There can’t be a discussion about the horror genre withoutStephen King’s name eventually coming up; he’s considered the modern king of horror by many. The wordsmith has been able to summon fear in his readers for more than half a century, with multiple generations discovering and returning to his work time and time again. And there has been no shortage of filmmakers and studios eager to adapt his work for both television and the big screen. That’s partially because of his endlessly memorable villains, be they maniacs, monsters, or malevolent spirits. Choosing only a handful of King’s villains is not an easy task, especially considering there are so many of them, but here is our guide to the most iconic.
11The Shapeshifter
Appears in The Outsider (2020)
The Outsider
Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Outsider begins by following an investigation which at first seems like it will be simple and straightforward but things change as it leads into the gruesome murder of a young boy by a seasoned cop. When an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case, it leads the investigators to question everything they believe in. The character of Holly Gibney from “Mr. Mercedes” is a major character in this series.
The Shapeshifter has some of the best characteristics of King’s classic antagonists, being violent, mysterious, and most importantly, scary. It isa shapeshifter monsterthat can transform itself into anyone it lays eyes on. This “fluidity” makes it a faceless monster that completely drives the miniseriesThe Outsiderto the end, where all the characters have been forced to suspend their disbelief and accept that some things are not as they seem.
The Outsiderminiseries by HBO is one of the most faithful adaptations of the author’s work. The terror and almost mythological nature of this creature that feeds into people’s pain and fears are a highlight of the miniseries about an enigmatic murder committed by a seemingly innocent man. All the clues point to him, but as it turns out, he may be the victim of something inexplicable.Streaming onMax.
10Leland Gaunt
Appears in Needful Things (1993)
Needful Things
In thevastly underrated adaptation ofNeedful Things, the town of Castle Rock gets a new resident. Leland Gaunt is an old man whose only goal is to open an antique store called Needful Things. What no one suspects about Gaunt is that he’s got something for everyone in his store: from rare baseball cards to personally dedicated items from stars. You can purchase them, of course, and the price you’ll pay is running an errand for Gaunt.
Although Max von Sydow’s performance is pretty memorable, Leland Gaunt’s legacy is all about his design and reach. Gaunt is, of course, a supernatural being, but his odd warmth and magnetic personality are typical of the eerie and grandfatherly stranger who knows exactly what you need, and how to manipulate everyone around him.You can streamNeedful Thingson Prime Video.
20 Movies That Feel Like Stephen King (Even Though They’re Not)
Stephen King has certainly had an influence in cinema. But contrary to what they feel like, the following movies aren’t based on his work.
Appears in Cujo (1983)
Cujois a claustrophobic, intense movie that largely takes place inside a car with a rabid St. Bernard dog outside. An adulterous woman and her son get stuck at a car repair shop, where the owner has been killed by the titular animal, and with a dead alternator, they aren’t going anywhere. Even worse, it’s a scorching hot summer day, and the young boy is getting increasingly overheated.
There’s something very sad but very scary about Cujo the dog. Everyone hates to see a dog harmed in a movie (and real life, obviously), and in many ways, the St. Bernard is a victim to the rabies that possesses him. At the same time, that rabies makes him relentless and unceasing in his violent attempts to attack and kill anyone it crosses. The largeness of the animal, its unkempt hair, the thick drool, and its red eyes combine to form a terrifying and depressing villain that’s unforgettable (and brilliantly filmed).
8Mrs. Carmody
Appears in The Mist (2007)
Stephen King’s terrifying novel is brought to the screen with The Mist - a horror-thriller film directed by Frank Darabont. When a small town suddenly sees a giant rolling fog arrive, they show mere curiosity. But when people begin to die mysteriously within, several survivors hold up in a grocery store as they attempt to find a way out and survive - unfortunately, the dangers don’t just come from outside- they also come from within.
The Mistfollows the town of Bridgton after a storm wreaks havoc, with the townfolk headed to the supermarket the next morning to try and rebuild what was destroyed. This includes David Drayton and his son, who arrive at the store before a thick mist comes out of nowhere and surrounds the place. When someone tries to leave, huge otherworldly monsters have a feast. A portal has been opened in Bridgton, and Drayton will do his best to escape with his son.
As it turns out, the monsters outside aren’t the only villains.Mrs. Carmody, a religious fanatic, is using the circumstances to form her little cult, and strangely, she gets some followers who believe it’s the end of times and that God requires a sacrifice. Carmody is a great example of King’s ability to design villains that aren’t supernatural, but just depraved incarnations of human nature, nasty people who exploit bad situations in order to seize control. Marcia Gay Harden gives one of her best performances as Carmody.Streaming onPrime Videoand free on Tubi.
7Rose the Hat
Appears in Doctor Sleep (2019)
Doctor Sleep
Doctor Sleepfollows an adult Danny Torrance (a soulful Ewan McGregor) decades after he survived the events ofThe Shining. After staring at death straight in the face, Danny decides to reboot his life and quietly moves to another city. Eventually, through his telepathic gifts, he realizes an innocent girl who “shines” like him is the ultimate objective of a gang of soul-sucking vampires traveling across the country. Danny decides to help Abra, but he’ll also have to face his long-lasting trauma.
The sequel toThe Shiningwasn’t supposed to have a memorable villain, because how can you beat Jack Torrance? Nevertheless, Rose the Hat is one of King’s most important villains. Powerful and vicious but also protective, loyal, and sometimes weirdly kind, Rose is the leader of the gang who feed on the souls of innocents. Even though her nature is predatory by design, chances are Rose will convince us to surrender ourselves with her devilishly sweet smile. It’s up to Danny and the gifted young girl with ‘the shining’ to stop her.Streaming onPrime Video.
6Percy Wetmore
Appears in The Green Mile (1999)
The Green Mile
The Green Mileis a more grounded story than most of King’s body of work, like Frank Darabont’s prior King adaptation,The Shawshank Adaptation. Therefore, its villains are all human. Nevertheless, it is a great movie and has some memorably horrible characters, including a serial killer on death row and the police that are arguably worse. Frank Darabont’s film isn’t afraid to show the mind breaking down when subjected to the idea of capital punishment. The film takes place in a death row penitentiary where the officers in charge take care of John Coffey, a man with a strange power who’s waiting to be executed.
However, it’s one of the guards who claims the main villain position in the film. The sadistic Percy Wetmore takes the cake as one of the cruelest human characters King has ever written. With his mission to take away any joy the inmates can have before their death, he goes as far as sabotaging an execution just to see a man suffer. He’s an example of how true evil can live in our society, protected by the guise of institutions, and does not need a supernatural force behind it.Available to rent or buy on digital platforms.
5Annie Wilkes
Appears in Misery (1990)
InMisery, author Paul Sheldon has a horrific car accident when returning from his retreat. Sheldon isolated himself in a remote cabin to write his last novel, one where his famous character Misery is killed off. The problem is that Paul is rescued by his biggest fan. As he recovers in her house, he realizes Annie will not be happy about Misery’s death.
Once asked who he would least like to spend quarantine with, King smartly answered Annie Wilkes fromMisery. Nurses should bring calm and peace to their patients, but that is the complete opposite of what Wilkes does. That’s one of King’s trademarks: take something that shouldn’t be scary and traumatize his audience. Annie is brutal and completely insane in her undying love for her favorite author. She does whatever it takes, including breaking his legs and drugging him so that he doesn’t leave her. She’s also complex, balancing her love for the author with her stalker-like insanity. Kathy Bates' performance as Annie Wilkes is so good that she remains the only character from aStephen King movie to actually win an Academy Award.Available to rent or buy on digital platforms.
4Margaret White
Appears in Carrie (1976)
There will always be a debate about Carrie becoming the villain of her own story, but there is no discussion regarding how completelyevil and horrible a characterher mother, Margaret White, is. While fundamentally a story of prey turned predator,Carrieis still one of the clearest cinematic examples of what happens when you torture someone so deeply that they break.
Margaret, on the other hand, represents abuse and religious fanaticism (also seen in other villains in King’s catalog, such as Mrs. Carmody) and, let’s be honest, how not to be a mother. Some of the scariest and most evil Stephen King characters are human, and Margaret White is a perfect example of how ideology and fanaticism can completely warp someone’s humanity.Streaming on Prime Video.
The Scariest Moments in Stephen King Movies, Ranked
From his early works to modern film adaptations of today, here are the scariest moments in Stephen King movies, ranked.
3Pennywise
Appears in Both Versions of It
Itfollows a group of children who bond during the summer. They’re the outcasts and the rejected losers, bullied and each suffering from their own personal traumas. In the course of one summer, they realize something evil lives in their town of Derry: an entity who feeds off children every 27 years, and manifests through a terrifying clown.
The scary demon clown Pennywise is one of the author’s best creations because he is unique to every character he encounters,using their fears against them in different forms. It could even be said that Pennywise is the personification of fear itself, creating a timeless character that will forever haunt its viewers and readers. Both versions of Pennywise (one played by Tim Curry in the ’90s miniseries, the other by Bill Skarsgård in the modern duology) are memorable in their own way, and both required exceptional performances for the character to be effective.Streaming onMax.
2Jack Torrance
Appears in The Shining (1980)
The Shining
The Shiningfollows the Torrance family as they check in at the Overlook Hotel as caretakers during winter. Papa Jack is all about writing his next horror novel, and he intends to use the isolation for concentration. The problem is that the Overlook has a grisly past, and there are ghosts wandering around who possess Jack and turn him into a maniac who just wants to kill the other members of his family, Wendy and Danny.
If it weren’t forJack Nicholson’s performance as Jack Torrance, he wouldn’t be one of the most memorable villains in King’s filmography. Sure, King doesn’t love the movie and prefers the miniseries (where Steven Weber is good as Jack, but far from iconic), but in all fairness, he must at least recognize the legacy of Kubrick’s twist to his psychological horror novel. Torrance is a victim of both his darkest impulses and a sentient hotel, and Nicholson’s execution of this idea is a bloodcurdling display of his acting skills. While some have called it over-the-top, it can’t be debated how timeless and culturally beloved the performance is.Available to rent or buy on digital platforms.
