One of popular culture’s most storied brands of genre, horror accounts for some of cinema’s best offerings. Along the way, it has produced iconic characters in the vein of Freddy Krueger, Leatherface,or Jason Voorhees, to name but a few, carrying their respectivehorror moviesthrough their unforgettably terrifying presence. By contrast, horror television shows may have some catching up to do with their silver-screen counterparts, but that’s not to say that they don’t feature some truly iconic characters.
Brought to life through exemplary performances that utilize unforgettable scenes and dialogue to maximum effect, horror television has featured a number of truly iconic characters that we’ll remember forever. Frommysterious villainsto fan-favorite anti-heroes, and everything in between, these memorable and compelling individuals appear poised to stand the test of time, producing endlessly watchable television to underline their status as royalty within the genre.
10Verna - The Fall Of The House of Usher (2023)
Played By Carla Gugino
A modernized collection of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe,The Fall of the House of Ushercollates chunks of the horror icon’s work into a single non-linear narrative. Boasting an array ofterrifying moments that left viewers disturbed for days, Mike Flanagan’s miniseries received highly positive reviews, with particular praise directed towards Carla Gugino’s scene-stealing lead antagonist, Verna. A mysterious figure from the Usher’s past, Verna returns to wreak havoc on the family to fulfill her end of an earlier Faustian bargain.
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Played by one of horror’s preeminent scream queens, Verna’s status as an iconic horror television character is all the more impressive given the fleeting nature of her appearances on the show. While some may cry foul and point to a recency bias givenThe Fall of the House of Usher’s2023 debut, the mysterious allure and sweetly sinister aura that Gugino bestows her charge with makes for absolutely electric viewing. The actress' charge instantly commands the audience’s attention every time she appears onscreen, in a manner that very few horror television characters have been able to successfully replicate.
9The Bent-Neck Lady - The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)
Played By Victoria Pedretti
Widely touted as thegreatest horror miniseries of all time, 2018’sThe Haunting of Hill Houseis a front-runner for horror virtuoso Mike Flanagan’s finest body of work to date. Exploring a series of sinister supernatural phenomena that have haunted the Crain family at the titular establishment over the course of their lives, the series is renowned for one of the most haunting and tragic apparitions the genre has ever witnessed; the Bent-Neck Lady.
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A spectral apparition of a woman with her neck twisted at a grotesque angle, the ghostly figure’s terrifying visage and tragic backstory have cemented her as one of Flanagan’s most unforgettable characters. The focus of an indescribably devastating twist, the reveal that the Bent-Neck Lady is actually Nell Crain’s own ghost, haunting herself through time, only adds to her iconic standing within the genre, rendering her as one of modern horror television’s quintessential misunderstood monsters.
8Colin Robinson - What We Do In The Shadows (2019-2024)
Played By Mark Prosch
Chronicling the lives of four vampires living on Staten Island, Jemaine Clement’s mockumentaryWhat We Do in the Shadowsis one of the finest comedy-horror shows of all time. However, while much of the series' fanfare is typically reserved for its trio of “traditional vampires,“What We Do in the Shadows’most iconic character arguablydoubles as its most unsung name;Mark Prosch’s Colin Robinson. An energy vampire, Colin drains his victims by boring or frustrating them to the verge of death.
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In addition to being the focal point of one ofhorror television’s very best episodes, Prosch’s sidesplitting supporting character has always been the true star of proceedings throughoutWhat We Do in the Shadows’acclaimed run. While few viewers believed that he was truly gone for good, his apparent “death” towards the end of season 3 was still met with outrage by many fans, underlining Robinson’s unlikely status as one of horror television’s funniest and most beloved faces.
7Dean Winchester - Supernatural (2005-2020)
Played By Jensen Ackles
Airing for 15 seasons,Supernaturalfollows the Winchester brothers' adventures as they hunt down fantasy beings and creatures. One of the longest-running and most beloved horror shows in the history of popular culture, at least one of the siblings was always going to merit consideration as an iconic television character. Despite utilizing two purported main leads, top billing for Jared Padalecki’s Sam would indicate that the showrunners originally believed he was the most natural fit for the show’s answer to a traditional main character.
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However, it’s actuallyDean Winchesterwho is widely regarded today asSupernatural’smost iconic character, played in a career-best turn by Jensen Ackles. A swashbuckling anti-hero literally tailor-made to hunt monsters, Dean’s sense of humor, his undying loyalty to his brother Sam, and badass disposition made him an instant fan-favorite, a state of affairs that only increased with every subsequent appearance right up until his eventual demise. He was deeply imperfect, but that arguably made his character all the more compelling.
Played By Norman Reedus
If you had to envision an individual who embodied the phrase “zombie apocalypse,” there’s a good chance your brain would flash up an image of somebody who looked an awful lot like Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon. The wildly popular character was virtually synonymous withThe Walking Dead,long before he took over top billing from Andrew Lincoln and was given his own spin-off show. It’s one of television’s most remarkable instances of character development, givenThe Walking Dead’soriginal planfor Dixon’s narrative arc.
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The crossbow-wielding, motorcycle-riding introvert is now universally regarded as one of the genre’s most legendary television characters, with many also touting Reedus' charge asThe Walking Dead’smost popular and compelling face. Now spearheading his own show inThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, the character’s enduring popularity appears set to continue as long asThe Walking Deadcontinues to churn out spin-offs, meaning that this iconic face will be featured regularly on television screens for the foreseeable future.
5Joel Miller - The Last Of Us (2023-Present)
Played By Pedro Pascal
Television’s typecast protective father figure,franchise king Pedro Pascalhas only had a season to work with Joel Miller in HBO’s adaptation of Naughty Dog’s apocalyptic video game series,The Last of Us, speaking volumes to his stirring performance that he’s arguably created one of the genre’s most unforgettable characters already. A father torn apart by the loss of his daughter, Miller finds himself charged with transporting the potential cure to the cordyceps pandemic to safety, a young girl who takes the form of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie.
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Leveraging stunning chemistry with his co-star to breathe life into one of the most heart-rending and moving surrogate father-daughter relationships in recent memory,Pascal’s gruff exterior combines with the immeasurable pain lurking behind his eyesto produce one of the most impressive television performances of the 2020s to date. Without wishing to offer spoilers,The Last of Us’desolating next chapter is fast approaching, meaning that Miller’s burgeoning status within the genre only seems set to take on more significance.
4The Crypt Keeper - Tales From The Crypt (1989-1996)
Played By John Kassir
A critically acclaimed horror anthology series from HBO,Tales from the Cryptwould go on to earn cult classic status over a seven-season run. A gruesome collection of macabre horror stories with trappings of wickedly dark humor, the show remains virtually synonymous with its decaying, cackling host to this day, one of the most iconic television characters that the genre has ever seen;the zombified cadaver known as the Crypt-Keeper.
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Appearing in every installment of the acclaimed anthology,the inimitable Crypt-Keeper’sstanding within popular culture is all the more impressive in light of the fact that he is only seen outside the episodes' beginning and conclusion once throughout the show’s entire run. He’s earned his stellar reputation among horror fans solely off the back of an array of unforgettable segues and final flourishes, introducing and closing each episode with an array of sinisterly iconic wisecracks that have stood the test of time.
3Eleven - Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Played By Millie Bobby Brown
While an exact release date has yet to be confirmed,Season 5 ofStranger Thingsis on the horizon, heralding the end of arguably the biggest horror television show of all time. While the Netflix flagship offering is dotted with numerous memorable characters who have all helped make the series great in their own way over the years, they all pale in comparison to its leading lady;Milly Bobby Brown’s psychokinetic telepath, Eleven.
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A former test subject at Hawkins Lab, El’s status as one of the horror genre’s most iconic characters is even more staggering when one considers that she barely has any speaking lines throughout the show’s first season despite being the protagonist. Since then, Brown’s exceptional performance has breathed life into one of the most impressive examples of character development the horror genre has ever witnessed, adding new layers and nuances to her fan-favorite charge with every subsequent appearance.
2Buffy Ann Summers - Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) & Angel (1999-2004)
Played By Sarah Michelle Gellar
Between 1997 and 2003, horror television was ruled by the most popular show the genre had ever seen up until that point in time; Joss Whedon’sBuffy the Vampire Slayer. None of that would have been possible without one of themost significant and influential protagonistsin horror history, withSarah Michelle Gellar’s incredible turn as Buffy Summersserving to cement the show’s protagonist’s reputation as a legitimate cultural icon.
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Specifically created to subvert traditional female stereotypes of the wailing damsel-in-distress variety, Buffy’s cocktail of grit and wit remains one of the genre’s most beloved characters to this day. Blending an infectiously likable nature with a formidable streak a mile wide, rooting for this kick-ass horror heroine wasn’t just effortless, it was the audience’s natural reaction. The popularity of Gellar’s charge has even led to theBuffyverse, a collection of spin-offs, comics, and novels all inspired by her parent universe.
1Hannibal Lecter - Hannibal (2013-2015)
Played By Mads Mikkelsen
A genius cannibal psychiatrist originally brought to life in an unforgettable turn by Anthony Hopkins in 1991’sThe Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal Lecter has always beenone of horror’s most revered villains.As such, it’s hardly surprising that his series-based counterpart in Bryan Fuller’sHannibalis arguably the most iconic character that horror television has ever seen; a ferociously intelligent, highly sophisticated, debonair psychopath, flawlessly played by Mads Mikkelsen.
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Invariably dressed to the nines, whether he’s feeding human remains to unsuspecting dinner guests under the auspices of fancy cuisine, or laying them out ingrotesquely artistic murder tableaus, Mikkelsen’s ice-cool take on this legendary horror character is a bow that audiences will remember forever; an even more remarkable feat in light of thehorrorshow’s relatively short run. Hopkins' original performance is one of the most revered bows in cinematic history, speaking volumes to the strength of Mikkelsen’s masterful turn that he’s even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.
