Jason Voorhees is one of the most recognizable slasher villains in movie history. Like his peers, such as Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, Jason possesses a distinctive appearance. Besides his grimy, hulking frame, Jason's most distinguishing characteristic is undeniably his hockey mask.
For nearly thirty years, Jason has cut a swath of destruction, always seemingly living to fight another day. His appearance in each entry of the Friday the 13th franchise is always different to some extent. The hockey mask, in particular, has gone through a few renditions. Horror movie enthusiasts with an eye for detail know that some masks are better than others.
11 Friday The 13th: Part II
Jason's first appearance as an adult occurred in Friday the 13th: Part II. In the original movie, he appears briefly in a dream sequence towards the end of the film. It's not until the sequel that the scourge of Camp Crystal Lake begins racking up the body count.
Adult Jason's first physical appearance is a bit strange. There's no hockey mask at all, actually. Rather, a simple burlap sack bag covers his face. It's not particularly intimidating, and some may even find it humorous. The burlap bag ranks as one of Jason's weakest wardrobe items.
10 Jason X
Jason X is, by far, one of the more outlandish and silly entries in the franchise. Although sending Jason into space may have sounded cool, its execution isn't pretty. Whatever tenuous reality the series had been grounded in thus far was completely thrown out of the airlock with this one.
The mask Jason wears in this movie fits the futuristic setting. It appears ill-fitted, as his face looks ready to burst forth from the metallic covering. Once again, it's not a particularly intimidating mask. Coupled with the bonkers story, Jason ends up looking like a clown in this ill-conceived outing.
9 Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
The title of the ninth film is actually quite humorous, considering it proved to be anything but the "Final Friday." In this story, Jason manages to possess various individuals to do his bidding. It's a rather strange tale that doubles down on the more supernatural elements of the franchise.
Like the previous entry on the list, Jason's mask is once again ill-fitted to his noggin. However, the argument can be made that Jason at least looks a bit more intimidating. The mask itself is incredibly damaged, bearing the scars of earlier encounters. It just barely covers his bloated, decomposing face.
8 Friday The 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning is the fifth entry in the series. It continues the story of the previous movie by focusing on a grown-up Tommy Jarvis and his inability to cope with the memories of his last encounter with Jason. It turns out, however, that the "Jason" in this movie is an imposter.
Die-hard fans of the franchise are likely to spot an unusual difference with Jason's hockey mask. Instead of red striping on the mask, a staple feature, the stripes are blue. It's a minor aesthetic difference that really does nothing to enhance the killer's profile. However, it does hint at "Jason's" false identity.
7 Friday The 13th (2009)
Franchises as popular as Friday the 13th were bound to get a reboot at some point. In 2009, Jason was introduced to a new generation of movie-goers. It kept faithful to the familiar slasher beats, although the goriness of the violence was turned up a notch compared to the 1980 version.
In this outing, Jason actually sports two masks. One is his trademark hockey mask, while the other resembles an old cheesecloth. The inclusion of the latter is a callback to Jason's aforementioned burlap bag in Friday the 13th: Part II. Again, it's not an awfully good look, although it's still an improvement over the unimpressive sack.
6 Freddy VS. Jason
Crossovers are an interesting beast in the film industry. Although it sounds great on paper, it's often a tough act to pull off. For longtime fans of horror movies, however, nothing gets better than watching two immortal slasher icons duke it out with each other. Both Freddy and Jason take some pretty nasty bumps in this wild spectacle.
Jason's mask conforms to the villain's classic look, albeit with a few variations. For one, it's much dirtier, giving it an older appearance. Large cracks and scars perforate the mask's surface, which speak to Jason's past battles and encounters over the decades.
5 Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Horror movie franchises with a large number of sequels often don't stick with the same setting forever. When Camp Crystal Lake started to get stale, the series explored new locations. In the eighth entry, Jason puts his carving skills to good use on the streets of New York City.
In this movie, Jason dons his signature hockey mask with red stripes. It's his quintessential appearance, the one that fans would attribute to him while visualizing Jason. After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
4 Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
The subtitle "Jason Lives" is a bit of an understatement. No matter what is thrown at him, Jason always manages to live to fight another day. Focusing once again on the story of Tommy Jarvis, the bloodthirsty Jason Vorhees is unintentionally resurrected, and he proceeds to wreak his usual havoc.
Here, Jason can again be seen sporting his classic look. It's the same recognizable hockey mask that horror fans have come to love. Jason's victims, however, may feel a bit differently about seeing this classic piece of sporting equipment.
3 Friday The 13th: Part III
The carnage continues for a third time in a row in Friday the 13th: Part III. When a new gang of hapless future victims intrudes on Jason's territory, fans are treated to the same spectacle of blood and murder. Nevertheless, this movie is special considering Jason dons his signature hockey mask for the first time in the series.
It's hard to beat an original. This movie began the process of solidifying Jason's trademark appearance. Subsequent films (with a few periodic variations) would start to portray Jason similarly based on how he looks in this movie.
2 Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter
Once more, note the ironic subtitle. This movie marked the beginning of a long story arc involving Tommy Jarvis and his long battle with the homicidal Jason. Along the way, Jason bags another significant body count as a fresh group of foolish young people stop by Crystal Lake.
Jason's mask appears much as it does in Friday the 13th: Part III. There are a few differences, though. Jason, as well as his mask, bears a bleeding ax wound. It's an injury he sustains in Part III and serves to give him an even more ghoulish profile.
1 Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood is yet another film in the series that dabbles in more supernatural elements. The plot focuses on a young girl with telekinetic abilities, a gift that comes in handy later when Jason comes knocking.
In terms of grotesque appearances, it's hard to beat Jason's look in this movie. The mask is missing part of its left side, revealing a collection of exposed and fearsome-looking chompers. It even gets destroyed entirely at one point, showcasing the full force of Jason's hideousness.