrated natural occurrences, next to dew, mist, bubbles, and hail. The Fog’s fog was genuinely spooky, carrying with it a merry band of bloodthirsty ghost-mariner-pirate-demon-people. But that’s later on. It turns out you can villainize an unusually overcast morning with some incredible low-end ambient music, and for that, John Carpenter deserves major cred. —B.L.
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Laurie Strode, Halloween Franchise
You’d think the inevitable Halloween spot on this list would go to Michael Myers. But the guy kinda sucks at his job! He’s still chasing Laurie Strode, the real hero here, all these years later. Why does he refuse to run? Laurie has successfully employed all kinds of weapons in the war against this creeper—gun, knife, coat hanger—so it’d be a mistake to call good ol’ Mikey the best of anything. Maybe it’s time to hang up the mask, man. —B.L.
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Jason Voorhees, Friday the 13th Franchise
What’s impressive about Jason Voorhees is that he’s so familiar to us that people sometimes forget he wasn’t even really in the original Friday the 13th movie. That’s right! Jason’s mom is the one murdering campers in the 1980 film. It’s not until Friday the 13th Part II that he even becomes the main villain of the franchise. And it’s not until Friday the 13th Part III that he even gets his distinctive hockey mask. Major credit to a guy who knows how to reinvent himself. —B.L.
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Leatherface, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Leatherface: Really not the best name for a villain! It’s like calling someone Linenface. Or Denimface. Cheeseclothface. It’s unnerving when you find out that, you know, it’s human skin he’s wearing—this guy is a cannibal, after all—but Leatherface is a fixture of the classic ’70s era of horror. Put some respect on the misguided name of this man and his chainsaw. —B.L.
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Quint, Jaws
The Indianapolis speech alone more than qualifies him. —Danny Dumas
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Clarice Starling, The Silence of the Lambs
Fava beans, anyone? Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling is one of the most intriguing characters on this list for a few reasons. Not only is she one of the smartest and most layered horror protagonists in the genre, but she’s presented as an equal to her male counterparts. There’s a psychological complexity to Clarice, allowing viewers to see her backstory in a manner rarely allotted to the “good character.” Also, the Oscar that Foster won for the role doesn’t hurt either. —J.K.
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The Blood, Carrie
Sure, the title character is the obvious addition to the list. Or maybe her mom. You might even argue for John Travolta’s terrible (and ill-fated) high school bully. But the truth is, there’s no character more integral to Carrie than the blood. From moment-go, it’s the ultimate weapon of destruction. The blood is what ostracizes Sissy Spacek’s Carrie from her classmates in the period scene at the start of the film, and it haunts her again as her classmates dump blood on her at the prom. Never has otherwise innocent blood been so haunting in a film. —J.K.
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Giant Ants, Them!
Crude and rudimentary? Sure. But if we walked outside and ran into the giant ants from Them, we’d be scared shitless. Their transparent size makes them terrifying, exemplifying the horror maxim that is: Bigger is scarier. —J.K.
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Freddy Krueger, A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise
Krueger is an all-timer. Even if you haven’t seen A Nightmare on Elm Street, his mangled face and striped red sweater are pop-culture staples. And like a lot of the characters on this list, there’s something particularly devastating about his existence: razor hands that kill you in your dreams… so effectively that you die in real life? How do you stop a serial killer like that? In the extensive catalogue that Wes Craven has given us, his Freddy has to be near the top of the list in terms of recognizability. —J.K.
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Regan, The Exorcist
Kids are objectively terrifying. Sorry, parents; that’s just the truth. But when a young Linda Blair was tapped to play Regan in The Exorcist, it took the creepiness of children to a whole new level. The image of the putrid, foul-mouthed Regan, possessed by a demon, will haunt your dreams at night. For The Exorcist to still be so relevant nearly 50 years after its release is a testament to the film, of course, but its star is undoubtedly Regan… or at least the demon inside her. After all, when have you ever heard a little girl say, “Your mother sucks cocks in hell!” —J.K.
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Damien Thorn’s Dog, The Omen
Its official name, Hellhound, is a reference to the canine that serves Satan. And while facing off with the devil is horrifying, there’s something even worse about being at the will of Satan’s dog. It means you’re cornered by a creature more powerful than you and you’re doomed. Damien means your demise is imminent, but Damien’s Hellhound means it’s only just begun. —J.K.
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Frankenstein’s Monster, Frankenstein
Remember: Frankenstein is the doctor, not the monster! But Frankenstein’s monster is probably the most recognizable horror movie character, aside from some generic mummy or vampire. The 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley’s famous story gave us our current idea of what the monster looks like: the greenish skin, the bolts in the neck, that… unfortunate haircut. The image has cemented its place in pop-culture history, whether you like it or not. —J.K.
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The Creature, Creature from the Black Lagoon
Imagine being so iconic that you’re brought back decades later to star in your own romantic film called The Shape of Water... Jokes aside, the creature from Creature from the Black Lagoon was, in its time, nightmare fuel and became the archetype of the fish-monster hybrid, re-created time and time again. The creature is a part of the movie monster canon for good reason. —J.K.
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