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This Villain was Headlined on September 2019.

NOTE: This page is only about the version of Jack Torrance in Stephen King's original novel and 1997 TV adaptation. For his movie counterpart in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation, see here.
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John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the main protagonist of Stephen King's 1977 horror novel The Shining as well as its 1997 miniseries adaptation.

Jack was a writer and a recovering alcoholic who lived with his wife Wendy and his son Danny, the latter of which wielded a special psychic power known as "the Shining". He was put in charge of the Overlook Hotel, and during the time there, was driven into madness by a demon that possessed the entire Hotel and attempted to kill his own wife, Wendy, and his own son, Danny.

In the 1997 miniseries, he was portrayed by Steven Weber, who also played Aldon Webber in Crawlspace, Vaughn Du Clark in iZombie, Hugh J. Magnate Jr. in A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!, The Goblin in Ultimate Spider-Man and Beyonder in Avengers Assemble.

Biography[]

Unlike in the 1980 film adaptation, within the original novel, it was made quite clear that Jack slowly fell under the influence of the unspeakable evil force that appeared to be the Overlook Hotel itself, or the demonic entity that took complete control of it and commanded its ghostly population. The ghost of the former bartender often appeared to Jack and explained that he murdered his family upon the hotel's request and served as the spokesperson between Jack and the hotel, which/who tried to hire Jack as well and make him do the same.

However, Jack soon descended into madness that wasn't yet fully explained; depending on the view of the reader, he could have either suffered an intense mental breakdown or was possessed by the spirits of the Overlook Hotel from the beginning. Whatever truly happened to the unfortunate Jack wasn't fully explained by then. Yet, the demonic possession was further implied by all the ghosts that haunted the hotel — especially the ghosts of two young girls, who frequently appeared to Danny as well. The ghosts were apparently attracted by the boy's power and seemingly tried to drag him into the Underworld.

At any rate, Jack soon lost his mind completely, and became increasingly abusive toward Wendy and Danny while holding conversations with a ghostly Bartender (who appeared to be the ghost of the previous caretaker) that apparently only he could see; he also had a traumatic experience with a ghastly phantom in a hotel room, and ultimately descended into a murderous psychosis in which he tried to kill his wife and son with a rogue mallet (much as the previous caretaker had done years previously).

At the end of the story, when Jack was completely controlled by the demonic entity, the narration no longer called him "Jack," but as "the creature" or "the monster." It was clearly stated that the unfortunate Jack underwent an awful metamorphosis and was no longer human. "Jack" attacked his family with his rogue mallet and severely injured Dick with the mallet, but Dick managed to pull through.

Jack has a redemption arc in the book when his possession is fully proven during the final confrontation between Danny and "the creature" when the boy managed to awaken the spirit of his father with his Shining. Jack then momentarily gains control over himself, hugs Danny, tells his son that he loves him, and bids him farewell, giving him, Wendy, and Dick time to escape. He then kills himself to prevent the spirits from repossessing him and lets the hotel explode, which Danny, Wendy, and Halloran (the cook who worked in the hotel who also wielded the Shining) managed to do by detonating the heating system.

Other Appearances[]

1980 Film[]

Main article: Jack Torrance (Stanley Kubrick)

1997 Mini-Series[]

The Mini-Series The Shining followed directly to the novel as well as the roles of the characters and Jack. Author Stephen King was disappointed with the Kubrick adaptation, so he made the TV series to make it more loyal than that one. This version featured him forgetting to check the hotel's gas generators, causing them to explode and kill him. Years later, as Danny is graduating high school, Jack's redeemed spirit returns to him to tell him how proud he is.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, it was revealed that during his days as an English professor, Jack Torrance had an affair with a student and she had a daughter named Lucy. Lucy would go on to have a daughter of her own named Abra, who possessed a more potent version of the Shining. That would make Jack Abra's grandfather, and Danny Lucy's half-brother (and therefore Abra's uncle). His ghost would appear briefly to assist his granddaughter in the climax.
  • Jack was mentioned in the 1987 novel Misery, as how people were talking about how crazy he was after burning down the Overlook Hotel.
  • Jack’s character was changed drastically in the 1980 film adaptation, which Stephen King himself, who wrote The Shining, criticized for, and said that he hesitated the casting of Jack Nicholson.

Navigation[]

           Kingster KingVillain

Novels/Novellas
Carrie: Carrie White | Mortimer Snerds (Chris Hargensen, Donna and Mary Lila Grace Thibodeau, Helen Shyres, Heather Shyres & Tina Blake) | Margaret White | Billy Nolan | Ralph White
Salem's Lot: Kurt Barlow | Richard Straker | Marsten House
The Shining: Overlook Hotel | Jack Torrance | Hotel Caretaker | Grady Sisters | Lorraine Massey
Children of the Corn: Children of the Corn (Isaac Chroner & Malachai Boardman) | He Who Walks Behind the Rows
Rage: Charlie Decker | Mr. Decker
The Stand: Randall Flagg | Barry Dorgan | Bobby Terry | Harold Lauder | Julie Lawry | Lloyd Henreid | Nadine Cross | The Kid | The Rat Man | Trashcan Man | Whitney Horgan
The Long Walk: The Major | Gary Barkovitch
The Dead Zone: Greg Stillson | Frank Dodd
The Mist: Adrian Garff Mrs. Carmody | The Mist
Firestarter: Captain Hollister | Doctor Herman Pynchot | John Rainbird
Roadwork: Barton George Dawes | Sal Magliore
Cujo: Cujo | Joe Camber | Stephen Kemp
The Running Man: Damon Killian | United States of America
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Samuel Norton | Byron Hadley | Sisters (Bogs Diamond) | Elmo Blatch
Apt Pupil: Kurt Dussander | Todd Bowden
The Body: The Cobras (John "Ace" Merrill, Richard "Eyeball" Chambers, Billy Tessio, Charlie Hogan, Vince Desjardins, Jack Mudgett & Norman "Fuzzy" Bracowicz)
Christine: Arnie Cunningham | Christine | Repperton Gang | Roland D. LeBay
Pet Sematary: Wendigo | Church | Gage Creed | Rachel Creed | Timmy Baterman
Cycle of the Werewolf: Lester Lowe
The Tailsman: Morgan Sloat
Thinner: Billy Halleck | Tadzu Lempke | Cary Rossington | Duncan Hopley | Gabe Romani | Gina Lempke | Richie Ginelli
Dolan's Cadillac: Jimmy Dolan
It: It | Bowers Gang (Belch Huggins, Henry Bowers, Marcia Fadden, Patrick Hockstetter, Peter Gordon & Vic Criss) | Alvin Marsh | Butch Bowers | Richard Macklin | Tom Rogan | Christopher Unwin | Webby Garton
Misery: Annie Wilkes
The Tommyknockers: Tommyknockers | Nancy Voss
The Dark Half: George Stark
Secret Window, Secret Garden: John Shooter
The Langoliers: Craig Toomey | Langoliers | Roger Toomey
Needful Things: Leland Gaunt | John "Ace" Merrill | Danforth Keeton III | Brian Rusk | Wilma Jerzyck | Nettie Cobb | Hugh Preist | Father Brigham (Father Meehan) | Reverend Rose
Gerald's Game: Gerald Burlingame | Moonlight Man | Tom Mahout
Dolores Claiborne: Joe St. George
Insomnia: Atropos | Crimson King
Rose Madder: Norman Daniels
The Green Mile: William Wharton | Percy Wetmore
Desperation: Tak | Sheriff Collie Entragian
The Regulators: Tak
Bag of Bones: Max Devore | Sara Tidwell | Roggete Whitmore
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: God of the Lost
Dreamcatcher: Byrus | Mr. Gray
Black House: Charles Burnside | The Crow Gorg | Mr. Munshun
From a Buick 8: The Buick
Cell: Phone Crazies | Raggedy Man
Lisey's Story: Andrew Landon | Jim Dooley | Long Boy
The Gingerbread Girl: Jim Pickering
Duma Key: Perse | Undead Victims
Under the Dome: Jim Rennie | Junior Rennie | Phil Bushey | Leatherheads
1922: Wilfred James | Henry James | Shannon Cotterie
Big Driver: Lester Norville | Ramona Norville
A Good Marriage: Robert Bob Anderson
11/22/63: Lee Harvey Oswald | Frank Dunning
In The Tall Grass: Ross Humboldt | Cal Demuth
Doctor Sleep: The True Knot (Rose the Hat, Crow Daddy, Grandpa Flick, Barry the Chink & Snakebite Andi) | Andy Hallorann
Bill Hodges Trilogy: Brady Hartsfield | Morris Bellamy
Gwendy's Button Box: Richard Farris
The Outsider: The Outsider
Fairy Tale: Gogmagog | Elden | Petra | Kellin | Hana | Red Molly | Peterkin | Christopher Polley

Short Stories
Cain Rose Up: Curt Garrish
The Mangler: Bill Gartley | The Mangler
The Boogeyman: The Boogeyman
Trucks: Westway Refrigerated Truck | Bulldozer
The Ledge: Cressner
Jerusalem's Lot: Philip Boone | James Boon | The Worm
Quitter's Inc.: Mr. Donatti | Quitters Inc.
The Crate: Crate Beast
Crouch End: The Children | The Goat with a Thousand Young
The Monkey: The Monkey
The Raft: Lake Blob
Word Processor of the Gods: Richard Hagstrom | Roger Hagstrom
Gramma: Gramma Bruckner
The Night Flier: Dwight Renfield
Low Men in Yellow Coats: Harry Doolin
Blind Willie: Raymond Fiegler
Why We're In Vietnam: Ronnie Malenfant
Lunch at the Gotham Café: Guy

Films
The Shining: Overlook Hotel (Lloyd, Lorraine Massey & Hotel Caretaker) | Jack Torrance
Creepshow: Creepshow Creep | Crate Beast | Nathan Grantham | Richard Vickers | Upson Pratt | Wilma Northrup
Cat's Eye: Cressner | Mr. Donatti | Quitters Inc. | Troll
Maximum Overdrive: Bubba Hendershot | Camp Loman | Happy Toyz Truck | Ice Cream Truck | M274 Mule | Vending Machine
A Return to Salem`s Lot: Judge Axle
Creepshow 2: Creepshow Creep | Creepshow Bullies | Lake Blob | Sam Whitemoon | The HitchHiker
Sleepwalkers: Charles Brady | Mary Brady | Sleepwalkers
Pet Sematary 2: Gus Gilbert | Renee Hallow | Clyde Parker | Zowie
The Mangler Trilogy: Bill Gartley | The Mangler | Lin Sue | The Mangler Virus
The Rage: Carrie 2: Rachel Lang | Mark Bing
Creepshow 3: Creepshow Creep | Rachel
The Dark Tower: Randall Flagg
It: Part One: It | Bowers Gang (Henry Bowers, Vic Criss | Belch Huggins & Patrick Hockstetter)
Pet Sematary (2019): Ellie Creed
It: Part Two: It | Henry Bowers | Tom Rogan
Doctor Sleep: The True Knot (Rose the Hat, Crow Daddy, Grandpa Flick, Barry the Chink & Snakebite Andi) | Overlook Hotel (Jack Torrance, Hotel Caretaker & Lorraine Massey)
The Boogeyman: Boogeyman

TV Series
The Stand: Randall Flagg | Harold Lauder | Julie Lawry | Nadine Cross | The Rat Woman | Trashcan Man
The Shining: Overlook Hotel | Jack Torrance | Hotel Caretaker | Lorraine Massey
Storm of the Century: André Linoge
Rose Red: Professor Joyce Reardon | Ellen Rimbauer
Under the Dome: Big Jim Rennie | Junior Rennie | Phil Bushey | The Kinship (Christine Price & Dawn Sinclair-Barbara)

Other
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: Ellen Rimbauer

See Also
The Dark Tower Villains

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