10. The Tooth Fairy
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In 2002 the film Red Dragon introduced us to “The Tooth Fairy.” He believed that he was the embodiment of a figure from a William Blake painting, and through ritualistically killing entire families he could complete his grand transformation into the Red Dragon. After slaying his victims in their houses during the full moon, the Tooth Fairy would force shards of glass into their lifeless eyes.
9. Jason Voorhes
The infamous Jason made a name for himself by relentlessly slaughtering unsuspecting counselors and anyone who dared to tread upon the grounds of Camp Crystal Lake. Throughout his 12 movie career he was motivated to slice up, maim, decapitate, impale, and slash his way through a variety of promiscuous teens and townfolk, seeking revenge for the death of his mother. This murder spree took him as far as the streets of Manhattan and the depths of outer space.
8. Jigsaw
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John Kramer, dubbed “The Jigsaw Killer” by the police investigating his crimes, was a terminal cancer patient who survived a suicide attempt. Jigsaw devoted the remainder of his life to a twisted purpose: devising “games” in which he would subject his kidnapped victims to extreme and grisly torture. He believed his victims lacked an appreciation for life—much like he once had. If they were able to survive his gruesome test, then maybe they would finally value their existence.
7. Michael Meyers
A 6 year old Michael Meyers brutally murdered his older sister in their house on a fateful Halloween night. Exactly fifteen years later, he finally escaped confinement from a mental facility, and returned to his hometown of Haddonfield to engage in a ghastly rampage. Meyers was silent, emotionless, and calculating; he stalked his prey and lashed out from the cloak of night. Gunshots, flames, explosions, and a crocheting needle to the neck were all completely incapable of stopping him.
6. Patrick Bateman
American Psycho depicted a man who was a high-powered business exec by day, deranged psychopath by night. Even the smallest things could send him into a fit of rage, such as the perceived inadequacy of his business card, which prompted him to slaughter a homeless man and a dog. The inexorably fading grasp on his sanity caused him to torture call-girls, murder coworkers, and initiate a shooting spree after an ATM requested that he feed it a cat.
5. Buffalo Bill
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Jame Gumb, otherwise known as Buffalo Bill, was the notorious killer in Silence of the Lambs who stalked, kidnapped, and imprisoned women in order to remove their skin. In fact, he managed to skin quite a few, and gather enough material to begin sewing a “woman suit.” Violent outbursts and disregard for pleas of mercy helped characterize him as a particularly frightening villain. “It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again!”
4. Norman Bates
The main villain of the 1960 film Psycho was extremely influential to the “slasher” subgenre that would become more prominent in the late seventies. Suffering from multiple personality disorder after killing his mother, Norman Bates was at times unaware of the horrendous deeds he was committing. His continual acts of grisly violence culminate in a complete loss of sanity. The shower scene in this movie was one of the most unforgettable moments in any horror movie.
3. Freddy Krueger
A master of nightmares, and the embodiment of fear itself. Freddy Krueger gained power over his victims by attacking them when they were most vulnerable: in their dreams. When he managed to slash them apart in one of his nightmarish, surreal dreamscapes, they were affected in the waking world as well. Freddy was terrifying because of the way he mocked and taunted his victims; he always found new and inventive ways to commit murder. "One two... Freddy's coming for you... "
2. Leatherface
The chainsaw-wielding savage from Texas Chainsaw Massacre left audiences resolving to forever avoid hitchhiking. This cannibal had a repulsive appearance and wore a mask made of human skin. Although just as much of a bloodthirsty brute in the original film by Tobe Hooper, the recent remakes have constructed a more deranged version of Leatherface—the scene where he throws salt in the open wounds of a victim impaled on a meathook was extremely gruesome.
1. Dr. Hannibal Lecter
“Hannibal the Cannibal” was formerly a prominent and respected psychiatrist who was brilliant and sophisticated—one with a sickening taste for human flesh. He managed to murder over 9 of his patients, serving gourmet meals made from their flesh and body parts, before he was captured and imprisoned. Lecter was terrifying because of his razor sharp teeth, his cold, calculating gaze, and his ability to get inside the heads of those who spoke to him. “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
