Even though horror is an immense and expansive genre, nothing beats a good old-fashioned slasher flick. Before the 21st-century horror Renaissance, where scary movies became more artistic and allegorical, slashers ruled the box office. The slasher archetype became so prominent in the late 90s that characters designed to parody the genre became as memorable as the iconic antagonists they were intending to spoof.
Although the subgenre's momentum has decreased in recent years, the slasher genre is replete with legendary characters who have come to define horror for a generation. As a result, fans of slasher flicks love to debate which character reigns supreme within the genre, and we here at Complex are no different. Check out our list of the 10 best slasher villains of all time, ranked.
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10.Pearl
In its relatively short existence, A24 has become a premium purveyor of horror films. With a host of modern classics like Hereditary and Talk To Me under their belt, one might think A24 would be above cranking out "common" slasher films. With Ti West's X series, A24 proved that they can slash as well as any production house. Anchored by Mia Goth's performance as Pearl, a psychotic farm girl with a bloodlust, director Ti West's X series sets the template for contemporary slashers. Between two films, X and Pearl, Mia Goth's demented farm girl racks up a mean body count.
9.Candyman
There are three prerequisites every slasher must have to be considered an icon in the genre. Every slasher needs a great name, a unique murder weapon, and an unforgettable aesthetic. Clive Barker's Candyman possesses one added layer that most of his contemporaries lack: a timeless and socially conscious origin story. As the victim of fatal racial violence, Daniel Robitaille, otherwise known as Candyman, is a supremely powerful ghost who kills those who summon him. Played by the late Tony Todd, Candyman's memorable hook hand and the swarm of bees that follow him probably still haunt the nightmares of millennials worldwide.
8.Ghostface
Scream is a curious horror franchise. Designed to be the ultimate self-aware love letter to the entire slasher genre, Scream has since become as beloved as the films it satirizes. Spawning a slew of sequels across two generations, Scream's knife-wielding antagonist, Ghostface, has become the basis of his own parody character in 2000's Scary Movie. Despite being a pastiche of slasher tropes, Ghostface possesses such undeniable charm that he ends up becoming greater than the sum of his parts. With his simple black outfit, large kitchen knife, and instantly recognizable mask, Ghostface's stripped-down aesthetic proves that simplicity always works best.
7.Norman Bates
Few movie characters can claim to be the progenitor of their entire genre. Similar to how James Bond is the father of the spy genre on film, Norman Bates is unquestionably the granddaddy of all slasher characters. Every slasher is either an homage or a response to Bates's trailblazing appearance in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho. Despite his status as an innovator, several subsequent slasher characters have refined and expanded Bates's formula so expertly that he's almost become an afterthought in the genre he founded. However, Bates's name should merit inclusion on any serious list based on his pioneering contributions.
6.Leatherface
Pulsed with a palpable punk rock/ DIY energy, Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel's Texas Chainsaw Massacre was so revolutionary that audiences of the era believed the film was based on true events. Granted, part of the movie's perceived authenticity is due to Hooper intentionally and fallaciously claiming that Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a true story; a sizeable portion of the film's gritty appeal stems from its antagonist, Leatherface. Molded in notorious serial killer Ed Gein's image, Leatherface's perverse obsession with corpses and dismemberment takes a backseat to his massive size and choice of weaponry when inspiring fear in an audience.
5.Art the Clown
Art the Clown of The Terrifier series is at once a throwback to the slasher days of yore and a fresh take on the genre. With only five films under his belt, Art the Clown has already emblazoned his name in the pantheon of great slasher characters with his iconic monochromatic design and trademark brutality. Similar to Robert Englund's dynamic performance as Freddy Krueger, Art the Clown's appeal stems from David Howard Thornton's masterful portrayal of the character. Despite arriving after the slasher craze of the late 20th century, Art the Clown feels every bit as indispensable as his predecessors.
4.Chucky
Chucky shouldn't work. Although the concept of a murderous doll works in theory, in practice, Chucky and the Child's Play franchise should be the laughing stock of the horror world. And while Child's Play is a tongue-in-cheek franchise, it's Chucky's creators who are laughing all the way to the bank. Fusing ingeniously implemented animatronics with Brad Dourif's voice, Chucky became an unlikely vision of terror in the late 80s that has spanned all the way into the present day. While the filmmaking technology that brings Chucky to life has evolved, the core concept of the series remains as timeless as ever.
3.Jason
If Chucky exists on one end of the horror spectrum, based on his size, Jason Voorhees is on the other. As a hulking goliath, garbed in filthy clothes and an endlessly intimidating mask, Jason activates one primal survival instinct with his fear-inducing stature. Similar to his contemporary, Michael Myers, Voorhees is nigh unkillable, which only heightens his imposing aura with each entry into his franchise, Friday the 13th. Although the Friday the 13th series has been absent in theaters since 2009, Jason's impact on pop culture has scarcely dissipated, thanks to video game appearances and an upcoming television series, Crystal Lake.
2.Freddy Krueger
Whereas other slashers thrive purely on inducing fear, Freddy Krueger, the antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, became a horror icon based on his charisma and sense of humor. Considering the crimes that led to his disfigurement and eventual death, it's genuinely shocking that audiences came to fall in love with Krueger as fervently as they did in the late 80s and early 90s. Consequently, it's impossible to mention Krueger without mentioning the lovable Robert Englund, who embodied the character for a host of films and television shows. Freddy might be missing now, but he always comes back.
1.Michael Myers
If Norman Bates is the Julius Erving or Wilt Chamberlain of slashers, Michael Myers is the Michael Jordan. With 1978's Halloween serving as the catalyst, Myers inaugurated the slasher era that dominated horror in the '80s and '90s. Despite being the template around which other characters are based, Michael Myers has remained a cinema icon with sequels as recent as 2022. Similar to Voorhees, Myers's massive physical frame is the primary feature that induces fear in audiences, as he's seemingly as invincible as he is relentless. While other slashers have run out of steam, Michael Myers is a horror institution.