Top 10 Horror Movie Villains That Take Zero Damage

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
Since 1984 he’s made the world afraid to fall asleep, and with good reason. Freddy stalked the teens of Elm Street in their dreams, dealing out terror and death. While Freddy does tangle with Nancy and receive a hammer hit, tumble down part of the stairs, and is set on fire, these barely slow him down, yielding no discernable damage. It’s even questionable as to what was reality and what was a dream in the fight. In the end the Springwood Slasher seems to be defeated when Nancy realizes that he feeds on fears … only for him to come right back in the twist ending.

“Hellraiser” (1987)
The leader of the extra-dimensional Cenobites, Pinhead is a chilling, otherworldly figure. He and his followers deal out sadomasochistic torture to those who can solve the mysterious puzzle-box. Frank, a man who solved the puzzle in the past, escapes their clutches and with the help of his brother’s wife, attempts to restore himself to life through the blood of hapless victims. Frank’s niece Kirsty discovers the murderous plot and comes face to face with Pinhead, as well as the monstrous Engineer. In the end, the Cenobites recapture Frank, but are banished by Kirsty. Through it all, Pinhead remains implacable and unharmed.

“Lake Placid” (1999)
What horror movie list would be complete without at least one creature feature villain? The enormous crocodile in Lake Placid terrorizes the town, making a meal out of unsuspecting lake goers. When a team shows up to study and try to apprehend the beast, it sets its sights on them as well. In the end it’s discovered that there are two gigantic crocodiles in the lake, and while one does meet its explosive demise, the other is captured without being harmed. It shows no signs of damage as it’s being carted away on a flatbed truck at the end of the movie.

“Psycho” (1960)
Loosely inspired by serial killer Ed Gein, mild-mannered Norman Bates is a motel owner with a unique relationship with his mother. In one of the greatest horror twists in cinema, we’re led to believe that Mrs. Bates, Norman’s mother is the killer, only to later discover that she’s dead and Norman has recreated her in his head. In the end, the man who made everyone scared to shower alone is captured without a scratch, although we can’t say the same for the state of his mind.

“Wishmaster” (1997)
Be careful what you wish for has never held truer. After being released from his gem prison, the Djinn seek out Alexandra who unknowingly freed him. Along the way, he racks up an impressive soul and death toll, with almost nothing getting in his way. He simply grants people’s wishes, in the most twisted way possible, and remains immune to any damage. While the Djinn does injure himself at Alex’s request, he does this to prove that nothing can harm him, joking about it as he does. The Djinn is defeated through the quick thinking of Alex, who manages to trap him back in his bejeweled prison, unhappy but unharmed.

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
When we first meet this cannibalistic genius in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter has already been captured and is behind bars. Despite being imprisoned for the majority of the film, Anthony Hopkins’s Lecter manages to impart chills in viewers through his psychological games with Clarice during their conversations. He does assist her however in hunting down another psychotic serial killer. Hannibal then manages to escape, killing his guards and calling to taunt Clarice. He emerges from it all unscathed … although we can’t say the same for his fate in the sequel, where he cuts off his own hand.

“The Ring” (2002)
A haunted VHS tape allows the spirit of Samara Morgan to exact death in this 2002 remake of a J-horror movie and novel. The way it works is simple: you watch the tape, get a phone call saying seven days, and then a week later you die. Rachel, a journalist, finds the tape, and after realizing her son watched it, tries desperately to solve the mystery of how it works to try to stop the impending doom. Despite multiple efforts to placate Samara at peace, nothing works. In the end, she discovers the only way to avoid death yourself is to make a copy of the tape, as Samara is unstoppable.

“Final Destination” (2000)
This movie proved that you can try to cheat death, but you can’t escape or defeat it. After a dream gives Alex a premonition of his own demise, he and a few of his fellow classmates narrowly escape a plane crash. They are then hunted down by death, coming to claim what was stolen from it. Death takes them each in order, in some creative and gruesome ways. While they are able to foil death’s plans a few times, in the end, it claims its victims, inexorable and invincible.

“The Strangers” (2008)
The villains in this flick may be the scariest trio of killers in movie history, because their evil had no discernable purpose. Three masked intruders enter a home and terrorize a couple, James and Kristen. The two try their best to defend themselves, Kristen with a knife and James with a shotgun, but all to no avail. The strangers proceed to torture and stab the couple, giving only the reason that “you were home” as their motivation. The trio then leaves in the morning, unhurt and preparing for the next invasion.

“Saw” (2004)
John Kramer is a unique horror villain in that he always offers his victims a choice. Just ...not a good choice. In “Saw”, Adam Stanheight and Lawrence Gordon awake to find themselves trapped in a bathroom with a corpse. They learn through recordings that they are now part of Jigsaw’s game. Each is given a choice that will save their life. Gordon chooses to saw off his own leg to escape while Adam watches in terrified shock as the corpse is revealed to be Kramer, who rises and walks out, trapping him inside. Not only does this masterful villain take no damage, he doesn’t move for the entirety of the game.