Highlights

• Female horror villains have been ruling the screen, turning retro, slasher, and indie horror darlings into iconic cinema classics.
• These movies scare and educate viewers on social issues, offering a wide range of gore, paranormal, slasher, and genre-blending stories.
• From vengeful spirits to twisted minds, these terrifying characters and their stories give fans chills and break stereotypes in the horror genre.

Female horror villains have been ruling the screen and turning many retro, slasher, and indie horror darlings into iconic cinema classics for decades now. Thanks to some of the most creative horror movie weapons, great stories, creative kills, and terrifying characters, these movies scare and even educate their viewers on many social issues.

There is a perfect fit for all types of horror lovers because there is a wide selection of gore, paranormal, slasher, and even genre blenders that mix bloody kills with thought-provoking social themes. These spine-chilling stories also take their viewers around the world to intriguing and unusual locations. This way, fans can experience horror movies set on islands, in haunted houses, or in spooky abandoned and remote locations that increase their respective movies' scare levels.

Updated October 28, 2023 by Via Erhard: Horror movie makers have a knack for crafting villains that make viewers sleep with their lights on even as adults. While these characters are often menacing figures or shadowy monsters, however, some of the most haunting and memorable horror villains are women. These women are certainly not damsels in distress. Instead, they turn the table, often being the cause of the distress themselves.

Horror movie fans can explore a wide range of classic and modern horror films with stories about sinister ghosts and deranged humans, each adding a unique layer of terror, breaking stereotypes, and delivering unexpected scares. As viewers journey through the world of horror, they'll meet these formidable ladies who, for various reasons, have become the stuff of nightmares. Whether it's a revenge-seeking spirit or a twisted human mind, their stories are sure to give movie fans chills.

15 Kayako Saeki

The Grudge

If viewers have ever heard the eerie death rattle of Kayako Saeki, they'll know why she's worth mentioning. She's one of the most popular and feared female villains from modern horror movies who managed to scare people all over the world. The Grudge features this vengeful spirit who, after a violent death, becomes a curse, killing everyone who comes into contact with her or the haunted house she inhabits.

With her long black hair, pale face, and bone-chilling croak, Kayako is no ordinary ghost. Her terrifying presence is heightened by her ability to appear anywhere, making every shadow or blanket a potential hiding spot. However, her look is not the only thing that makes her one of the most horrifying female villains in movie history, but also her tragic backstory and relentless pursuit of her victims.

14 Diana

Lights Out

Horror movie fans who love terrifying creatures will love Lights Out's terrifying female villain, Diana. She only appears in the dark, which means her victims have to keep the lights on at all times if they want to survive. Diana is a malevolent entity attached to a human from her past, and she inches closer to her victims every time they switch off the light.

Diana doesn't possess any supernatural powers herself, but her unpredictability and the way she plays with darkness are what make her so unnerving. The idea that safety only exists in the light makes her one of the most unique horror villains.

13 Grace Stewart

The Others

The Others is one of the eeriest psychological horror ghost movies with an unforgettable twist. Its haunting story is set in a dimly lit, old mansion, and it follows the life of Grace Stewart, a protective mother, and her two photosensitive children. At first, she believes her home is haunted. However, soon viewers start to suspect that there is more to the story.

As the story unfolds, viewers discover a shocking twist about Grace and her actions, flipping their entire perception. The film masterfully plays with the concepts of light and dark as well as life and afterlife. What makes Grace so chilling is not an eerie look or a supernatural power, but her intense love for her children that leads to horrifying consequences. Her character reminds us that sometimes, human emotions and actions can be as terrifying as any murderous ghost.

12 The Girl

A Girl Walks Home At Night

The Girl is one of the coolest and deadliest female vampire characters. She's a vigilante vampire who lives a quiet life in Iran's Bad City and takes revenge on bad men who harmed or disrespected women. The Girl walks the streets alone dead of night looking for her next prey since in this story she's the predator of the story and not the other way around.

A Girl Walks Home at Night is one of the best works of Ana Lily Amirpour and is one of the most exciting and underappreciated horror movies with a fresh take on the vampire myth and gender dynamics. Amirpour also directed The Outside​​​​​​, which was one of the best episodes in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, one of the most successful horror series on Netflix.

11 Jane Hudson

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

Jane Hudson is one of the most iconic female horror movie villains who was portrayed by the brilliant Bette Davis. Thanks to Jane's eerie makeup and creepy mannerisms she's still remembered as one of the most unsettling characters of all time. Jane spends all of his time dressing up as she did as a child star and spends the rest of her time tormenting her poor sister Blanche.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was one of the most successful movies of the '60s and is one of the creepiest and most beloved classic horror movies of all time. This psychological horror thriller movie is about two sisters who were both famous child stars. Because of an accident though, they both found themselves cut off from the world living together in their Hollywood mansion.

10 Tiffany Valentine

Bride of Chucky

Tiffany Valentine is one of the most hilarious and scariest female horror movie villains of all time. This iconic horror movie character was portrayed by the talented Jennifer Tilly who truly turned this character into one of the most memorable ones in the franchise. Tiffany is one of the most psychotic and sadistic but highly intelligent serial killers who is also the loving wife of Chucky.

She also knows how to use Voodoo and, similar to Chucky, has one of the scariest laughs in horror movies. While her character starts out with a human body, her soul eventually inhabits a bridal doll. Bride of Chucky is one of the weirdest and most entertaining horror movies. It's about Tiffany and Chucky who both find themselves in doll bodies after an argument, so they embark upon a journey to find a magical amulet that can help them restore their human forms.

9 Asa Vajda

Black Sunday

Asa Vajda is one of the most iconic female villains and a deadly witch who follows Satan. Two centuries after her brother murdered Asa she was accidentally brought back to life when her tomb was disturbed. She wasted no time and as soon as she was strong enough she took her bloody revenge by taking over one of her descendants' bodies.

Black Sunday is one of the scariest classic horror movies that follows the story of a Moldavian princess and witch called Asa who returns to life hundreds of years later after her brutal death and takes her revenge. It boasts one of the best female horror movie villains around and is well worth watching for fans of the genre.

8 Mrs. Voorhees

Friday the 13th

Mrs. Voorhees is one of the most well-known serial killer moms of all time. She is Friday the 13th's main antagonist and the mother of the equally psychotic Jason Voorhees. While most people associate Jason and his iconic hockey mask with the horror franchise, Mrs. Voorhees deserves the same amount of recognition. She's easily one of the most frightening female slasher movie villains of the twentieth century and killed her victims in creative and surprising ways.

Friday the 13th is one of the most gruesome retro horror movies with spooky suspenseful scenes and eerie music and it has a classic campfire-like story too. It's about a group of teens who spend their summer at Camp Crystal Lake as counselors. However, things turn bloody quickly after they get killed off one by one, by the vengeful Mrs. Voorhees.

7 Margaret White

Carrie

Margaret White is another famous knife-wielding female horror villain who's been creeping out Carrie's viewers for many decades now. She's Carrie's sinister and abusive mother who's gone completely crazy because of her fanatically religious beliefs. Margaret is convinced that Carrie is the antichrist and, by the end of the movie, she goes completely off the rails and tries to murder her daughter with a knife.

Carrie is one of the scariest and most heartbreaking horror movies that the genre has to offer and was adapted from Stephen King's acclaimed horror novel. The story follows the shy and sensitive Carrie as she tries to deal with the abuse she receives at school and home. Secretly, Carrie has supernatural powers, and things turn exceptionally bloody once she snaps and starts using them.

6 Mitsuko Souma

Battle Royale

Mitsuko Souma is Battle Royale's most successful female killer. This now iconic Japanese horror thriller has an engrossing story, creative and bloody kills, frightening killers, and plenty of sympathetic horror movie characters. The story is about 42 9th graders who are detained and transported to a deserted island by the Japanese government.

The government decided to use the Battle Royale Act to deal with the country's delinquent teenagers. During this life-or-death battle, the kids all get food, a map, and weapons they can use to find and kill each other. Only one of them can survive, or the collar that's fitted to all of the participants' necks will explode. Mitsuko quickly acclimates to this new situation and becomes the deadliest female villain in this violent cult classic horror movie.

5 La Femme (The Woman)

Inside

Inside is a bloody French independent slasher movie with a creepy and creative female killer, La Femme. The movie has some brutal fighting scenes, imaginative kills, and an original story with great plot twists. The plot follows Sarah, who's about to give birth to her first baby on Christmas Eve.

Sarah is depressed and lives alone following her husband's tragic death. La Femme breaks into her house, starts terrorizing her, and reveals that she intends to take her child by cutting open Sarah's belly. During their long and gory fights, many surprising details come to light, which makes this blood-filled movie thrilling and truly entertaining.

4 Samara Morgan

The Ring

Samara Morgan is probably the scariest and most well-known ghost murderer in horror movie history. She's the antagonist in the supernatural horror movie The Ring. The American version was based on the equally terrifying Japanese horror movie, Ring. The story follows a journalist, Rachel, who starts an investigation surrounding a mysterious videotape and the sudden deaths of all of the people who've watched it.

Her investigation leads her to an urban legend, and, though Rachel is first skeptical that the deaths are connected to anything supernatural, she soon starts to believe in the impossible. The movie has great mysteries and a spooky atmosphere, not to mention the disturbing and unforgettable way that Samara kills her victims.

3 Esther

Orphan

Orphan is one of the most terrifying horror movies about evil children thanks in large to Esther, the movie's antagonist. She is a seemingly charming and innocent child with plenty of dark secrets. The movie follows a young couple who decide to adopt a child after the death of their unborn baby.

When visiting the orphanage, the couple instantly connects with the talented and kind Esther. However, soon after they take her home she starts showing signs of violence and very disturbing behavior that make the new parents feel uneasy. After Esther's big secret is revealed things turn gruesome very fast. Orphan is one of the highest-rated horror movies of all time thanks to its unique and suspenseful story and its surprising plot twists.

2 Rose Armitage

Get Out

Rose Armitage is Get Out's most disturbing character who turns from being a loving and caring girlfriend into a remorseless psychopath. The movie centers around Chris Washington, a young and talented African-American photographer who is in a relationship with Rose. The two decide to go on a weekend getaway to visit Rose's parents for the first time.

From the beginning of the trip, Chris has to endure racist behavior and comments from cops and even Rose's relatives and friends. Initially, Rose shows support and stands up for Chris before things suddenly change. Get Out has a suspenseful story filled with shocking twists and despicable antagonists but it also has surprisingly fun and touching characters and features one of the best horror movie friendships too. Get Out is one of the most beloved and highest-rated thriller/horror movies of all time and became an instant classic following its 2017 release.

1 Annie Wilkes

Misery

Annie Wilkes first appeared in Stephen King's bestseller and became one of the most well-known female horror movie villains of all time thanks to the novel's equally successful movie adaption. Misery is a near-perfect movie with memorable horror movie lines and a suspenseful story that keeps viewers uneasy from the beginning right up until the very last minutes of the movie.

The story is about a popular novelist, Paul Sheldon, who suffers a brutal car crash in a remote area. Paul is unable to call for help on his own but is rescued by Annie who soon reveals that she's his biggest fan. She's also a former nurse, and she's able to take care of him. Annie soon starts to show her more brutal side, however, and turns exceedingly violent after she realizes that Paul wants to kill off her favorite character in his next novel. Annie is the scariest female movie villain and was horrifying even before she'd ever killed anyone.