A ranking of the 25 best horror villains of all time

Was 1992’s “Candyman” an original idea? Nah, the character is basically the male version of the old Bloody Mary urban legend/ghost story, but with a little extra work. Did the film still scare scores of moviegoers from ever attempting to look in a mirror and say “Candyman” five times in a row? You betcha.

Count Orlock might just be an unauthorized adaptation of another villain who appears later in this list, but that doesn’t mean the character played by Max Schreck doesn’t deserve some love. After all, 1922’s “Nosferatu” did a lot for the horror genre, and you can’t tell me Orlock isn’t still chilling to look at 96 years later.

Most people with the power to turn invisible would probably spend their time sneaking into locker rooms, getting free stuff, and spying on their favorite celebrities. The difference between the average person and Dr. Jack Griffin? Griffin is kind of a jerk. OK, technically, in the movie (but not the book by H. G. Wells) it’s the invisibility drugs that turn the doctor insane, but like your typical mean drunk, he was probably already harboring some deep-seated negative feelings. Regardless, Claude Rains scared the pants off audiences when he played the character in the 1933 film — which would be an embarrassing experience for anyone who doesn’t also have the power of invisibility.

Your typical blue-collar slasher film got a white-collar, corporate makeover in the 2000 black comedy horror film, “American Psycho.” Christian Bale starred as Patrick Bateman, the villain protagonist who is either a sadistic homicidal maniac or just a delusional and paranoid suit living in the dog-eat-dog world of business. Either way, we loved all 101 minutes of this film, which is based on a 1991 book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis.

The titular character, with her disturbing telekinetic powers and all, was the unfortunate villain of the 1976 film “Carrie,” especially after she killed almost all of her classmates and teachers in a fiery blaze. Of course, if those mean girls had just been a little nicer to Carrie (Sissy Spacek), the film (based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King) would have probably turned out much differently. Such is the life of a horror villain, right?

For a pretty generic horror movie monster, The Mummy has nabbed a lot of screen time. He was first brought to life by Boris Karloff and Universal Pictures in 1932, which led the studio to release five sequels, including three with Lon Chaney Jr. Peter Cushing then followed that up by starring in the first of four Hammer Horror films in 1959. More recently, there were the Mummy/Scorpion King films with Brendan Fraser and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as well as the most recent one, 2017’s “The Mummy,” which starred Tom Cruise. As far as timeless horror villains go, The Mummy might take the top spot; he’s several thousand years old, after all.

Last year, the “Saw” franchise released “Jigsaw,” the eighth installment since its debut in 2004. Even though Jigsaw himself was killed in “Saw III,” he continued to play a role in the subsequent films, including the last one. And don't look now, but a ninth installment may already be in production. Wait, you didn't just Google it, did you? We said DON'T look. Great, now you’ll probably wake up in a gross abandoned bathroom with a reverse bear trap on your head.

This one’s a bit of a stretch, as no single character was behind the ghost-faced killer from Wes Craven’s horror/black comedy “Scream” franchise. Heck, even the original 1996 installment saw Billy and Stu both spend time behind the mask. But after four films, there’s no doubt that “Ghostface” is a now a beloved horror icon. The character even led to a TV series based on the film that’s currently gearing up for its third season on MTV.

When you boil it down, the Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney Sr.) is actually a pretty relatable villain in the 1925 silent film. He pines after an unrequited love, is spurned and gets understandably upset. And all he really wanted was for the beautiful Christine to live with him in his dark, creepy, subterranean world for the rest of her life. With a bit of dental work, a nose job and maybe some coloring around the eyes, the guy could actually be decent boyfriend material...if only he wasn’t so darned insane.

We had to specify “Pazuzu Regan” in this case, because technically the character of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) is really just an innocent girl suffering from the ailment known as having a flippin’ demon possess your soul. Of course, this made the 1973 horror flick "The Exorcist" all the more frightening, as masses of theatergoers thought they could easily be the next unfortunate person to speak in tongues, have their heads spin all the way around and projectile vomit on a priest.

Poor Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson). All he wanted to do was provide for his family and write a manuscript. But he should have known that cabin fever and hotels built on ancient Native American burial grounds don’t mix...and in the end, you’ll just end up out in the cold. As for audiences, they learned that Stephen King + Stanley Kubrick = one of the greatest films in horror history.

When it comes to creepy children, Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) takes the cake. Only metaphorically of course, as the little Antichrist doesn’t take desserts, but he takes people’s lives...and in gruesome ways, to boot. But the most sinister part of 1976’s “The Omen?” (Spoiler!) The kid wins.

If you’re wondering why Norman Bates is listed here, but the photo is of Mrs. Bates, then clearly you’ve never made it through all 109 minutes of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece “Psycho.” Or its four sequels. Or the awful 1998 remake with Vince Vaughn. Or the TV series that aired on A&E. Where have you been?

Lon Chaney Jr. had to spend five to six hours in the makeup chair each time he suited up as The Wolf Man — which included the 1941 original “The Wolf Man” as well as four sequels. This is somewhat ironic, as for audiences in the ‘40s, the scariest part of the Wolf Man character was watching him actually transform from man to beast and back. That and, you know, all the random maulings.

“Jaws” might not be your typical slasher horror film (especially since the antagonist is a great white shark), but the nature-based monster flick still fits the bill and evokes all the same feelings of suspense and terror in audiences. Plus, the Steven Spielberg smash hit almost single-handedly invented the blockbuster when it was released back in 1975.

We’re glad the 2017 version of “It” was so good, lest the name of Pennywise the Dancing Clown be sullied. Now, you can take your pick between Tim Curry (in the 1990 TV miniseries) and Bill Skarsgård (in the new film) and not go wrong either way. Or if you’re us, you just watch both. Join us, and you’ll float too.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) isn’t the worst villain in any of his three films (1991’s “Silence of the Lambs,” 2001’s “Hannibal” and 2002’s “Red Dragon”), but he’s still a cannibal and serial killer who once ate a census taker’s liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. But hey, at least he has some sort of conscience.

It has now been 44 years since Leatherface first revved up his favorite electric tool in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” yet the franchise is still going strong. There have already been eight films released to date, the latest being 2017's “Leatherface." Not bad for a dude from a small town in Texas with big dreams of revenge, murder and cannibalism, as well as a passion for some far-out arts-and-crafts projects.

Obviously, when Clive Barker conceived the “Hellraiser” franchise, he wanted to create beings so terrible that you’d never dream of crossing over into their world. Yet 31 years later, here we are, still positively in love with Pinhead and his posse of Cenobites. Sure, 2011’s “Hellraiser: Revelations” was an absolute disaster (and the only film that didn’t star Doug Bradley in the main role), but that won’t stop us from playing with a Lament Configuration puzzle box if we ever find one.

Props to actor Brad Dourif, who has played the role of Chucky in every one of the “Child’s Play” films. Then again, it’s not like the guy has to do stunts, as his character is an evil, red-headed doll for which Dourif needs to supply only the voice. But what a voice it is! Chucky can maim, murder and marry whomever he wants, but it just wouldn’t be the same without that Dourif audio track. Oh, and in case you missed it, the seventh film, “Cult of Chucky,” was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Netflix last year, with Don Mancini once again handling the writing and directing duties.

Ever since Michael Myers terrorized Jamie Lee Curtis in the very first “Halloween” film in 1978, he has been an iconic figure in the horror genre. Nine sequels tend to have that effect. Although nothing will top the John Carpenter-written and directed original, we’ll still anxiously await each new installment to see who Mikey will go after next. Plus, horror master Rob Zombie handled his 2007 and 2009 reboots quite well. 

“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you,” says the famous rhyme from Wes Craven’s “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. And as of now, Freddy has come for us in nine different films, including a 2010 reboot that was the first not to feature Robert Englund as the scarred and metal-fingered dream stalker. Word on the street (Elm Street?) says another remake is in the works, but it’s still in the early stages. In the meantime, try to stay awake.

Since 1980, the hockey-mask-wearing, machete-toting Jason Voorhees has slashed, stabbed and impaled his way into our hearts from Camp Crystal Lake to outer space in a dozen “Friday the 13th” films. (Well, technically 11, since Jason’s mommy, Pamela Voorhees, was the actual killer in the original.) A thirteenth installment was supposed to be released in 2017, but it was sadly scrapped, leaving the franchise in limbo. Then again, like Voorhees himself, you never know when the next scare might pop up!

Remember: Frankenstein is the doctor and creator. Frankenstein’s monster (or “the creature,” in the 1818 Mary Shelley novel) has the bolts in his neck and is the star of dozens of films dating back to a 1910 silent short film starring Charles Stanton Ogle. Of course, the most famous portrayal of the creature belongs to Boris Karloff...or maybe Fred Gwynne’s spoof role on the TV series “The Munsters.”

When Bram Stoker penned “Dracula” in 1897, he likely never would have believed that the Count Dracula character would eventually become one of the most identifiable characters in the history of literature, TV or film — or that he would single-handedly establish the vampire genre. Yet here we are, 121 years later, still talking about everyone’s favorite bloodsucker. Then again, Bela Lugosi probably wouldn’t believe people from modern times would be still talking about his performance in 1931’s “Dracula” either.