The Most Iconic Halloween Villains We Can’t Help but Love to Hate

While we never want to cheer for Halloween movie villains, there’s something undeniably intriguing about their evil. From Michael Myers to Ghostface, these iconic villains keep us coming back to watch—despite the fact that they terrify us. Here’s a ranking of the most compelling Halloween villains that we love to hate. 

7. Hannibal Lecter 

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), the cannibalistic killer from The Silence of the Lambs, is one of the most chilling Halloween movie villains of all time. As FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) consults him to help with catching another disturbed killer, his intelligence and terrifying calm make him unforgettable, earning him a spot as one of the most sinister figures in horror. 

“It was such a well-written part,” Hopkins explained of the character. “And the story was so compelling that after the first reading, I heard the voice of Hannibal Lecter. I heard it in my head. I saw a vision of it. I saw what he looked like.”

There are five films featuring Hannibal Lecter, starting with 1986’s Manhunter, each one available on Prime Video.

6. Jason Voorhees

It wouldn’t be Friday the 13th without Jason Vorhees, the brutal serial killer. Jason is best known for doing his slaying while wearing his infamous hockey goalie mask that doesn’t show his features. Although he isn’t the main villain until the sequels of the franchise, he is one of the most popular Halloween villains of all time.

You can catch Jason Voorhees in any of the 12 Friday the 13th films, starting with the original 1980 film. Each of the 12 movies are available on Prime except for Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday from 1993, which you can find on Apple TV.

5. Freddy Kreuger

He’s a terrifying disfigured killer that has only been seen in nightmares—literally. A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Kreuger preys on teenagers in their dreams, resulting in their deaths in reality. But while Freddy Kreuger is easily one of the most terrifying Halloween villains of all time, he is also one of the most remarkable.

Robert Englund, who portrayed Freddy Kreuger in each of the eight films from the franchise, explained why the character is so popular.

“I think Freddy Krueger is the logo of the experience that people have, sitting through eight of the movies… the sense of humor—he’s got some great lines…He’s also unapologetically evil. I think as a precursor to the sort of politically correct moment in time, Freddy stands out as unapologetically evil. He’s an equal-opportunity killer.”

A Nightmare on Elm Street is part of a 9-film franchise and they are available to watch on Max, Prime Video and Apple TV.

4. Jack Torrance 

You remember that terrifying face that was plastered on posters for The Shining everywhere? Yes, that is Jack Torrance, portrayed by Jack Nicholson, the main antagonist in the film. Although he began the film as a family man wanting to focus on his writing while trying to overcome his alcoholism, Jack Torrance slowly unravels into a homicidal maniac in this horror film.

Jack Torrance was responsible for some of the most terrifying lines in the film, most of which were derived from popular culture at the time. The most notable, “Here’s Johnny” (delivered as he smashes through a door with an ax to get to his wife, Wendy) was improvised by Nicholson and was a reference to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His delivery of that and “Wendy, I’m Home,” which referenced I Love Lucy, is truly what sold his performance as the psychotic killer.

The Shining is available to stream on Max, Hulu and Prime Video. 

3. Ghostface

Although a murderous teenager with an agenda, Ghostface is easily one of the most iconic Halloween villains ever. Portrayed by Skeet Ulrich in the original 1996 movie Scream, Ghostface has been brought to life by many different people. But deep down, there is a real method to bringing the character back time and time again. 

“I think part of it was the mindset of Billy and me getting into that mindset,” Ulrich said of the character. “I saw it as this very serious documentary about two killers in high school and I was researching serial killers and the psychology of them, so I didn't really key into the humor of the story until take-one of day one.”

There are currently six movies from the Scream franchise with a seventh on the horizon. Each of the Scream films are available to stream on Max or on Prime Video. 

2. The Sanderson Sisters

While the Sanderson Sisters of Hocus Pocus aren’t nearly as terrifying as some of the other Halloween villains, these three witch sisters are a beloved scary bunch. Portrayed by Bette Midler (Winifred), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) and Kathy Najimy (Mary), these witches are simply some of the best Halloween villains. Although they aren’t killing the protagonists in similar ways to Freddy Kreuger and Ghostface, they are consuming the life force of the children of Salem, making them characters to fear. However, we love the Sanderson sisters, mostly for their hilarity and charm.

“I think these three characters are really, in a strange and odd way, they’re really quite positive for women,” Bette Midler said. “Their bond is very, very strong. So, in any situation where women are together, a bond of friendship and sisterhood is really, really important. And then this movie sort of shores it up.”

The Sanderson Sisters are featured in Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2, both of which are available on Disney+. There is also a third film currently in the works which will star the original Sanderson Sisters. 

1. Michael Myers

You probably know him best from the John Carpenter franchise Halloween, which began with the 1978 film where he killed his sister, starting the string of movies featuring the serial killer. This villain terrorized Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends throughout the first movie and multiple other entries in the franchise.

Michael Myers has been portrayed by multiple actors, most notably Nick Castle in the original 1978 movie and James Jude Courtney in the revival of the series in 2018. And although he is a terrifying serial killer who just can’t seem to die (he seriously survives everything thrown his way), we can’t help but consider him our favorite Halloween villain.

Curtis has spoken about the character and what it is that makes him so memorable. “I think the fact that Michael Myers is this enigmatic, featureless human allows you to put into that anything you want to attribute to that that terrifies you,” Curtis explained in an interview.

There are 13 films in the Halloween film franchise, with Michael Myers being featured in all of them except for Halloween III: Season of the Witch. This franchise is available on a variety of platforms including Prime Video.

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