Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, all some of horror cinemas most iconic slashers. These fictional killers have hacked their way through groups of teens time and time again, some of them even still doing so now, thus cementing themselves in the horror movie hall of fame for eternity. However not every slasher reaches such legendary status, the slasher genre is so vast after all, so it's no wonder that a lot of these villains have faded off into obscurity over the years. Some of them however, deserve a lot better than that, so here are my picks for the 10 must underrated slasher villains.
10. Marty Rantzen- Slaughter High
Marty Rantzen was an innocent young geek who fell victim to the cruel jests of his fellow classmates, however, one day they pushed him a little too far. After a prank gone wrong leaves Marty horribly disfigured, he winds up in an institution where he spends several years plotting his brutal revenge. Eventually, he sets out to murder his former bullies one by one, by staging a faux school reunion that acts as his killing floor. Dressed in a high school football jacket and a creepy looking jester mask, Marty certainly has an eerie appearance, but its his grizzly and over the top methods that make him such a cool slasher villain. From lacing beer cans with poison that makes your intestines fall out (?), or replacing bathwater with acid, Marty goes above and beyond to punish his ex-tormentors in cruel and ironic ways, making him seem like a very dedicated cinematic slasher.
9. Kenny Hampson- Terror Train
Much like Marty Rantzen, Kenny was also the victim of a grim prank that left him traumatised and hungry for revenge. Hopping aboard a party-train on New Years Eve, Kenny began picking off his victims one by one, wearing a variety of costumes to blend into the fancy-dress party. He might not be the most memorable or unique slasher, but Kenny sure is cunning as he spends most of the film hiding in plain sight among the rest of the passengers. Not only that, but the fact that he managed to avoid being caught for so long aboard a train was an admirable feat. A tactical killer and full-blown master of disguise, Kenny is not to be underestimated.
8. Leslie Vernon- Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
In a world where the likes of Freddy and Jason are real-life killers, Leslie Vernon looks up to them in the same way that young lads look up to actors or footballers. Seeking to make a name for himself among the greats, Leslie fashions his own unique backstory, dons an eerie mask, and wields a sharp scythe before hiring a documentary crew to follow his journey to slasher stardom. What makes Leslie Vernon so memorable is that he comes across as a fanboy almost, someone who admires the likes of Michael Myers and seeks to stand among the slasher greats. He's got his whole murder itinerary planned out step by step, like some sort of weird to-do list, and knows the ins and outs of the slasher genres like the back of his hand. Very much in the same vein as Ghostface, Leslie Vernon took inspiration from the great slashers of horror cinema in order to become one himself, and he seemed to enjoy it a lot.
7. The Prowler- The Prowler
After being dumped via Dear John letter during World War 2, this deranged military man returned home to murder both his girlfriend and her new lover once the war ended. For years after this, the annual graduation dance was cancelled out of respect for both victims, but when the tradition is brought back 35 years later, the prowler returns. Dressed from head to toe in G.I. gear, the prowler is a seriously menacing killer who uses his military training to hunt and kill his innocent victims. A skilled tactician if there ever was one, the prowlers approach is quiet and subtle while his kills are as bloody as can be, using pitchforks and bayonets on his unsuspecting victims. This is one veteran who you wouldn't want to mess with.
6. Cropsy- The Burning
Inspired by a summer camp urban legend, Cropsy was a camp groundskeeper who was horribly burned in a prank gone wrong, you know where this is going at this stage. Armed with a pair of shears, he heads to Camp Stonewater five years later where he begins to dispose of the campers and counselors in the most grizzly fashion possible. Jason Voorhees may be the most well-known summer camp slasher, but Cropsy proves himself to be just as vicious. In the films most brutal scene, he springs out of a seemingly empty canoe to massacre a group of unsuspecting campers with his shears, none of them survive. He's by far one of the most brutal killers on this list, and could definitely go toe to toe with the likes of Jason Voorhees. Well, maybe not post-Jason Lives Jason.
5. The Raincoat Killer- Alice, Sweet Alice
Kids can be incredibly creepy in the world of horror, which is why this raincoat-clad killer is such a memorable villain. After her little sister is murdered on the day of her holy communion, the mischievous Alice becomes the prime suspect. As the killer continues to target those who have angered Alice in some way, it becomes clear that she may not be as innocent as she seems. The concept of a child killing people can be unsettling enough, but it's this particular killers costume that makes them so memorable. Dressed in a yellow raincoat and an eerie translucent mask, this killer is scary enough even before she does any killing, and has easily one of the best costumes in the history of slasher films. Is it really Alice behind the mask though? Well, you'll just have to watch.
4. Matt Cordell- Maniac Cop
Something of a tragic killer, Matt Cordell was a New York police officer known for his noble, but often violent ways. His brutal treatment of criminals (and a little corruption) eventually put him behind bars, where he was massacred in the prison showers and thought to be dead. Cordell survived however, but only barely, and his sanity was extremely fractured which caused him to go on a brutal killing spree throughout New York City. What makes Cordell so menacing is that his victims are often people who have done nothing wrong, from an innocent waitress to an unsuspecting couple, anybody could become his victim no matter how morally just they are. There's also a subversive element to Cordell's character as well, acting as a sort of metaphor for police brutality and such, something that's still relevant today. He certainly lives up to his title of maniac cop.
3. The Miner- My Bloody Valentine
Harry Warden, the original miner, was the sole survivor of a mining accident through which he lived by cannibalising his colleagues. Alive, but insane, Harry donned a mining outfit and armed himself with a pickaxe in order to get revenge on the negligent supervisors who left the mines early that day to go to the Valentines dance. Harry was eventually apprehended, but he left a lasting legacy on the town of Valentine's Bluff, and the annual Valentine's dance was subsequently cancelled. Years later however, the Valentine's dance is brought back, and the murderous miner returns to Valentine's Bluff, pickaxe in hand. From his eerie gas mask, to his signiature pickaxe, the miner is a truly terrifying villain with even more terrifying methods. When he's not murdering townsfolk, he's taunting the police with grizzly Valentine's poems and human hearts, he's a real romantic type. The miner is by far one of the most formidable killers on this list, who deserves to stand among the likes of Michael Myers and the gang.
2. The Hag- Curtains
This masked murderer terrorised a group of young actresses at a remote Canadian mansion, during a weekend-long audition for a new film. Dressed in black clothes and a creepy hag mask, the killer began eliminating each actress over the course of the weekend in brutal fashion. In one scene they even display that they have a talent for ice-skating as they chase a victim across an icy lake, sickle in hand. The hag has easily one of the scariest masks in slasher history, a vile crone mask that reveals only their piercing glare, it's pure nightmare fuel. They're also a seriously persistent killer, as evident from the aforementioned ice-skating scene, it's almost admirable how dedicated they are to their craft. The real cherry on top though is the final reveal of the killers identity, something that ends the film on an almost darkly comical note. I'd like to see Ghostface try to ice skate the way the hag does.
1. Billy/The Moaner- Black Christmas
Before Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers were even ideas, there was Billy. This disturbing character hid out in the attic of a sorority house over the holidays, making strange phone calls to the residents before starting his killing spree. Billy, or 'the moaner' as the girls dub him, has an extremely unsettling voice that we hear during his phone calls, but what makes this killer so interesting is that we know very little about him. From his maniacal ramblings we know that his name is Billy and that he done something unspeakable with a girl named Agnes, but apart from that we know virtually nothing. This makes him seem much less human and more of a force almost, a sinister presence lurking within the house and terrorising all those present. He's a quiet killer when he wants to be, but when he kills it's cathartic and animalistic as he unleashes his rage on these unsuspecting women. The scariest part however, is that by the time the film ends he is never apprehended, he's still waiting in the house for his next victim.
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