Horror killers. While they have been a staple to the genre, there seemed to be a larger number during the 1970's and onwards. Tonight I countdown my top 10 favorites, as well toss out a few honorable mentions to those I have not seen in action yet.
10) The Leprechaun (Leprechaun)
This feisty Leprechaun is much happier when he has his pot of gold. Though when that is taken, the gloves come off and the bodies begin to pile up. The Leprechaun can be rather creepy at times, one of his most notable scenes includes killing someone with a pogo stick.
9) Headless Horseman (Sleepy Hollow)
One of the most iconic characters around the Halloween season, the story of the Headless Horseman is well known and has had many retellings. Tim Burton's Horseman however is perhaps the most frightening version to date. One of his most notable scenes is the fight on the bridge.
8) Ben Willis (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Seeking revenge for what they did to him one summer, Ben Willis targets four friends. At first he slowly messes with them, throwing suspicions to others and on each other. Soon though the games end and Ben begins to take down anyone who gets in his way as he gets his revenge on the friends.
7) Candyman (Candyman)
Abandoning humor like some of the killers on this list, the Candyman is one of the creepiest of the lot. One of his best scenes is where he tries to convince Helen, the protagonist from the first film, to join him in undeath and fuel the legend more. This is one vengeful man you don't want to summon.
6) The Creeper (Jeepers Creepers)
Every 21 years this demon rises to feed. Unlike the others, the Creeper has the ability to keep up with his victims by flying overhead and swooping down on whoever is unlucky enough to be below him. His number of victims is staggering, a large number of victims buried beneath his house of pain.
5) Chucky aka Charles Lee Ray (Child's Play)
Serial killer turned doll through the help of voodoo. Chucky proves that size doesn't matter as he terrorizes the child, Andy Barclay. What's more frightening about Chucky is how in the first film there is less of a focus on simply getting a large body count and more on his interactions with Andy. Sadly the later films turned him first into a run of the mill slasher, and again into a more comedic character.
4) Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
While not knowing where the killer is that's stalking you, somtimes it can be even worse hearing the sound of a chainsaw revving as he hunts you down. Despite the burden of lugging the chainsaw around with him, Leatherface still manages to get to his victim as he chases them down. The use of different masks made of human flesh, and his character being based in part off of a real life killer earns Leatherface this spot on the list.
3) Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Part 2)
At first I was a bit unsure where to place Jason. For a long time he's remained an iconic character for me when it comes to horror. Jason, despite not appearing until the second installment still manages to produce a pretty sizeable body count over the course of the series. One thing Jason has going for him is that he is not dialogue dependent, which can give an eerie edge not knowing what he's thinking.
2) Michael Myers (Halloween)
One thing I love about the original Michael, is how he comes from a normal family. To me that is far more frightening to see than a potentially more obvious approach like we see in the remakes. Like Jason, we don't get any dialogue though I find that Michael wins out a lot more in the eerie department. While his body count may not be as large as others, Michael makes up for it in various other departments. As well, he is one of the more brutal members of the list and is even able to drive a car! Something we don't really see often from a slasher.
1) Freddy Krueger (Nightmare On Elm Street)
Ah, Freddy. The most frightening aspect about him is that you aren't safe. Ever. You will have to fall asleep eventually, or else risk slowly damaging yourself to stay awake. When you do fall asleep you're trapped in his world and are forced to play by his rules. This killer is taking out his revenge on the parents of Elm street by taking out their children one by one. From his iconic look, to the gloved hand, Krueger is pure evil and one of the biggest villains in the game.
*Honorable Mentions*
- Annie Wilkes (Misery)
- Pinhead (Hellraiser)
- The Djinn (Wishmaster)
- Norman Bates (Psycho)
- The Hills Clan (Hills Have Eyes)
One thing to keep in mind regarding Jason Voorhees, Michael Myer and Freddy Krueger is that the incarnations I have chosen for the list are the originals and not the remade characters.
See anybody on the list that I missed? Drop me a line and I'll include my thoughts the next chance I get!
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