The Most Powerful Horror Villains Of 2023 So Far, Ranked
From serial killers and mysterious supernatural entities to vengeful siblings and the Prince of Darkness himself, we've had a solid crop of horror villains so far in 2023. Although there has yet to be one singular stand-out scary movie that towers above the rest, this year has seen a surprisingly high consistency of quality — few out-and-out hits, but fewer misses than usual. The success of these films generally tends to live and die on the strength of their villains.
But how do we define a good horror movie monster? There are a lot of different categories to take into consideration, and plenty of ways for a contender to stand out. Some might have gruesome horror makeup or otherworldly abilities, while others could win points for the inventiveness of their kills, high body count, or even exceptional one-liners. Basically, we're looking for the scariest, the strongest, and the most unique. While many have fought their way through a swath of victims, only one can claim the crown of the most powerful horror villain of 2023.
12. Ghostface (Scream VI)
By this point in the "Scream" franchise, Ghostface has been solidified as less of an individual and more of a moniker, passed down from serial killer to serial killer over the years. But regardless of who is the actual murderer in each new iteration of "Scream," they're always wearing the now trademark ghost mask and long black robes. Although "Scream VI" is technically part of the larger series that began back in 1996, it serves as a direct follow-up to 2022's "Scream," starring Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, and its version of Ghostface is spawned as a direct result of the events of the previous film.
As far as horror villains go, Ghostface is, as always, held back by the fact that at the end of the day, they're still just an ordinary person wearing a Halloween costume. No superpowers, no supernatural abilities, just a revolving door of sociopaths with grievances to air. So while this version of Ghostface (or Ghostfaces, as the case may be) still racks up an impressive body count, they can't really compete with some of the other baddies from 2023 horror.
11. Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey)
Do you remember in "Christopher Robin," when a grown-up Christopher Robin played by Ewan McGregor returns to the Hundred Acre Wood only to find his former companions melancholy and lost, never understanding why he left them behind in the first place? Remember how depressing that was? Well, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" is a kind of a riff on that, only instead of Pooh Bear and his friends getting sad and lonely, they turn feral and homicidal.
Now that the stories of A.A. Milne are in the public domain, there's really nothing filmmakers can't do with them, and the directors of "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" push that about as far as they can go. The production itself is fairly lackluster, failing to rise above the one-joke premise of its concept, but the creep factor of having one of the most beloved children's book characters of all time grow into a sadistic and vengeful killer is difficult to shake off.
10. Sarah (Cobweb)
Ah, "Cobweb," the atmospheric Halloween horror film that was inexplicably released in the middle of the summer, where it was forced to do battle with "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." This underrated spooky story revolves around a young boy named Peter (Woody Norman), who begins hearing tapping on his bedroom wall, and eventually a voice that calls out to him. This turns out to be Sarah (Aleksandra Dragova), the older sister he never knew existed. She's been locked in the basement his entire life by their cruel parents (Lizzy Caplan and Anthony Starr), and she's seeking revenge, first by manipulating Peter into killing his mom and dad, and then by turning her ire against him.
Whether Sarah is entirely a monster or a villain is up for debate, but her status as a horror antagonist is pretty well established. When she makes her first appearance, we learn that she has extra sharp teeth and unnaturally long limbs, and is capable of climbing up the walls. She uses these abilities to go on a mini-murder spree, taking out Peter's bully and his friends, and would have turned her malevolent gaze on Peter if he wasn't able to trap her back in the basement again. Do we feel a little bit bad for Sarah? Sure. But that doesn't stop her from wreaking horrific havoc all over "Cobweb."
9. Cocaine Bear (Cocaine Bear)
Winnie-the-Pooh isn't the only bear on this list, and our other ursine monster has the advantage of being (kind of) based on a true story. "Cocaine Bear," in which a black bear consumes enough blow to take out all of Studio 54 in its heyday, enters the proud pantheon of animal-focused horror movies. As the bear, out of its mind on drugs, brutally attacks everyone that crosses its path. A group of campers, park rangers, and random children who are in the wrong place at the wrong time must fight to stay alive.
There are a lot of people who would argue that the most sinister villains are the ones whose motivation is shrouded in mystery — your Billy Loomises in "Scream," or your Iagos in "Othello." But there's also plenty to be said for the characters who have no sense of reason attached to them, who strike out indiscriminately for no other reason than that their victims happened to be nearby. With that in mind, Cocaine Bear — with its unpredictability, physical strength, and sheer brutality — is a force to be reckoned with.
8. Dracula (Renfield)
There are movies that present Count Dracula — the ultimate villain in vampire lore — as an all-powerful supernatural being, capable of charming anyone into an early grave. "Renfield" treats him more like the toxic boss who says that they advocate for a healthy work-life balance but then gets all passive-aggressive when you actually leave the office at 5 p.m. Here, the focus is primarily on Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who has been the dutiful manservant of the Prince of Darkness for centuries, bringing him all the fresh bodies to snack on that a vampire could ever want.
But times have changed. It's the 21st century, and Renfield is starting to feel like maybe he needs to start focusing on himself and enforce some healthy boundaries. So this interpretation of Dracula (Nicolas Cage) as a micromanaging supervisor of sorts makes sense for the film — after all, that's the context in which Renfield knows him. But it doesn't make for the most threatening version of the character, especially since he ultimately gets beaten by a guy who eats bugs.
7. M3GAN (M3GAN)
There's something inherently off-putting about dolls and robots, so to have the two blended together somewhere in the uncanny valley is proper nightmare material. At first, M3GAN — a lifelike doll with artificial intelligence played by Amie Donald physically and voiced by Jenna Davis — performs exactly as she is programmed. Her responsibility is to care for the recently orphaned Cady (Violet McGraw), and the two quickly establish a close bond ... perhaps too close. Those around Cady soon begin to worry about her emotional attachment to the doll, and M3GAN's growing tendency to eliminate any perceived threat to Cady's wellbeing.
As a villain, M3GAN is on the proverbial road to hell paved with good intentions. Her role is to protect Cady, and it's hardly her fault that she overdoes it a little bit. But still, she amasses a not-insignificant body count over the course of the film, ramping up the violence until she's willing to attack anyone who stands in her way, even Cady. She does a lot of damage for a child-sized doll, and her character design — which simultaneously calls back to classic horror films like "Child's Play" while also creating something fresh and unique — makes for one of the most memorable and meme-able roles of 2023.
6. The Boogeyman (The Boogeyman)
"The Boogeyman" is an adaptation of a short story by Stephen King, so we know going into it that there's a pretty good chance it'll at least have a decent bad guy. Revolving around two young sisters (Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair) who have recently lost their mother, "The Boogeyman" uses the device of the classic childhood monster of the same name as a metaphor for grief and trauma. But of course — since this is Stephen King, after all — the monster is physically manifested, wreaking havoc on the lives of the two girls and their father (Chris Messina), a psychiatrist who is too shaken up by his wife's death to pay attention to his daughters.
Within the construct of the story, the Boogeyman is a creature who turns up in emotionally devastated households, feeding off traumatic experiences and parental neglect. There's something especially creepy and threatening about the fact that he's a monster who targets children. On the other hand, he can be defeated by a strong light source, so he gets 10 points for his horror aesthetic and minus a million for durability.
5. Lipstick-Face Demon (Insidious: The Red Door)
We can have a conversation about whether the Lipstick-Face Demon (Joseph Bishara) actually deserves to be this high on the list, or if he's just coasting on the strength of his genuinely terrifying appearance in the original "Insidious." Although he has an all-time great character design, it's hard to deny the fact that every time we see him, he's a little less effective, his jump scares a little less jumpy. By the time he turns up in "Insidious: The Red Door," the camera has a tendency to linger on him for too long, making us more aware of the fact that it's a man in makeup and not actually a horrifying demon monster.
But although the character suffers from diminishing returns, the Lipstick-Face Demon still feels like one of the scariest horror villains based on his ability to trap you deep in your subconscious, along with other spirits who are actively trying to re-enter the world of the living by taking over your body. Sure, he hasn't ever actually succeeded, and he's currently trapped behind a painted-shut door, but he still gets points for effort.
4. Dracula (The Last Voyage of the Demeter)
The second Dracula film released in 2023, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" features a much more threatening version of the character than "Renfield." When the crew of the Demeter set sail for England from Romania, they have every reason to expect a smooth journey. The mysterious client paying them to transport a bunch of crates has even offered a bonus to encourage them to reach London in a timely manner. But when crew members start being viciously murdered each night on the ship, they start to adjust their expectations and just hope to make it ashore alive.
Although the film itself suffers from slow pacing and the fact that it's built around what some consider to be the most boring section of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," it offers up the malevolent vampire in his classic form. This Dracula (Javier Botet) is no debonair Bela Lugosi winning over his victims with his smooth demeanor and dulcet tones — he's far more animalistic and feral. He rips his way through the crew with almost no trouble at all, so we'd bet money on him standing a good chance against most adversaries.
3. Valak (The Nun II)
Look, someone has to say it: Religious orders can be kind of creepy. Most nuns are just harmless ladies devoted to their faith, but every once in a while you get one who is possessed by a demon. We first met Valak, the demon nun (Bonnie Aarons), in "The Conjuring 2," when she was busy tormenting the Warrens (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson). Since then, she's starred in her own spinoff film, "The Nun," and even earned a sequel with this year's "The Nun 2."
As far as supernatural entities in horror films go, Valak is the real deal. A demon originally appearing in the grimoire "The Lesser Key of Solomon," the character has a legacy that goes back hundreds of years. In "The Nun," Valak displays its possession skills and general ability to unleash evil, and if anything, it ratchets up the intensity in "The Nun 2" as it goes on a hunt for the eyes of Saint Lucy.
So, to sum up: Creepy-beyond-words character design? Check. Demon possession? Check. All the residual spookiness of the ancient Catholic Church? Check. Valak's got it all.
2. Abyzou (The Offering)
When Arthur (Nick Blood) and his pregnant wife Claire (Emily Wiseman) visit his estranged father (Allan Corduner) in Brooklyn, the very air is heavy with atmosphere. In "The Offering," Arthur is the wayward son of a strict Hasidic family, who has spent his adult life separate from the traditions and rituals of his home. There's bound to be a little tension when he reappears, but there's more than just family drama to contend with in "The Offering." To protect his wife, Arthur will have to face off against the demon Abyzou, who has set its sights on their unborn child.
Like Valak, Abyzou has a long history. She's a demon associated with miscarriages and infant death — a fact that doesn't bode well for our young couple — but in the film, her scariest skill is her ability to distort reality for her victims, taking on the appearance of people in their lives who they trust in order to pursue her evil agenda. If nothing else, the dark ending of "The Offering" cements her legacy as one of the most chilling supernatural villains, even if she isn't the most well-known.
1. Ellie (Evil Dead Rise)
Come on, just look at her face: She deserves the top spot on the list. In "Evil Dead Rise," the latest iteration of the "Evil Dead" franchise, Alyssa Sutherland plays Ellie, a single mother of three children. When her teenage son Danny (Morgan Davies) uncovers a recording of the "Naturom Demonto," things go downhill for the residents of their apartment building very quickly, especially after Ellie is possessed by a Deadite and becomes committed to the idea of murdering her entire family.
Beyond the supernatural elements, there's something especially unnerving about a mother ruthlessly attacking her children, at times even gleeful and prone to taunting. She is mercilessly violent, and even losing her arm and leg to a shotgun blast doesn't stop her. And do we even need to talk about the part where she fuses with her two Deadite children, turning into the even scarier Deadite Marauder? Sorry, but all the other 2023 horror villains can pack up their butcher knives and scary claws and go home.