Top 10 Worst Decisions in The Friday the 13th Movies

Top 10 Worst Decisions in Friday the 13th (Franchise)

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Decisions in the Friday the 13th Franchise.

For this list, we’re looking at ill fated choices made by characters in the “Friday the 13th” movies. Since most of the poor decisions mentioned in this list have drastic consequences that affect the plot, of course there will be spoilers.

What’d you think was the worst decision made in these movies? Let us know in the comments.

#10: Partying It Up

“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)
Generally speaking, you increase your chances of surviving a horror movie if you stay away from illicit substances and hanky panky. And this is especially true in the “Friday the 13th” movies. There are countless examples of teens meeting their maker because they engage in these activities. Jason actively seeks out kids who party because his mother held a grudge against a couple of teenagers who couldn’t keep it in their pants.These vices leave young people distracted, unaware of the danger that lurks around them. So if you’re in Crystal Lake and want to get past Jason, it’s best not to overindulge.

#9: Joey Pestering Vic

“Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” (1985)
At a halfway house for troubled teens, Joey decides to pay fellow resident Vic a visit while he’s chopping firewood. Vic screams at Joey to go away, but Joey doesn’t pick up on this obvious social cue that Vic doesn’t want his company. Even after Vic chops a candy bar in half with an axe that Joey left for him, showing clearly that he has anger management issues, Joey keeps pushing Vic … until he snaps and does the predictable. The simple lesson here is never aggravate someone who’s in a bad mood and carrying an axe.

#8: Charles Pushing His Niece into Crystal Lake

“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989)
In a flashback, high school biology teacher Charles McCulloch committed this horrible act against his niece, Rennie, as a misguided attempt to teach her how to swim. As a result, Rennie repressed the memory but had hallucinations related to it. Years later, when Rennie recovers the memory of what her uncle did to her, she and her boyfriend abandon him in New York City. That leaves him vulnerable when he’s hunted down by Jason. Coincidentally, when Jason dispatches Charles, he's submerged in a barrel of waste, a harsh dose of karma.

#7: Shelly Constantly Pranking His Friends

“Friday the 13th Part III” (1982)
The reason Shelly plays these pranks is because he has low self esteem and wants to be accepted by his peers. However, this has the opposite effect, as it irritates his friends, and they think he's trying too hard. Unfortunately, Shelly’s hijinks lead to tragic consequences. First, it gets him killed when he’s attacked by Jason and a friend refuses to help, thinking it’s another prank. And then his friend Vera is finished off when she mistakens Jason for Shelly, who’d scared her while wearing a hockey mask.

#6: Darren Deciding to Confront Jason

“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986)
On their way to camp, Lizbeth and Darren run into Jason in the middle of the woods. Recognizing a threat when she sees one, Lizbeth wants to back up their car out of there. But Darren wants to scare Jason. When that doesn’t work, he pulls out a gun from the glove compartment and steps out of the car. Needless to say, that plan fails. Things only escalate from there. If Darren had just listened to Lizbeth, they may have both survived! Tip: if a creepy stranger in a hockey mask and wielding a fence post confronts you at night … JUST GET OUTTA THERE!

#5: Going to Crystal Lake Despite Its Bloody History

“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)
Between the killing sprees of Pamela Voorhees and her son Jason, why would anyone visit or live in Crystal Lake? Given all the carnage, it doesn’t come across as a relaxing vacation spot to get away from it all as it does a magnet for serial killers. Yet in the sequels, that doesn’t stop young people from hanging out in the area and ushering in their doom. In “Part VI,” the town tries to get over its reputation by changing its name from “Crystal Lake” to “Forest Green,” as if all their problems can be solved by rebranding.

#4: Not Listening to Crazy Ralph

“Friday the 13th” (1980)
A self described “Messenger of God”, this Crystal Lake local tries to warn the kids that they're doomed if they go into Camp Crystal Lake, but the kids choose to stay. As a result, most of them end up getting bumped off. To be fair, Ralph doesn’t look like a reliable source to take advice from, as everything about him is weird and awkward, but he was right about the misfortune that came to people who visited the campgrounds. Ironically though, not even Ralph listened to his own advice, which led to his demise in “Part 2.”

#3: Tommy Jarvis Digging up Jason's Grave

“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986)
In the “Friday the 13th” franchise, Tommy Jarvis is one of the most prominent characters, significant alone for having actually successfully killed Jason in the Final Chapter. However, his first encounter with Jason weighed heavily on Tommy and disrupted his mental wellbeing. At the beginning of “Part VI,” he brings a buddy with him to exhume Jason’s corpse and incinerate his remains, to ensure that Jason never comes back. But his need for peace of mind results in lightning striking Jason’s corpse, thus reviving him, and making him an unstoppable killing machine. Not only did his plan make no sense, it was responsible for bringing Jason back. So all the deaths from here on out can be laid at Tommy’s feet.

#2: Julius Taking Jason on in a Boxing Match

“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan”
Separated from his group while stranded in New York, Julius is chased up a rooftop by Jason. Rather than continue to run, he decides to put his boxing skills to use and tries to punch Jason out. After Jason became a superhuman zombie in “Part VI,” we’ve seen him take all kinds of damage, including being shot and set on fire, and it all seems to roll off his shoulders. Now Julius may be a good boxer in his own right, but he’s obviously no match for Jason, who engages in rope-a-dope, with Julius unable to make a dent. As if this wasn’t a big enough mista, when Julius runs out of energy he unwisely asks for Jason’s “best shot” - setting up Jason for the finishing blow.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Cort Driving the RV Recklessly, “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986)
If You Can’t Hear Someone Getting Attacked in an RV, Your Music's Too Loud

Miles Climbing up the Mast, “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989)
He Had Nowhere to Go but Down

The Government Deciding to Transport Jason Unfrozen, “Jason X” (2002) (read as Jason X, not Jason 10)
Another Blunder Courtesy of the Deep State

#1: The Camp Counselors Neglecting Jason

“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980)
This negligent act is the original sin of the franchise. Two camp counselors were so busy fooling around that they failed to notice Jason struggling in the water, even though he was supposed to be under their supervision. When Jason didn’t turn up, Pamela Voorhees believed that she’d lost her child. Not only did this lead to the counselors getting their comeuppance, it’s the genesis for all the murders and violence that takes place in the series. In the first film, Mrs. Voorhees begins her reign of terror to keep Camp Crystal Lake from reopening, bitter about what happened to her son. And when she’s killed, Jason has to avenge his mother and continue her mission against libertine teens.