Top 10 Disfigured Movie Characters
#10: Harvey Dent “The Dark Knight” (2008)
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This comic book turned movie character is the white knight of the Batman series whose fall from grace coincided with half of his face becoming quite a disgrace. This was caused by an acid burn or gasoline fire, depending on the continuity you’re following. Either way, it not only gave him a split personality with a murderous slant, but literally two faces to act a symbolic reminder.
#9: Emperor Palpatine “Star Wars” series (1980-2005)
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For decades no one knew much about the mysterious emperor or why he was so gruesome looking. Most fans reasonably assumed he was an alien or just really, really old. However the prequels showed us that this once normal looking human senator was actually disfigured when he was outted as a Sith Lord. That’s right, his decision to use his dark force power of electricity against Sam Jackson’s purple light saber was a bad idea.
#8: Peyton Westlake “Darkman” (1990)
Next up is Sam Raimi’s unconventional superhero, played by Liam Neeson. As a scientist working on synthetic skin research, Liam’s Westlake unfortunately finds himself in need of his own experimental technology. Horribly tortured and burned by mobsters, he survived only to use the unstable skin technology to exact his vengeance.
#7: Freddy Kreuger “A Nightmare on Elm Street” series (1984-)
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This fedora wearing psychopath with a striped shirt and claws has been scaring horny teenagers since the 19080s. While he is an undead serial killer who stalks children in their dreams, his horrifyingly disfigured form is the result the brutal street justice enacted upon him by the parents of his victims while he was still alive, which became his look for all eternity.
#6: Jason Vorhees “Friday the 13th” (1980-)
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This undead serial killer was once a mentally handicapped and deformed child who drowned thanks to councilor negligence. Now he regularly comes back as a behemoth of an adult to pay the deed forward with sharp objects. While Jason covers his face with his iconic hockey mask, that hasn’t stopped him from gleefully sharing a quick flash of his face with a select few of his victims.
#5: Lotney ‘Sloth’ Fratelli “The Goonies” (1985)
A member of a crime family, he is kept in chains like a beast, that is until one of the Goonies manages to befriend the misunderstood man. Born deformed, Sloth is first teased as a standard movie monster, before his heroic and kind nature is revealed as he befriends Chunk and helps the kids defeat his evil family members.
#4: Rock Dennis “Mask” (1985)
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And now we transition away from fiction with a film is actually based on the true story of a friendly boy suffering from an extremely rare disorder. Nicknamed “lionitis”, this affliction caused Rocky’s cranium grow to grotesque proportions. In his struggle to find acceptance, he even goes so far as to enrol at a camp for the blind. The film won an Academy Award for best makeup, while actor Sam Elliot earned a Golden Globe nomination for his heartfelt portrayal.
#3: Joseph Merrick “The Elephant Man” (1980)
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This drama is based on the true story of a man struggling with a severe deformity in 19th century London. Depicted by then revolutionary makeup effects, John Hurt played the role of the man who was forced to make a living in a Victorian freak show. However his life is changed when he is taken to a hospital to be studied and treated, struggling to prove that he is a human that deserves just as much respect as the next man.
#2: Quasimodo “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” various
Based on a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, this story from 831 has been adapted several times to the silver screen. Centered on a mostly deaf bell ringer for the Notre Dame Cathedral, this deformed character’s tale centers on him falling in love with a kindhearted Gypsy street dancer. A victim of his time, he is subjected to the prejudice and intolerance of the Church. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
#1: Erik Mulheim “The Phantom of the Opera” various
Drawing the curtain in our list is yet another French literary character, the similarly tormented Phantom created by writer Gaston Lereoux in 1910. A man covering his natural deformity with a mask, he charms with his heavenly voice. Haunting the Paris Opera house, he uses fear to command both a salary and an open box to watch the shows. When he falls for a performer, he kidnaps and a story reminiscent of beauty and the beast plays out. Agree with our list? Which deformed movie character do you find unforgettable? For more top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
