It is a common trope in the horror genre that the villain never really dies. Even when they have been decapitated, set on fire, blown up, and buried, they will always find a way to come back in the sequel. Sometimes they don't even wait that long and pop out in the final shot of the film to give the audience one last scare. Franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th have been built on resurrecting their big baddies, resulting in some of the most iconic villains in horror.
When it comes to horror movies that stay grounded in realism, however, they know they cannot kill their villain and bring them back without losing the trust of their audience. So instead, the following films keep their bad guy around, wounded but alive. Some of these villains win, while others are bested by the final girl and left to lick their wounds until they are ready to kill again.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
'Psycho' (1960)
The highly-influential classic from Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho takes pleasure in subverting the expectations of its audience. When fake-out final girl Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) checks into the Bates Motel, she is soon stabbed to death in the shower in one of horror's most iconic scenes.
With the blame falling on his mother, troubled manager Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is left scrambling as people come looking for the dead woman. It is revealed Norman's mother has been dead the whole time, and he has been the murderer all along. After being arrested, the film ends with Norman's chilling smile directed at the camera.
Psycho is available to stream on Peacock.
'Saw' (2004)
The indie horror hit that birthed the highest-growing horror franchise of all time, Saw has simple beginnings. When two strangers, Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), wake up chained to the walls of an abandoned bathroom, they will have to figure out what binds them together in order to escape alive.
Through their discussions, they realize they are victims of the Jigsaw killer, an unknown figure who kidnaps people and forces them to play deadly games. By the end of the film, it is revealed Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) has been in the room with them the whole time, and as he leaves the screaming Adam, he utters "game over" before slamming the door shut.
Saw is available to stream on Peacock.
'Identity' (2003)
An underrated gem, Identity is a psychological thriller clearly inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. When 11 strangers become stranded at a remote motel during a severe thunderstorm, they soon discover there is a killer among them.
Stacked with a great cast that includes John Cusack and Ray Liotta, Identity is a well-acted murder mystery with a great screenplay. By the end of the film, it is revealed all the characters are personalities of serial killer Malcolm Rivers, and that Timmy, the seemingly innocent little boy, has been the killer all along. The lone survivor of the motel massacre, Timmy remains Rivers' dominant personality.
Identity is available to stream on Netflix.
'The Collector' (2009)
When professional thief Arkin (Josh Stewart) breaks into a house to steal a valuable gem, he discovers he is not the only intruder. A masked man has taken the family captive and set up an assortment of brutal traps within their home. With his conscience getting the better of him, Arkin attempts to rescue the family while avoiding becoming the killer's next victim.
It is said throughout The Collector that the titular villain always takes one. This is proven during the finale when Arkin is abducted by the killer and locked inside a wooden box. The final shot reveals Arkin trapped in the Collector's hideout, with the masked murderer free to plan his next crime.
The Collector is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi.
'My Bloody Valentine' (1981)
A classic 80s slasher, My Bloody Valentine takes the holiday of love and turns it into a bloodbath. When a group of teens decides to throw a Valentine's Day party in their town's mines, they soon fall victim to a psycho in mining gear who dispatches them with a pickaxe.
Initially, it is believed the murderer is Harry Warden, the lone survivor of a cave-in twenty years ago. However, it is revealed the killer is Axel, one of the teens who went crazy after seeing his father murdered by Warden as a young boy. Escaping the police, Axel promises to return and finish what he started while fleeing deeper into the mines.
My Bloody Valentine is available to stream on HBO Max.
'Urban Legend' (1998)
One of the best 90s slasher movies to appear after Scream revitalized the genre, Urban Legend puts a unique spin on the murderer's methods. When a killer begins to terrorize the students at an American university, they realize the deaths are staged to resemble famous urban legends that have been passed down for decades.
With most of her friends dead, final girl Natalie (Alicia Witt) discovers the masked killer is in fact her best friend Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart). Brenda is seemingly indestructible, surviving being shot and thrown out of two different windows to reappear during the film's closing moments. She also has a cameo in the sequel, hinting that her killing spree is just beginning.
'Wolf Creek' (2005)
Proving that it's not just the wildlife that will kill you in Australia, Wolf Creek has terrorized the country's tourism board since its release. When two British backpackers and their local friend experience car trouble deep in the outback, they accept help from the seemingly friendly Mick (John Jarratt).
It doesn't take long for Mick to reveal his true colors, and the hunter begins to torment the trio across the unforgiving landscape. Despite Ben (Nathan Phillips) getting away and alerting the authorities, they are unable to find Mick and the serial killer is free to continue his murderous reign in a place where bodies are easy to hide.
Wolf Creek is available to stream on Tubi.
'Don't Breathe' (2016)
The follow-up to his interpretation of Evil Dead, one of the best horror remakes, Fede Alvarez struck gold once again with Don't Breathe. When three teens decide to break into a blind man's house to rob his safe, they don't realize he is a trained killer with a terrifying secret in the basement he will do anything to hide.
After a tense chase all throughout the house, lone survivor Rocky (Jane Levy) manages to overpower the blind man (Stephen Lang) and leaves him for dead. As she boards a train with her younger sister sometime later, a news report reveals the man survived his injuries, and he returns in a sequel where he is now portrayed as the hero.
Don't Breathe is available to stream on Tubi.
'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)
One of the godfathers of the horror genre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's suffocating atmosphere is still terrifying today. When five friends on a day trip break down in rural Texas, they are soon set upon by Leatherface, a large masked man wielding a blood-coated chainsaw.
With her friends dead, Sally (Marilyn Burns) is brought to Leatherface's house, where she is planned to be dinner. Managing to escape, she leaps through a window and jumps into the back of a passing pick-up truck, laughing manically as her pursuer swings his chainsaw around the road in frustration.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available to stream on AMC+, Shudder, and Tubi.
'Halloween' (1978)
The most influential slasher movie of all time, Halloween began as a simple tale of a masked man who stalks and slays babysitters. While minding two young children on Halloween night, teenager Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes face to face with evil incarnate, Michael Myers.
With the aid of Michael's psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Laurie overcomes the killer and Loomis shoots him off a balcony. Of course, when they go to make sure he's dead, Michael's body is nowhere to be found. His heavy breathing is soon heard as he plans the next stage of his rampage.
Halloween is available to stream on Shudder and AMC+.