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.
175. Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) | Scream (Franchise)
The polar opposite of his on screen love interest Gale Weathers, Deputy Dewey Riley is the lovable goofball of the Scream franchise. His charming blend of clumsiness and courage makes him an unexpected hero amid the chaos of Woodsboro. Sporting that iconic sheriff’s badge and signature disheveled look, he’s the kind of guy who might trip over his own feet while trying to save the day, but you can’t help but root for him. Dewey adds a unique flavor to the horror with his comic relief, delivering hilariously awkward lines just when you need a laugh, whether he’s fumbling with his phone during a critical moment or struggling to keep a straight face in the face of danger.
Despite his occasional blunders, Dewey’s determination to protect his loved ones is unwavering; he faces off against Ghostface with a mix of bravery and nervous energy, proving that heroism isn’t just about being fearless, it’s about standing up for what’s right, even when you’re scared out of your mind. His journey throughout the franchise is filled with ups and downs, showcasing his growth from a bumbling deputy to a more seasoned protector, yet he never loses that endearing charm. It’s impossible not to love his character, just maybe try not to get too attached.
—Ricky Ratt
174. The Blob | The Blob (Franchise)
It’s a simple enough story: meteor falls into the forest and is found by an elderly man. Translucent blob within attacks him, and when he stumbles onto the road a couple of local kids take him to the town doctor. The blob grows as it consumes, and it quickly attacks and kills the only adults that can verify the outlandish stories the kids try and tell the authorities. As the blob grows and begins eating everything it can (including an entire bar full of people – off-screen, unfortunately), the kids will need to take matters into their own hands to try and get the town to listen, before it’s too late.
The Blob itself is still a wonderful monster, even after all this time. A featureless, formless mass, it has only one purpose. CONSUME! It’s got your standard movie monster qualities – slow when we’re watching it, ungodly fast when it’s off-screen, as when it consumes the town doctor and a nurse. It’s a subtle gory note that it gets more and more red the more people it eats (as well as doubling in size every so often).
I quite like the remake monster as well, which is considerably more spry (and gruesome). This version of the creature gives us a clearer (but not too clear) vision of what exactly happens to the people it consumes. Spoiler alert: it’s not good. This version of the Blob is also not an alien from outer space, but the result of biological weapons experiments. If I’ve got to choose, I guess I prefer the original. That blood red color really does make a difference (and it looks less like killer bubble gum), and the sheer size of it is terrifying.
—Bob Cram
173. Chop Top (Bill Moseley) | The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series has spawned so many great and memorable nutjobs, at least four ended up in my honorable mentions pile. Tex (Viggo Mortensen) and Vilmer (Matthew McConaughey) are fun additions to the Sawyer (or Slaughter, depending on the film) clan but were never seriously considered for the list. The heartbreaking omissions are definitely Cook (Jim Siedow) and Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey). I really wanted to include them but I just couldn’t find any room on the list for nearly ten characters from this franchise.
It seems like the best sequels are the ones that introduce a new member of the cannibalistic family and the more memorable they are, the better the sequel is. Which means the second one is the best sequel by default because no new character has topped or even come close to equaling Chop Top. He’s the twin brother of the original film’s hitchhiker, making him a new but familiar villain. Unlike the hitchhiker who’s a more grounded psychopath rooted in reality, Chop Top is an over the top wacko from outer space. He’s memorable for his manic energy, grotesque appearance (complete with a metal plate in his skull from a Vietnam War injury), and habit of scratching his head with a heated wire hanger.
Moseley’s portrayal is both darkly comedic and terrifying, blending unsettling madness with bizarre charm. His personality is erratic, swinging from gleeful sadism to almost childlike excitement. The film leans more into black comedy than its predecessor, and Chop Top embodies that tone perfectly, stealing scenes with Moseley’s unhinged performance. His role has since become a cult favorite, cementing Moseley as a horror icon.
172. Aubrey II (Levi Stubbs) | Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed. If you were to create a Venn diagram of the greatest comedies, the best remakes, the best monster movies and the best musicals of the 80s, the one in the center would be Little Shop of Horrors. It hits every target it’s aiming at, which is doubly impressive considering how outlandish those targets are. Everything is pitched at 11 — from the musical numbers to the characters to the monster. It would’ve been so easy to fuck this thing up spectacularly but somehow Frank Oz pulls it off.
In addition to his flawless direction and the catchy as hell songs, the cast makes this movie. Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, Tisha Campbell-Martin, John Candy, Bill Murray – everyone involved brought their A-game. Moranis has never been better, Martin has never been wackier and Greene sings as if she’s an alien from another world; a world you want to move to immediately. It’s one of the best stage-to-screen musical adaptations ever. Everything about it just works. And the Director’s Cut, which includes the alternate third act, turns it into one of the best monster movies ever. Audrey II was a bloodthirsty menace before but that notorious ending turns him into a planet-conquering kaiju. Without that ending, it’s debatably a horror movie but with it, it firmly belongs in the monster movie category.
171. The Grady Twins (Lisa Burns and Louise Burns) | The Shining (1980)
The Grady Twins are barely characters. They don’t have an arc, an interesting backstory and they don’t really contribute to the plot in any meaningful way. They’re just creepy haunted house set dressing but the image of them just standing at the end of the hallway has undoubtedly created more nightmares than characters who are the stars of multi film franchises. Although referred to as “twins,” the Grady girls are actually described in Stephen King’s novel as being two years apart in age. Kubrick’s film adaptation, however, chose to present them as identical twins, which added to the unsettling symmetry of their appearance and made them even more memorable. They are ghostly apparitions haunting the Overlook Hotel and are often remembered for their eerie invitation: “Come play with us, Danny… forever, and ever, and ever.” They embody the hotel’s dark, supernatural presence. Their appearance, framed with Kubrick’s signature symmetrical shot composition and accompanied by an unnerving soundtrack, is one of the most iconic and terrifying moments in cinematic history.
170. Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe) | Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
The movie tries to avoid revealing the twist – if twist it is – for far too long, but come on. Schreck is given a ferret for a snack. He freaks out and tries to attack an actor when they cut themselves. Max Schreck the supposed actor is a vampire – a real one – and he’s something of a prima dona.
Much of the joy in this film is in the interaction between John Malkovich’s Murnau and Dafoe’s Schreck. Dafoe in particular manages to make Schreck into a figure with depth, pathos and menace. One of my favorite scenes ends with Murnau threatening to hurt Schreck if he gets out of line again. Shreck’s response: “How would you harm me? When even I don’t know how I could harm myself?” There’s a whole story there, the idea that maybe he’s tried to harm himself and failed, but it’s conveyed only in tone and expression.
The more I think about it, the more I love Dafoe’s performance. His Schreck is a fantastic creation, and his moments of humanity are heartbreaking in how fleeting they are. A wide-eyed viewing of a filmed sunrise. A story about the saddest part of Dracula being how the Count has to recall what it meant to be human just to set a dinner table.
The thing is – who’s the greater monster in the story? An inhuman creature, tormented by a life he can no longer easily recall and a lust for that same life, or the man who is willing to sacrifice everyone around him if only he can capture something REAL on film?
—Bob Cram
169. Valentine McKee (Kevin Bacon) and Earl Bassett (Fred Ward) | Tremors (1990)
Forget the graboids – the real stars of Tremors are Val and Earl. Two of the most loveable losers to grace a monster movie, Valentine McKee and Earl Bassett are general handymen in the western US desert town of Perfection and, like the town itself, they’ve seen better days. Today is the day they finally have had enough of the crap (literally) they have to deal with, and they pile everything they own (not much) onto their truck to high-tail it to the next town over. Maybe even further!
You gotta love Val and Earl – the chemistry between Bacon and Ward is perfect. You can believe these guys have been friends for years and that they – despite their bickering – will stick up for each other, even if they think the other one is doing something incredibly stupid. (And let’s face it, they probably ARE doing something incredibly stupid.)
There have been six follow-up films and one TV series in the years since, none of them quite living up to the sheer fun and enjoyment of the original. That none of them have both Val and Earl has to be part of the issue.
—Bob Cram
168. Pyramid Head (Roberto Campanella) | Silent Hill (2006)
Fans of the video game Silent Hill 2 were most likely pissed off by Pyramid Head’s inclusion in the movie since he’s the physical embodiment of the main character of that game’s guilt and desire for penance and had no real reason to be included in the movie but since he became so popular that he turned into the franchise’s de facto mascot, there was no way he wasn’t going to show up. Despite the fact that video games have spawned numerous iconic monsters over the years, hardly any have successfully made the jump to film.
Nemesis in Resident Evil: Apocalypse was nowhere near as imposing as he is in the game and Freddy Fazbear and Friends looked great in live-action but they hardly made an impact on anyone over the age of 10. Pyramid Head (also known as Red Pyramid, Red Pyramid Thing, Triangle Head, Bogeyman, and The Execution in the games) may not be accurate to his video game origins in the movie but as a movie monster divorced from continuity, he’s amazing. With his imposing stature, large, rusted Great Knife, and signature pyramid-shaped helmet, he is one of the most terrifying and recognizable antagonists in horror media.
In the film, Pyramid Head serves as a personification of violence, punishment, and the underlying evil that permeates the town of Silent Hill. His appearance often signals the arrival of something nightmarish, and his actions are brutal and unforgiving. One of the most memorable scenes featuring Pyramid Head is when he graphically tears the skin off Anna, demonstrating his raw power and merciless nature. He is an unstoppable executioner that you cannot reason with or kill. Your only chance for survival is by not running into him in the first place.
167. Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) | Hellraiser (Franchise)
Kirsty is the daughter of Larry Cotton and the stepdaughter of Julia who becomes entangled in the horrific events surrounding the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box that opens a gateway to a hellish dimension where the Cenobites reside. When her uncle Frank escapes from the Cenobites’ dimension, having been resurrected through Julia’s help, Kirsty unwittingly becomes involved in the gruesome family drama. Unlike many female horror protagonists who are passive or reactive, Kirsty actively takes control of the situation. She is quick to figure out the malevolent nature of the Cenobites and the deadly power of the puzzle box. Her resourcefulness is highlighted when she bargains with Pinhead and his fellow Cenobites, offering to lead them to Frank in exchange for her life. This clever negotiation is what saves her from being taken to their dimension, demonstrating her intelligence and survival instincts. It also makes her the ultimate rat but I would do the same thing in her situation.
In the sequel, Kirsty is institutionalized after the traumatic events of the first film. However, her nightmare is far from over, as Dr. Channard, an obsessed psychiatrist, seeks to harness the power of the Lament Configuration for his own dark purposes. Kirsty’s determination to rescue her father from the Cenobites’ hellish dimension drives her forward in this film, further emphasizing her bravery and familial loyalty. Her journey in Hellbound takes her deeper into the mythology of the Hellraiser universe as she literally descends into hell. She confronts Pinhead and the Cenobites again, but this time she gains a deeper understanding of their origins and motivations. This knowledge makes her even more formidable as she navigates the grotesque, labyrinthine underworld. Kirsty’s ability to survive the hellish landscape and confront the evil forces at play further cements her status as a resilient and resourceful heroine. Most final girls can claim they’ve been through hell and back but Kristy is the only one that can say it and literally mean it.
166. Trash (Linnea Quigley) | Return of the Living Dead (1985)
There are a ton of memorable characters in Return of the Living Dead (that Tarman zombie will always be my favorite), but few of them are as memorable as Trash. She’s dressed as a punk, all pink hair, leather and leopard print, but she’s really a proto-goth. She’s all about death, including wondering what would be the worst way to die (clawed to death by old men seems to be her bag). Linnea Quigley makes sure she’s a memorable character, and that’s before she gets bored and does a strip-tease on top of a tomb in the cemetery. That’s probably what most folks remember, actually. I remember that she gets to die exactly how she envisions, and then shows back up (still nude) as one of the scariest zombies in the whole film. I salute you, Trash! It’s too bad she got blown up by a nuclear bomb, because you just know she’d have killed it (sorry) in a sequel.
—Bob Cram
165. Dollface, Pin-Up Girl, and Man in the Mask (Various) | The Strangers (Franchise)
The Strangers are like the ultimate party crashers — except instead of showing up with snacks, they show up with murder. Dressed in creepy masks and barely saying a word, they operate on a “let’s terrorize this couple for fun” kind of vibe. There’s no grand reason behind their madness, which somehow makes them even scarier. What makes them really unsettling is how casual they are about the whole thing.
They don’t rush or panic; they take their time, fucking with their victims like it’s just another Saturday night activity. It’s like they planned a twisted game night, and the poor couple never got the invite. Their randomness is the real kicker — you weren’t chosen for some deep, psychological reason. When asked why they’re doing it, their response is just, “Because you were home.” They’re the worst kind of intruders: not here to steal your shit, just to scare the fuck out of you before they repeatedly drive a knife into your body.
—Ricky Ratt
164. The Gremlins | Gremlins (1984)
Originally conceived as a hard R horror film, director Joe Dante and producer Steven Spielberg decided the script had the potential to be a massive hit, so they scaled back the graphic violence and innuendo and molded the project into the children’s classic it is today. While some dark elements still remain (“the Santa speech” has been killing Christmas for kids since 1984), the film is still very much for children, which is refreshing. There are a million monster films but there are not that many horror films made specifically for children.
I have no idea who the hell was running Hollywood back in the 80’s but it seemed like whoever it was hated children. There was a huge string of dark films catered to kids and although the nightmare fuel well runs deep (seriously, there are so many great kids film villains from this decade), the Gremlins eclipse them all in popularity. Adults have their Xenomorphs and the kids have their Gremlins. And I would pay any amount of money to see that battle royale. I have my money on Gremlins.
163. Kathleen Conklin (Lili Taylor) | The Addiction (1995)
Abel Ferrara is the textbook definition of a hit-or-miss director. He’s made some truly spectacular gems and a whole lot of garbage. The Addiction is one of the last times he felt like he knew what he was doing. Right after this (and The Funeral) he crawled up his own ass and started churning out pretentious garbage. He either needs to get back to horror or start focusing on female leads, because that’s when he excels. In The Addiction, Lili Taylor plays Kathleen Conklin, a philosophy graduate student who, after a sudden, violent encounter where she’s bitten by a vampire (Annabella Sciorra), she begins to transform—both physically and psychologically. Throughout the film, she is seen grappling with the consequences of her vampirism, oscillating between moments of horror at what she has become and a growing acceptance of her monstrous nature.
What sets Taylor’s performance apart is the way she embodies both vulnerability and growing power. As her addiction deepens, her philosophical musings become darker, reflecting on the nature of evil, guilt, and moral responsibility. The film is a philosophical exploration of existentialism, morality, and human nature, with vampirism used as an allegory for addiction and sin. Ferrara hit the jackpot getting his hands on a script this good and was probably doing cartwheels watching the dailies and seeing how good a performance Taylor was giving.
162. The Father (Richard Jenkins) | Let Me In (2010)
One of the main reasons I never bitch when a foreign film I consider perfect gets remade is the fact that there’s always room for improvement. No matter how great a movie is, as long as there is a new interpretation or take on the material, it’ll justify its existence. A great recent example of this is the Speak No Evil remake. It came out right on the heels of the last one and everyone bitched that it was pointless and redundant but the ones that did see it, all agreed that James McAvoy’s performance alone was reason to see it. Another example of a single performance justifying a remake that most believe shouldn’t exist is Richard Jenkins in Let Me In.
He plays the caretaker to Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz), a centuries-old vampire in the guise of a young girl. Jenkins’ character, though unnamed, is central to the film’s dark, emotional core. His portrayal is subdued, marked by an overwhelming sense of duty and deep sadness, as he must continually find victims to feed Abby’s need for blood. In contrast to typical vampire films, Jenkins’ performance humanizes the “familiar,” as his character is often referred to, showing the psychological toll of his grim responsibilities.
The Father has a deep, almost father-daughter bond with Abby, though their relationship is one of complex dependency and desperation. Jenkins excels at conveying the weariness of his character, whose life has been entirely consumed by this disturbing role. He hardly says anything but Jenkins is so good with just a look, can feel the strain that years of living this way have taken on him, making him one of the film’s most tragic figures.
161. Matthew “Matt” Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) | Jaws (1975)
Hooper is a marine biologist and shark expert who is called in to help deal with the great white shark terrorizing the town of Amity Island. His character provides a scientific perspective, contrasting with the more practical but less knowledgeable locals who underestimate the threat of the shark. He Is intelligent, passionate, and sometimes a bit brash. He comes from a wealthy background but has dedicated his life to marine biology, which earns him both respect and occasional skepticism from other characters, particularly the salty, blue-collar shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw). Hooper’s expertise and calm-under-pressure demeanor become essential as the shark attacks escalate, making him a vital part of the trio—alongside Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and Quint—who ultimately goes out to sea to confront the shark.
Hooper is no one’s favorite character in Jaws but he is crucial in providing the audience with scientific exposition, especially in explaining the shark’s behavior and its potential threat to the local community. His character is also used to emphasize the danger of the shark in comparison to the town’s initial dismissive attitude. Hooper is one of the few who recognizes early on that they are dealing with something far more dangerous than the town realizes. He comes off as annoying in the beginning but over time you start to warm up to him (like Spielberg himself who was originally going to kill him off at the end but decided to keep him around because he liked him so much) and even root for his survival. He’s not as macho as Quint or Brody and that’s precisely why his legacy has endured. He set the standard for how scientists and intellectuals are portrayed in blockbuster films, showing that they can be just as heroic and crucial to the action as the more traditionally stoic or “manly” men characters.
160. Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney) | Friday the 13th (1980) and Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
When Cabin in the Woods introduced the harbinger of doom whose purpose is to give the future victims a warning about their eventual demise, everyone knew they were referencing Crazy Ralph from Friday the 13th. His role is small but significant, as he functions as a prophetic figure warning the doomed camp counselors about the dangers of returning to Camp Crystal Lake, which he refers to as “cursed.” Ralph is a local eccentric who frequently roams the town on his bicycle, spouting ominous warnings about the dangers of Camp Crystal Lake, also known as “Camp Blood.” He famously tells the counselors, “You’re all doomed!” His warnings are ignored, of course, as they typically are in horror movies, and the counselors proceed to the camp where they become victims of the unseen killer.
The character briefly returns in the sequel, again trying to warn the new group of camp counselors about the dangers of staying at Camp Crystal Lake. His fate is sealed in this film, where he becomes one of Jason Voorhees’ early victims, but his presence continues to loom over the franchise. His role in Friday the 13th may be small, but it left a lasting impression on audiences, contributing to the eerie atmosphere of the film. Walt Gorney’s portrayal of Ralph became one of the most quoted and recognized performances in slasher history, helping to establish the “doomsayer” archetype seen in later horror films.
159. Krug (David Hess) | The Last House on the Left (1972)
Wes Craven’s goal with The Last House on the Left (besides ripping off Bergman’s The Virgin Spring) was to make a condemnation of the media’s portrayal of violence. “Last House was about the evils and horrors of violence, it did not mean to glorify it” he said in an interview about the film’s controversial subject matter. He believed violence, whether real or artificial, was becoming glorified and that made him sick to his stomach. Which in turn made him want to make the most unglamorous and nasty horror film ever, just to depict violence realistically.
The end result is a movie just as powerful and hard to watch as it was over 50 years ago. The Last House on the Left is a rape revenge film with some of the most vile monsters at its center. Fred ‘Weasel’ Podowski (Fred Lincoln), Sadie (Jeramie Rain) and Junior (Marc Sheffler) are all horrible enough to make the list separately but Krug Stillo, the leader of this motley crew of murderers, is the one that leaves the biggest impression. He is violent and remorseless, embodying pure malevolence. What makes Krug particularly disturbing is his lack of empathy or any kind of moral compass. He doesn’t just kill or torture out of necessity but derives pleasure from the suffering he inflicts, turning the acts into a power play over his victims.
Hess’ performance as Krug has become iconic in the horror genre, contributing to the film’s reputation as one of the most shocking and controversial movies of its time. The graphic violence and exploitation themes made The Last House on the Left a lightning rod for criticism, but Hess’ raw and terrifying portrayal anchored the film’s dark tone. He plays Krug without any redeeming qualities, making him a figure of unrelenting terror. David Hess should’ve been cast in a million villain roles after this but I’m guessing every director was too scared to work with him. That’s how effective he is in this film.
158. Francis Dollarhyde (Tom Noonan / Ralph Fiennes) | Manhunter (1986) / Red Dragon (2002)
Francis Dollarhyde is a deeply troubled serial killer who sees himself transforming into a powerful being he calls “The Great Red Dragon,” inspired by William Blake’s painting The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun. That’s the character’s ultimate goal in both adaptations of the story but since each actor brought a different level of intensity to their version of Dollarhyde, they’re almost radically different characters altogether. In Manhunter, Tom Noonan’s portrayal of Dollarhyde is chilling and understated. His performance is marked by his towering physical presence and eerily calm demeanor. Noonan is able to suggest the character’s inner torment without needing grand gestures or emotional outbursts.
In Red Dragon, Ralph Fiennes’ take on the character is more emotional and overtly tragic. He brings an intensity to the role, portraying Dollarhyde as a man battling between his humanity and his monstrous urges. His performance is more expressive than Noonan’s, diving deeper into the character’s psychological and emotional scars, particularly his obsession with his appearance and the abuse he endured as a child.
Both performances capture the duality of Francis Dollarhyde—an individual who is both terrifying and tragic. Noonan’s portrayal is colder and more detached, emphasizing Dollarhyde’s alienation and his predatory nature. In contrast, Fiennes brings out more of the internal conflict, showing a man at war with himself, making his breakdowns more emotionally charged. Both actors succeed in making Dollarhyde one of the most memorable and unsettling villains in the Hannibal Lecter saga. And that’s saying something since every major villain in the series is either a cannibal or was inspired by Ed Gein.
157. Doctor Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) | Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The cast of Bride of Frankenstein is uniformly excellent, but Dr. Pretorius is by far my favorite character and Thesiger my favorite actor. His overwrought, campy, deliciously evil performance creates one of the best screen villains of all time. Every line said with a sneer, every dramatically lit close-up a study in barely repressed evil glee. From his first appearance we know – this guy is as mad as a hatter. Thesiger invests the character with such energy and satanic glee that he’s always a joy to watch on screen, despite his obvious villainy. John J. Mescall’s camera is also always shooting him from below and with dramatic lighting, which plays fantastically with Thesiger’s face. Even the Bride doesn’t get as many dramatic closeups as Pretorius.
While he takes something of a second seat to Frankenstein in the laboratory, I still think of Pretorius as the epitome of the mad scientist. Happily using a coffin as a dinner tray, laughing to himself, blackmailing others, and using monsters and thugs as lackeys. The only thing he’s missing is the secret lab, and he’s got Henry for that. Somehow the Monster can see that Pretorius is even worse than Frankenstein – who may or may not leave all the mad scientisting behind with the right influence. Pretorius is just going to try and do all this again, if he’s allowed to.
—Bob Cram
156. Heather (Heather Donahue) | The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Heather Donahue is the original “I’m going to document everything” horror heroine, and let’s just say, her dedication to capturing every terrifying moment on camera is both her superpower and her downfall. In The Blair Witch Project, Heather’s shaky cam skills and relentless determination to find that spooky witch make her the ultimate DIY documentarian of doom.
She’s got that “this is fine” energy, even when nothing is fine, kind of like that meme of that one dog surrounded by fire. Even though she’s lost in the woods, there are creepy stick figures hanging everywhere, and her friends are slowly losing it, she keeps filming, convinced the camera will save them. Spoiler: it doesn’t.
Heather’s intensity is what makes her stand out, though. She’s the kind of person who would definitely organize a hiking trip without a map and somehow convince you it’s a great idea. Sure, the constant filming drives her friends a little crazy, but without Heather’s fearless leadership (and compulsive need to record), we wouldn’t have one of the most iconic horror experiences of the ‘90s.
—Ricky Ratt
155. Mina Harker (Various) | Dracula (Franchise)
Mina Harker is the perfect mix of elegance, bravery, and just the right amount of gothic drama. She starts off as your classic Victorian lady: prim and proper, with an air of mystery about her. But let’s be real, she’s way more than just a damsel in distress.
From the moment she’s introduced, Mina feels like she’s got one foot in the world of buttoned up society and the other in a swirling, supernatural romance. Her love story with Jonathan Harker? Sweet, but once Dracula shows up with his old world charm and hypnotic eyes, things take a wild turn. And Mina? She’s not backing down. There’s something irresistible about the way she’s drawn to Dracula, even as she tries to fight off the darkness creeping into her life.
What makes Mina stand out is that, even though she’s caught in the middle of this love triangle from hell, she’s no shrinking violet. She navigates the horror around her with grace, never losing her composure, even when things get batty (see what I did there?). Her connection with Dracula is as haunting as it is romantic, and you can’t help but feel for her as she’s torn between her human heart and the pull of the undead.
Plus, Mina’s style? On point. Those Victorian gowns, the soft, wistful expressions, and the way she carries herself—she’s the gothic heroine you want on your side when things get bloody. She may not have fangs, but she’s got enough spirit to stand toe-to-toe with one of the most iconic villains of all time.
—Ricky Ratt
154. The Girl (Sheila Vand) | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
The Girl is a dark presence lurking at the edges of the screen, all stillness and dark clothes surrounding a too-white face. She’s waiflike and ethereal and violently monstrous. This a world where women are treated as little more than sex objects or… well, that’s pretty much it, really. In that dark setting the Girl can be seen as a dark avenger, meting out punishment to the men who hurt women, even going so far as to threaten a child with an awful punishment if he isn’t a ‘good boy.’
Vand is fantastic as the Girl. Though tiny and pixie-ish in appearance, she still manages to convey menace, especially after an early scene in which she spends roughly five minutes standing completely still before biting a man’s finger off. After that, it seems like she could be capable of anything. One of my favorite scenes involves her tormenting an older man by mirroring his every move. He progresses from being intrigued to being annoyed to finally being terrified. It’s artfully done. The main drawback to the movie is that the Girl is the most interesting thing in it, and everything bogs down when she’s not on screen.
—Bob Cram
153. Jeryline (Jada Pinkett Smith) | Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)
Nowadays, Jada Pinkett Smith is primarily known as Will Smith’s bald humorless husband who cuckolds him every chance she gets. She’s such an unlikable presence as of late, that she singlehandedly destroyed Will Smith’s image as one of Hollywood’s most likable movie stars. An image he maintained for nearly 30 years. Her reputation has permanently been tainted and I highly doubt she’ll ever work in film again. Which is a shame because she showed such promise in Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.
In the film, she plays Jeryline, a tough and resourceful woman who becomes the unlikely hero in this horror-action hybrid. Jeryline is initially presented as a prisoner-turned-housekeeper in a boarding house where the story takes place. As the narrative unfolds, she proves to be far more than just a side character. She becomes central to the battle between good and evil, led by a mysterious drifter named Brayker (William Sadler), who is protecting a mystical key from the Collector (Billy Zane), a demon determined to unleash hell on Earth.
There’s a reason she made the cut over Brayker, who I didn’t even consider for the list despite being the film’s lead for the vast majority of its runtime, and that’s due to the fact that she’s a far more interesting and unique hero. Her strength, resilience, and evolution throughout the film separates her from typical horror protagonists. She isn’t a helpless victim. Instead, she rises to the occasion, making tough decisions and showing bravery against overwhelming supernatural forces. Jada Pinkett Smith imbues the role with a sharp intelligence and toughness, making Jeryline a rare black heroine in the horror genre at the time.
152. Paul (Arno Frisch) and Peter (Frank Giering) | Funny Games (1997)
Peter and Paul are two young, sadistic intruders who terrorize a family during a home invasion. The film is a cold, unsettling critique of violence in media, with Haneke aiming to make the viewer uncomfortable by refusing to offer traditional entertainment or catharsis. The pair are deceptively polite and composed, hiding their sadism beneath a veneer of civility. Their interactions with the family—particularly their “games” of cruelty—are designed to break the fourth wall, challenging the audience’s expectations.
Paul often directly addresses the camera, implicating the viewer as complicit in the violence by choosing to watch. This serves as a meta-commentary on how violence is consumed and normalized in media. Frisch and Giering’s performances are chilling due to their detached, almost casual approach to their actions. They are disturbingly playful, which contrasts with the horrific suffering they inflict, and their banter reveals a hollow, almost nihilistic view of the world. Their characters lack clear motivation, which adds to the terror—they commit atrocities not for personal gain but seemingly for their own amusement and, implicitly, to toy with the audience’s emotions.
151. Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) | The Exorcist (1973)
I’ve long lamented the Academy’s utter dismissal of the horror genre but every once in a while, they do get it right. Case in point: nominating Ellen Burstyn for The Exorcist. They actually showered this film with noms, with the only actor not receiving one being Max von Sydow. While he was equally as deserving as the others, it’s hard to complain about his snub when the Academy was uncharacteristically generous to this film. A film I’ll remind you was so controversial and pants-shittingly horrifying that the Pope himself claimed the Devil lived within the celluloid.
In the film, Burstyn plays Chris, a successful actress living in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., who becomes increasingly concerned about her daughter, Regan, after they begin to experience strange and disturbing events in their home. Initially, Chris is portrayed as a loving and devoted mother who is focused on her career while raising her daughter. However, as Regan’s behavior deteriorates and becomes more inexplicable, Chris transforms into a desperate figure, grappling with fear, confusion, and disbelief. Her journey is marked by a powerful sense of desperation, as she seeks help from various medical professionals, hoping to understand her daughter’s condition.
Burstyn’s performance conveys Chris’s deep emotional turmoil, showcasing a range of feelings from tenderness to panic as she witnesses Regan’s transformation. Throughout the film, she confronts various authorities—doctors, psychiatrists, and eventually religious figures—who either dismiss her concerns or provide inadequate explanations for Regan’s affliction. It isn’t until she exhausts all other avenues that she considers going to an exorcist despite not believing in them. Chris’s role culminates in the harrowing exorcism scene, where she must confront the demon possessing her daughter. This moment is the climax of her emotional and spiritual journey. Her unwavering determination to save Regan, despite the horrific reality of the possession, showcases her bravery and love. She endures immense psychological and physical strain, demonstrating the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.
200-176 | 150-126
What do you think of the list so far? Which characters do you hope will make the cut?
