What really scares you? Horror movie villains are made to present and confront some of our deepest fears. Admittedly, what scares you will differ from person to person, but some horror movie villains are a cut above the rest. If you want to find a few truly terrifying horror movie villains, here are our top 10 picks for the scariest horror movie villains!
1. The Thing - The Thing
[Source: Universal Pictures/The Turman-Foster Company/IMDb]
We should count ourselves lucky that The Thing landed in Antarctica, where isolation was easier. The Thing is an organism that can perfectly imitate other life forms, and it also appears to have a degree of self-repair that makes it impervious to some weapons. Even with bombs and flamethrowers, the American Antarctic research team "won" at a terrible cost. It took destroying their helicopters, base, and ultimately, their chance of survival to ensure that The Thing would not reach the rest of the world. The scientists made it very clear that if The Thing reached the mainland, life on Earth would cease to exist.
2. Pazuzu/Regan - The Exorcist
[Source: Hoya Productions/IMDb]
Kids are frequently used as horror movie villains, and the scariest of all easily goes to Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist. While possessed by the demon Pazuzu, her head does a complete 180, she projectile vomits a pea-green substance, and she possesses abnormal strength. These are only some of the scariest things she does, which are used to great effect in the movie. To say that you will feel disturbed after watching this movie is putting it lightly, as the visuals will stick with you!
3. The Pale Man - Pan's Labyrinth
[Source: Estudios Picasso/Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Sententia Entertainment/IMDb]
The Pale Man is one of the most visually unsettling monsters in cinema. The body horror from the eyes in the hands alone is enough to make most of us squirm, but the sagging, pale skin that covers the rest of his body isn't doing us any favors. Combine that with the groaning and screeching sounds he makes while lurching forward to catch anyone who disturbs his lair, and you will have one terrifying monstrosity.
4. Pinhead - Hellraiser
[Source: Film Futures/IMDb]
Meeting Pinhead and the Cenobites means opening the Lament configuration, which reduces some of the danger for an everyday person crossing paths with them. However, Pinhead's visually unsettling appearance is enough for him to rank high on our list. Pinhead is the head Cenobite, whose entire head is covered in nails that meet at the corners between grid lines carved in his flesh. He also wears a black leather outfit with straps that weave through the ripped flesh of his chest, a visual reminder that the Cenobites embody both extreme pain and pleasure.
5. Pennywise - It Chapter Two
[Source: New Line Cinema/Double Dream/Vertigo Entertainment/Rideback/IMDb]
Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is already enough to make a clown in a horror movie scary for some people. However, It's Pennywise magnifies that fear with terrifying results, especially in It Chapter Two. Pennywise the Dancing Clown is a fear demon that can shapeshift and manipulate reality to make your worst fears come to life before your eyes. Pennywise generally targets children, but it has a vendetta against the Losers Club, who escaped its grasp. Now that Pennywise targets the characters as adults, it's a no-holds-barred scare fest with utterly terrifying tricks.
6. Lipstick-Face Demon - Insidious
[Source: Haunted Movies/Stage 6 Films/Alliance Films/IM Global/IMDb]
There are several scary entities in Insidious, but the red-faced demon who became known as the lipstick-face demon is undeniably the most terrifying. This demon is a resident of The Further who wants nothing more than to possess a human body. The demons and entities were usually depicted as appearing at night, which lulls you into a false sense of security—until the lipstick-face demon pops up during the day. This is an iconic jumpscare scene that will stick with you!
7. The Tethered - Us
[Source: Universal Pictures/Monkeypaw Productions/Perfect World Pictures/IMDb]
Have you ever wondered what it might be like if you had an evil doppelgänger? Us introduced us to the Tethered—evil doppelgängers who try to kill their real-world doubles so they can take their place. While the Tethered seem to focus their wrath on their body double, they will assist each other if needed. They also display superhuman abilities, including enhanced physicality like speed, strength, and mimicry. How would you outsmart your Tethered?
8. Valak - The Nun
[Source: New Line Cinema/Atomic Monster/The Safran Company/IMDb]
We're noticing a common trend among some of the scariest horror movie characters with inhuman eyes and sharp teeth. Valak is much the same, with his yellow eyes and a mouthful of sharp teeth. However, this demon frequently donned the guise of a nun. Usually, religious books and symbols such as crucifixes and the Bible are used to expel demons, so Valak's favored appearance is somewhat unusual here. Valak also loves appearing directly behind people, which is an excellent scare tactic.
9. Freddy Kreuger - A Nightmare on Elm Street
[Source: New Line Cinema/Media Home Entertainment/Smart Egg Pictures/IMDb]
How do you beat a villain who cannot die and escape them forever when they can visit you in your dreams? Freddy Kreuger is a dream demon who kills people in their sleep and thrives off their fear. While he's genuinely scary in the first movie or two of the series, his comedic punchlines began to make him feel too humorous to be formidable. Still, Freddy can change his body or appear out of nowhere at will, and the first movie's ending shows that he's as hard to kill as a cockroach.
10. Leatherface - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
[Source: Vortex Inc./IMDb]
While many of the entries on our list aren't human, Leatherface is—which somehow makes him more disturbing. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was billed as being a true story, but it was very loosely based on the serial killer Ed Gein. Leatherface wears a mask made of human skin and an apron over his clothes while wielding a chainsaw. We don't know what to tell you if that's not enough to make you start running. He's also part of a murderous family who are more than willing to help bring visitors to the house and keep them there.
That was quite a scary group of horror movie villains! We realize that fear is very subjective so that some characters may terrify you more than others. Do you agree with our list? Which characters are in your top 10? Let us know in the comments! If you want to be a sinister spectacle this Halloween, take a look at our horror movie costumes. Happy scaring!
