Top 10 Knife-Wielding Horror Movie Killers of All Time

This post was originally published in 2012 but was updated in 2022 to include more fear-inducing killers and their knives.

The slasher movie is the lifeblood of the horror genre: toss a mask on some silent psycho, arm him with an oversized, glistening blade, add a few unlucky cheerleaders, and boom—you’ve got yourself a box office hit.

Here at The Cutting Edge, we obviously don’t condone using your knives for anything criminal (let’s keep it legal, folks), but it is the spooky season. So, it feels only right to take a moment to tip our blood-stained hats to some of the most iconic, brutal, and downright terrifying slashers in movie history.

I originally threw this post together back in 2012 with just four murderous maniacs. But it felt like time to revisit the grave and resurrect it with a full list of 10 truly horrific movie killers. Let’s dive in—just don’t forget to look over your shoulder.

Patrick Bateman | American Pyscho

Patrick Bateman, brought to life by Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000), is your classic yuppie sociopath: a sleek Wall Street banker obsessed with business cards, skincare routines, and, oh yeah—grisly murder.

Whether he’s casually knifing a homeless man or going full maniac with an axe on a coworker, Bateman keeps a whole arsenal of deadly tools on hand. He’s also known for delivering deeply “insightful” critiques of ‘80s pop hits just before the killing starts. Mood-setting at its finest.

Knife of Choice: Ax

Interestingly, even though he’s shown on the cover art clutching a kitchen knife, I don’t recall him actually using one. He mixes it up with everything from a pocket knife to his own teeth. Versatile killer, that Bateman.

However, he seems to have the most “fun” with the ax. The one in the movie is most similar to the Cold Steel Trail Boss.

Jason Voorhees | Friday the 13th

When it comes to knife-wielding villains on the big screen, few can compete with the sheer body count of Jason Voorhees from The Friday the 13th Series.

Over twelve movies — including one that takes place 400 years in the future, because why not—Jason has hacked, slashed, and impaled his way through a truly staggering number of victims. The man is basically a walking warning sign for summer camp counselors everywhere.

Knife of Choice: Machete

While he’s wielded everything from spears to pickaxes over the years, nothing beats the classic shot of Jason looming in the shadows with his iconic machete. That long, menacing blade has become almost as famous as his hockey mask—and it’s helped the franchise rake in over $450 million in box office sales.

I couldn’t find the perfect match, but there are so many cool Machete’s.

Norman Bates | Pyscho

Inspired by real-life ghoul Ed Gein (the guy who supposedly made a belt out of human nipples), Norman Bates is the unnervingly polite, boy-next-door psycho at the center of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960).

Bates runs a desolate roadside motel and lives a quiet life with his dear old mom—or at least her corpse. Things take a turn when a young woman checks in and never checks out, thanks to one of the most iconic (and scream-inducing) shower scenes in film history.

After adding a private detective to his growing list of victims, Norman is finally unmasked and committed to an asylum. Still, his soft-spoken demeanor and twisted psychology continue to haunt pop culture to this day—along with that kitchen knife silhouette behind the curtain.

Knife of Choice: Chef’s Knife

Since that original film, Bates has been in a few other movies and television shows. But there is only one scene that he will forever be associated with.

Cue the music!

That’s why it’s no surprise his weapon of choice will always be the chef’s knife. The knife is locked away in a vault somewhere, but the Cold Steel Commercial Series 10-inch Chef’s Knife is a good match.

Chucky | Child’s Play

Dolls aren’t scary—until they start stabbing people. Enter Chucky, the pint-sized menace from the Child’s Play series. After a voodoo ritual gone wrong, serial killer Charles Lee Ray transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll, and the world’s creepiest toy is born.

Across six films (and counting), Chucky slashes, strangles, and straight-up demolishes anyone standing between him and his dream of becoming human again. Sure, he might look like something you’d find on a toy store shelf, but this dude has a serious mean streak.

Knife of Choice: Boot Dagger

His go-to weapon? A knife, naturally. But he gets creative—one of his most infamous moments involves attaching a boot dagger to the bloody stump of his severed hand. Charming.

Take a look:

His boot dagger is pretty weak considering it comes apart at the handle easily. While I couldn’t find the exact knife, it’s closest comparison is the Old Timer Boot Knife.

Sweeney Todd | Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd has been around for a long time—first appearing in the mid-1800s as the sinister star of The String of Pearls, before carving out his legacy in stage plays and multiple film adaptations. Most recently, Johnny Depp took up the razor in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Knife of Choice: Straight Razor

As you might expect, the demon barber’s weapon of choice is the straight razor. Elegant, precise, and absolutely horrifying in the wrong hands—which, in this case, they definitely are.

There’s something especially chilling about a killer who hides in plain sight, using a tool that people willingly let near their throat. Personally, I’d prefer my barber not have a history of baking victims into meat pies.

Boker Magnum actually makes a straight razor conveniently named the Fleet Street Razor. Just please be safe while you’re shaving!

Jack Torrance | The Shining

Stephen King has given us more horror classics than we can count, but Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining might just be the crown jewel of the bunch—even if King himself isn’t the film’s biggest fan.

This slow-burning psychological thriller takes its sweet time unraveling Jack Torrance’s descent into madness, layering in cabin fever, alcoholism, and a whole lot of supernatural weirdness. (Let’s be real—the book dives deeper into Jack’s inner demons, but the movie still nails the eerie vibes.)

Jack Torrance doesn’t go completely mad until the very end and only uses one weapon really. You can probably guess what it is!

Knife of Choice: Ax

When Jack finally snaps, he grabs one weapon: the axe. Nothing fancy, just a good old-fashioned, door-splitting, “Here’s Johnny!” axe. It might not be subtle, but it sure gets the job done.

Jack’s axe has a spike at the end, but I couldn’t find the exact one he uses. Instead, the Cold Steel Trail Boss Axe is the closest match.

Freddy Krueger | Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy Krueger is the stuff of nightmares… literally!

The Nightmare on Elm Street took horror to a whole new level with its supernatural slasher premise: what if your dreams could kill you? The concept was pure nightmare fuel when it dropped, and it still holds up as one of the most iconic horror flicks of all time.

Knife of Choice: Knife Glove

Freddy’s weapon of choice? That unforgettable glove fitted with razor-sharp blades—equal parts terrifying and totally impractical. Thankfully, you can’t stroll into a store and pick one up (and honestly, let’s keep it that way). That said, if you’re morbidly curious, there are plenty of DIY versions floating around YouTube.

Ghostface | Scream

You don’t see many new knife-wielding slasher villains these days. Modern horror leans more into psychological territory—think Midsommar or Hereditary. But back in the ’90s, one last icon slashed his way into pop culture: Ghostface from Scream.

The 1996 classic revitalized the slasher genre with a killer combo of self-aware humor, a killer cast, and, well… a whole lot of killing. It held the crown as one of the highest-grossing slasher flicks until Halloween (2018) came along.

Ghostface’s mask might look goofy out of context, but the movie turned it into a symbol of pure terror—with some truly vicious kills to back it up.

Knife of Choice: Buck 120 Hunting Knife

And his weapon of choice? The unmistakable Buck 120 General Hunting Knife—big, bold, and built to stab through horror history.

Take a look at the knife in action:

Hannibal Lecter | Silence of the Lambs

Hannibal Lecter is one of those villains who doesn’t need a mask or a machete to be terrifying. In The Silence of the Lambs, even from behind prison bars, his presence completely eclipses the film’s other killer, Buffalo Bill. That calm, intelligent menace? Unmatched.

Over the years, Lecter has shown up in novels, multiple films, and a pretty fantastic TV series. While he’s not your typical slasher, he definitely gets his share of slicing done—usually followed by a gourmet dinner.

Knife of Choice: Spyderco Harpy

You’d expect a scalpel or maybe a nice chef’s knife from the good doctor, but in one of his more intense moments, Lecter pulls out a Spyderco Harpy. A fitting blade for a man who appreciates refined violence.

Watch this scene:

It’s technically a mariner’s tool, but with its wicked hawkbill blade, it’s more than capable of some precision carnage and rivals the Matriarch.

Michael Myers | Halloween

Finally, we land on one of the most iconic slashers of all time: Michael Myers.

With 13 films under its belt (including a recent trilogy that wrapped up with Halloween Ends in 2022), the Halloween franchise might just be the most prolific slasher series ever. But no matter how many sequels or reboots they pump out, the original 1978 film still reigns supreme.

Everything about Michael Myers oozes fear—from that pale, emotionless mask to his slow, unstoppable pursuit. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t run. He just is.

Knife of Choice: Chef’s knife

And of course, his weapon of choice is the kitchen knife. Not just any kitchen knife, either—he uses a different chef’s knife in almost every movie, but each one becomes an extension of his eerie presence. Simple, brutal, and iconic.

A good chef’s knife that looks similar is the Case Chef’s Knife.

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Whether it’s a serrated boot dagger, a chef’s knife, or a mariner’s blade used for something a little less nautical, one thing’s for sure—knives have played a starring role in some of the most unforgettable horror films ever made.

These killers may be fictional (thankfully), but the blades they wield have carved out their own space in pop culture history. As knife lovers, it’s hard not to appreciate the way these tools become symbols of terror on the big screen.

So here’s to the slashers—the silent, the psychotic, and the stylish. Just remember: keep your knives sharp, your horror flicks queued up, and your Halloween spirit alive all year round.