The 22 most iconic horror movie villains of all time

Gabbi ShawOct 31, 2020, 00:55 IST

"The Shining."Getty/Archive Photos

Horror films are a huge part of pop culture, with their villains becoming nightmare fuel for kids for decades.
While some villains like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface have multiple films to get under your skin, others like Annie from "Misery" or Jack Torrance from "The Shining" needed just one movie to earn their spot on this list.

Beginning in the early 1900s with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, all the way to the Armitage family in "Get Out," horror movie villains have each pushed the genre and terrified us in their own way.

If you're looking for a scary movie to watch this Halloween weekend, look no further: Insider has rounded up the 22 most iconic horror movie villains in history.

Prepare to be spooked.

After Jason Voorhees made his debut in "Friday the 13th Part II," hockey masks were never the same.

"Friday the 13th Part III." Paramount Pictures

Freddy Krueger, of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series, has been making kids everywhere afraid to sleep for decades.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street." New Line Cinema

Annabelle, the demonic doll, plays a small part in "The Conjuring," but proved so frightening that she earned her own spin-off series.

"The Conjuring." New Line Cinema

Before we had Annabelle, there was Chucky, the star of "Child's Play."

"Child's Play." MGM/UA Communications Co.

Facehuggers, Chestbursters, Xenomorphs — whatever you want to call them, the aliens from the "Alien" franchise are not for the faint of heart.

"Alien." Twentieth Century Fox

The Predator is another very scary, very deadly alien that kills its victims in gruesome ways.

"Predator." 20th Century Fox

Michael Myers, the seemingly unstoppable killer of the "Halloween" series, has been terrorizing us since 1978.

"Halloween." Compass International Pictures

Second only to Jason's hockey mask is Ghostface's ghoulish mask in "Scream."

"Scream." Dimension Films

All Leatherface needed was a chainsaw to make his way into the Horror Film Villain Hall of Fame.

"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." Bryanston Distributing Company

Norman Bates, the villain of "Psycho," has since become shorthand for "sociopath."

"Psycho." IMDb/Paramount Pictures

Jack Torrance in "The Shining" will stay with you for a long time after finishing the film.

"The Shining." Warner Bros.

While Regan isn't technically a villain, the demon Pazuzu that possesses her in "The Exorcist" is enough to give anyone nightmares.

"The Exorcist." Warner Bros.

After seeing Damien in "The Omen," parents all over the world began taking a closer look at their kids.

"The Omen." 20th Century Fox/Getty Images

Before he was a gay icon, Mister Babadook was a character in a mysterious storybook with the power to possess people.

"The Babadook." Entertainment One/Umbrella Entertainment

One of the most frightening images in modern horror is Billy, a puppet, biking around his warehouse of horrors.

"Saw." Lions Gate Films

Pennywise from "It" no doubt sparked a fear of clowns in many of his viewers.

"It." Warner Bros.

Annie Wilkes in "Misery" isn't supernatural, but she's chilling all the same.

"Misery." Columbia Pictures

Hannibal Lecter of "Silence of the Lambs" has made sure we'll never see Chianti or fava beans the same way ever again.

"The Silence of the Lambs." Orion Pictures

The original vampire is, of course, Dracula.

"Dracula." Universal Pictures

Frankenstein's monster is a tragic villain, but still one of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween.

"Frankenstein." Universal Pictures

"Get Out" would not have been the same without the chilling Armitage family.

"Get Out." Universal Pictures

Whatever you do, don't say the Candyman's name five times in a mirror.

"Candyman." TriStar Pictures

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