Top 10 Scariest Horror Villains of All Time FanRank

“Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)

January 13th being a Friday was the impetus for our fan rank topic, so what better way to kick off this list than with Crystal Lake’s homegrown killer? Single-handedly making hockey masks the most terrifying sports equipment of all time, Jason Voorhees oozes intimidation. Not only that, but he’s managed to be one of the most economical slashers out there, able to kill you with just about anything he can get his hands on. Our fan rank discussion also delved into just how much of a badass Jason is compared to his horror contemporaries, as his murderous panache keeps us compelled to watch through our fingers. It just wouldn’t be summer camp without Jason Voorhees…

“Saw” franchise (2004-)

John Kramer’s debilitating cancer may not make him a physically challenging foe, but sometimes all it takes are theatrics and a little elbow grease to get the blood pumping… and spilling. Picture it: you’re going about daily activities until suddenly you’re abducted and wake up in one of Jigsaw’s deadly traps. Worst-case scenario, you die in grisly and painful fashion. Best-case scenario, you make it out brutally maimed with a lifetime of trauma to look forward to. Normally, Jigsaw’s games can be won. But some of John’s apprentices don’t play nearly as fairly, making the whole experience even deadlier. As David Strauss put it in our live rank comments, “you'll never see him coming.”

“It Follows” (2014)

The most recent villain on our rank, the unnamed entity from “It Follows” is terrifying merely in how conceptually simple it is. Essentially a supernatural STD, the entity is unstoppable in its slow-moving pursuit to kill you, no matter where you are. You can try passing it off to someone else, but eventually it’ll make its way back to you and end you. It’s the sheer paranoia that gets to us with this entry, as the entity’s shapeshifting abilities would have us forever questioning whether the person walking toward us was actually our friend. Everyone else’s inability to see the entity would also make us feel extremely isolated as we constantly fret over if and when it’ll eventually find us.

“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974-)

Whereas many slashers get by being slow and quiet, Leatherface is… neither of those things. Granted, Leatherface may not be the most intellectually-inclined villain on our list, but what he lacks in brains, he more than makes up for in intensity. Seldom seen without his titular chainsaw, Leatherface won’t mince words as he quickly takes to mincing you. Seriously, of all the trademark weapons these villains have in their arsenals, few ensure as quite a painful death as the one Leatherface has in store for you. Forget any consolation, either, as his family is liable to put you in a stew or a lampshade. By the way, special shoutout to the fans who put Leatherface here in our live poll!

“Halloween” (1978-)

It’s doubtful if the slasher genre would be what it is today without Michael Myers. Essentially the prototypical hulking, slow-moving force, Michael Myers has dug his way into our collective nightmares with little more than heavy breathing and a terrifying mask. That, and one of the most unnerving movie scores of all time. Perhaps what’s made Michael such a perennial figure in the genre is his unsolvable motivations. Sure, some sequels have tried to demystify him this way before, but it’s questioning just how and why a six-year-old boy would suddenly become pure and utter evil that chills us to our bones. It also doesn’t help that he’s incredibly strong and nigh unkillable.

“The Ring” franchise (1995-)

Few horror franchises have crossed continents and languages quite like “The Ring.” Whether you want to call her by her original Japanese name Sadako or by the Americanized Samara, this little ghost girl means serious business. Speaking of making ordinary things terrifying, we can’t escape the notion that she’s on the other side of our television sets. And if they ever turn to static, you can bet we’ll be out of there. Much like the entity, there’s really no defense against Samara once your one week is up. Unless you’ve got the cheat code, you’re doomed. “The Ring” terrified live stream commenters like Isabelle Brown as a child, and you know what, we’re right there with you, Isabelle.

“Dracula” (1931-) & “Nosferatu” (1922-) franchises

As groundbreaking as they were, some of the classic movie monsters don’t always hold up with modern sensibilities. Dracula and Count Orlok on the other hand? Totally different story. Essentially both lifted from Bram Stoker’s original “Dracula” novel, these two Counts actually often go about injecting fear into the same story in different ways. Whereas Dracula can be debonair and frighteningly hypnotic, Orlok from “Nosferatu” is much more monstrous in appearance, quick to terrify with his gangly limbs and iconic shadow-walking. There’s a reason these two characters have endured so long in fiction, but it speaks to our fear of the bloodthirsty other that is very real.

“It” franchise (1990-)

WatchMojo member Herbert Lee perhaps said it best with, “​Pennywise is fear itself basically.” More to that point, this shapeshifting entity from the mind of Stephen King knows exactly how to get under your skin. While Pennywise the Dancing Clown is Its most common form, It’ll get to the root of your fear and exploit it just to make you all the tastier. There’s something about the psychological intimacy this villain has with you that makes Its haunts all the more unnerving. Not only that, but the dominating thrall It has over the town of Derry is a testament to Its power and influence. The fact that we also don’t definitively know Its origins makes It all the more terrifying.

“Alien” franchise (1979-)

The Xenomorphs from the “Alien” franchise are all nightmare-inducing, but if we had to single out one specific “character,” as it were, the Queen is a villain all her own. To all effects, the whole process of a Xenomorph’s life cycle is appalling, from the facehugger, to the chestburster, to the full-grown, real deal. But it all starts with the Queen, laying disgusting egg sacs like it’s nobody’s business. And when it comes to going toe-to-toe with the protagonists, she’s no slouch, either. Encapsulating the Xenomorphs’ deadliness as a whole, martin peraza gifted us with the brilliant comment, “A xenomorph ain’t getting its booty handed to it by someone’s baby sister or as I said pre-teen scream queens.”

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

Chucky, “Child’s Play” franchise (1988-)
Funny & Frightening in Equal Measure

Art the Clown, “Terrifier” franchise (2013-)
A New Horror Movie Clown to Haunt Our Dreams

Pinhead, “Hellraiser” franchise (1987-)
This Hell Priest Got a Lot of Love From the Fans During Our Live Stream

Ghostface, “Scream” franchise (1996-)
He’s a Big Reason Why These Are Some of Our Favorite Scary Movies

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise (1984-)

When it came down to it, we asked you which of our top picks you found the scariest, and you unequivocally let us know that Freddy Krueger is the scariest horror movie villain. As if he needed any introduction, Freddy works on basically every level: his design is terrifying, from his outfit to his knife hands; his dream-walking abilities make him virtually inescapable; and the performance given from the incomparable Robert Englund puts him in a whole other league of terror. As much as we chuckle from Freddy’s sense of humor and sardonic wit, we scream even more from his scares, which is all you can really ask for from a dream demon. Never sleep again, indeed.