Michael Myers is not only one of the most well-known horror villains but also a lesson in how to create a lasting character who is scary and funny at the same time. While he acts silly sometimes, like in Halloween (1978) when he wears a sheet over his body like a ghost, he can also be menacing, like in Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills.
Usually, a horror villain is either outright frightening or goofy and hilarious. There isn't usually an in-between. From an evil doll who has a great time wreaking havoc to one of the most famous killers from the slasher genre, there are several villains who make audiences laugh.
Ghostface (Scream Franchise)
Most of the Ghostface killers in Scream are funny, and this slasher villain sticks out because he is meant to be humorous, not absolutely chilling. Stu Macher is the best Ghostface as Matthew Lillard's character never stops making jokes, even when he's not attempting to be humorous.
Whether calling Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and trying to sound scary, or freaking out when he gets caught, Stu is such a joy to see. His partner Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) is creepy, especially since he poses Sidney's boyfriend, but Stu's outburt about his parents being mad at him is comedy gold. Ghostface does commit murder and is definitely not someone who characters want to come across, but he is never simply scary and his humor is part of his character development.
Grimcutty (Grimcutty, 2022)
There are several horror movies about technology, like Countdown, a movie about a killer app that predicts when people will die. The Hulu horror movie Grimcutty focuses on the villain of the same name who has huge eyes, an even wider grin, and scratches on his face. His physical appearance is tall and skinny. When he moves around, he seems to be all limbs, which takes away any potential terror. It just doesn't seem possible to be truly creeped out by him, even though he's meant to scare anyone who sees his viral meme.
Although Grimcutty is meant to be horrifying, and the parents in the movie are fearful of him as he influences kids and teenagers to hurt themselves, the villain is actually pretty funny. He looks silly and has nothing on genuinely frightening villains like Hannibal Lecter, Jigsaw or Pinhead.
Chucky (Child's Play Franchise)
The killer doll Chucky from the Child's Play franchise will forever be one of the most hilarious horror villains. His favorite thing to do is joke around and laugh, and even in season 2 of the SyFy series, Chucky has a constant grin on his face. Chucky truly enjoys scaring people, and while he does have many dark moments, he is so playful that it's hard not to find him funny.
Season 1 of Chucky was successful because Chucky's essence is maintained, mostly his goofiness and his ability to make viewers giggle even when he's clearly dangerous and up to no good. Whether watching the film franchise or TV adaptation, this character is always unhinged and wild, and he's got a great sense of humor. Before Chucky brings out a knife or murders someone, it's easy to forget about the fact that he's a stone-cold killer because he's chatty and loves having conversations.
Babyface (Happy Death Day, 2017)
One of the most popular Blumhouse horror movies, Happy Death Day has a great horror movie love story between Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) and Carter Davis (Israel Broussard). The comedy also has a stand-out, hilarious killer in Babyface. This mask alone is goofy, thanks to its bright blue eyes and high cheekbones.
Babyface always looks silly and up to no good, and the mischievous spark in their eye make them a villain to remember. Sure, they are definitely scary and make Tree's life miserable as they keep killing her, but they are also easy to smile at.
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise)
Freddy Krueger is both one of the smartest horror movie villains and one of the most hilarious. While Freddy Krueger's creative kills are definitely dark, especially since he targets young adults, Freddy does maintain a sense of humor throughout the slasher franchise A Nightmare On Elm Street. Freddy is one of the most well-known villains because he actually talks, which isn't usually the case.
Similarly to Chucky, Freddy jokes around but also has a filthy mouth and likes to swear. One of Freddy Krueger's best jokes include saying "Welcome to my world, b*tch!" in Freddy vs Jason, which is very different from the brutal and terrifying vibe that other villains have. Freddy does evoke fear, but he can be campy, which is what has allowed audiences to get to know him so well over the films in the franchise.