Happy Friday the 13th! Let’s get one thing straight: Jason Voorhees is a horror icon. He’s been to hell, space, Manhattan, and somehow still hates teens having sex more than your Catholic grandma. With a dozen-plus entries, Friday the 13th is the messy, blood-soaked franchise that defined a generation of slashers—and then refused to stop, no matter how weird things got (spoiler alert: it got very weird).

So I did what any pop culture ghoulie would do: rewatched every single Friday the 13th movie and ranked them, lore nuggets and all. Warning: if you’re a purist, my top two might upset you. But this is my campfire, and I’m telling the story and if you don’t like it you can drown in the lake for all I care. (but please don’t actually drown because then you couldn’t read the list or my other posts).

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12. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

A demon worm. A bounty hunter. Jason body-hops like it’s Freaky Friday, or Freaky. I said what I said: this one is a bloody mess.
Lore drop: Introduces the idea that only a Voorhees can kill Jason with a magical dagger. Um… okay.

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11. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

False advertising. He takes a boat, and then mildly strolls around NYC (Still on the block more than Jenny). Leaving poor Kevin Macalister to pick up the NYC slack in 1992 with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

He does punch a guy’s head off, though.

Behind-the-scenes tea:
That Times Square shot? Filmed live and got real NYC crowd cheers for Jason. Legendary behavior.

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10. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Plot twist: it’s not Jason. It’s Roy. Yes, Roy. This is the “fake-out” film that tries to be a murder mystery but just ends up confusing everyone.
Fun fact: The infamous “Ooooh baby” scene? Burned into my memory forever.

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9. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Jason finally gets his hockey mask (yes, as a Canadian I am required to love anything hockey related), and 3D gags abound. Expect eyeballs, pitchforks, and more yo-yos than should be legally allowed.
Lore check: The barn showdown is still top-tier slasher energy.

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8. Friday the 13th Part II (1981)

Our boy Jason makes his official killing debut… wearing a pillowcase. Not quite the look yet, but it’s giving “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” vibes.
Final girl Ginny: Uses Jason’s trauma against him and honestly? Queen sh*t.

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7. Friday the 13th — The Reboot 2009

This fast, brutal, Home Alone-trapping Jason is honestly fantastic. Plus, the kills are polished AF. This is also Jared Padalecki at his horror peak, House Of Wax too? Hell yea.

Easter egg: A speed-run of the first three films all crammed into one reboot.

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6. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

Carrie vs. Jason, basically. Psychic Tina is the only one who ever truly gives Jason a run for his machete. I love how corny and Crystal Lake Campy it is.

Tragic trivia: The MPAA hacked this movie worse than Jason hacks campers. We lost so many good gore effects.

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5. Friday the 13th (1980)

Pamela Voorhees deserved an Oscar for “mother of the year” if murder counted. No Jason, but this started it all. The OG.

Iconic moment: That lake jump scare still ruins bubble baths for me.

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4. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Jason gets resurrected by lightning like a zombie Frankenstein and immediately goes on a kill spree to a soundtrack by Alice Cooper.
Tone shift: First time the franchise leaned into camp and self-aware horror. Also: graveyard punchline? 10/10.

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3. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Crispin Glover’s dancing. Corey Feldman with trauma scissors. This one was supposed to end it all—and honestly, it should’ve.

Easter egg: The “Jason crashing through the window” scene is still copied to this day.

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2. Jason X (2001)

Yes, I said it. Jason. In. SPACE. This isn’t horror—it’s intergalactic camp couture. He gets frozen, wakes up in the year 2455, and becomes Uber Jason. Its so fucking funny.

Best kill: Liquid nitrogen face smash. Game over.

Why it’s top-tier: This movie knows it’s ridiculous and leans into it like Jason leans into a machete. Plus, the VR sleeping bag callback? Chef’s kiss.

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1. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

What happens when you pit a pedo but somehow still an icon dream demon against a silent killing machine? Cinema, that’s what. I watch this film every October 1st, and every Friday the 13th.

Easter egg: Freddy’s glove teased this match-up a decade earlier in Jason Goes to Hell.

Why it’s #1: It’s got blood, boobs, brawls, and banterrrrrr. Oh and because I said so!

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Final Dead Girl Thoughts:

Sure, Friday the 13th is a slasher staple—but it’s also one of the most unhinged horror franchises out there. It gave us everything: camp counselors who don’t know how to run, final girls with daddy issues, and a villain so iconic he doesn’t need dialogue—just a mask and bad vibes.

And listen: if Jason can go to space and still slay (literally and figuratively), maybe there’s hope for all of us chaotic queens too.

Stay spooky.