As the horror genre has developed over time, many characters have become inarguable icons. From public-domain classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, to relatively newer creations like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, well-liked horror villains have a strong tendency to stand the test of time and become mainstays of cinema and Halloween costumes alike. The genre’s development has largely been in favor of cementing villains as the central element of a franchise, rather than protagonists.
While the modern era of horror is less focused on cementing specific villains in popular consciousness and overall less franchise-heavy, some villains are already on their way to iconic status. Sometimes, the internet has claimed them for memes; other times, the film simply did so well with horror fans that its villain became a mainstay by default. Regardless of how they got there, however, it’s easy to see how some of them are destined to become icons.
Updated on October 15, 2023, by Ryan Heffernan:
While cinematic history is littered with outstanding villains, few genres have given audiences iconic antagonists quite like horror. Whether it is the slashing violence of Michael Myers, the chilling dread of Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins), or the otherworldly terror of the xenomorph, the genre is rife with unforgettable and haunting villains. In recent years, there have been plenty of horror movies which have produced spellbinding villains that may be held in such high regard as well.
15 Gabriel
‘Malignant’ (2021)
While many horror fans wished that Malignant had been a scarier movie throughout, few viewers would deny that its antagonist was magnificently twisted. The film primarily follows Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis), an abused young woman whose terrible visions of brutal killings turn out to be real, leading her to try to help the victims before it’s too late.
The film’s shocking twist reveals that the killer is actually her… in a way. With no memory of her childhood, it is revealed that Gabriel was her parasitic twin who was surgically removed from the back of her head, but his consciousness remained dormant inside her mind. The grotesque physical reveal as Gabriel emerges from the back of Madison’s skull made for a striking villain who will not soon be forgotten.
Watch on Max
14 The Entity
‘It Follows’ (2014)
Shape-shifting monsters in horror tend to lead to fantastic suspense, rising paranoia, and a thematically-charged punch of what it is we fear, however a transformative antagonist does sometimes come at the cost of there not being a singular image of evil for audiences to connect with. It Follows impressively managed to have its cake and eat it to with “the Entity” one of the most terrifying figures of 2010s horror.
The film follows Jay (Maika Monroe), a young woman who is hunted by a malevolent entity after a sexual encounter with her new boyfriend. Having seen what the entity is capable of in the film’s opening sequence, audiences know that the mysterious villain is bad news. While it takes on many forms in its pursuit of Jay, few viewers will ever forget the heart-stopping fright when the towering figure of the tall man (Mike Lanier) emerges from the darkness of the hallway.
Watch on Netflix
13 The Tethered
‘Us’ (2019)
After bursting onto the scene with Get Out in 2016, Jordan Peele followed up his hit horror satire with the chilling home invasion sci-fi, Us. The psychological horror film follows a vacationing family as they are attacked by a band of sadistic dopplegängers who are part of a larger force of lookalikes launching a devastating assault.
The sheer visual terror of the ‘tethered’ alone was enough to make them one of the most striking movie villains audiences had seen in years. The sinister, twisted smiles, the unnatural movements, the murderous rage, and the many questions which surround them all contributed to forming a villainous entity which will lose none of its visceral impact in the decades to come.
Watch on Netflix
12 Pennywise
‘It’ (2017)
Given the instant hit success of It and It: Chapter Two, an argument could be mounted that the evil, shape-shifting clown has already become a horror icon. Bill Skarsgård’s arresting physical performance as the predatory monster was as twisted as it was sublime and worked perfectly as the horrific centerpiece of the film.
With the character’s unsettling physicality, as well as its terrifying appearance and his eagerness to prey on young children, the dancing clown became a hit pop-culture figure. While Pennywise’s immediate impact is plain to see, it will be interesting to see if he can have the longevity of other genre icons like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger.
Watch on Max
11 Rose the Hat
‘Doctor Sleep’ (2019)
Released in 2019, Doctor Sleep was a brilliant though criminally underrated film from Mike Flanagan which served as a legacy sequel to The Shining. Following a now adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), it tracks his mentoring relationship with a young girl who shines and the lengths he goes to protect her when she is hunted by a band of cannibalistic travelers who feast on those who shine to gain immortality.
A major reason why the sequel worked as well as it did was Rebecca Ferguson’s chilling performance as Rose the Hat, the immensely powerful and driven leader of the True Knot. As Flanagan’s reputation in horror continues to grow, there is every chance that Doctor Sleep will become a retrospective cult classic, and Ferguson will get the widespread praise she so thoroughly deserves for the haunting performance.
Watch on Hulu
10 The Plague
‘Hobo with a Shotgun’ (2011)
In this instant-classic Canuxploitation movie directed by Jason Eisener, The Plague are villains tasked with capturing the titular Hobo (Rutger Hauer) late in the movie. It is eventually revealed that they are immortal and have been responsible for numerous deaths and assassinations throughout history, such as Joan of Arc and Abraham Lincoln.
In a movie full of completely absurd characters, The Plague manage to somehow stick out as particularly over-the-top. With their memorable designs and their out-there concept, they immediately cemented themselves in audiences’ minds. While they haven’t been seen since, outside of a reference in Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (which was made with involvement from Eisener and Power Glove, the film’s composers), audiences have been clamoring for a Plague spinoff for a decade and change.
9 Black Phillip
‘The Witch’ (2015)
A stunning feature film debut from director Robert Eggers, The Witch ran at an agonizingly slow pace as it teased the presence of evil while following a family’s gradual demise at the hands of witchcraft in 1630s New England. Amid the surreal, sickening suspense, Black Philip – a sinister goat – emerges as the embodiment of evil as he is revealed to be the personification of Satan.
While Black Phillip’s presence in the A24 horror movieis relatively small, it’s undeniably extremely memorable. Black Phillip was almost immediately claimed for memes by audiences, developing an inexorable association with goats as a whole. It’s unlikely that Eggers’ film will see a franchise blooming out of it, but regardless, Black Phillip is well on his way to becoming one of the most unique yet brilliant horror icons.
Watch on Max
8 Psycho Goreman
‘PG: Psycho Goreman’ (2020)
In this Steven Kostanski-directed splatter comedy, Psycho Goreman is an aptly-named galactic conqueror who finds himself trapped on Earth and bound to two bratty kids (Owen Myre and Nita-Josee Hanna). Between the physicality Matthew Ninaber brings to the role, the hilariously over-the-top voice performance of Steven Vlahos, and the character’s amusing interactions with the children, Psycho Goreman makes himself immediately a joy to watch.
The character strikes a perfect balance between being menacing and being hilarious, with his absurd cruelty resulting in some of the movie’s best jokes. While Psycho Goremanis a relatively underground hit, it seems likely that its title character will prove to be one of its most iconic elements.
7 Demogorgon
‘Stranger Things’ (2016 – )
In Stranger Things, the Demogorgon is a creature from the parallel dimension of the Upside Down which terrorized the kids of Hawkins in the show’s first season. With its imposing figure, its vicious attacks, and the fact that it was hauntingly at the center of the mystery being unraveled, the Demogorgon beats out even the season four antagonist Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) as the most iconic villain from Stranger Things.
Over the years since Stranger Things’ first season, it has become one of the most iconic and heavily merchandised elements of the series, including a (now-unavailable) appearance in the horror-inspired video game Dead by Daylight. In a series full of memorable antagonists, the Demogorgon is the most likely to stand the test of time.
Watch on Netflix
6 The Babadook
‘The Babadook’ (2014)
In this Australian horror film from director Jennifer Kent, the Babadook is a demon summoned from a children’s book, Mister Babadook. While the film initially went under audiences’ radar, it experienced a surge of popularity when the LGBTQ+ community adopted The Babadook’s titular villain as a meme, resulting in a memorable reference in What We Do in the Shadows.
In addition to this unlikely source of popularity, the film was also well reviewed by critics and has steadily evolved to be a relatively instant cult classic of the genre and a pivotal film in the horror resurgence of the 2010s. The Babadook is definitely a dark horse choice, but its visceral terror and its representation of trauma mean that the villain – and the film – will likely stand the test of time for years to come.
Watch on Hulu
5 Annabelle
‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
.jpg)
In Blumhouse’s Conjuringverse franchise, Annabelle is a cursed doll possessed by a demon that continually menaces whoever ends up with it. While initially a minor part of the first The Conjuring film, Annabelle proved to stick around in audiences’ minds, and ended up receiving an offshoot franchise of her own.
The cursed doll is undeniably creepy-looking and plays into common phobias, making it an instant hit in the realm of cinematic horror. In a franchise full of attempts at creating iconic villains, Annabelle stands as the only undeniable success.
Watch on Max
4 Raatma
‘V/H/S/94’ (2021)
In the first proper short of this found-footage anthology, “Storm Drain,” Raatma is the rat god worshiped by a tribe of sewer-dwelling cultists uncovered by the protagonist. While V/H/S/94 flew under the mainstream radar, Raatma has quickly become a beloved character among horror fans.
The incredible practical effects used to realize the creature are impossible to deny, and they’re used effectively; “Storm Drain” was widely noted as the best and scariest segment of the anthology. Raatma is certainly a dark horse choice, but it’s easy to see how this creature would be well on its way to iconic status.
Watch on Shudder
3 Esther
‘Orphan’ (2009)
In this 2009 horror film and its prequel, Esther is an adult woman who masquerades as a small orphaned child in order to terrorize the families she ends up with. While Orphan was a modest success at the box office, it initially failed to truly take hold in horror fandom.
However, with the rise of TikTok, it has become a surprisingly popular film among younger audiences, with its prequel,Orphan: First Kill(2022), taking full advantage of that for similar success. While certainly an unexpected horror icon, Esther is proving to be a surprisingly durable rising star in horror fans’ minds.
2 Art the Clown
‘Terrifier’ (2016)
In Damien Leone’s Terrifier films, Art the Clown is a murderous clown who stalks and kills anyone who crosses his path. While Art the Clown is conceptually simple, owing to the films’ throwback nature, he has proven to be a surprisingly popular character.
While Terrifier was a solid horror flick, Terrifier 2 was arguably where Art stamped himself one of the true horror movie icons, with the graphically violent slasher film establishing the antagonist as one of the most bloodthirsty and sadistic figures in horror history. David Howard Thornton’s physicality and humor in his performance of Art the Clown also imbues the wicked villain with a small dose of twisted fun which goes a long way to making him a fan-favorite of the genre.
Watch on Peacock
1 M3GAN
‘M3GAN’ (2023)
In this 2023 Blumhouse comedy-horror film, M3GAN is an android created as a particularly advanced toy, who rises beyond her programming and decides to take up killing as a hobby. M3GAN is a film that lives and dies entirely on the quality of its villain, given how much screen time she has, and it’s fortunate that M3GAN herself is one of the most entertaining horror villains in recent memory.
From her snarky interactions with the protagonists early on, to her TikTok-dance-routine murders towards the end, it’s hard not to fall in love with the strange android and want to see more of her. The film exploded in popularity almost entirely as a result of how fantastic its central villain is, rendering it easy to predict that M3GAN will become one of the most iconic horror characters, of modern times at least.
Watch on Prime Video
