All 10 Kills in the Original Friday the 13th, Ranked

When it comes to inventive and gruesome deaths in horror movies, the Friday the 13th franchise is legendary. It really established this trend, even before Saw became known for it. While films like Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had their share of scares, they didn’t offer the same variety in how characters met their end. This focus on creative kills began with the very first Friday the 13th movie. Looking back, the original’s kills were actually simpler than those in the sequels – and that simplicity is part of its charm. Mrs. Voorhees primarily used a hunting knife, a machete, and arrows. The over-the-top kills – like double impalements, frozen heads, and crushed skulls – came later.

The film features a total of ten deaths, including that of Mrs. Voorhees. Unlike her son, who later mysteriously returns, she is portrayed as a mortal character. Let’s take a closer look at each of these deaths. Please be aware that, as this is a summary of a movie known for its violent scenes, some descriptions may be graphic.

10) Barry

The first death in Friday the 13th isn’t the most famous, but it’s significant. Barry’s death was the first in the entire series, aside from the brief appearance of young Jason Voorhees.

Ultimately, this movie, like many others, shows the aftermath of a stabbing rather than the act itself – we see Barry falling, clutching his stomach, but not the knife going in. While this indirect approach isn’t usually considered impactful, the film’s increasing level of graphic violence is a key reason why it stands out as a prime example of the slasher genre.

9) Claudette

Similar to the beginning of Friday the 13th Part 2, the first film starts with a murder immediately followed by a loud musical sting, a white screen, and the title. This opening is effective, though Alice’s death in Part 2 is generally considered more impactful than Claudette’s.

We don’t actually see the character’s death on screen, but behind-the-scenes images reveal a gruesome fate involving a machete. Even though this moment isn’t prominently featured, it contributes to the film’s unsettling atmosphere and demonstrates how the movie benefits from initially revealing very little.

8) Steve Christy

Okay, so Steve Christy, the guy who’s supposed to be getting Camp Nightingale back up and running? Honestly, he doesn’t really do much for the story. He’s mostly on the sidelines, and surprisingly, that works. He’s the responsible adult, and removing him early on when the horror begins really amps up the feeling of vulnerability for the counselors. My only gripe? The way they write him out of the picture is just…weak. It feels a little anticlimactic, frankly.

A police officer drives him part of the way back to Camp Crystal Lake, but then gets called away, forcing him to walk the rest of the distance. As he walks through the woods and nears the camp sign, feeling almost safe, a flashlight suddenly appears. He moves closer, and then a knife attack happens just outside of what the camera shows. While unseen kills aren’t usually very impactful, this one is effective because of the suspense leading up to it. The line, “Oh, hi! What’re you doing out in this mess?” is a clever detail, revealing the attacker is someone connected to Camp Crystal Lake.

7) Brenda

The other kills on this list are all really good. Brenda’s kill is…okay, I guess. It starts off well, with Mrs. Voorhees standing outside the cabin and yelling “Help me!” while pretending to be Jason.

Brenda’s scene earns points for introducing a recurring element to the series: a character is killed and thrown through a window to frighten the main character. It’s also notable because this is the only death in the movie that’s hinted at earlier – Ned briefly startles Brenda by shooting an arrow close to her, as seen in the image.

6) Ned

Look, as a big fan of slasher films, I always feel let down when a kill happens off-screen. We’re tuning in to see the scares, and it just feels like a rip-off when the filmmakers don’t deliver on that. It’s like they’re not giving us what we paid for!

Ned’s death scene is truly exceptional – it’s the benchmark for impactful off-screen kills. The scene works so well because of the careful build-up and the devastating reveal. Ned is one of the most likable characters, second only to Annie, making it particularly heartbreaking to see him witness Jack and Marcie’s connection and feel so isolated. He tries to regain his composure, whistling and walking with a bounce in his step, but then he sees someone watching from a cabin doorway. He stops, investigates, and that’s the last we see of him… until the chilling payoff. As Jack and Marcie share a private moment in bed, the camera slowly pans up to reveal Ned lying dead on the bunk above them, his throat cut and his body growing cold, right above his friends.

5) Annie

What makes the original Friday the 13th so effective is how relatable its characters are. They feel like ordinary young people from the late 70s and early 80s, just trying to earn some money. Even more so than in Halloween, they seem like real people, which makes it truly disturbing when they start to die.

Annie, arguably the most sympathetic character in slasher films, embodies pure kindness – always friendly and caring, even stopping to pet dogs. She accepts a ride from one local, and things seem okay, though he does advise her to go home. Then she takes a ride with another, and it becomes clear she should have heeded the first person’s warning. Mrs. Voorhees relentlessly pursues her through the woods, and for a moment, it looks like Annie might escape. Sadly, Mrs. Voorhees catches her and brutally kills her while she pleads for her life. While not particularly inventive, the scene is remarkably well-done.

4) Mrs. Voorhees

Interestingly, the only death not directly caused by Mrs. Voorhees is actually her own. And it’s quite a dramatic end.

The chase between her and Alice has led them all over the camp, creating a truly memorable final showdown for a slasher film. They finally reach the beach, and Alice manages to briefly knock the killer unconscious a couple of times, giving her a moment to catch her breath. But then she spots Mrs. Voorhees’ shadow, and they fight one last time. Alice ultimately grabs the killer’s machete and, in a single swing, decapitates her. A fun detail: Mrs. Voorhees’ knuckles were actually covered in hair thanks to the actor, Taso Stavrakis.

3) Marcie

Marcie feels blissful right before she dies. She’s deeply in love with Jack, they’ve just been intimate, and she’s playfully imitating Katharine Hepburn from the movie The Rainmaker while getting ready in the camp bathroom.

Towards the end of the shower room, a curtain shifts, catching Marcie’s attention. She investigates, pulling the curtain back to find nothing there. Suddenly, an axe rises behind her. The camera captures the moment perfectly, showcasing incredible practical effects as Marcie turns, sees her attacker, and collapses against the shower partition, an axe embedded in her face. It’s a shockingly violent scene, made even more impactful by the contrast with Marcie’s previously cheerful personality.

2) Bill

The scene was so impactful it temporarily blinded Harry Crosby, which is unfortunate. Everyone – Ned, Jack, Marcie, Steve, Annie, and Brenda – is dead. Alice and Bill are the only ones left, though they don’t realize it yet. When Alice finds Bill’s body, she understands she’s completely alone.

This kill is particularly effective for a few reasons. First, the scene leading up to it – with Alice searching for Bill in the generator room and only finding his jacket – creates a lot of suspense. Second, the reveal of his body when she tries to close the door is genuinely shocking. And finally, it’s incredibly violent. Mrs. Voorhees didn’t just cut Bill’s throat; she also shot him repeatedly with arrows in his eyes, stomach, groin, and neck.

1) Jack

The death of Kevin Bacon’s character in the original Friday the 13th isn’t just the most memorable kill in that film—it’s the best in the whole series. It’s also strangely fitting that the franchise, known for its kills, gave its most iconic one to an actor who would later become a major star.

This movie perfectly embodies the slasher formula. It’s a prime example of the ‘sex and death’ trope – characters who engage in risky behavior, like having sex or using drugs, are punished with death. While this wasn’t the very first time this happened in a horror film, this movie really cemented it as a standard. The scene is also brilliantly constructed. We know Ned is dead above Jack, and the audience likely anticipated some kind of reveal involving the body, not Mrs. Voorhees suddenly appearing and impaling him with an arrow. It’s a bit unbelievable that Jack and Marcie didn’t notice Ned or Mrs. Voorhees hiding under the bed, but we can excuse that considering it was a dark room.

Okay, fellow horror fans, I’m dying to know – what’s your absolute favorite scene from the very first Friday the 13th movie? Seriously, let me know in the comments, and let’s chat about it all over on the ComicBook Forum! I’m already excited to hear what everyone thinks.

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2026-04-04 00:12