Pinhead (Hellraiser)

1. Jason Voorhees

2. Michael Myers

3. Freddy Krueger

4. Chucky

5. Pinhead

6. Leatherface

7. Jigsaw

8. Ghostface

9. Pennywise the Dancing Clown

10. Hannibal Lecter

Horror fiction aficionado Clive Barker wrote and directed the first Hellraiser movie in 1987. The main baddies are the Cenobites, a group of pale-skinned beings from a different dimension whose hobbies include long walks on the beach, sudoku, and ripping people apart with hooked chains. The main Cenobite is called Pinhead - well, at least that's the nickname that was given to him by fans. He and the series proved so popular that the Cenobites rode again in Hellbound: Hellraiser II just one year later. A rather over-the-top plot ensues, involving puzzles, a secret doorway, and an all-powerful Cenobite called Leviathan. However, we're just here to talk about the moment main protagonist Kirsty shows Pinhead a picture of when he was a human. Yes, the main villain of the Hellraiser franchise used to be an ordinary chap called Elliot Spencer, who ended up transformed after encountering something called the Lament Configuration. Upon seeing his old human form, Pinhead rallies the rest of the Cenobites to fight Levithan and save Kirsty. This doesn't end well, as they're all killed almost immediately, but look, he did his best.

In honor of the upcoming 2022 Hellraiser film on Hulu (which doesn’t look bad at all)…

We'll tear your soul apart!

(Pinhead/The Hell Priest)

Am I the only one who thinks they should have given this classic horror movie villain a different and more intimidating name than “Pinhead”?

To me it sounded like they wanted him to be made fun of rather than be feared.

Personally I would have been fine with him being nameless or just being called Lead Cenobite or Cenobite Leader (maybe Cenobite Alpha).