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.
225. Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) | Phantasm (Franchise)
The Phantasm series might be the most underrated in horror history. Unlike most other series where each entry introduces new characters for the main baddie to dispatch of, Don Coscarelli instead decided to make one large narrative that focused on three recurring characters and their decades-long battle with The Tall Man. Over the course of five films, Mike’s journey shifts from that of a curious boy caught up in a bizarre supernatural nightmare to a determined man battling an otherworldly evil. In the original Phantasm, Mike is a young, orphaned boy living with his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) after the death of their parents. When Mike witnesses strange and disturbing events at the local mortuary, he becomes convinced that the mortician, the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), is not human. His curiosity leads him to discover a hidden world of horrors, including the Tall Man’s sinister schemes, shrunken alien slaves, and deadly flying spheres.
In the sequel, set several years after the first film, Mike has been institutionalized for his claims about the Tall Man. However, once released, he immediately resumes his quest to stop the Tall Man, teaming up with his friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). In this film, Mike is older, more experienced, and focused on revenge. He’s also played by another actor for the first and only time in the series. It’s a change no one liked but it is nevertheless important in Mike’s evolution as a character. He stays basically the same for the next two entries until the fifth and final one, where he is more battle-worn than ever. Mike’s quest to stop the Tall Man reaches its climax as the film attempts to tie together the loose threads of the franchise’s mythology. At this point, Mike is no longer the frightened boy from the first film, but a seasoned warrior who has spent his life trying to defeat an unstoppable enemy. His journey comes full circle, as he remains committed to ending the Tall Man’s reign, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds. Reggie may have slowly turned into the main character over the course of the series but Mike is the franchise’s heart and soul.
224. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) | Zombieland (Franchise)
Zombies made a big resurgence in the 2000s from remakes, original stories, and a few horror comedies. Enter Zombieland, which is one of the best zom-coms out there. Zombieland is a well-written and directed movie, but what makes it so good is the incredible chemistry between Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin. They undeniably carry the film, helping to create one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s. It’s fun to just sit back and just watch a zombie movie without some kind of subtext and just enjoy a brainless fun ride. There is solid action, gore, quotes for days, and one of the best cameos of all time. While not as good as the first one, the sequel still delivers memorable moments but is ultimately carried by the strength of Tallahassee’s performance. Woody created the most entertaining monster hunter since Ash Williams.
—Vincent Kane
223. Winslow / The Phantom (William Finley) | The Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Winslow Leach is an idealistic and struggling composer who dreams of having his cantata—a rock opera based on Goethe’s Faust—performed. He is passionate about his music, believing in its purity and artistic integrity. His dedication to his craft makes him vulnerable to exploitation, which drives the tragic arc of his character. His downfall begins when the nefarious record producer Swan (Paul Williams) steals his music and plans to open his rock palace, the Paradise, with it. After being wrongfully imprisoned and having his teeth and voice destroyed in an accident at a record press, Winslow escapes and dons the persona of the Phantom.
His transformation into the Phantom—complete with a deformed face hidden by a mask and a voice that has to be electronically altered—mirrors the classic tragic arcs of characters like the Phantom of the Opera and Faust. Winslow’s initial motivation is to have his music heard by the world, believing it to be a masterpiece. However, after Swan’s betrayal, his idealism turns into a desperate obsession with revenge. His rage is fueled by both the theft of his art and the exploitation of the young singer Phoenix (Jessica Harper), whom he becomes infatuated with and sees as the only true performer worthy of his music. While his initial goal is to take down Swan and reclaim his music, he gradually loses his humanity in the process. His descent mirrors classic Faustian characters who make a pact with the devil (Swan, in this case) and pay a terrible price for their ambitions.
222. Suzy (Jessica Harper) | Suspiria (1977)
The main cast of Suspiria was originally intended to consist primarily of young girls, enhancing that dark fairy tale feel as innocence finds itself struggling against darkness. Producers nixed that idea, but the script was hardly changed to accommodate the older actresses.
With child performers no longer an option, Argento needed someone in the lead role of Suzy Bannon who could convey innocence and also an inner strength – and he found her in the lead actress from Brian DePalma’s The Phantom of the Paradise, Jessica Harper. Harper turned down a role in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall to play the waif-like ballerina who finds herself surrounded by mystery and murder. While the script gives her little to work with, Harper manages a believable character in the midst of unbelievable events. Suzy evolves from wide-eyed naivete into an almost cynical, driven personality – never quite losing that feeling of mythical purity, even as she’s facing zombies and ancient witches.
—Bob Cram
221. Mr. Simms (Clarence Williams III) | Tales from the Hood (1985)
Horror anthologies are arguably the hardest subgenre to pull off. Not only do they have to deliver entertainment in bite-size doses but more importantly, they have to create a compelling wrap around to tie everything together. Asylum has arguably the best structure but the one everyone steals from is Tales from the Crypt. In it, five strangers are brought together by a mysterious Crypt Keeper and due to their actions, they are all shown how they will eventually die. It’s been the template for numerous films but never as successfully as Tales from the Hood, and that’s 100% due to Clarence Williams III as Mr. Simms. He’s charismatic, creepy, and completely unforgettable. Using the corpses of dead characters of each segment to segue into the next story, Mr. Simms, a malevolent mortician, leads three hoodlums through a series of horror tales, each revolving around racism or urban problems such as drug use, police brutality, and domestic violence. It’s a smartly written horror film with a predominately black cast that uses social issues as the backdrop of horror. It was and still is, ahead of its time. Mr Simms is and will forever be, the greatest host of any horror anthology ever.
“Welcome to Hell, motherfuckers!”
220. Maxine (Mia Goth) | X (2022) & MaXXXine (2024)
In X, Maxine is a young woman working in the adult film industry. Set in 1979, the film follows Maxine and a group of filmmakers as they travel to rural Texas to shoot a low-budget pornographic film. Maxine is a rising star with big dreams of becoming famous, and this ambition is a driving force behind her character. She carries a rebellious confidence, exuding both vulnerability and determination. Maxine is driven by her belief that she is “destined for greatness,” a mantra she repeats throughout the film. Her background as the daughter of a conservative preacher (as revealed in the film) adds complexity to her motivations, showing that her rebellion against her strict upbringing plays a role in her life choices. When the violence begins—when the elderly couple hosting the crew starts to murder them—Maxine fights to survive. She becomes the film’s final girl, but in a way that suggests she is not just fighting for her life, but for her future.
Maxxxine takes place in the aftermath of X, following Maxine as she pursues her dream of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The film is set in the adult film industry at the height of the VHS boom, and Maxine’s quest for fame is central to the story. While X was a slasher film steeped in 1970s horror aesthetics, Maxxxine reflects the neon-lit excess of 1980s Hollywood, exploring themes of fame, exploitation, and the darker side of ambition. In this sequel, Maxine is no longer just a survivor but an ambitious woman chasing fame at any cost. Her mantra of being destined for greatness continues to shape her decisions, driving her deeper into the morally complex world of the adult film industry. Much like the first one, she becomes the target of a killer and just like that one, she doesn’t passively deal with it. She does what she needs to to survive. She is destined for greatness after all.
219. Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) | Theatre of Blood (1973)
A kind of thematic sibling to The Abominable Doctor Phibes, but instead of a mad genius believed to be dead, we have a mad actor back from the grave, enacting his dramatically convoluted revenge on the critics he blames for humiliating him. Price makes the most of every second of screen time in a role that must surely have seemed to have been written specifically for him. As delicious as Edward Lionheart is it’s the small roles he takes on in order to enact his vengeance that really stand out to me. One gets the feeling that this was where Price had the most fun, with the policeman, the masseur, the chef and the hairdresser being particularly fun bits.
The murders are all based on scenes from various Shakespeare plays and are both gruesome and tinged with a liberal helping of black humor. Price’s expressions are, well, priceless. The scene with the critic forced to eat his prized poodles is liberally adapted from Titus Andronicus and a real standout. What’s funny to me is that I remembered this particular scene as being fairly gory, but it’s easily the least bloody death in the film.
You can’t help but wonder how much Price identified with Lionheart. In the film Lionheart is portrayed as an actor with a tendency to overact who is nevertheless extremely popular. However, he never receives favorable notices from the critics (one of whom mentions that he is “reminded of a ham sandwich”). Price was more than capable of nuanced roles, but the ones he was most famous for definitely had a porcine air about them – and those were the types of roles he kept getting offered.
—Bob Cram
218. Mademoiselle (Catherine Bégin) | Martyrs (2008)
Two young women who were both victims of abuse as children embark on a bloody quest for revenge only to find themselves plunged into a living hell of depravity. Once the French found their niche in the horror world, they hit the ground running. What’s their niche, I hear you ask? Extreme violence. Extreme violence is the answer. They took a page from the Japanese handbook—which is written in blood and bound in skin—and decided that gore and visceral carnage was the way to go to stand out from the crowd. At the head of the New French Extremity movement is unquestionably Martyrs. A film so violent, it almost gives Japanese cinema a run for its money. Almost. A new rating classification was made for this film and this film alone, if that doesn’t put your ass in a seat, nothing will. But the film offers more than just catnip for gorehounds, it’s a meta-commentary on the entire genre itself. Mademoiselle puts the main character through hell (seriously, you have to see it to believe it) in an attempt to know what’s on the otherside. She is the ultimate evil because she makes the viewer question their blood lust. Why did you subject yourself to this experience? And was it worth it?
217. Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) | The Wicker Man (1973)
Erudite, charismatic and manipulative, Lord Summerisle is Sir Christopher Lee at his best. The lord and master of a community of pagans, Summerisle manipulates poor Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) through a maze of ritual, lust and temptation before a final sacrifice. The role was so good that Lee actually declined a fee to appear in the film, and you can tell he’s giving all in his performance. While Summerisle is a bad guy, he’s also one who lives in fear of the very society he leads – and Lee makes sure we see that side of him as well.
—Bob Cram
216. F.W. Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) | Ravenous (1999)
Set during the Mexican-American War, Ravenous is a period Western that blends horror, black comedy, drama and buckets of blood to create a wholly original experience. Which means it was a box office failure. The studio didn’t know how to market it and audiences were too scared to roll the dice. It wouldn’t be until years later that it would find its fans. Ravenous became a cult classic over time, appreciated for its unique blend of dark humor, horror, and historical setting, with Carlyle’s performance as F.W. Colqhoun being one of its most memorable aspects.
Colqhoun is introduced as a mysterious, seemingly fragile survivor of an expedition who tells a harrowing tale of how his party turned to cannibalism to survive in the wilderness. However, as the film unfolds, it becomes clear that Colqhoun is far from the victim he first appears to be. Instead, he reveals himself as a cunning, manipulative predator who embraces the Wendigo myth — a Native American legend of a creature that gains power from consuming human flesh. Carlyle’s performance is both chilling and charismatic. He shifts between vulnerability and malevolence with ease, making Colqhoun a captivating and unpredictable character. The themes of Ravenous—the consumption of others for survival and power—are embodied in Colqhoun’s twisted philosophy and brutal actions. That note Fessenden, this is how you tackle the wendigo mythos.
215. Marie (Cécile de France) / The Killer (Philippe Nahon) | High Tension (2003)
Everyone who’s seen this film agrees that the twist is awful and the film would be better without it and while I agree on both accounts, I think it’s also important to mention that a horrible twist can only ruin a good movie. Certain films are only remembered because of their terrible twists like The Life of David Gale and The Perfect Stranger because there isn’t much to remember about those films in the first place. The reason horror fans bemoan the inclusion of the twist in this, is because it was so close to being a perfect slasher. It was the first film in a long time that felt like a dare. Aja dared you to handle the film’s gratuitous levels of violence. There are scenes in this that are so grotesque, so depraved, that you feel dirty for watching them. It’s not snuff film level but this definitely would’ve been banned in the 1980s.
But setting aside the logistical issues of the film (which contribute to its awful twist), Marie undeniably helped usher in the wave of the New French Extremity movement. In the film, she is both damsel in distress and vicious killer. We see her have fantasies about her friend Alex, “survive” the killer and become a maniacal monster herself in the name of lesbian love and dissociative identity disorder. When her personality splits, she murders everyone in her way except for the object of her affection, her friend Alex. The scene of Marie running around with the cement saw is as badass as it gets.
—Vincent Kane
214. The Babadook (Tim Purcell) | The Babadook (2014)
I’m still not sure if the Babadook is real or not. (In the context of the film, that is. I’m fairly sure he’s not really real. Fairly.) The Babadook itself seems, to me, like the personification of Amelia’s grief – the things she can’t let go of that have soured and darkened inside her, turning what was once love into something else, something bitter and cold with teeth like a sharks’ and empty eyes – willing to tear down everything else in her life, if she lets it.
Even if all of that is true, the design of the Babadook is creepy as hell. A top-hatted, black-lipped monstrosity with too many teeth and lanky hair. It’s reminiscent of silent film baddies, particularly Lon Chaney’s “Man in the Beaver Hat” from the lost film London After Midnight. (Check out the first entry in this list for more on him.) He’s terrifying as an illustration, but even more so in his (rare) live appearances. Real or not, the Babadook is a memorable entry in horror’s long list of monsters.
—Bob Cram
213. Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) and Vincent (Vincent Lindon) | Titane (2021)
I watch movies for two reasons: to feel something, whether it’s a thrilling or emotional response and to see something I’ve never seen before. Plenty of films do the first thing, I mean, action and horror don’t work if there are no thrills and drama falls flat if you’re not emotionally invested. But I can’t think of many that do both. To offer something truly original that’s also profound is a rare gift and Titane is one of the few films that gave me everything I want from art. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It constantly kept me guessing as to where it was going and it definitely showed me things I had never seen in anything else before. If all you know about it is that a chick fucks a car, you’re not prepared for how crazy it gets. It’s far more than just the one thing it will forever be described as. There’s no other film to compare it to to even pitch it.
It has shades of Cronenberg’s Crash mixed with the WTF am I watching feel of insanity of Holy Motors but with an actual human heart at it’s center. The film isn’t just weird for the sake of weird, there’s a thematic point to everything. The movie is about identity and how some of us literally have to kill our previous selves to find happiness and acceptance. Alexia is a murderer who takes on the identity of the missing son of a firefighter. At first, we think he accepts her because he is delusional but we eventually learn he isn’t fooled, he just doesn’t care. He has his son back and his love and acceptance is the emotional core of the film. It’s one the weirdest relationships in modern cinema but look past all the car fucking and murder and it’s actually quite beautiful. He accepts her and that acceptance makes her a better version of herself.
212. Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald) | The Descent (2005)
Before The Descent gave way to the terrors of the cave the group of women was spelunking, Sarah was already a strong female badass. She was dealing with the horrific loss of her husband and child just a year before. Now, she was in the midst of a fight for her and her friends lives in an unexplored cave. She would learn heart-wrenching truths and witness friends die but she would battle till the end gaining strength she didn’t even know she had. The sequel implies that she becomes the leader of the cabalistic underground cave monsters at the end and while that movie is awful, if it paid off in a third film, it would make this one of the most unique trilogies ever.
—Vincent Kane
211. The Butcher (Vince Vaughn) / Millie (Kathryn Newton) | Freaky (2020)
Millie is relatable as the awkward teenager navigating the ups and downs of high school life until she gets thrust into the twisted world of The Butcher. Watching her grapple with her newfound killer instincts while trying to keep up with cheer practice is pure comedic gold. Who knew high school drama could involve dodging the police while wielding a chainsaw??
What really makes Millie/The Butcher shine is her transformation. She swings between adorable and terrifying, managing to pull off a killer (pun intended) performance that keeps you rooting for her. The combination of Millie’s sweet demeanor and The Butcher’s ruthless edge creates hilarious scenarios as she tries to navigate her way back to her own body while figuring out how to outsmart her own murderous alter ego. In the end, Millie proves that even when you’re dealing with evil, a little bit of teenage tenacity and a dash of humor can turn the tables.
—Ricky Ratt
210. Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.) | Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)
According to Sid Haig, after Lon Chaney Jr. finished one of his monologues, the crew was in tears. They proceeded to give him a five minute standing ovation. At this point in his life, Chaney was a barely functioning alcoholic. His life took a hard turn after those Universal movies and his downward spiral lead him to the bottle. The crew didn’t give him a standing ovation because they felt sorry for him and were trying to cheer him up, they were genuinely moved by his performance. Even when wasted, Chaney could still bring the house down. That’s how talented a performer he was.
In the film, he plays Bruno, the caretaker of a trio of siblings afflicted by a rare genetic disorder that causes them to regress mentally and behaviorally to a childlike and violent state. He has raised them after the death of their parents and acts as both protector and enabler of their increasingly dangerous behavior. Bruno is gentle, soft-spoken, and genuinely devoted to the murderously insane children, whom he sees as his responsibility. Despite their madness, he loves them deeply and does his best to shield them from both the outside world and their own destructive impulses.
His character is marked by sadness and a sense of duty—he is fully aware of their dangerous nature but feels morally obligated to care for them. He also struggles with guilt over the horrors they commit, knowing he can only do so much to contain their madness. Chaney’s Bruno is a tragic figure, filled with pathos. His performance grounds the film emotionally, giving weight to what could otherwise be purely camp or farce.
209. Imhotep (Boris Karloff / Arnold Vosloo) | The Mummy (Franchise)
I’m always disappointed in how little actual Mummy is in the original 1932 version of the Mummy. That fantastic Jack Pierce makeup apparently took most of a day to apply, though, so I understand why they opted for “Ardeth Bay” instead. Karloff is awesome as always, and the repeated closeups of Ardeth Bay and his glowing eyes are pretty creepy. Actually, Bay is creepy all the time, standing in weird poses way too close to whoever he is speaking to. Dude has no sense of personal space. This being Karloff the character has more depth than your average monster villain, and you feel for him as he recounts his attempts to resurrect his beloved – only to be tortured and buried alive for his transgression.
Still, his plan calls for killing his beloved and turning her into a monster, so not THAT sympathetic. It’s tough to compare performances when they’re more than 60 years apart, but Arnold Vosloo is also up against Boris F’ing Karloff, and he’s always going to fall short in that regard. Still, I enjoy his performance in the 1999 remake – and he manages to make Imhotep both frightening and sympathetic in small ways. Just not, you know, as much as Karloff.
—Bob Cram
208. Kayako Saeki (Takako Fuji) | Ju-On / The Grudge (Franchise)
Have you ever felt an anger so strong you felt like you could just murder the whole world? That’s what Kayako has, and she won’t let a little thing like being dead stop her from raging against anyone and everyone who steps into her former home. Murdered by a jealous husband, she’s become onryō – a vengeful spirit. Her long dark hair, hollow eyes and croaking noises are memorably disturbing, as is her penchant for dragging those she’s killed along with her on her murderous expeditions. The first (well, third, but it’s complicated) Ju-On film ends in a way that suggests she’s well on her way to murdering… well, just about everyone.
—Bob Cram
207. Nix (Daniel von Bargen) | Lord of Illusions (1995)
Private investigator Harry D’Amour (Scott Bakula) stumbles into a mystery involving a fanatic cult who are preparing for the resurrection of their leader Nix, a powerful magician who was killed thirteen years earlier. You would think for a Clive Barker movie, this would be a bit more well known. Everyone knows Candyman, Hellraiser, and Nightbreed and hell, even Midnight Meat Train eventually became a cult hit but Lord of Illusions still languishes in semi-obscurity. While the film isn’t perfect (Bakula is miscast and some of the VFX are terrible), there’s still a ton to recommend. The setting is unique, the supporting cast is all terrific and Daniel Von Bargen gives an all-time great performance as Nix, the man born to murder the world. It’s got magic, murder, mystery, and legit horror — what’s not to love?
206. The Clowns | Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a low-budget film, but where where it excels is in its monsters (and in its set design as well). The Killer Klowns themselves are fantastic creations – brightly hued, fleshy monstrosities with the ability to appear both goofy and menacing. The Klowns and their vehicles (everything from their big top spacecraft to the Klown Kar) are all fantastic – and the interiors are a black-light nightmare circus. It’s the monsters and their shtick that makes the film, and to the Chiodo brother’s credit, they know to keep them on the screen as much as possible.
Much attention is paid to various Klown ‘kills’ – including a deadly shadow puppet show, a biker gang boxing match and acid pies. At one point the Klowns are shown walking down a street with some sort of ‘people sweeper,’ using their ray guns to wrap people in something like cotton candy and then sucking them up for later. (There’s a scene with a Klown and an impossibly large straw that shows exactly why they’re interested in abducting people. Gah.) The film is just plain fun, and punches way above its weight class when it comes to the monsters.
—Bob Cram
205. Benny (Arno Frisch) | Benny’s Video (1992)
Despite producing three stellar horror films (and one good enough but ultimately pointless remake), no one considers Michael Haneke a horror director. I truly believe a major contributing factor to this is the fact that most only know his worst contribution to the genre. Some have seen the original Funny Games, less have seen Caché and hardly anyone has even heard of Benny’s Video. And it might be the best of the bunch. The film follows Benny, a 14-year-old boy from a wealthy, emotionally detached family. Benny spends much of his time alone, watching violent videos and recording his own.
His disconnection from reality becomes clearer when he films and later commits a senseless act of violence, showing no remorse or understanding of its impact. Benny’s character illustrates how media consumption, particularly violent content, can numb individuals to the consequences of their actions. Haneke uses Benny to critique society’s passive consumption of violence through screens. The movie is part of Haneke’s broader critique of media and violence, themes he revisits in his later works. Benny’s cold, almost clinical approach to violence sets the tone for the director’s unsettling style, where the audience is forced to confront the moral implications of passive viewership.
204. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) and Sue (Margaret Qualley) | The Substance (2024)
How far would you go to be famous? How far would you go to stay famous? Once you get a taste of stardom, it ensnares you like a hungry vine. Elisabeth was famous. She was a star. But like most people in the entertainment industry, her fame had an expiration date. It was directly tied to her beauty and she hasn’t been their definition of young for half of her career. She’s the host of a successful exercise program but the numbers apparently aren’t good enough to justify keeping her around. It’s time to rebrand with someone younger and hotter. After receiving a flash drive for an experiential black market drug called The Substance from someone who has already used it and feeling the pressure of wanting to stay relevant, she decides to sign up for the procedure. The drug is meant to give you back your beauty but there are very strict rules that have extreme consequences if broken.
To reveal any more would require getting into what the procedure is, how it works and the uncooperative element that brings it all down and the film is best enjoyed when going in cold. Without giving away to much, I’ll just say it’s a unique spin on body horror that spins wildly out of control. Demi Moore, an actress famous for throwing herself into her work, has once again topped herself in terms of fearlessness; she really goes for it. It’s the type of performance an actor does after years of being forgotten that acts like a reminder to everyone that the spark never left, it was the material that wasn’t up to snuff. Her costar and main antagonist is Margaret Qualley, who’s never been more wonderfully vindictive. The two of them make one hell of an unforgettable team.
203. Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) | King Kong (1933)
Ann Darrow is one of the most iconic characters in early cinematic history. Fay Wray created the blueprint that every scream queen would build upon. Her legendary set of pipes helped define a key element to a horror film’s success. Audiences need to hear the fear in the voices of the characters on screen, not just see it on their faces. There are a ton of great and successful horror films pre sound but none are as effective as a scary film you can hear. Fay Wray definitively proved for all time that sound is an invaluable asset to horror. But her iconic scream isn’t the only thing the character contributed to cinema history.
She’s also one of the best examples of the “beauty and the beast” trope. Ann’s relationship with Kong is central to the film’s emotional core. She is terrified of him at first, as he abducts her and takes her to the top of Skull Island’s highest peaks. Yet, as the film progresses, Kong’s attachment to her reveals a softer, more tragic side to the giant ape. The contrast between Ann’s fragility and Kong’s raw power creates a unique dynamic that blurs the lines between beauty and beast, predator and protector. Watching a woman fall in love with a giant ape was crazy progressive for the time and the reaction could’ve been disastrous but audiences couldn’t help but sympathize with Fay Wray. They loved her and were legit sad that her and her gigantic kidnapping monkey lover couldn’t be together.
202. Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) | Saw (Franchise)
Saw is about a killer named Jigsaw, played wonderfully by Tobin Bell, who would make his victims go through a series of brutal tests. If they failed they died but if they were able to survive, his hope was they show a greater appreciation for life. Enter Amanda Young. She was a victim of playing one of his games and she was the first survivor. She would end up playing one of Jigsaw’s evil games a second time or so that’s how it would seem. Shawnee Smith would play Amanda with great ability to go from sympathetic victim to a heinous culprit in Jigsaw’s evil master plan. She would go on to prove to be a loyal follower wanting to take over as Jigsaw’s successor. She’s such a great addition to the films, that you can delineate between the one she’s in and the ones she isn’t, and the former are much better than the latter. If she makes an appearance, it’s going to be one of the best entries.
—Vincent Kane
201. Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) / Stephen H. Price (Geoffrey Rush) | House on Haunted Hill (Franchise)
While technically not the same character, both Frederick Loren and Stephen Price are wealthy and eccentric characters who host a nightmarish party in a supposedly haunted mansion, in two movies with the same title that have the same plot, so I’m going to pretend they’re the same character. While both portrayals share some similarities, the two characters have distinct differences based on their respective films’ styles and tones.
Loren is a suave, sophisticated, and mysterious millionaire. Vincent Price’s portrayal is filled with charm but with a subtle menacing quality, making him both a charismatic host and someone with an ulterior motive. His primary goal seems to be testing the limits of his guests through psychological terror, though it’s also a device to engage in a personal vendetta with his wife, Annabelle, who is plotting against him. The plot hinges on manipulation and mind games, a hallmark of Price’s style in horror.
The 1999 version reimagines the character as Stephen Price, a theme park mogul known for designing horrifying and elaborate thrill rides. Geoffrey Rush plays the role with an over-the-top theatricality, clearly modeled after Vincent Price’s style, but with a modern, exaggerated edge. The 1999 version amps up the character’s eccentricity, adding layers of camp and irony to the performance. Stephen Price is more openly cruel and calculating, and the entire setup seems more about delivering a brutal experience than anything else. Similar to Loren, Stephen Price is part of a twisted game of manipulation, with his own marriage to Evelyn (Famke Janssen) being full of malice.
Unlike the 1959 version, the 1999 film incorporates supernatural elements more heavily, turning the mansion itself into a malevolent entity. Ultimately, Frederick Loren is a more classic, understated villain, reflecting 1950s horror tropes—more about tension and atmosphere, whereas Stephen Price is grander and more flamboyant, embracing the extravagance and cynicism of 1990s horror.
250-226 | 200-176
What do you think of the list so far? Which characters do you hope will make the cut?
