The late twentieth century saw a surge in horror slashers, resulting in a slew of iconic masked villains that fans adore. Many people may have had nightmares and restless nights as a result of these terrible figures. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Chucky doll, and a slew of other names come to mind.
Apart from these names that terrify your subconscious mind, there are a few masked villains that deserve to be on the fear list. We’ve compiled a list of the 11 most underappreciated masked villains from the realm of horror films, who deserve a second chance at iconic status.
The Collector – from The Collector Series (2009-2012)
Who can forget the merciless, courageous, psychotic adversary from the 2009 and 2012 films “The Collector” and “The Collection”? Marcus Dunstan directed and co-wrote both films. The real name of this cruel villain is not known, but he always wore a mask to conceal his identity. He is known as The Collector as he had developed the habit of collecting people for fulfilling his sickly desires.
We all know that every psychopath killer’s murder spree may be linked back to a traumatic prior event. So, in the instance of the collector, his father had gone mad, killing and stuffing his entire family. The traumatized son somehow survived but transformed into a serial killer.
He targeted a family, killed everyone, but made sure that one member would survive, who would become a part of his collection, where the victim would either become the subject of a gruesome experiment or be driven completely insane. Being an expert entomologist, he took delight in killing the members of his collection and assembling their bones and body parts to look like insects.
He was also an expert at setting up traps systematically to ensure that none of the targeted members had a chance to escape. His gruesome collection was kept safely at an abandoned hotel which was equipped with traps everywhere to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Nothing can describe the vicious, brutal, nasty ways he tormented his victims, although he seemed very kind to insects. He poses as an exterminator, which helps him get inside the house and set the traps.
The Collector’s disguised villain is one of the most vicious and brutal antagonists ever seen in a horror film, causing you nausea and a racing heart. Heart patients should definitelyrefrain from watching these films.
The Strangers – From The Strangers series (2008-2018)
“Do not let “The Strangers!” inside your home!” “The Strangers” included three primary antagonists from the 2008 film of the same name, as well as a sequel called “The Strangers: Prey at Night.” The first film is written and directed by Bryan Bertino, while the sequel is directed by Johannes Roberts and written by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketal. The members of the group of antagonists arethe “Man in the Mask,” Dollface,” and “Pinúp Girl.”
We have a gang of psychotic murderers that go about late at night knocking on the doors of remote homes. If their phone is answered, they appear to be looking for anyone. Then, they pretend to leave but soon return, terrorizing the victims before killing them brutally. Nothing is known about their motives or origin.
Even their identities and appearance are unknown. But it is evident that The Strangers apparently enjoy stalking their victims and are thrilled by tormenting the inhabitants of the house where they break-in, and finally, they complete their task by killing the tormented sufferers.
The oddest aspect of The Strangers is that these three individuals look completely unconcerned about the misery and suffering of those they torture. They don’t appear to appreciate what they’re doing. They seem to be entirely detached from their misdeeds and murders, confirming that they are sociopaths.
When one of their victims asked The Strangers why they were killing him/her, one of the Strangers had replied coldly, “Because you were home.”. This confirmed that they randomly targeted people without any proper reason whatsoever. It is noteworthy that they hardly had any feelings for each other. When the Pin-Up Girl dies in the sequel, the Man in Mask shows no emotion which is quite strange.
The Phantom – The Town That Dreaded Sundown: Released in 2014
Another nasty, brutal murderer was created in “The Town that Dreaded Sundown,” who was called as The Phantom Killer or simply The Phantom. Indeed, Texarkana’s small, peaceful town was shaken with the horrors of serial killings, first in 1946 and later in 2013. Don’t be shocked! It definitely was not the same killer, but the identity, pattern, and weapons were similar.
It is understood that a fictionalized film was made in 1976, based on the actual murders of 1946. Ironically, just after the film’s premiere on Halloween in 2013, another murder spree broke out. The killer wore the same mask, chiefly stalking different lovers’ lanes and slaughtering the couples.
He successfully concealed his identity with the mask and managed to escape. He even used the trombone as a weapon. But this time, there is a slight difference. Unlike the previous one, this killer kept on threatening Jami, repeating the exact words, “Make them remember.” The killer had slaughtered her boyfriend, Cory.
But surprisingly, Jami was spared. When Jami and her friend Nick contacted the director’s son Charles Pierce Jr, he informed them about Hank Mcgreedy. Hank was the sixth victim of the previous and original phantom, but nobody remembered his name or story.
They suspected that the killer might be Mcgreedy’s grandson trying to get attention with his inhuman, cruel serial killings. Unlike the earlier films, here, the identity of the killer is revealed, which was indeed Mcgreedy’s grandson. But there is some more twist in the plot, which I will not reveal.
Both the original Phantom and his pseudonym continued their assassination sprees, albeit the motives in each case may have been different. The resurgence of serial murders was mostly motivated by frustration and hate of society.
Victor Crowley – The Hatchet Series (2006-2016)
Victor Crowley of Adam Green’s “The Hatchet” series tells the narrative of his transformation from a malformed boy to an infuriated ghost.
Victor Crowley was a malformed youngster who was cherished by his father and protected from the world’s bullies and taunts. On Halloween night, three teenagers tossed sparkles at his house to terrify him, but the door caught fire accidently.
In an attempt to save his son, Thomas hit the door with a hatchet, which accidentally hit Victor on the other side, killing him. Thomas died in isolation and anguish for his son, while Victor transformed into an angry soul, slaughtering anyone entering the swamp.
Victor was a quiet youngster who was hidden from the teasing gaze of the public owing to his facial abnormality before the terrible Halloween Night. He was very close to his father as he was the only loving and caring person in his life. The angry spirit of Victor was stuck on the day of his death, while anyone entering the area was considered a vital enemy and was brutally murdered.
His murder spree was the outburst of his anger and vengeance towards the world, responsible for his and his father’s deaths. That is why he mutilated his victims and enjoyed their helplessness. Unlike “the Collector”, “Strangers”, or “The Phantom”, he didn’t stalk and chase his victims. He only killed people who, by chance, had entered the swamp where his house was located. He didn’t have to wear any mask to conceal his face as his face was deformed by default.
Kane Hodder, who is well known for portraying Jason Voorhees four times in the “Friday the 13th” movie, played Victor Crowley in all four films of the franchise.
Babyface – The Hills Run Red: Released in 2009
This is the terrifying story of the masked assassin “Babyface,” as told in Dave Parker’s film “The Hills Run Red.” Wilson Concannon, a horrible, vicious, and nefarious monster, raped his 13-year-old daughter Alexa, and the Babyface was born through incest.
The child had cut his face and stitched the babyface mask to please his father as a young boy. Wilson had directed a horror film titled “The Hills Run Red,” where a boy had done exactly the same thing with the babyface mask before commencing serial killings. The movie was so scary and violent that it lost all popularity, and there was no trace of it.
Tyler, the main character in the film, was infatuated with the film “The Hills Turn Red,” and tracked down Alexa, the director’s daughter, who worked as a dancer in a nightclub. As they headed for the director’s house in the woods, they were attacked by some hooligans when Babyface appeared and killed the assailants, chased the group into the woods, and disappeared.
Later Tyler realized, that taking them to the woods was Alexa’s plan, as Babyface started raping Tyler’s girlfriend, Serina, while Alexa began torturing their friend, Lalo. Wilson revealed all the secrets about Babyface and stated that his movie was so realistic because the murders were real. That is why the actors of the movie had disappeared, and Wilson had isolated himself. Soon, Wilson shot his daughter Alexa. Babyface was infuriated and shot Wilson while Serina killed Babyface.
Babyface grew up to be just like Wilson and Alexa: nasty, brutal, and sadistic, with a taste for murder and rape. One of the cruel, savage killers lurked behind the innocent Babyface, whose identity and presence should be forgotten as quickly as possible.
Leslie Vernon – Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon: – Released in 2006
Leslie Vernon, as “Leslie Mancuso,” desired to be a renowned serial murderer like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers. What a noble goal! He was the leading antagonist of the film “Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon,” directed and co-written by Scott Glosserman.
Almost nothing is known about his early age, and hence we don’t know what facts had triggered his mind to become a serial killer. Mere fame couldn’t have been the reason for his actions. From a very young age, he had developed homicidal tendencies. Thus, he was under the therapy of Dr. Halloran.
Soon after, he embarked on the route of his legends, preparing to become an evil figure. Years later, Taylor, a journalist, agreed to record Leslie’s plans to murder a large number of youngsters in an abandoned home and face Kelly, the selected virgin girl. Leslie took strict training and learned all the techniques from cinemas to create the required horror atmosphere.
He also introduced himself with a false identity of an urban legend to dramatize the situation. But later, Dr. Halloran explained everything about him to Taylor and her crew. Though initially enthusiastic, Taylor and her friends eventually couldn’t bear it anymore and requested Leslie to stop his homicidal program, but Leslie was adamant about his doings.
He started his killings one by one till only Taylor was left. Taylor confronted him just the way he had planned and burned him down. But he had prepared himself for the encounter by putting a flame retardant gel.
Leslie’s burnt body stood up on the autopsy table in the end credits, declaring that he was still alive and would be back.
The Cloyne – Clown: Released in 2014
The Cloyne, often known as the Clown, is another dangerous monster enemy on the list. Cloyne was a primaeval demon that lived in mountain caverns in the Nordic areas of Europe, according to legend. According to the legend, his nose had turned blood red, and his skin had turned pale white due to the cold and lack of sunlight.
The horn on his head resembled a funny hat, while his large feet resembled the boots that clowns wear. He competently lured children with his tricks and laughter into his cave and devoured them to satisfy his abnormal hunger.
Most likely, he was decapitated, and though most of his body parts dissolved, his hair, skin, and nose remained intact. This was the back story of the 2014 horror film “Clown,” directed and co-written by Jon Watts, presenting us another deadly villain of all time, “The Clown.”
While his body parts were converted into a suit that came into the possession of Herbert Karlsson, owner of a textile company, the true story of the Clown was faint enough to inspire the clown tradition, while his body parts were converted into a suit that came into the possession of Herbert Karlsson, owner of a textile company.
As soon as he wore the costume to entertain the children of his brother’s hospital, Cloyne possessed him. His brother had to sacrifice five children from his hospital for Cloyne’s feast in return for Herbert’s freedom. In spite of their sincere endeavor to keep Clown’s costumes out of everyone’s reach, the real estate agent Kent again fell prey to Cloyne.
The barbarous Cloyne, after possessing Kent, even blackmailed Kent’s wife into sacrificing more kids if she wanted to save her own child. This virtually indestructible monster had a voracious hunger for children behind the entertaining, funny face. He could attain any height of cruelty to satisfy his terrifying hunger for innocent children.
Harry Warden- My Bloody Valentine: Released in 2009
Harry Warden was the major antagonist in both the 1981 film “My Bloody Valentine” and the 2009 remake directed by Patrick Lussier with the same title. Harry Warden worked as a miner in the Hanniger Mine. On Valentine’s Day, the supervisors were so eager to reach the Valentine’s Day Dance that they forgot to check the methane level in the mine, leading to an explosion that trapped Harry and five other miners.
When the rescuers arrived, they discovered that Harry had murdered the other miners in order to conserve oxygen in the mine for his own life. Harry was rushed to the hospital and miraculously survived. He regained consciousness on the Valentine’s Day, next year and went on a murder spree in the hospital.
He even packed a nurse’s heart in a chocolate box. Meanwhile, Tom, the son of the mine’s owner, who had been blamed for the explosion in the mine, was partying with his friends and girlfriend inside the mine. Harry wore a gas mask and attacked them with a pickaxe.
Apart from being vengeful towards the world, he had developed more antipathy towards anyone who celebrated Valentine’s Day, especially Tom, responsible for the explosion. But before Harry could harm Tom, he was shot by Sheriff Burke, leaving behind a traumatized Tom as Harry staggered away deep inside the mine.
After five years, a serial killer struck again, this time dressed as a miner and using a gas mask to hide his identity. The people of the town were once again terrorized by the return of the masked assailant, Harry Warden. Sheriff Alex swore that Harry Warden had been killed ten years back, though Tom was not willing to accept it. Then who was pursuing the serial-killing with a pickaxe, wearing a gas mask, dressed as a miner?
Art The Clown – All Hallows Eve: Released in 2013 And Terrifier: Released in 2016
“Art the Clown” is another Clown on the list, and he is as dangerous as any other well-known villain. He wore a black and white outfit, unlike the other clowns, and was frequently seen carrying a black garbage bag in which he hid his secret weaponry. With pale white skin, his mouth, eyes, and eyebrows were painted black.
He wore a peculiar covering, rendering a bald appearance, with a small black hat ontop. This demonic killer clown appeared on Halloween nights and murdered relentlessly. Art first appeared in the short film “The 9th Circle”, directed by Damien Leone. Eventually, he stepped into the horror film “All Hallow Eve,” released in 2013 and continued in “Terrifier,” released in 2016.
Art was another ruthless, deranged murderer who would massacre everybody who got in his way. A nasty, psychotic murderer that like to torture and mutilate his victims. He seemed to possess supernatural abilities to heighten the terror in his victims. Nothing could stop him from torturing and slaughtering his targets, occasionally sparing some of the victims who were so traumatized that they were practically useless.
Moreover, he acted silently, without uttering a single word or noise. Even when he was severely injured, he practically mimed his screams of agony. His silent laughter on seeing his targets in pain is pathetic. Sometimes he performed brutal killings mimicking a comedy show.
Art the Clown’s mimes and mute expressions set him apart from previous slasher villains, making him potentially more horrifying. It’s impossible to tell if Art is actually unable to communicate or simply refuses to do so.
The Mountain Man – Cold Prey: Released in 2006
The next villain on the list is Gunnar Gier Olav Brath, whose full name is Gunnar Gier Olav Brath, although he is better known as the “Mountain Man.” He is the slasher villain from the Norwegian slasher film “Cold Prey” and its sequels, which was released in 2006. Let us find the facts that had transformed the young Gier into “The Mountain Man.”
He was stillborn, but surprisingly after being dead for four hours, he regained life but never cried all his life. Soon after he was born, his mother Sigrid married a man, Gunner, who was the owner of a Mountain Lodge in Jotunheimen. Gier’s life turned to hell as he suffered severe abuse at the hands of his step-father.
He was imprisoned in the Lodge’s basement during his boyhood. Gier, tired of being locked up, attempted to flee only to be apprehended by his father. As his mother looked on, he buried him alive under the snow.
This cruel, inhuman act of the parents gave birth to the Mountain Man, who survived, returned to the Lodge, and slaughtered his parents. He was found and raised by a hermit named Jon Stolen, who taught him to survive as a hermit.
Gier began his murder spree soon after, targeting a group of young people who had sought refuge at the Mountain Lodge. He was infamous for stalking and murdering hikers, then disposing of their bodies in a glacier ravine not far from his Lodge.
Once, while he continued his serial killing, one of his victims tore his mask and stabbed him as he fell into the ravine. He was discovered and brought to the hospital in Otta. After regaining consciousness, Gier started his murders in the hospital and confronted Jannicke, who was responsible for stabbing him. Who would win the final battle?
Cropsy – The Burning: Released in 1981
“The Burning,” directed by Tony Maylam, is a 1981 horror slasher film about the psychotic serial murderer Cropsy. The film is about a sadist, alcoholic, and violent summer camp caregiver who was inadvertently burned in a terrible prank committed by a bunch of youngsters. He returned after five years to avenge his accident and began a violent serial killing.
Cropsy was an alcoholic and sadist summer camp caregiver who revelled in bothering youngsters over little matters. But once a group of kids in the summer camp became determined to teach him a lesson so that he would stop harassing children. Hardly did they know that their nasty prank would burn him and make his face totally deformed, which appeared as if he was wearing a terrifying mask.
Cropsy was a sadist who was illiterate and unremarkable. He thought his life had already been damaged when he was released from the hospital, so he acquired an incredible rage and revenge towards the world, particularly the adolescents at the summer camp. His life had only one purpose, which was murder.
His anger towards the world could be felt when he killed the prostitute for no reason. Though in the entire movie, his disfigured face was hardly shown, his dark presence was felt throughout.
Cropsy’s weapon is a pair of garden shears, which are typically connected with serial killers. He not only intended to kill people but his hatred and vengeance was revealed in his brutal slashing and mutilating of the victims. He was determined to kill each and everyone in the summer camp as he stalked, chased, and tortured the campers one after the other, ultimately killing them viciously.
Which of these villains do you think is the most cruel and terrible, and who still has the power to haunt your dreams? Please let us know in the comments area if you have any questions.