Since birth, we’ve been indoctrinated with a love of horror, whether we knew it or not. The first game your mother would play with you involved her hiding behind her hands and then shouting, “Boo!” We would get taught folk tales that involved a witch wanting to eat children or a wolf wearing the skin of an elderly woman. Some of us were warned of the Krampus, who’d kidnap misbehaving little boys and girls. We’d play Bloody Mary and watch old Disney films. You know, the scary ones. It was a lifetime of preparation for horror. Because deep down, we all have an innate desire to be frightened. We crave it and these characters scare us better than any others. Since this list encompasses the entire history of horror, every genre (and subgenre) is represented. Everything from creature features to kinder trauma, action movies to horror comedies are eligible. I combined characters if they worked as a duo or a group and I excluded animals (save for one) unless they were supernaturally possessed or if they had an internal monologue so that we could understand their motivations. I also only included characters from thrillers if they targeted children. This list is a celebration of horror and the icons that help us lose sleep at night.
These are the 500 Greatest Horror Characters of All Time.
100. The Collector (Billy Zane) | Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)
There aren’t many actors that can make evil look as fun as Gary Oldman. He brings a malevolent whimsy to each and every one of his villains. This makes the fact that he’s never played the Devil (on the big screen) all the more tragic. It’s a perfect marriage of character and actor and while we may not have a cinematic Satan by way of Oldman, we have almost the next best thing: a crazy, over-the-top demon played by Zane.
Since both films are similarly themed, picture Santanico Pandemonium from From Dusk Till Dawn but replace the insane sexiness and vampires for hillbilly charm and demons and you have essentially the same film. But unlike Santanico, The Collector is the main antagonist from the first frame till the last. In a film filled with hideous demons, Zane is still the scariest monster because he’s deceptively likable. He’ll disarm you with charm and then rip your heart out and eat it.
99. Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) | The Stepfather (1987)
Loosely based on the story of John List, the New Jersey man who killed his family in 1971, The Stepfather is about a man obsessed with the perfect nuclear family. He envisions himself a family man, with a wife and two perfect kids. A house with a white picket fence and the greenest grass in the neighborhood. And if one element of his fantasy is wrong, like for example, a mouthy teenager who doesn’t like him, he’ll kill them all and start over. Terry O’Quinn is absolutely phenomenal as the stepfather. His rage induced outbursts, coupled with his penchant for talking to himself, make him a dangerously unpredictable character.
98. The Hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
If I was an insane contrarian who had no problem courting controversy, I would place The Hitchhiker higher than Leatherface. While I acknowledge ol’ Bubba is more iconic (everything about his look—from his mask made of human skin, to his bloody apron and his chainsaw—is perfectly designed to scare the shit out of you), he’s scary in a horror movie way. Real life psychos don’t look like that. Ed Gein, the man who loosely inspired him, did have a body suit made out of the skin of his victims but he didn’t run around attacking people with a chainsaws. He was a mentally disturbed grave robber who only killed two people. Hardly the unstoppable maniac Leatherface is.
The Hitchhiker on the other hand, is about as realistic and fearsome a psycho as you’re ever going to see. As every horror fan knows, there’s a popular urban legend about Max Schreck from Nosferatu actually being a vampire and in an age before the Internet, I can totally understand why some would believe that. Because if you told me when I was a kid (back in the dark ages when it was impossible to fact check anything) that Tobe Hooper found Edwin Neal just fucking around on the side of the road and decided to cast him and he turned out to be an escaped mental patient, I would 100% believe you.
Even though his mannerisms and behavior are over the top, they never come across as trying to hard to be crazy. His actions just read as crazy. I have no idea why he never came back for any sequels but if it was a pay dispute, whoever was too cheap to pay him what he wanted was a fool. I would’ve made sure he came back for every one specifically so that I could pass the mantle of Leatherface on to him. His manic energy plus a chainsaw would’ve created the craziest unstoppable combo of all time.
97. Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) | The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973)
Duel will forever hold the title as the greatest made for TV movie ever but I’d argue The Night Stalker is a strong contender for the second best. With a teleplay by Richard Matheson and phenomenal performance by Darren McGavin, this movie was so good, it spawned a sequel and a television show. A television show who’s influence can still be seen to this day. There is no X-Files or Supernatural without Kolchak: The Night Stalker and there is no Kolchak: The Night Stalker without this movie. Like the show, the film follows a wisecracking reporter named Carl Kolchak who’s a reporter who follows only the craziest stories, the shit no one wants or believes in.
Like a serial killer who drains his victims of blood and leaves behind a bite mark on their necks. The police think he’s a maniac, the press think he’s a maniac but Kolchak knows he’s a vampire and he’s going to prove it, one way or the other. Since this is a Matheson story, the vampire is fully realized and never once feels cliché. He feels dangerous, which in turn creates an excellent counter to Kolchak’s quips. He’s a funny character but is serious when the scene calls for it. He’s an interesting, multilayered character that set the template for every supernatural detective that came after him. Duel may have Spielberg thrills but it doesn’t have McGavin’s performance, so which one really is the better movie, really?
96. Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) | The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show holds a unique and enduring significance in the world of cinema, transcending its status as a cult classic to become a cultural phenomenon. For many, it is more than a movie, it’s a sanctuary. It’s a communal safe space that welcomes all and tells everyone who feels different or strange that they’re not alone. It arrived during a time of social change and cultural revolution. Its themes of sexual liberation, gender fluidity, and nonconformity resonated with audiences grappling with societal norms and expectations. The film’s celebration of individuality and self-expression struck a chord with marginalized communities, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, who found solace and empowerment in its message.
It also provided them with an icon unlike any before or since. Dr. Frank-N-Furter is far more than a Frankenstein parody. He’s a glam rock Godzilla, a sexual monster that does whatever and whomever he wants. It’s a groundbreaking performance and the best of Tim Curry’s career. With his electrifying presence, impeccable timing, undeniable charisma, and out-of-this-world legs, Curry not only broke taboos, shifted culture, and created an indelible character, but was a sexual awakening for many a man, woman, and other who saw it. This might be the best character on this list because they actually means something beyond providing spooks.
95. Ben (Benoît Poelvoorde) | Man Bites Dog (1992)
For some horror directors, simply scaring an audience isn’t enough. Some want to shock the viewer, by any means necessary. Whether that’s depicting extreme subject matter such as infanticide or rape, including unsimulated sex scene, real-life animal deaths or just pushing violence as far as it can go. Most attempts go so far past socially acceptable, that they lose their impact. It stops meaning anything when all you’re seeing is nonstop scenes of corn syrup, red dye, and women crying. Most of it is unwatchable misery porn from edge lords but there are some films that succeed in truly shocking audiences. Films like Maniac and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer have never not been effective at upsetting people nor has films like Cannibal Holocaust or Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom lost their ability to offend and disgust. Between those two behemoths of controversy, lies Man Bites Dog.
The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben (Benoit Poelvoorde, in an all-time great performance) are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team. Eventually, the line between what is right and wrong and what is fiction and non-fiction starts to blur once the camera crew itself starts to actively participate in the crimes. A pitch-black satirical comedy, Man Bites Dog is one of those films that’s not afraid to go all the way. The film opts out of the extreme blood and guts violence (don’t worry, there’s still a ton of violence in the film) in favor of a more chilling, and subtle approach to shock cinema. Instead of carving people up, Ben yells at an old lady long enough to give her a heart attack. Or regales the camera crew in stories of proper dead baby disposal. He crosses every line and obliterates every taboo. He does whatever he wants but since he’s so charismatic, we’re complicit by not looking away. Our enjoyment makes us accomplices, which is the point. A shocking movie that out shocks the other shock movies that also have a point? Now that’s truly shocking.
94. Mr. Hyde (John Barrymore) | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Due to the countless adaptations of the story, everyone on planet Earth is at least somewhat familiar with Robert Lewis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Whether they’ve seen it (or read it) or not, it’s impossible not to absorb the majority of the story through osmosis alone. It’s a not-at-all-subtle story about the duality of man and the constant fight between the Ego and the Id. And what would happen if you were to release that Id as its own entity? Mr. Hyde is that Id. He’s a being of pure desire. He does what he wants when he wants. It’s an iconic character and although some of the best actors alive have played him (Spencer Tracy, Frederick March, John Malkovich), none have come close to John Barrymore. He set the standard that all other actors follow.
93. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) | Psycho (1960)
Every year, as newer generation’s attention spans get ruined by social media brain rot, more and more movies get left behind. If young people aren’t watching them because they’re “old”, when they themselves get old, they aren’t going to pass them on, so they become relics of the past. It’s going to get to the point where only a handful of movies made before 1970 are still going to be watched in fifty years. One film that will forever stand the test of time is Psycho. Not only is it one of the proto slashers, which means it’s required viewing for any film fan but it might be the only film with two great twists. Not just great, two of the best.
Finding out that Norman’s crazy mother was dead the whole time is still shocking but the bigger and better twist is killing off its lead half way through. Hitchcock broke traditional storytelling conventions by killing off the protagonist just 45 minutes into the film. As a viewer, you’re lead to believe that the film is about Marion Crane, a thief that steals $40,000 from her employer in a moment of desperation, hoping to start a new life with her lover but all of that was a red herring. The film violently rips the rug out from under you in the famous shower scene. Renowned for its intense editing, Bernard Herrmann’s screeching violin score, and the psychological impact it had on audiences, the shower scene is the greatest scene in the history of cinema, not just the greatest kill in horror.
92. K the Psychopath (Erwin Leder) | Angst (1983)
For some, this is an insanely high placement for a character they’ve never heard of but for those who’ve seen Angst, they know exactly why K is this high. He is a chilling and unforgettable character who embodies raw, unrelenting psychopathy. It might be the most deeply unsettling and realistic portrayal of a sociopathic killer in film history. K is a deeply disturbed individual. His inner thoughts, narrated throughout the film, offer a glimpse into his deranged mind. His compulsive need to kill is portrayed not just as a desire but as an uncontrollable urge, one that he relishes.
While he is impulsive in his need to commit violence, he is also meticulous in some ways. After being released from prison, he almost immediately begins plotting his next crime, showing his inability to function outside the context of violence. His actions are both erratic and premeditated, which creates an unpredictable sense of danger around him. Erwin Leder’s performance is unforgettable. His gaunt appearance, erratic movements, and unsettling expressions contribute to making K among the scariest human monsters cinema has ever produced.
91. Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) | The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
There may not be an actor more synonymous with horror than Vincent Price. His oeuvre reads like a greatest hits of the genre, with most of his films being among the best of all time. Narrowing down just one performance from a near-perfect catalog is damn near impossible but as great as all of his other performances were, I don’t think Price was ever more deliciously diabolical than he was as Dr. Phibes. Seeking revenge on the nine doctors he believes were responsible for his wife’s death, Phibes decides to go Old Testament for his retribution and kills them off one by one with the nine plagues from the bible. Predating both Se7en and Saw by a couple of decades, The Abominable Dr. Phibes may not be Price’s most iconic or memorable film, but it’s unarguably his most fun character.
90. Pearl (Mia Goth) | X & Pearl (both 2022)
Due to the recent influx of female characters surviving terrible shit that leads to the death of everyone around them, the “Good For Her” horror meme was created. The patron saint of this meme, either ironically or not, is Pearl. A crazy sociopath that just wants to be a star. According to IMDb trivia and articles I only read the headlines of, fans of the film often lovingly call it “Joker for girls”, because of how some of the female fans find Pearl relatable, similarly to how some male fans of the 2019 film relate to the titular character. The fact that either one became the face of a meme is insane considering they’re both murderous psychos.
In the first film, she’s a rickety ass old lady who becomes so consumed by the jealousy of youth, she goes kill crazy and almost singlehandedly wipes out an entire porn production in bloody fashion. When she isn’t dispatching of professional bangers, she’s banging out her equally old partner in a scene that’ll stick with you forever. In Pearl, a prequel to X, we get a deeper look at Pearl’s backstory, set in 1918. The film focuses on her frustrated ambitions, delusional fantasies of fame, and repressed desires, which eventually boil over into violence.
Mia Goth delivers a mesmerizing performance, embodying Pearl’s vulnerability, isolation, and madness. Her climactic monologue, where she reveals her inner turmoil, is a standout moment, showing the extent of Pearl’s longing for a different life. Each film in the trilogy is tonally and stylistically different than the one before it, with this one being a bit more subtle in its influences.
The first and third are obviously inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Brian De Palma films, whereas Pearl is drawing from old-school Technicolor, The Wizard of Oz and Douglas Sirk melodramas. It’s a unique shift that ties into the mental state of the character. The movie looks artificial because Pearl lives in a fantasy world where she’s going to be a star. By any means necessary.
89. Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein) | Poltergeist (1982)
One of the many brilliant things about the film Jaws, is that it’s actually two films in one. Because of its structure, the first half works as a horror film and the second acts as a man on a mission film, with each part having its own main character. Poltergeist is very similar to that structure. The first half is a family drama that increasingly gets more and more terrifying until the ghosts take Carrol Anne, and then it turns into Tangina’s film. She’s the Quint of the film. She has the most quotable dialogue and with the exception of that goddamn clown, she’s the most memorable character in the film. She’s a no-nonsense magical munchkin that ain’t afraid of no ghosts.
88. Harry Warden (Peter Cowper) | My Bloody Valentine (Franchise)
After the monumental success of Halloween and Friday the 13th, every studio immediately green-lit at least five slashers in order to mimic their success. In a span of just six years, over fifty copycats were produced and the greatest by far was My Bloody Valentine. It was far darker than the rest, much more violent, and has a killer that should be as iconic as Michael Myers or Jason. The Miner has a fantastic look, a great weapon and I’d argue, is more intimidating than either Michael or Jason. Until Kane Hodder showed up, that is.
87. Anna (Isabelle Adjani) | Possession (1981)
Adjani never had a chance at an Oscar nomination but I don’t think there’s a more fearless performance captured on screen. What she puts herself through is nothing short of awe-inspiring. For years I actually forgot this was a horror film. I completely forgot about the horror elements because all I could remember was Adjani’s performance. She made me forget about a tentacle monster. That’s how good she is in Possession. In this haunting and enigmatic film, Adjani delivers a mesmerizing portrayal of Anna, a woman caught in the grips of a descent into madness and obsession. What sets her performance apart is her fearless commitment to embodying the extremes of human emotion.
Whether she’s unleashing a primal scream of anguish, engaging in a frenzied dance of madness, or collapsing into a state of abject vulnerability, Adjani holds nothing back, delivering a performance that is as emotionally raw as it is artistically daring. Her portrayal of Anna is a masterclass in psychological horror, challenging audiences to confront the darkest recesses of the human psyche with unflinching honesty and undeniable craftsmanship. Her performance, especially the freakout scene in the subway, should be taught in film schools or played on a loop in an art museum.
86. Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) | M (1931)
“But I… I can’t help myself! I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!…I want to escape, to escape from myself! But it’s impossible. I can’t escape, I have to obey it. I have to run, run… endless streets. I want to escape, to get away! And I’m pursued by ghosts. Ghosts of mothers and of those children… they never leave me. They are always there…”
In the film M, Peter Lorre plays a monster so vile (he’s the ultimate double whammy of evil: a child molester and a murderer), that the criminal underground teams up with the police to catch him. His actions alone are enough to land him a spot on this list but it’s the slight sympathy we feel for this devil that makes him unforgettable.
85. Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) | The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Loosely based on the real life serial killer that inspired Leatherface and Norman Bates, Jame Gumb is a simple man with a simple desire: to be a woman. The problem is, Jame Gumb wasn’t born a woman. The solution is obvious, save up your money to have a sex change operation but Gumb decided to go with door number 2. Kidnapping overweight women and starving them so that making a suit from their skin would be easier. It’s impressive that anyone else in The Silence of the Lambs is remembered considering it’s a film that also includes the inimitable Hannibal Lector but between the “Goodbye Horses” dance and his endlessly quoted line about lotion and baskets, Buffalo Bill is a monster so heinous, it took another monster to catch him.
Unlike the more refined and intellectual Hannibal Lecter, Bill is primal and chaotic, embodying a more terrifying, raw form of madness. The film never glorifies or sensationalizes his acts, but instead presents him as a deeply troubled individual, making him both frightening and tragic. Ted Levine’s portrayal is unsettlingly authentic, particularly in scenes where he’s playing a victim in order to kidnap unsuspecting women, the most famous of which is Catherine Martin (Brooke Smith). His interactions with his captive, the way he treats her and dehumanizes her, reveal small hints of vulnerability and confusion in Bill, which add layers to his character. His grim fate at the hands of Clarice Starling in the film’s climax brings a cathartic end to the horror he represents, but his presence lingers as one of cinema’s most chilling antagonists.
84. Sam (Quinn Lord) | Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
With the release of the Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton made a valiant attempt at making Jack Skellington the unofficial mascot of Halloween and even though he’s super fucking popular with the Hot Topic crowd, the plan never caught on. I can see why, as he has no appeal to anyone outside of Goths but the character that could’ve been a contender, is Sam from Trick ‘r Treat.
If Warner Brothers didn’t intentionally sit on this film for years, we might’ve gotten a new horror anthology around October every year but since the film was unceremoniously dumped to DVD, it never got the audience it deserved. Acting as the glue that ties all of the segments together, Sam is a supernatural entity that punishes those who have no respect for tradition. With his burlap mask and dirt orange onesie, Sam is arguably the last great Halloween costume to spawn from a horror character.
83. Blacula (William Marshall) | Blacula (1972)
Blacula should’ve been a disposable blaxploitation spoof that disappeared into the cinematic aether like Abby and J.D.’s Revenge and if any other actor was the lead, it would have but since someone had the bright idea to cast William Marshall in the lead role, the film and the character have persevered long past its expiration date. There’s a reason nobody remembers or cares about Blackenstein but this film has endured and that’s solely due to William Marshall’s performance.
He takes a ridiculous character that’s nothing more than a joke and imbues it with so much gravitas that you would think Shakespeare himself created him. This isn’t a “so bad, it’s good” performance, this isn’t an “I’m winking at the audience so you know I’m part of the joke” performance, this isn’t an actor matching the tone and delivering his lines accordingly performance. This is a performance that transcends the film it’s in and is so good, it makes it impossible to ridicule any other aspect of the production. I have no idea how big his paycheck was for starring in this but I guarantee it wasn’t big enough. This is one of the best genre performances ever, it just happens to be in a cheap knockoff with a silly title.
82. Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) | The Mist (2007)
It speaks volumes to Harden’s abilities as an actress that she created a character so detestable, that in a film filled with Lovecraftian horrors (some the size of skyscrapers), the main characters would rather choose the unseen horrors of the mist than spend one more second in a room with her. Beginning the film as the local religious nut everyone knows to avoid, after each subsequent attack on the supermarket, she becomes more and more righteous and gains more and more followers until she’s amassed a cult that has become so fanatically loyal, they have no problems killing for her. Even if she orders them to sacrifice a child. She’s an obvious metaphor for the dangers of extreme religious devotion and how easy it is to manipulate people into doing the worst things imaginable out of fear and desperation. It’s a terrifyingly real scenario but what’s even scarier than the real world parallels, is the fact that she was right.
81. Rhoda Penmark (Patty McCormack) | The Bad Seed (1956)
The creepy kid trope is about as played out as creepy mannequins or clowns. It’s an easy gimmick to get the audience immediately unnerved but is rarely properly utilized. They’re usually chucked in as a jump scare tactic but a few get it right. The Good Son, Orphan, and Joshua are all top notch but none of them would exist if it wasn’t for The Bad Seed. This is ground zero for killer kid movies and even though this film is over 60 years old, it still holds up remarkably well. Patty McCormack’s performance as Rhoda is excellent. She can flip between sweet as a button, to murder by fire, in almost a blink of an eye. She’s a sociopath who always has a justification for every murder she commits. She doesn’t think what she’s doing is wrong, which makes her one of the most realistic killers on this list.
80. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) | Terrifier (Franchise)
Art the Clown stands out as an iconic horror character due to his terrifying, silent persona, which is amplified by exaggerated facial expressions and body language. His unsettling, mime-like silence and sadistic nature make him both psychologically disturbing and physically menacing. His unique design, although basic, plays on fears of clowns, but in a way that feels more sinister and malevolent. Art’s brutal, unpredictable methods of violence and the enjoyment he takes in toying with his victims set him apart from typical slasher villains. The lack of a clear backstory or motivation, coupled with hints of supernatural abilities, deepens the mystery and makes him even more terrifying. This combination of unpredictability, sadism, and mystery makes Art the Clown a truly chilling and memorable figure in modern horror.
—Ricky Ratt
79. John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) | The Hitcher (1986)
In 1971, Steven Spielberg directed a horror film for television called Duel which was about an unseen driver of a tanker truck terrorizing a business commuter for no real reason other than the fact that he can. Cut to fifteen years later to The Hitcher, which is similar in concept but gone is the massive truck and unseen driver, and in their place is a man hellbent on making life as miserable as possible for poor C. Thomas Howell. John Ryder isn’t a man so much as he is a force of nature. He’s a biblical plague in human form, with his eyes set on a specific target. Everything in his path will be destroyed and there’s nothing that will stop him until he gets what he wants. It’s not revenge. He’s playing a game that Howell doesn’t understand the rules of until the final scene. And by that point, it’s far too late.
78. The Phantom (Lon Chaney) | The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
According to legend, the scene in which the beautiful ingenue the phantom has been obsessed with throughout the entire film finally decides to see the face that’s been hidden behind his signature mask was apparently so terrifying, that some audience members actually had heart attacks. Lon Chaney was famously known as The Man of A Thousand Faces and considering the other nine hundred and ninety nine never caused any potential deaths, I’d say the Phantom is easily his best.
77. Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) | Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Set in a universe where slasher villains are real, Leslie Vernon is essentially Horror’s first uber fan. He not only knows all of their tricks but is playing on using them all in order to become the next big killer. Playing like a comedic version of Man Bites Dog, the film is about a documentary crew who’s following around a guy who’s gearing up for his first big murder spree. He reveals how killers can seemingly never run but always catch up to the victim (cardio) and how to successfully fake your own death. It’s a clever little gem of a movie that may not be perfect but it’s lead sure is.
76. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) | Se7en (1995)
The Saw franchise is one of the biggest horror franchises in history and that entire series is inspired by one of John Doe’s lesser kills. That’s how wickedly ingenious his plan is, that an entire other icon could be created by riding the coattails of what is essentially 1/7th of Doe’s murderous M.O. By the time John Doe finally appears in the film (right around the 90-minute mark), he’s already made an unforgettable impression. He’s one of the only villains on this list who still would’ve made the cut even if he never made an appearance. That’s how haunting his plan is but once he does materialize, you realize that being caught was just another step in a plan he ultimately wins.
125-101 | 75-51
What do you think of the list so far? Which characters do you hope will make the cut?
