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.
350. Doctor Gogol (Peter Lorre) | Mad Love (1935)
Doctor Gogol is one of the most memorable and eerie characters from 1930s horror cinema. Gogol is a brilliant but disturbed surgeon who becomes infatuated with the actress Yvonne Orlac. His obsession escalates when her husband, a famous pianist, is involved in an accident that severely damages his hands. In a grotesque experiment, Gogol grafts the hands of a recently executed murderer onto Orlac’s body, but these hands retain a “life” of their own, causing a descent into horror for the characters.
Of all the old school horror legends (Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Etc.), it feels as though Peter Lorre is the only one to fade in popularity, which is ironic considering he was the biggest star of all of them. With his iconic bulging eyes, slight frame and easily imitatable voice, Lorre was a titan of horror at the time. He was so good at scaring people that Charlie Chaplin, an actor so good, he convinced everyone he was homeless his entire career despite being the richest man alive, once referred to him as “the greatest living actor.” Not the greatest actor in horror, the greatest actor, period. Chaplin made no genre distinctions because he knew how much talent it takes to scare the bejesus out of people. I don’t know if he made that quote after watching M but it was definitely reinforced after Mad Love.
Lorre’s performance is marked by his ability to mix vulnerability with menace. Gogol’s madness grows throughout the film, as he starts to lose his grip on reality. The scenes where he interacts with a wax figure of Yvonne, believing it to be alive, showcase his descent into delusion. His fixation on Yvonne shifts from admiration to a terrifying need to possess and control her, highlighting the theme of unrequited love turning into madness. The poster said “suitable for adults only” for a reason. It’s a crazy story with an equally unhinged Peter Lorre performance at the center.
349. Martin Durnley / Georgie (Hywel Bennett) | Twisted Nerve (1968)
Martin Durnley is a disturbed young man with psychopathic tendencies. Early in the film, we learn that Martin, although from a wealthy family, has deeply rooted psychological issues, stemming from feelings of rejection and an unhealthy relationship with his family. His mother overly coddles him while his stepfather sees him as a failure. This emotional turmoil contributes to his fractured identity. To cope, Martin adopts the persona of “Georgie,” a simple-minded and innocent boy, which allows him to manipulate those around him, especially Susan (Hayley Mills), the kind-hearted librarian whom he befriends. As Georgie, he appears vulnerable and childlike, eliciting sympathy and protection from others. However, the facade hides his true nature as Martin, a calculating and dangerous individual.
Hywel Bennett’s performance is the film’s driving force, showcasing his ability to switch between two distinct personalities—each with its own mannerisms and psychological complexity. As Martin, Bennett exudes a cold, predatory intelligence, while his portrayal of Georgie is unsettlingly naive, making the audience uncomfortable as the two identities blur and intertwine. The character’s inner turmoil and twisted sense of reality culminate in acts of violence, making him one of the more disturbing villains of 1960s British cinema.
348. Dale “Longlegs” Kobble (Nic Cage) | Longlegs (2024)
Despite the fact that he’s been Hollywood’s go-to weirdo for over three decades now, Nic Cage has surprisingly never played a serial killer before. And in a recent interview, he said he will never play one again, and if that’s true, he went out with a bang. Speaking of interviews, to truly understand what Cage is doing in Longlegs, you need to listen to the Big Picture Show podcast episode where they interview the director Oz Perkins. It’s an illuminating and revealing interview that breaks down his career, the origins of the story and the film’s cinematic homages and more importantly, the creation of Dale “Longlegs” Kobble. If you left the film thinking he was a joke, you most likely disliked the film because you thought the character failed at being scary but that was the intent.
You’re not supposed to think he’s scary, you’re supposed to cringe every time you see him. He’s a Satan-worshipping, hard rock-obsessed nerd with terrible plastic surgery to look like Marc Bolan who happens to be the most powerful person in the room. Perkins has a disdain for the recent trend of glamorizing serial killers and wants to portray one realistic to life. Which means, a fucking loser. Kobble is a pathetic, over-the-top lunatic who is neither calculating like Hannibal Lecter nor an unstoppable force like Anton Chigurh. The only reason he’s scary is because he has unexplained powers. It’s a brilliant subversion of the cat-and-mouse trope where the cat in question isn’t the ultimate evil, he’s just a dude who loves Satan.
347. Shane Brown (Vincent Gallo) and June Brown (Tricia Vessey) | Trouble Every Day (2001)
Shane Brown is a doctor struggling with intense, violent sexual urges. These urges are a result of a mysterious affliction he developed after a scientific experiment, which has left him with an uncontrollable need to consume human flesh during moments of sexual arousal. Shane travels to Paris under the pretense of a honeymoon with his wife June, but his true intention is to find a cure for his condition by seeking out a former colleague, Dr. Léo Sévérin, who had been conducting similar research.
June is Shane’s innocent and unsuspecting wife, blissfully unaware of her husband’s dark secret. As the film progresses, June’s role evolves from that of a passive observer to a tragic figure caught in the terrifying web of her husband’s internal struggle. Their dynamic is central to the film’s exploration of the relationship between love, desire, and violence. Their marriage, at first appearing to be a normal honeymoon, unravels as Shane becomes increasingly detached and dangerous. The film’s slow pacing and minimal dialogue enhance the sense of isolation between them, reflecting the emotional and physical distance growing within their relationship. If you thought Romeo and Juliet was the ultimate doomed love story, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
346. Maud (Morfydd Clark) | Saint Maud (2019)
Maud is a palliative care nurse who has recently undergone a religious conversion after a traumatic event in her past. She believes she has a special connection with God and that she is being called upon to save the soul of her terminally ill patient, Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a free-spirited atheist. Maud’s obsessive faith is fueled by her need for purpose and redemption, but it soon spirals into dangerous territory as she begins to see herself as a martyr in a divine mission. She is simultaneously pitiable and terrifying, a character who is trying to do good but is increasingly driven by her own fanatical interpretations of faith.
Clark masterfully conveys Maud’s internal conflict, her moments of quiet reflection, and the disturbing intensity of her convictions. Her physicality in the role, from her small, almost childlike movements to her contorted expressions of religious ecstasy, adds to the eerie atmosphere of the film. As the film progresses, Maud’s faith becomes more extreme, and her mental health deteriorates. Her interactions with Amanda, whom she views as a lost soul, serve as a catalyst for Maud’s ultimate unraveling. When her attempts to “save” Amanda fail, Maud’s sense of rejection and isolation grows, leading her to believe that God is communicating with her directly, encouraging her toward a violent and tragic path.
345. Héctor (Karra Elejalde) | Timecrimes (2007)
A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding his other self and making sure he gets into the machine, is the first of a series of disasters with unforeseeable consequences. Even though most make no logical sense, there are few things more entertaining than a well-executed time travel movie. If done correctly, watching a time travel film tie up all of its loops, is right up there with heist films and prison escape flicks as one of the most satisfying things ever. Like watching how all the pieces fit in Predestination or how all the different plot threads get resolved in Looper or even just hearing how time travel works at all in something like Back to the Future. Time travel is a concept we can all easily grasp but how certain films choose to depict it, is always fascinating. Timecrimes doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to the rules of time travel nor does it have an overly complicated plot, but the story it tells and how it chooses to tell it will keep you guessing till the very end. One moment you’ll be rooting for Héctor, the next you’ll be rooting against him. Sometimes you’re afraid of him, other times you’re worried for him. His misadventures just keep getting crazier and more unpredictable.
344. Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and Shige (Kiwako Taichi) | Kuroneko (1968)
Throughout the 1960s, Japan was cranking out ghost movies like their country’s economy depended on them. Kwaidan, Onibaba, The Yokai Monster Trilogy, The Living Skeleton and Kuroneko were all released within a ten year period. They’d all go on to be classics of the genre and if this was a list of the greatest horror movies, almost all of them would certainly make the cut. Since they all involve the dead in one way or another, I decided to go with the most sympathetic ghosts and those easily belong to Kuroneko. Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and Shige (Kiwako Taichi) are two women who are transformed into vengeful spirits after a brutal attack.
Yone is the older of the two women, a mother who is fiercely protective of her daughter, Shige. After they are both killed by a band of samurai, Yone returns as a vengeful spirit, bent on killing samurai in a quest for justice. Nobuko Otowa’s portrayal of Yone is restrained yet powerful, embodying the pain of loss and the anger of betrayal. Her presence is eerie and dignified, emphasizing her status as a wronged soul seeking retribution.
Shige, Yone’s daughter, is also killed in the attack, and she too returns as a ghost. Her character is more youthful and vibrant, but she shares her mother’s thirst for vengeance. Kiwako Taichi portrays Shige with a mix of innocence and malevolence, emphasizing the tragedy of her transformation from a lively young woman to a spectral avenger. Both characters operate in the liminal space between life and death, using their supernatural powers to exact revenge. The performances of Otowa and Taichi ground the film’s supernatural elements in deeply human emotions, making Kuroneko a haunting exploration of justice and the human condition. Their dynamic as mother and daughter heightens the emotional stakes of the story, as their bond persists even in the afterlife.
343. Frank Johnson (James Karen) and Freddy Hanscom (Thom Matthews) | The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Apologies to Kane and Sailor and their love of Trash, but these two guys were always my favorite part of Return of the Living Dead. There’s a lot to love about that movie, from Trash to Tarman, from half-dogs to “watch your tongue if you like this job!” The chemistry between Frank and Freddy just kills me every time, though – with Freddy the gosh-shucks new guy and Frank the old hand with a weird sense of humor. Their adventures really form the heart of the film, from accidentally unleashing the zombies to slowly becoming zombies themselves.
While comedy is their forte, Karen and Matthews really do a great job of selling just how horrible it would be to turn into a zombie. You kinda feel for them the whole time, even when they’re lusting after people’s brains. Their chemistry was so good that the filmmakers brought them both back for Return of the Living Dead part 2 – albeit as two completely new characters (Frank and Freddy having been nuked along with everyone else in Louisville). It’s too bad they’d been killed off, because I would totally have watched a series of films with Frank and Freddy – zombies, but still work buds – hamming it up on a road trip or a quest to reverse their undead status.
—Bob Cram
342. Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys & Christopher Charles Mintz-Plasse) | Fright Night (1985 & 2011)
In the original Fright Night, Stephen Geoffreys’ portrayal of Evil Ed is iconic, bringing an eccentric and offbeat energy to the role. His character is often teased and alienated by his peers, which makes him vulnerable to the advances of the vampire, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon). Geoffreys plays Ed with a nervous, manic energy, making his transformation into a vampire even more disturbing. Once he’s turned, Ed takes on a sinister and grotesque persona, adding an unsettling layer to the film’s blend of horror and camp. Geoffreys’ memorable performance, including his chilling laugh and exaggerated facial expressions, helped make Evil Ed a cult favorite among horror fans.
In the 2011 remake of Fright Night, Christopher Mintz-Plasse brings a different but equally entertaining take on Evil Ed. Known for his comedic roles (such as McLovin in Superbad), Mintz-Plasse’s version of Ed leans more into the humor and awkwardness of the character. His portrayal emphasizes Ed’s nerdy and socially outcast persona, creating a sense of sympathy for the character before his turn to villainy. After becoming a vampire, Mintz-Plasse’s Evil Ed is more self-aware and snarky, injecting a modern comedic tone into the role while still maintaining an element of danger. His performance adds a fresh dynamic to the story while paying homage to the original.
341. Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) | Island of Lost Souls (1932)
There have been numerous adaptations of H.G. Wells’ classic novel over the years and while I appreciate what each one brings to the table (yes, even the infamous Brando disaster), none of them can hold a candle to the OG. The Island of Lost Souls is far and away the best version of the tale because of Charles Laughton’s performance alone. His portrayal of Dr. Moreau will never be topped. The character is a brilliant yet morally corrupt scientist obsessed with the idea of reshaping nature itself. On his island, Moreau conducts gruesome experiments in an attempt to turn animals into human-like beings, using his “House of Pain” to perform these surgeries and transformations. His creations, the Beast Folk, live under his tyrannical rule, bound by a strict “Law” that he enforces to maintain control over them.
Laughton’s performance as Moreau is masterful and layered. He portrays the character as outwardly cultured and sophisticated, a gentleman scientist with a calm demeanor. However, beneath this veneer is a cold and detached arrogance, a godlike complex that drives him to disregard the ethics of his experiments. His ability to switch between these facets of Moreau—charming and sadistic, rational and monstrous—creates a character who is terrifying not because of his madness, but because of his complete lack of empathy and moral restraint. His combination of charm, intelligence, and cruelty laid the foundation for the “mad scientist” archetype, influencing countless portrayals of morally compromised men of science. Laughton infuses Moreau with both sophistication and sadism making his performance unforgettable, embodying the dangers of unchecked ambition and the ethical perils of playing god.
340. Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme) | Dead Alive (1992)
The slapstickiest of slapstick horror comedies this side of the Tasmanian Sea. (I don’t know if that is a thing or not). Peter Jackson, you know that guy that made the classy Lord of the Rings trilogy, made one of the goriest films of all the times with this hilarious and over the top zombie love story. Jackson is able to deliver a silly splatterfest that never goes into goofy territory which helps keeps us entertained all the way through. The story is simple enough, a “Sumatran Rat Monkey” bites and infects an oppressive mom of the timid Lionel as he tries to court the lovely Paquita. Their budding romance is put to the test when Lionel’s domineering mother begins to transform into a flesh-eating zombie. Lionel tries to keep the fire burning with his love but also keep his monstrous and deteriorating mother alive and away from others. Jackson is able to tell this story through laughs and gore through an almost jovial style that never bores and makes you keep the barf bag handy. This is easily the bloodiest love story ever committed to celluloid.
—Vincent Kane
339. Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Dr. Caligari is a mysterious, malevolent figure who arrives in a small town to showcase his somnambulist, Cesare (Conrad Veidt), at a carnival. As a hypnotist and apparent scientist, Caligari uses Cesare, who remains in a trance-like sleep, to carry out his dark bidding—including a series of murders. His obsession with proving his theories about sleep and hypnosis leads him to turn Cesare into a sleepwalking assassin, showing his disregard for human life in the pursuit of his own twisted goals.
The film’s expressionist style is essential to Krauss’s performance. The exaggerated set design, with its twisted, distorted landscapes and sharp, angular buildings, mirrors the psychological distortion present in Caligari himself. Krauss’s movements and expressions seem to blend with the sets, creating the impression that he is not just a man, but an embodiment of the warped reality of the world he inhabits. His character is a reflection of the film’s broader themes of madness and control, with his every movement and gesture amplifying the film’s nightmarish atmosphere.
Dr. Caligari represents more than just a mad scientist—he is a symbol of corrupt authority, someone who uses his position to manipulate and dominate others. The film, made in post-World War I Germany, is often interpreted as a critique of authoritarianism and the dehumanizing effects of unchecked power. Krauss’s portrayal of Caligari plays into this interpretation, with his character’s calm, cold manipulation reflecting the dangers of authoritarian figures who see people as mere instruments for their own ends.
The twist ending of the film, which reveals that the entire story may be the hallucination of an asylum inmate, adds another layer to Krauss’s performance. As the narrative shifts, the audience is left questioning whether Caligari is truly a villain or if his perceived madness is a projection of the storyteller’s own fractured psyche. Krauss’s ability to convey both menace and ambiguity makes Caligari a complex and enigmatic figure, one whose motivations remain chillingly inscrutable.
338. Jim (Cillian Murphy) | 28 Days Later (2002)
Long before he won an Oscar for the world’s most famous bomb maker, Cillian Murphy found himself as one of the lone survivors of a devastating virus in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later. After waking up from a coma, his harrowing journey begins with disorientation and confusion as he explores a desolate London, with a virus having turned most of the population into rage-fueled, zombie-like creatures. As Jim encounters survivors and navigates this new hostile world, his character undergoes a transformation from a vulnerable, disbelieving man to a hardened survivor.
Murphy brings a quiet intensity to Jim, portraying him as both fragile and resilient. His initial innocence and unfamiliarity with the apocalyptic environment makes him a stand-in for the audience, experiencing the horror alongside us. However, as the film progresses, Jim becomes a symbol of adaptability and the will to survive. The shift in his character is most striking in the final act, where he embraces his primal instincts to protect his newfound companions, becoming as ruthless and violent as the infected in order to survive.
337. Kyle (Christine Elise) | Child’s Play 2 (1990)
The biggest sin this franchise committed was taking five sequels to bring back Kyle. Her chemistry with Andy in the first sequel is one of the reasons why it’s the best in the entire franchise. She is a rebellious but caring teenager living in a foster home alongside Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent), the young boy who survived Chucky’s attacks in the first film. Kyle presents herself as independent and self-sufficient, navigating the challenges of growing up in the foster care system with a tough exterior. However, as she spends time with Andy, she begins to show a more nurturing and protective side, especially as she realizes he is telling the truth about Chucky. In many ways, Kyle takes on the role of an older sister figure for Andy, stepping in where others, including the foster parents, fail to provide support.
Her bond with Andy is one of the emotional cores of the film, and Elise brings warmth to their relationship. As she becomes aware of the real threat Chucky poses, she transforms from a disbelieving outsider to Andy’s fiercest defender. This shift in her character allows for moments of both tenderness and strength, as she becomes a key figure in the fight to stop Chucky. The final sequence in the Good Guys toy factory is one of the most memorable parts of the film, and Kyle plays a major role in this intense confrontation. As Chucky becomes increasingly unhinged and dangerous, her ability to stay calm and think on her feet is crucial. Her involvement in Chucky’s final defeat cements her status as the biggest badass in the Child’s Play universe.
336. Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside) | Scanners (1981)
Darryl Revok is the main antagonist in Scanners and he’s the guy with the scariest powers. That iconic head explosion? All him, baby. Michael Ironside gives Revok a spine of steel and the brain of a cunning sociopath. For me, the creepiest part of the movie to me is the long-range plans of Revok. This is a man who is planning generations down the line. He’s seeding the population with scanners and planning on culling and harvesting them into an army. He’s got lists that include doctors and patient names and addresses and is willing to put the time and effort and inhuman patience into this plan. And he’s not afraid to explode your brain and set your body on fire if you don’t go along with him. He’s a comic book supervillain trapped in an 80’s horror movie, and I love every minute he’s on screen.
—Bob Cram
335. Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel) | From Beyond (1986)
Dr. Edward Pretorius might hold the record for the goopiest character in film history and that’s saying something considering the rich assholes from Society made the cut. Loosely based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond is Stuart Gordon at his most Stuart Gordon-esque. Which means a ton of body horror and buckets and buckets of K-Y jelly. Dr. Pretorius is a brilliant but unethical scientist who, along with his colleague Dr. Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs), develops a machine called the Resonator. This device stimulates the pineal gland, allowing humans to perceive alternate dimensions and interact with beings beyond normal reality. However, Pretorius’ experiments lead to horrific consequences, both for himself and for those around him, as the creatures from the other dimension start to cross over, and he himself undergoes a monstrous transformation.
One of the defining features of Pretorius’ character is the grotesque physical transformation he undergoes after being exposed to the Resonator. Each time we see him, more of his human form deteriorates, leaving nothing but a pile of slimy goop in its place. At a certain point, he is no longer bound by human morals or physical limitations. His body warps and mutates, reflecting the perverse and dangerous consequences of his desire to transcend human experience. His hunger for sensory experiences grows more perverse, turning him into a literal embodiment of excess and depravity. His repeated line, “Humans are such fragile creatures,” highlights his newfound disdain for humanity and the godlike persona he has adopted.
334. Isaac (John Franklin) | Children of the Corn (1984)
Children of the Corn might hold the record for the worst horror franchise of all time. Witchboard and Amityville Horror give it a run for its money but at least those franchises had a good debut, Children of the Corn can’t even claim that. Almost nothing about the first film works and it’s the only one in the series that’s even remotely watchable. I say almost nothing because it does have one redeeming element: John Franklin as Isaac Chroner. Isaac is a child with a mysterious, almost supernatural presence. Despite his young age, he holds immense authority over the other children in the town of Gatlin, Nebraska, having convinced them to worship a malevolent deity known as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows.”
Under Isaac’s influence, the children murder all the adults in the town and establish a deadly cult that enforces strict religious laws, centered around sacrifices to their dark god. Isaac’s rule is absolute, and his charisma and fanaticism keep the children in line, even as the horrors they commit escalate. John Franklin’s portrayal of Isaac is unsettling and powerful. His performance is marked by a calm yet menacing intensity, making Isaac far more disturbing than a typical villain. Despite his youthful appearance, Franklin infuses Isaac with a sense of authority and wisdom beyond his years, making it easy to see why the other children would follow him so blindly. His soft-spoken demeanor contrasts with the violent and oppressive nature of his leadership, amplifying the creepiness of his character. He is a lone bright spot in an otherwise dire film.
333. Linda (Betsy Baker) | The Evil Dead (1981)
The “goody-two-shoes” of the group, Linda is honestly something of a bland character for the first half of The Evil Dead. I’d even go so far as to say she’s uninteresting, despite her “psychic” powers. And then she gets possessed by one of the demons released by the reading of the Naturom Demonto (loosely translated, The Book of the Dead) and she gets WAY more interesting. The other demons in the Evil Dead series are all pretty physical, aggressive creatures, attacking Ash (and others) with claws and teeth and eyeballs. Linda, in comparison, is fairly restrained (until Ash tries to bury her, that is). She sits and she laughs and she freaks you right the hell out. Those blank eyes and sing-song voice and evil-cutesy demeanor (demon-or?) get on my nerves almost as much as they get on Scotty’s. When she finally attacks ash she’s just as disturbing, writhing in an almost sensual way as she tries to murder Ash. Even her death is full of ick – I could never look at milk the same way afterwards. Linda’s not as flashy as Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss) or Shelly (Theresa Tilly), but she’s every bit as disturbing.
—Bob Cram
332. Chicory (Richard Jenkins) | Bone Tomahawk (2015)
When I made my greatest Oscar Snubs list, it broke my heart to leave off Richard Jenkins from Bone Tomahawk. He’s more than deserving of an award but I know the Academy hates horror, so there was no universe in which he was going to get a nom. But if I ran the Academy, he not only would’ve received a nomination, he would have won. In the film, he plays an elderly, well-meaning backup deputy in the town of Bright Hope. His portrayal of Chicory adds a significant amount of heart and levity to the film, which is otherwise a grim and violent horror Western. Chicory is depicted as a loyal, somewhat bumbling character who often provides comic relief, but he’s also deeply human, grappling with the recent loss of his wife.
His companionship with Sheriff Hunt (played by Kurt Russell) is central to the story, and their banter helps balance the brutal tension. Despite his age and perceived ineptitude, Chicory proves to be brave and dependable, showing remarkable determination and courage as part of the rescue team tasked with retrieving captives from a cannibalistic tribe. His character evolves throughout the film, revealing a thoughtful, kind, and moral individual who is essential to the group’s dynamic. Jenkins’ performance is understated but poignant, offering a subtle, emotional depth to an otherwise intense and violent narrative.
331. Fluffy | Creepshow (1982)
My favorite monster in my favorite section of my favorite horror anthology. The whole damn movie is full of iconic monsters and bits, but Fluffy – the denizen of the crate under the stairs in the segment called, appropriately, “The Crate” – is a standout. All teeth and hair and claws and yellow eyes, it’s just an exaggerated orangutan – but it’s freaking terrifying. From the first moment that we see its eyes, through a partially open lid in the crate it came in, everything about Fluffy reads “killer monster.” Nobody who comes in contact with it is going to survive (sorry, not sorry, “Billie”). Yeah, Fluffy gets tossed – crate and all – into a quarry, but it’s survived 150 years packed in a crate in a school basement. I don’t think a little something like that is going to stop it.
—Bob Cram
330. Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) | Planet Terror (2007)
Sometimes all it takes to find your purpose is having your leg chewed off by a group of zombies. Cherry darling is a failed Go-Go dancer (“it’s ‘go go’ not ‘cry cry’) and possessor of an impossible number of useless talents. She’s sexy and smartass and hard as nails – but it’s really the last third of the movie, when she’s fitted with a machine gun (and grenade launcher) as a replacement for her leg that she really starts kicking ass and taking names (and blowing people to smithereens). I like Cherry from the moment we first see her (in the opening credits), but I didn’t really love her until she swung out that leg while riding on the back of a motorcycle and opened up on a horde of zombies. Thank you Rose McGowan for bringing Cherry to life.
—Bob Cram
329. Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe) | Lair of the White Worm (1988)
Lady Sylvia Marsh is a centuries-old priestess who serves a pagan snake god, Dionin. Living in a lavish mansion near an ancient Roman site, she is the human embodiment of this cult, worshipping the White Worm—a serpent-like creature. Lady Sylvia exudes both charm and menace, using her supernatural abilities to maintain her youthful beauty and to lure unsuspecting victims into the service of her dark deity. Amanda Donohoe’s portrayal of Lady Sylvia is magnetic and flamboyant. She embodies the character’s sensuality and danger with a gleeful energy, blending camp and menace in equal measure. Throughout the film, Lady Sylvia shifts between being a seemingly cultured aristocrat and a ruthless, reptilian predator. Her seductive nature makes her all the more dangerous as she manipulates those around her, including using hypnosis and venomous bites. She also has the funniest weakness of any monster: bagpipes.
328. Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) | The Frighteners (1996)
Frank Bannister’s wife died several years ago and ever since he can see dead people. So of course he uses them to hustle people out of their hard-earned cash. Given his unsavory reputation (and tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time) he becomes the primary suspect in a string of suspicious deaths. Of course he knows, because he can see things others can’t, that there’s a dark spirit out for blood and he’ll have to evade the police, the FBI, and both the living and the dead to put things right.
Okay, this is my favorite Michael J. Fox performance. All of his nice-guy, boy-next-door charm is put into the service of a broken-down, sleazy hustler of the living (and patronizer of the dead). We should kinda hate Frank, but it’s Michael J. Fox – and you just can’t hate him. As fun as Frank is, he’s still the straight man in a comedy full of ghosts – murderous and otherwise – so he gets the redemption arc. Which he kinda, probably deserves. Maybe.
—Bob Cram
327. Jesse Hooker (Lance Henriksen) | Near Dark (1987)
Jesse Hooker is an ancient vampire, with his origins hinted to go as far back as the Civil War, making him the oldest and most experienced member of his nomadic group. Henriksen brings a quiet yet menacing gravitas to the role, portraying Jesse as a hardened, world-weary predator who is both ruthless and deeply committed to his “family” of vampires. Despite his outward coldness and brutality, especially when it comes to killing humans, there is a subtle sense of loyalty and leadership that makes his character fascinating. He has seen centuries pass and embodies the dangers of immortality—enduring life through violence and survival, but devoid of any moral compass.
His calm yet intimidating presence contrasts with the younger, more reckless members of his crew, such as Severen (Bill Paxton), creating a dynamic within the group that feels both familial and dangerous. Jesse’s relationship with the other vampires, especially Diamondback (Jenette Goldstein), who serves as his companion, gives him an additional layer of complexity. While he’s a cold-blooded killer, his moments of interaction with her suggest a deep, almost romantic bond, showing that even vampires aren’t immune to emotions, albeit in a twisted form.
326. Dr. Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) | The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
Though not as widely known as other Wes Craven films, The Serpent and the Rainbow has developed a cult following for its unique atmosphere, disturbing imagery, and Bill Pullman’s central performance. Freddy Krueger and Ghostface will forever be Craven’s legacy and as iconic as they are, they’re no where near as terrifying as Pullman’s line “don’t bury me, I’m not dead” in this. In the film, he plays Dr. Dennis Alan, a Harvard-trained ethnobotanist and anthropologist who becomes entangled in the mysterious and terrifying world of Haitian voodoo. is hired by a pharmaceutical company to investigate rumors of a powder that can supposedly bring the dead back to life, creating “zombies.” Intrigued, Alan travels to Haiti, where he confronts the mystical and dangerous aspects of voodoo culture.
His mission is to uncover the scientific truth behind the “zombie powder” and bring it back to the U.S. for commercial purposes. However, what starts as a scientific investigation quickly becomes a nightmarish journey. Alan faces not just the supernatural, but political unrest, the cruelty of a local dictatorship, and powerful voodoo sorcery wielded by a malevolent figure named Captain Dargent Peytraud (Zakes Mokae), the head of the Tonton Macoute.
The character is a classic example of an outsider who enters a foreign culture with a sense of control, only to be overwhelmed by forces he cannot understand. His journey is both physical and psychological, as he is drawn deeper into the mysteries of voodoo. The more he learns, the less certain he becomes of his own reality. The fact that the film is loosely based on the real-life experiences of anthropologist Wade Davis only makes the film that much more bone-chilling.
375-351 | 325-301
What do you think of the list so far? Which characters do you hope will make the cut?
