Can You Identify These Horror Movie Villains From an Image?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Identify These Horror Movie Villains From an Image?
Image: Edward Crawford/Moment/Getty Images

About This Quiz

A movie made way back in 1896 called "Le Manoir de Diable" is often considered the very first horror movie ever made. That means the genre has been going strong for well over a century. People just love to be scared, and film is an incredible way to bring terror to life. There have been so many iconic horror films over the years, and many become memorable because of the villain. Of course, a horror story needs a hero, but more than any other genre, it's the villain who sticks with us and who we want to see again and again. Are the villains the stars of any other genre of story that you can think of? Almost never. And even when a villain does because the main character, they don't get franchises built around them. That only happens in horror, and that's the way it should be.

If you think you know horror, like really, really know horror, then maybe you can identify all the horror villains we've assembled here. Some of them may be pretty easy, but to name all 40 of them is going to take a hardcore horror expert. Think you can do it? There's only one way to find out!

Jason Vorhees
New Line Cinema; Paramount Pictures; Platinum Dunes; Crystal Lake Entertainment; Sean S. Cunningham Films
If you don't want to meet this guy, stay away from Camp Crystal Lake.
Freddy Krueger
Jason Voorhees
Pinhead
Norman Bates
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jason Voorhees is the hockey-masked killer who typically stalks his prey at Crystal Lake where he first died as a child when counselors were too busy to watch him in the lake. The killer in the first movie isn't even Jason (spoiler!), and he doesn't get the hockey mask until part 3.

Chucky
Midwinter Productions Inc.; Universal Pictures
Name this little monster who will claim to be your friend till the end but isn't to be trusted.
Chucky
Buddy
Leprechaun
Stripe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chucky, the evil doll from "Child's Play," is possessed by the spirit of a killer who transferred his soul into the doll to escape justice and keep up his killing streak. Over the years, the character sort of became a comedy-horror icon and even got a remake while the original series was still in production, if that makes any sense to you.

Leprechaun
Trimark Pictures
Please don't take this little fellow's gold or you're going to regret it. Who is he?
Leprechaun
Gizmo
A Ghoulie
It
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This leprechaun isn't the fun one who makes marshmallow cereal at all. There have actually been three different actors playing the role of the leprechaun in films so far, but the role was made famous by Warwick Davis.

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Freddy Krueger
New Line Cinema; Heron Communications; Smart Egg Pictures
Who's this shady character who waits for you in your dreams?
Michael Meyers
Freddy Krueger
Samara
Candyman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Freddy Krueger is the killer who can get you in your dreams, which seems like an unfair advantage to have, all things considered. He was very loosely inspired by a true story when Wes Craven read a news article about people dying in their sleep and wondered about a monster that could invade your dreams.

Pinhead
Cinemarque Entertainment BV; Film Futures; Rivdel Films
Who's this villain who will ruin your day if you play with the Lament Configuration?
Leatherface
Jigsaw
Pumpkinhead
Pinhead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pinhead is the lead cenobite brought forth when someone tries to solve the puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. Though he's mostly just considered a demon thanks to the movies being called "Hellraiser," in the original story, Pinhead and the Cenobites weren't necessarily demons; they were beings who had transcended mortal existence.

Michael Meyers
Compass International Pictures; Falcon International Productions
Name this guy who never speaks but still shows up on Halloween to kill all kinds of people.
Pazuzu
Leatherface
Jack Torrance
Michael Meyers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Michael Meyers is the silent stalker of the "Halloween" franchise who shows up in his mysterious white mask to stab whoever gets in his way. In the original film, the producers needed a mask in a pinch, so they used a William Shatner mask from a local store and painted it white.

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Gill Man
Universal Pictures
This fishy-looking character will ruin your swim if you're not careful. What's it called?
Jaws
Gill Man
Pale Man
Tall Man
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Creature from the Black Lagoon's" Gill Man is one of those iconic old-school horror characters, alongside Dracula and the Wolfman. It's also the inspiration for a lot of the work of Guillermo Del Toro, which you can see in his Abe Sapien from "Hellboy" as well as the merman in "The Shape of Water."

Annabelle
New Line Cinema; The Safran Company; Evergreen Media Group
Ed and Lorraine Warren own this creepy doll. What's her name?
Annabelle
Raggedy Ann
Lorelei
Penelope
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Annabelle comes from the movie of the same name and first appeared in"The Conjuring." She's also showed up in several sequels and has the distinction of being one of the few horror villains in the world who's actually real. Not saying there's a real doll that's evil out there, but the real-life Warrens do have a doll that they claim was evil, and that inspired the movies.

Cujo
Sunn Classic Pictures; TAFT Entertainment Pictures
If you're not a fan of dogs, you're really going to hate this rabid one. Name it!
Bandit
Fido
Cujo
Brutus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

From the Stephen King story of the same name, Cujo was a big, burly St.Bernard. The most amazing thing is that, during the movie, they used four St. Bernards, some mechanical dogs and one other dog that they put in a St. Bernard costume.

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Jaws
Zanuck/Brown Productions; Universal Pictures
If you want to tangle with this beast, you're going to need a bigger boat. What movie is it from?
"Jaws"
"Deep Blue Sea"
"The Meg"
"Sharknado"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The movie "Jaws" is credited with making a generation of people fearful of the open water and extremely afraid of sharks. That's impressive, since the shark doesn't even show up in the movie until about 80 minutes in.

Leatherface
Vortex
Name this sinister character who may join his family in eating your body if they catch you.
Hannibal Lecter
Leatherface
Bubba Hotep
The Tall Man
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Leatherface from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was pretty much a lunatic from a family of cannibals. The mask that gives him his name is only technically leather, since it's supposed to be made from the skin of his victims. Fun fact, that was inspired by real-life monster Ed Gein.

Dracula
American Zoetrope; Columbia Pictures; Osiris Films
Name this villain who's appeared in dozens, if not hundreds, of movies.
Ghostface
Dracula
The Phantom
Candyman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The famous Count Dracula has been in so many movies played by so many actors, it's likely no one has seen them all. Movies about the character date all the way back to the 1920s, and new films are still being made today.

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Hannibal Lecter
Strong Heart;Demme Production; Orion Pictures
If this iconic villain wants to have you for dinner, say no. Who is it?
Jigsaw
Hannibal Lecter
Leatherface
Michael Meyers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most people met Hannibal Lecter for the first time in "The Silence of the Lambs," in which he's very creepily played by Anthony Hopkins. This wasn't Lecter's first appearance on screen though. The 1986 movie Manhunter, based on the book "Red Dragon," featured Lecter played by actor Brian Cox. Since the films, a TV show aired which featured Mads Mikkelsen in the iconic role of Dr. Lecter.

Norman Bates
Shamley Productions; Paramount Pictures
Name this villainous character who runs a motel you'd be better off avoiding.
Angus Scrimm
Victor Crowley
Hannibal Lecter
Norman Bates
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Norman Bates runs the Bates Motel in the movie "Psycho" and, as the name suggests, is a bit of a psycho. The movie has the distinction of being the first American film to feature a toilet. Fun!

Pennywise
KatzSmith Productions; Lin Pictures; New Line Cinema; Vertigo Entertainment
This villain isn't the only reason people are afraid of clowns, but he's not helping. Name him.
Pennywise
Bobo
Pagliacci
Krusty
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pennywise the Dancing Clown is one manifestation of the creature from Stephen King's "IT." The creature takes many forms over the course of the story to terrify its victims and seems to be just a gross alien spider at the end of it all.

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Candyman
Candyman Films; PolyGram Filmed Entertainment; Propaganda Films
Say this villain's name five times in a mirror and he appears. Who is he?
Bloody Mary
Jigsaw
Candyman
Pumpkinhead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rumor has it that Tony Todd, who plays the Candyman, wasn't the first choice for the role and for a time Eddie Murphy was in the running for it. There's not a ton of details about how and why he was considered and why he never got the role but his height—Murphy's 8 inches shorter than Tony Todd—may have been a factor.

Jigsaw
Evolution Entertainment; Saw Productions Inc.; Twisted Pictures
The villain in this movie will think of an elaborate way to punish you. What's he called?
The Collector
Jigsaw
Victor Crowley
Darkman
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jigsaw, the villain of the "Saw" franchise, has become one of the most iconic horror villains of modern cinema. The movies have been an incredible success as well. The first movie was filmed in only 18 days and cut corners by doing things like using actual pig guts for some of the gutting scenes.

Damien
Twentieth Century Fox; Harvey Bernhard Productions; Mace Neufield Productions;
There's something very troubling about this boy. What's his name?
Chucky
Tommy
Damien
Lazarus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Damien is the boy (later a man) from "The Omen" films. His claim to fame? The kid is the Anti-Christ and bad things keep happening around him. The original title of the film was going to be "The Antichrist" and then later "The Birthmark." Good thing they changed that last one.

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Ghostface
Dimension Films; Woods Entertainment
More than one person hid behind this disguise, but they all get the same name. What is it?
Jason Voorhees
Michael Meyers
Ghostface
The Shape
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ghostface is the name for the various killers in the "Scream" franchise, of which there were several. The original title of the movie was "Scary Movie," which later became the title of a movie that actually parodied "Scream." Weird.

The Fly
SLM Production Group; Brooksfilms
What do you call this monster that demonstrates the dangers of teleportation?
Pale Man
IT
The Fly
The Thing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There's something very tragic about "The Fly" and the story of its hero/villain who was trying to make a scientific discovery to better the world and accidentally turned himself into a monster in the process. It's an excellent example of a horror sub-genre called "body horror," which includes elements of horrible and uncontrollable changes to the human body.

Carrie White
Red Bank Films; United Artists; CBS
Who is this character who made a heck of a splash at her prom?
Rosemary Woodhouse
Carrie White
Annie Wilkes
Mary Reilley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In "Carrie," Carrie White is actually a very sympathetic character for almost the entire story, and her mother and the school bullies come off more like villains. That said, by the end of the movie, she takes it a little too far and definitely makes herself a little more villainous than anyone else.

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The Thing
Universal Pictures; Turman-Foster Company
Every single cell of this monster is alive. What's it called?
The Judas Cockroach
The Thing
The Blob
The Predator
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Thing" was actually a remake of a '50s horror movie called "The Thing From Another World." In that version, thanks to special effects limitations and much tamer '50s sensibilities, the monster was less of a shape-shifting nightmare and more of a weird-looking dude.

Samara
DreamWorks; Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation; BenderSpink
If you see this villain's video, you have 7 days to live. What's her name?
Lisette
Samara
Carol-Ann
Lucy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Samara is the villain of "The Ring," or at least the American remakes. In Japan, where the film was originally made, the character's name was Sadako. In both movies, she has a bad habit of crawling out of TVs to kill people.

Wolfman
Universal Pictures; Relativity Media; Bluegrass Films
Beware the full moon if this villain is around. Name it!
Bigfoot
Yeti
Wolfman
The Creeper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the most classic monsters of all, the Wolfman has been a recurring theme in horror for ages. On set, the film's female lead, Evelyn Ankers, nearly died thanks to the toxic fumes from the fog machine that caused her to pass out during one scene.

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Jack Torrance
Warner Bros.; PIC Distribuzione
All work and no play makes this villain a dull boy. What's his name?
Norman Bates
Victor Crowley
Jack Torrance
Sam Fetch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Shining"'s Jack Torrance is one of the top villains in all of horror thanks to a manic performance by Jack Nicholson. Word is the set was more of a nightmare than the final movie, as director Stanley Kubrick effectively tortured Nicholson's co-star Shelley DuVall.

Clover
Paramount Pictures; Bad Robot; Cloverfield Productions
Name this monster from the deep that inexplicably doesn't even show up in its own sequel.
Leviathan
Nessie
Godzilla
Clover
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No one refers to the monster in "Cloverfield" as Clover, but that did become the unofficial name for the giant thing that utterly destroys New York City. There's an iconic scene in the film where the State of Liberty's head lands in the street. Fun fact: The fake head is actually much larger than the real Statue of Liberty's head, since most people assume it's larger than it is and responded with disbelief when the movie tested a normal-sized head.

It Follows
Northern Lights Films; Animal Kingdom; Two Flints
This movie villain is essentially a killer STD. What movie is it from?
"It Follows"
"Evil Dead"
"Don't Say a Word"
"The Witch"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You could arguably call the monster in this movie "It," but that risks confusing it with the other movie called "IT." In any event, the monster in "It Follows" manages to avoid being killed by the film's protagonists very much on purpose; the filmmakers wanted the plan to stop the monster to be foolish and a failure, because why would anyone know how to kill that thing?

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Bughuul
Alliance Films; IM Global; Blumhouse Productions; Automatik; Possessed Pictures
This villain is essentially the Boogeyman. What name does he go by?
Bughuul
Pazuzu
Tak
Pennywise
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bughuul is the Boogeyman in the "Sinister" movies and has a thing for killing families and kids. The story was actually inspired by the movie "The Ring" and a nightmare the writer had after watching that movie.

Pumpkinhead
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group; Lion Films
What's the name of this monster that will come and get revenge on those that have wronged you, for a price?
The Thing
Pumpkinhead
IT
The Ghoul
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There have been four "Pumpkinhead" movies released, although the last two were SyFy movies. When the original film was produced, they actually called it "Vengeance: The Demon," which was, all things being equal, a terribly boring name.

John Ryder
HBO Pictures; Silver Screen Partners; TriStar Pictures
This villain had no motive and no history; he just appeared on the side of the road. Do you know what he called himself?
Norman Bates
Jack Torrance
Seth Brundle
John Ryder
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Ryder is what Rutger Hauer's character in "The Hitcher" called himself, although the police later say they can't find any information on who he is, so the name could very well be fake. During filmed, Hauer actually knocked out one of his own teeth with a shotgun.

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Orlok
Jofa-Atelier Berlin-Johannisthal; Prana-Film GmbH
Can you name this old-school villain who was inspired by Dracula?
Orlok
The Phantom
Jigsaw
Dr. Caigari
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Count Orlok was the very creepy vampire featured in the silent horror film "Nosferatu." The actor who played him, Max Schreck, has since become something of a cult figure thanks in part to the movie "Shadow of the Vampire," which presented the idea that Schreck, in real life, was an actual vampire.

Pazuzu
Warner Bros.; Hoya Productions
For most of the first movie that this villain is in, it's hiding inside a little girl. What's its name?
Beelzebub
Pazuzu
Count Orlok
Damien
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pazuzu is the name of the demon possessing the little girl in "The Exorcist." You only get to see the demon itself for a few seconds of screen time when it appears as a creepy white face. The actor they used for the role was Eileen Dietz, most famous for being a recurring star in numerous daytime soap operas and horror movies.

Annie Wilkes
Blue Collar Productions
If this lady tells you she's your number-one fan, you need to get away fast. Who is she?
Annie Wilkes
Carrie White
Rosemary Woodhouse
Mary Reilley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Annie Wilkes is the villain from Stephen King's "Misery." Even though Kathy Bates did an amazing job in the role, it was offered to Bette Midler first. She turned down the role because she thought it was too violent, a decision she later said she regretted.

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Pyramid Head
Davis-Films; Dynamic Effects Canada; Konami; Silent Hill 2 DCP
This monstrosity came out of a video game before making his way into a movie. What is he?
Nemesis
Jigsaw
Pyramid Head
Bughuul
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pyramid Head comes from the "Silent Hill" series of games and made his way to the "Silent Hill" movie as well, where he drags around the biggest sword you've ever seen. You never see his face because the character's designer wanted it that way. It's just cooler to have a mystery sometimes.

Angela
American Eagle Films; U.S. Films
Who is this young character who gets outed as a villain in a mind-blowing twist ending?
Rosemary
Ripley
Carrie
Angela
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Angela is the villain of the cult-classic slasher flick "Sleepaway Camp." The twist ending of the movie is one of those things that absolutely blows audiences away when they see it for the first time. We're not going to spoil it here, though.

Sam
Warnter Bros.; Legendary Entertainment; Bad hat Harry Productions; Little Sam Films
Even though this little guy is tiny, he's dangerous. Do you know his name?
Sam
Max
Pip
Ferb
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

From the cult classic "Trick r' Treat," Sam is just a little guy looking to have fun on Halloween who's also sort of a pumpkin-headed monster kid who will kill you if he can. Most of the actors in the movie who played children were actually little people because the schedule was a bit too rough for actual children to handle.

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The Tall Man
New Breed Productions Inc.; Bad Robot
Stay away from funeral homes if you want to avoid this villain. What's he called?
The Phantom
Jigsaw
The Tall Man
Rawhead Rex
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Tall Man was the main villain in Don Coscarelli's "Phantasm" series. The first movie came out in 1979, and the 5th was made in 2016. The movies have a pretty impressive fan base, including director J.J. Abrams, who named Captain Phasma from "Star Wars" after the movies.

The Babadook
Screen Australia; Causeway Films; The South Australian Film Corporation
If nothing else, this creeper is a snappy dresser. What's his name?
The Tall Man
Dracula
Brundlefly
The Babadook
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Babadook" was a mix of psychological horror and monster movie in which you're never fully sure if the monster is even real. The film was very cleverly edited for some scenes, as the young actor in the movie was never actually on set when the mother character was abusing him; it was just made to look like he was there.

Creepshow
A.M. Films; Alpha Films; Warner Bros
Some people call this nameless critter the "thing in the crate." What movie is it in?
"Creepshow"
"Tales from the Darkside"
"Takes from the Crypt"
"Deadtime Stories"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Creepshow" was an anthology of short stories, but one of the most popular was the one called "The Crate" and featured the nameless "thing in the crate." In fact, the monster did have a name, at least on set. Director George Romero called it "Fluffy."

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The Armitages
Universal Pictures; Blumhouse Productions; QC Entertainment; Monkeypaw Productions; Dentsu; Fuju Television Network
Maybe you'll want to avoid a dinner invitation from this seemingly nice family. Who are they?
The Armitages
The Voorhees
The Lockwoods
The Whites
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Armitage family were the sinister clan in Jordan Peele's "Get Out." They manage to swap their minds into the minds of others in this racially charged madhouse of a film that ended up being one of the most popular horror movies ever made.

You Got:
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