Halloween movies are a staple during spooky season! However, what makes the movies so special are the characters within them that we connect with. These main movie characters are what make or break a movie, so they’re pretty important. Here’s my opinion on the top ten best Halloween movie characters!

1. Freddy Krueger: Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy Kruger is a man who can attack victims within their own dream; obviously, this is why he’s ranked number one. Not only is he scary and has a disfigured face, but he’s one of the most iconic characters of all time. His usual victims are teenagers, and he shows no mercy—thanks, but no thanks!

2. Children in the Corn: Children of the Corn

These terrifying children wiped out a whole town, and killed literally all of the adults. They’re really creepy, and you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with them! They’ll scare you to death—literally. The movie is a classic, and everyone knows it.

3. Jack Torrance: The Shining

Jack is a father and husband who got taken over by supernatural forces at the Overlook Hotel. He begins to go crazy, and in the end goes on to attack his own son and wife. Even though Steven King, the author of The Shining (the book it was based off of), actually despised the movie, Jack is ranked number three. I think the actor who played him, Jack Nicholson, did a fantastic job.

4. Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz and Egon Spengler: Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is a classic—especially the characters! There are a lot of comedic moments to keep you laughing, and enough jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat. The iconic characters and ghosts deserve the number four spot for sure.

5. Casper the Friendly Ghost: Casper

Casper is the cutest little ghost ever! He is super and friendly and adorable, and both kids and adults love him. Casper should be on every spooky list, as he’s a Halloween icon that everyone knows and loves.

6. Wednesday Addams: The Addams Family

Wednesday is the definition of Halloween! She’s spooky, scary and mysterious. However, compared to her family, she can be bland and boring, and she doesn’t always bring much to the table. She’s kind of a misunderstood outcast, which makes her more withdrawn so we don’t get to know her as well.

7. Jack Skellington: The Nightmare Before Christmas

The reason Jack is so low on the list is because he’s OBSESSED with Christmas! I mean, that’s totally understandable since Christmas is awesome, but you’re a skeleton who lives in Halloween Town; stay in your lane. He can come across as annoying at times, but you gotta love him.

8. Pennywise: IT

Pennywise is way overdone, and honestly he isn’t that great of a character. The two IT movies are hyped up way too much for what was actually shown on the big screen! There are way too many people who’ve dressed up as Pennywise for Halloween for the past few years, and I’m over it.

9. Beetlejuice the Ghost: Beetlejuice

After the smashing Broadway hit musical came out in 2019, Beetlejuice was all anyone could talk about. I think the bar was set too high after that, and the movie didn’t meet my expectations. This ruined the character for me, since I was expecting something so different. Also, the movie is not that scary, and I found myself bored with Beetlejuice.

10. Billy Loomis: Scream

The movie is older, and therefore more cheesy—as is this character. Yes, Scream is recognizable, but super bland. It’s the typical slasher story, and you can totally predict the ending. However, at the same time, the movie Scream is totally iconic and a classic that everyone enjoys, but more so as a joke.

Remember, these rankings are purely my opinion; it’s okay to agree or disagree! There’s so many amazing Halloween characters it was hard to choose, but these are my top picks.