Top 20 Jason Voorhees Kills
#20: Crushing Headache
“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986) The climax to “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” sees a final confrontation at the grounds of the former Camp Crystal Lake. The surrounding area was renamed Forest Green by the town to avoid the negative connotations associated with the Voorhees murder sprees, but Jason is drawn there nonetheless and continues his rampage. Sheriff Garris and his deputies Pappas and Thornton are on the scene while Tommy Jarvis is setting up a trap, and it’s here where Jason commits a skull-crushing finale to one of the officers. Pappas puts five bullets into Jason with no effect, Voorhees grabs his skull and a cracking sound fills the air. Garris later finds his deputy’s body and the aftermath.
#19: Ripped in Half
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“Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” (1993) “Jason Goes to Hell” is a somewhat underappreciated entry in the “Friday” franchise, largely maligned because of its decision to make Jason a supernatural force capable of possession. We honestly appreciate the fact that it tried something different, although some things…well, some things remain the same. Case in point? Voorhees hunting down anyone caught fornicating within a hundred yards of the hockey-masked psychopath. Deborah and Luke find this out the hard way when Jason tears through their tent coitus-interruptus, and then tears through Deborah with a metal pole. Gross.
#18: Trapped & Burned
“Friday the 13th” (2009) Even though Jason didn’t commit any of the murders in the original “Friday the 13th,” this 2009 remake from producer Michael Bay goes a different route. Here we have a fully grown Voorhees who's already machete-deep in mommy issues, so he has no qualms about getting down to business stalking some unsuspecting young people. Amanda gets the worst of it early on, and she’s trapped inside of a sleeping bag and left to be burned alive. The scene is mean-spirited, not only due to Amanda’s prolonged suffering, but also the fact that her boyfriend Richie has been laid out by a bear trap set by Jason, and has to stand by and watch the entire thing play out.
#17: Death on the Dancefloor
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“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989) There was little room for character development by the time “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” hit theatres in 1989. At this point, half of the cast is pretty much cannon fodder for Voorhees, such as the subject of our next entry, Eva Watanabe. The role of Watanabe was an early one for future “Vampire Diaries” star Kelly Hu, and she serves as a relatively sweet and undeserving victim of Jason’s wrath. The scene itself is peppered with hallucinogenic imagery as Jason stalks her on the party deck of a cruise ship, with the overall effect being dizzying and disorienting. Here, it’s not the manner in which Jason strangles Eva that’s notable, but the execution (no pun intended) that’s the real star.
#16: A Despicable Dude Gets His Due
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“Friday the 13th” (2009) If Eva Watanabe got done dirty by Jason Voorhees, then Trent Sutton absolutely deserved everything that was coming to him in the 2009 “Friday” remake. Trent is so obnoxious, antagonistic and boorish, that it’s difficult to believe he has any friends at all, never mind a group with which to go away for the weekend. Yet, Sutton makes it through a lion’s share of the film before finally meeting his maker, thanks to a well-timed toss from Jason. Trent is impaled on some spikes that were conveniently left upright on a pick-up truck, and we just gotta be honest: it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
#15: Corkscrew & Cleaver
“Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984) “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” is largely lauded as a high point for the franchise. It retains the early entries’ serious tone and gruesome special effects, while also boasting a likable cast, including Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis. Crispin Glover’s Jimmy Mortimer is a memorable character for a number of reasons, the first of which being an outstanding dance he performs early on in the film. Additionally, his death scene at the hands of Jason is still an effective shock, as he shouts out loud for a corkscrew, before getting it in the hand. Jimmy is then cleaved by Jason, and we bid farewell to a standout series performance.
#14: Bed Fold
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“Freddy vs. Jason” (2003) Although “Freddy vs. Jason” is arguably more of an Elm Street movie, this didn’t mean that Jason Voorhees couldn’t get in just as many memorable moments. Case in point? This fan-favorite kill that occurs early on in the film, as Freddy Krueger is still summoning up enough strength to revisit his old stomping grounds. Trey Cooper is the repugnant boyfriend of Gibb Smith, and we pretty much hate him right from the jump, so what happens next doesn’t really break our hearts. He’s stabbed… let’s go with “energetically?” by Jason and folded in half while lying face down in a bed. We’ve heard of Craftmatic adjustable beds, but this is ridiculous.
#13: Poor Shelly
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“Friday the 13th Part III” (1982) Sheldon “Shelly” Finkelstein is one of the more beloved characters of the “Friday the 13th” franchise for a number of reasons. For starters, he’s supremely likable; a genuinely good, if socially awkward, guy who the audience is rooting for the entire way. Tragically, it’s his death that serves as the means for Jason to acquire his iconic hockey mask, since Shelly just couldn’t leave his love of horror movies behind… and it ultimately costs him his life. Finkelstein is trying his best to woo Vera by dressing up and scaring her, but it backfires, leaving him alone as Jason stalks in the shadows. Worse yet, when discovered by Chili, she still thinks he’s faking. But he isn’t.
#12: RV Ride
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“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986) “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” is a fan-favorite entry from the franchise, a movie that never takes itself too seriously, while still providing many memorable scenes. This one, in particular, starts off with a little bit of humor, but ultimately ends with one breathtaking and badass final shot. The amorous antics between Nikki and Cort are largely played for laughs, as is the exaggerated manner in which Jason shoves Nikki’s face into the bathroom mirror. The sequence ends, however, with Voorhees standing triumphantly atop the wrecked RV, a striking and fearsome image against the night sky as Crystal Lake’s most feared killer makes his way home.
#11: Crazy Ralph Gets It
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“Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981) Crazy Ralph was a mainstay of the first “Friday the 13th” film, a local kook who seems to know a bit about the history of “Camp Blood,” and warns anyone and everyone to beware of its “death curse.” That said, it’s a shame Ralph couldn’t be bothered to take his own advice since it’s his own curiosity about the place that gets him killed in “Friday the 13th Part 2.” He returns to the campgrounds after warning a new group of kids about the place’s sour history, but is caught from behind by Jason and strangled with barbed wire.
#10: Sheriff Garris
“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986) We mentioned earlier how “Jason Lives” is decidedly lighter in tone than many of its predecessors. This usually works in its favor, but there’s nothing funny about the death of Sheriff Mike Garris, late during the film’s climax. That’s because Garris doesn’t play into the sort of hard-assed and stubborn caricatures of law enforcement that usually present themselves in horror movies. Instead, his motivations are primarily in the interest of keeping people safe, particularly his daughter Megan. Thus, when Jason literally folds Garris in half while the Sheriff is trying to keep him at bay, we can’t help but feel some real sympathy and grief for Megan at the loss of her father.
#9: Paintballing
“Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” (1986) Conversely, this other scene from “Jason Lives” is absolutely played up for laughs, an intentional and satirical take on the “body count” nature of slasher movies. Here, a group of weekend warriors are playing paintball in the woods, and basically playing for keeps. Then, naturally, Jason Voorhees shows up and it all goes pear-shaped. The bandanas that spell out “DEAD” take on a whole new meaning as Voorhees wastes his victims. And sure, these folks are relatively innocent, but we spend so little time getting to know them that their appearance and loss just washes over us in the blink of an eye.
#8: Eye Pop
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“Friday the 13th Part III” (1982) The third entry in the “Friday the 13th” franchise was an outlier for a number of reasons. For starters, it was the only film to have a bitchin’ disco theme as its main title. Beyond this, “Friday the 13th Part III” was also developed to cash in on the popular 3-D craze of the time, with many seemingly pointless shots being included just to benefit from the technology. However, one scene fans can all agree on is the eye-popping death of Rick Bombay late in the film. We’re actually led to believe that Rick might survive to confront Jason, but this hope is dashed when Voorhees strikes from behind, squeezing Bombay’s head so hard that the eye pops out to the audience in over-the-top fashion.
#7: Uppercut
“Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan” (1989) Y’know, if you gotta go down to Jason Voorhees, you might as well go down swingin’, right? Julius Gaw finds this out the hard way as he gives Jason his best shot during their confrontation in “Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan.” The boxing prodigy actually gives Voorhees a few good licks before finally punching himself to exhaustion. Jason, slightly dazed at best, but still at full strength, then returns fire with a single punch of his own, literally knocking Gaw’s block off. It’s a scene many fans rewound again and again during the VHS video heyday.
#6: Handstand No More
“Friday the 13th Part III” (1982) The next entry on our list is memorable for its set-up, execution, and the implications of what we cannot see from the frame alone. That’s because the death of Andy Beltrami in “Friday the 13th Part III” is shown from an odd angle, as the young man is looking up at Jason Voorhees while doing a handstand. Unfortunately, it’s also the last thing Beltrami sees, as Jason slices him in half in the most tender of areas, leaving us wincing at the very thought. You don’t actually see much gore in the scene, but its impact is still felt, thanks to the interesting cinematography and sound design.
#5: Goodbye, Alice
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“Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981) The “Final Girl” trope in slasher movies was still being developed and explored in an embryonic way when Alice Hardy first made her scream and cheer in the original “Friday the 13th.” Her victory over Pamela Voorhees, and subsequent survival made us appreciate how resourceful and capable she was as a heroine. This is part of what makes her demise in “Friday the 13th Part 2” so bittersweet. Granted, her sendoff is shockingly satisfying in a way, as she continues to convalesce at home after the events of the first film. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Pamela’s head is in the fridge, an icepick is in Alice’s head, and we have to bid adieu to one of our favorite scream queens.
#4: Sleeping Bag
“Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (1988) It’s a scene so beloved by fans that it was even parodied in “Jason X” over a decade later. To be fair, the sleeping bag death in “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” isn’t performed with the same exaggerated comedic effect, but it’s certainly effective nonetheless. Judy Williams wasn’t a main character in the film. In fact, she’s basically there solely as cannon fodder, a brief side plot that exists to place another notch on Jason’s belt. Her bright idea to hide in a sleeping bag from Voorhees gets the Darwin Award it deserves: being bashed against a tree. Bye-bye, Judy.
#3: Bed Spear
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“Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981) It seems as if the folks behind “Friday the 13th” Part 2” were so enthralled with the iconic Kevin Bacon bed sequence from the original that they just had to try it again. This time, however, director Steve Miner and crew took inspiration from the Italian giallo, and ripped off a scene from Mario Bava’s “A Bay of Blood” when shooting this death scene for lovers Jeff and Sandra. There’s no denying the similarities as the couples are both impaled by a spear as they’re in bed together, but the “Friday” folks probably figured no one would notice if they mimicked a comparatively obscure European import. We see you, though, guys. We see you!
#2: Machete
“Friday the 13th Part 2” (1981) Ok, we admit it: we’re horrible people. We’re those kids who, like Julius’ death earlier in our list, rewound this bit over and over again on our VCRs. And truthfully? We feel bad about it because Mark Jarvis certainly didn’t deserve what happened to him in “Friday the 13th Part 2.” This was still at the point in the series where most “Friday” films had likable characters, so when wheelchair user Mark gets a machete to the face and rolls down an unfairly long set of stairs, it comes as kind of a shock. And to be honest, we’re not entirely sure if the filmmakers shot this scene as intentionally humorous or simply spiteful, but it remains one of the most iconic “Friday” moments.
#1: Liquid Nitrogen
“Jason X” (2001) It’s rare that an entry so late in a horror franchise would contain such a memorable high point, but here we are in 2001 with “Jason X” and an absolutely killer scene. That pun is definitely intended, too, because fans just couldn’t stop talking about this kill when “Jason X” first debuted. For starters, it’s gruesome and sort of stands apart from the comparatively light tone of the film’s jokey outer-space premise. Additionally, the execution of this scene where intern Adrienne Thomas-Hart has her face plunged into liquid nitrogen and then smashed is effectively troubling and graphic. “Jason X” may not be a perfect film, but this kill is as perfect as Voorhees ever achieved throughout his entire cinematic career.
