Slenderman vs. Jeff the Killer: Creepypasta Battle

Script written by William Regot.

Slenderman vs. Jeff the Killer: Which Creepypasta Scares YOU?

These two internet horror icons have us constantly looking over our shoulders. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and in this installment of Versus, we’re pitting Slenderman against Jeff the Killer to find out which is the more chilling character.

Round 1: Origin Story

A supernatural being whose activities include stalking children in the woods, Slenderman is a mysterious figure whose backstory is largely unknown. However, his real life iteration is easier to pin down: Slenderman made his debut in 2009 in a photoshop contest - of all places - hosted by the humor website Something Awful. A man by the username Victor Surge submitted two photos introducing him. One of those photographs shows children playing with a dark entity in the background. Its caption claimed that the man who took the photograph had disappeared, as had 14 children seen in the picture.

Similar to Slenderman, Jeff the Killer originally started out with a picture; however his origins are even more mysterious and unverifiable. Some sources state that someone with the username killerjeff first posted the image, and that the pic was allegedly a photoshopped image of a girl who eventually committed suicide because of cyberbullying. In 2008, a YouTube video posted by “sesseur” claimed to give the “original story” of Jeff the Killer, revealing the so-called “fact” that he accidentally poured acid all over himself. But the most famous and repeated backstory goes something like this: Jeff is just your average teenager, except that he can have a bit of a violent streak. After a run in with some bullies at a birthday party, Jeff is set on fire and badly burned. His disfigurement leads to his mental breakdown after which he murders his family, and, presumably, continues murdering people to this day.

Since Jeff the Killer has a more definable origin story, we’re giving this round to him.

WINNER: Slenderman 0 / Jeff the Killer 1

Round 2: Weapons / Abilities

If you were ever unlucky enough to encounter Slenderman in the woods, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. His arms can stretch out, and on top of that, he has tentacles coming out of his back that can grab you as well. What’s more, looking at the supernatural creature can drive people to a psychotic state – referred to as “Slender sickness.” And if that’s not bad enough, he’s also said to possess the ability to teleport.

For a teen, Jeff the killer is pretty strong and agile, as evidenced by the fact that he was able to hold his own against multiple bullies at the same time. During another fight, Jeff was said to have killed one of the bullies by punching him in the heart, and he was able to yank a towel rack from a wall and beat another bully to a pulp with it. He’s also demonstrated the ability to overpower adults when he stabbed his parents to death, so let’s just say Jeff’s not messing around.

While Jeff looks like he’d be a tough opponent to take on in a fight, we don’t think he’s any match for Slenderman’s powers. This round goes to Slenderman.

WINNER: Slenderman 1 / Jeff the Killer 1

Round 3: Appearance

When it comes to appearance, it’s kind of hard to explain but there’s not much to Slenderman, which makes it easier for him to blend into his background. In addition to the tentacles mentioned earlier, he wears a dark suit and tie. He can also change his appearance on a whim, as evidenced by that arm-stretching skill we talked about. But ultimately, when a victim looks directly at him, they see a pale face; a void into which he or she can project his or her worst fears.

In contrast to Slenderman, Jeff the Killer’s features are more distinct. His face appears to be bleached white, and in the original picture, he has no nose. In a very creepy twist, his eyes look bigger than they are because his eyelids have been burned off. He also carved his mouth into a Glasgow smile, which has given him a hideous, permanent grin.


Admittedly, Slenderman’s vague features have an eerie quality, but honestly: who cares? Jeff the Killer is incredibly freaky looking. So he takes this round.

WINNER: Slenderman 1 / Jeff the Killer 2

Round 4: Popularity with Fans

Fans have written countless Creepypastas about Slenderman, putting their own personal spin on the enigmatic figure. There have also been popular indie games based on the character, such as “Slender: The Eight Pages” and “Slender: The Arrival,” and he also provided the inspiration for the “Minecraft” character, Enderman. Web surfers have been freaked out by several online web series revolving around Slenderman, including “Marble Hornets.” But worst of all, devotion to Slenderman among fans has been so intense that it has even led to attempted murder. In Waukesha, Wisconsin, two 12-year-old girls stabbed one of their classmates because they reportedly wanted to impress Slenderman.

Like Slenderman, Jeff the Killer has also been the subject of numerous short stories and pieces of fan art. And audiences seem to love the story: as of October 2016, a video by YouTube user MrCreepyPasta in which he reads the Jeff the Killer tale has over 5 million views. However, while Jeff the Killer started out as one of the most popular stories in the Creepypasta community, fans began to resent the tale and its titular character over time. According to TVTropes.org, because more Creepypasta stories of better quality have started to pop up, the Creepypasta Wiki took Jeff the Killer off and put it on the Trollpasta Wiki, a sister site reserved for inferior Creepypasta stories. However, in 2015, a remake of the Jeff the Killer story came out, with the intention to improve on the original and correct some of the problems that had been met with criticism.

Jeff the Killer may have the views, but when you take into account the Wisconsin incident, Slenderman’s clearly got the fans’ passion. Therefore, Slenderman wins this round.

WINNER: Slenderman 2 / Jeff the Killer 2

Round 5: Scare Factor

When considering what’s scariest about Slenderman, there are many aspects to choose from: not only does this character tap into our fear of the unknown, it also freaks us out by showing us the effect the creature can have on various characters’ mental states. Honestly, when you read a Creepypasta about Slenderman, the fourth wall feels like it’s being torn down, almost as if Slenderman is waiting right out there to stalk and terrorize YOU.

Given Jeff the Killer’s jarring face, his photo has been used in several screamer videos. But, perhaps the creepiest thing about Jeff the Killer is the fact that he tells his victims to go to sleep before he plants his knife into them. As with Slenderman, there’s a sense of dread that Jeff the Killer is actually out on the loose looking for his next victim. However, there is one glaring weakness to the Jeff the Killer creepypasta: many people have complained that his original story is so poorly written that it undermines any possible tension it could have elicited.

As such, Round five belongs to Slenderman!

WINNER: Slenderman 3 / Jeff the Killer 2

The final count: Slenderman beats Jeff the Killer 3 to 2. And that is one fight we’d LOVE to see.

Do you agree with our choice? Don’t forget to battle it out in the comments, and for more terrifyingversus battles be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com