Top 10 Most Evil Soap Serial Killers
#10: Lucas Johnson
“EastEnders” (1985-)
Behind the facade of a religious convert lurked a ruthless predator who claimed three victims and attempted to claim five more during his time in Albert Square. He began his tenure as a goody-two-shows Christian preacher, but something sinister was always hiding beneath the surface. His first true victim was Trina, his ex-wife, who he accidentally impaled on a rake but then un-accidentally left her there to bleed to death. His reign of terror eventually came to an end, but Don Gilet came back to the role in 2020 for a spectacular return when Lucas was released from prison. He seemed to have reformed, but there was still a penchant for violence hiding within him.
#9: Lachlan White
“Emmerdale” (1972-)
The troubled teen quickly proved himself to be a wrong’un through and through, spying on people, fantasising about them, and sexually assaulting Alicia Metcalfe. We thought that after he got caught for that, he might change his ways, but he only got worse. After holding his own grandfather Lawrence hostage with a shotgun, the gun goes off, wounding Lawrence and giving Lachlan a taste for blood. He later finishes the deed by orchestrating a car accident that kills Lawrence and his mother, Chrissie. The killings continue, with Lachlan beating his friend Gerry to death with a rock to cover up the car accident. The bodies kept piling up but he was eventually caught and given life for his crimes.
#8: Richard Hillman
“Coronation Street” (1960-)
The man who brought serial killing to primetime Coronation Street deserves his notorious reputation. This creepy financial adviser turned murderer showed just how thin the veneer of respectability can be. His murder spree included bludgeoning Patricia with a shovel and leaving Weatherfield favourite Emily Bishop for dead. What made Richard particularly sinister was how his homicidal tendencies were interwoven with genuine love for his wife Gail and her family – creating a disturbing portrait of a man who believed murder was simply problem-solving. His iconic attempted family murder by driving the Platts into a canal became one of soap’s most remembered moments. No wonder Gail kept seeing his ghost…
#7: Cameron Murray
“Emmerdale” (1972-)
“Emmerdale’s” gamekeeper turned grim reaper terrorised the Yorkshire Dales with a body count that rose alongside his increasing instability. Initially murdering Carl King in defence of his loved ones, Cameron demonstrated how quickly someone can descend from justified violence to serial murder. His subsequent killings of Alex Moss and Gennie Walker revealed a man desperately trying to cover his tracks while spiraling further out of control. What placed Cameron firmly in soap villain royalty was his dramatic siege of The Woolpack, where he held villagers hostage at gunpoint. While getting into a scrap with Debbie Dingle in the flooded cellar, Cameron accidentally electrocuted himself, ending his tyranny.
#6: Stephen Reid
“Coronation Street” (1960-)
“Coronation Street’s” most unexpected serial killer proved that evil has no age limit. This seemingly respectable businessman and son of Audrey Roberts morphed into Weatherfield’s answer to “American Psycho”, dispatching three victims with escalating confidence. Beginning with an accidental doping that turned deadly, Stephen graduated to pushing Leo Thompkins over a railing and bludgeoning Leo’s dad Teddy with a hole punch – showing a disturbing adaptability to whatever murder method was convenient. What made Stephen particularly chilling was how his killings were motivated by the most mundane of reasons: financial desperation and fear of exposure. He was eventually killed off after being run over by Peter Barlow.
#5: Nick Cotton
“EastEnders” (1985-)
“EastEnders’” original villain earns his place through sheer longevity of evil. Unlike our other entrants, Nick’s murders were spread across decades, beginning with Reg Cox in the very first episode and continuing through a gruesome career that included attempted arson and trying to poison his own mother. His toxic relationship with his long-suffering mother Dot created one of television’s most complex dynamics, with her Christian forgiveness repeatedly tested by his irredeemable nature. Nick’s final act was confessing to Reg’s murder, the first-ever death in Walford, while he slowly dies in Dot’s arms, providing poetic justice for this vicious character.
#4: Pat Phelan
“Coronation Street” (1960-)
Beginning as merely corrupt before evolving into a full-blown murderer, Phelan’s first killing – terrifying Michael Rodwell and watching him die from a heart attack – set the tone for his particularly cruel brand of villainy. He then took Andy Carver prisoner and eventually manipulated him into killing Vinny, after lying about Vinny’s alleged crimes. The whole stand-off ended with Phelan killing Andy, too. But after murdering or defrauding most of Weatherfield’s residents, Phelan is finally taken down by Anna Windass, who stabbed him during another confrontation. He later returns in the form of an urn, only to have his ashes chucked in the bin and taken away.
#3: Lindsey Roscoe
“Hollyoaks” (1995-)
Hollyoaks’ “Gloved Hand Killer” revolutionised the soap serial killer trope by hiding in plain sight as a hospital nurse. This supposedly caring medical professional used her position to inject patients with potassium chloride, sending seven victims to early graves. What earns Lindsey her bronze medal is the breathtaking hypocrisy of her murders – a medical professional sworn to “do no harm” becoming the hospital’s angel of death. She’s obsessed with murder and the power it gives her, with the mystery of the hospital serial killer being the biggest “Hollyoaks” storyline in 2015. But, eventually, Lindsey got a taste of her own medicine, becoming a notch in somebody else’s bedpost: “Hollyoaks’” OTHER notorious killer, Silas Blissett…
#2: Silas Blissett
“Hollyoaks” (1995-)
Hollyoaks’ chess-playing pensioner turned predator remains one of television’s most chilling creations. This elderly gentleman with a habit of targeting “impure” young women brought a methodical, almost ritualistic approach to his killings that was profoundly unsettling. What makes Silas particularly disturbing is how his traditional values and grandfatherly appearance concealed a misogynistic monster who believed he was cleansing society. His repeated returns to “Hollyoaks” over a decade – each time claiming more victims – created an almost supernatural quality. He was finally dispatched by Bobby McQueen, whom he’d been trying to manipulate for months, killing Silas with his own giant, electric chessboard.
#1: Meena Jutla
“Emmerdale” (1972-)
Crowning our list is “Emmerdale’s” killer nurse whose theatrical sadism and unprecedented body count make her soap land’s most unforgettable monster. What elevates Meena above her murderous peers is the sheer pleasure she took in her crimes – keeping trophies from her victims and even singing pop songs to hype herself up for her impending murders. Unlike other soap killers who murdered from desperation or rage, Meena killed for attention and entertainment, representing pure psychopathy. Meena’s reign of terror remains the gold standard for soap villainy – proving that sometimes the most unforgettable monsters are the ones who enjoy their monstrosity the most.
If you were going to become a soap serial killer, which character would you kill off first? Let us know!
