13 Horror Villains You Could Totally Beat Up

Chucky, AKA Charles Lee Ray, is a spirit stuck in a doll - a common plot device in horror films. He’s a little freaky, he's overly libidinous, and he has a tendency to become obsessed with his owner. Although he’s got a lot of notches on his belt, he’s still just a doll, so you can throw him around pretty easily. And unlike some other possessed dolls, Chucky is still a human soul, and therefore lacks supernatural powers. Burn the doll, or throw it in a locked trashcan, and you’re all set. Unless someone resurrects him again.

Strength: Small and hard to hit

Weakness: Small and easy to pick up and throw

Biggest Defeat: Covered in molten plastic at the Play Pals toy factory

Minnie Castevet from Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is a devil-worshiping old woman who, with the help of all the tenants of the Bramford apartments and Rosemary’s husband, arrange for Rosemary to be supernaturally impregnated. In retrospect, if she weren't manipulated and drugged, Rosemary could have easily just knocked the frail Minnie down and run away.

Strength: Allied with the Prince of Darkness and appears to be above suspicion

Weakness: She is literally a little old lady

Biggest Defeat: She is undefeated

Dr. Josef Heiter, a retired surgeon, was famous for separating conjoined twins, eventually leading to his obsession with reversing the process. Heiter’s intellect is formidable: he can actually carry out his plan and assemble his pet centipede from three human bodies. However, his ego leads him to make small mistakes. He fails to reckon with the fact that his human captives can't be domesticated like his other pets. In hand-to-hand combat, Dr. Heiter would be easy to beat as long as you stay out of his basement and don't drink his water.

Strength: Vast intellect and a seemingly endless supply of sedatives

Weakness: Giant ego

Biggest Defeat: Failing to account for his captives' intelligence

One of the most affectionate Stephen King villains, Annie Wilkes is a nurse who loves to read romance novels and take care of sick people. Beneath the surface, she’s actually a serial killer with mental issues and a fondness for tormenting her patients. Paul Sheldon provides a master class in taking her down with psychological warfare - just threaten to burn a few pages of an unpublished Misery Chastain novel. For most folks, it should be even easier, as most folks don't have two broken legs.

Strength: Lots of medical knowledge, and not squeamish

Weakness: Unquenchable desire to know every fictional plot twist in Misery Chastain's life

Biggest Defeat: Outwitted and overpowered by a hobbled novelist

The Saw franchise revolves around John Kramer, who, rather than offing his targets directly, places them in traps where they must successfully win a game or pass a test to survive. Kramer's villainous activities are characterized by his abiding calm and his seemingly genuine desire to rehabilitate “bad” people by making them see the value in life. If you allow yourself to be drawn into his web of traps, you may be in trouble. But if you bump into Kramer at the supermarket checkout counter, you could take him easily.

Strength: A devious mind and an ability to remain calm

Weakness: Is already terminally ill

Biggest Defeat: Is taken out with - you guessed it - a saw

If someone stood you next to Norman Bates from the horror classic Psycho, you wouldn’t even notice you were standing next to a villain. Though he has a tendency to stare in a creepy way, he’s really just a lonely boy with mommy issues. When he snaps and his alter ego “Mother” takes over, he finally has the urge to kill - but he’s still a skinny guy fighting with emotions rather than skill. The only edge he has is his willingness to sneak up behind unsuspecting people. Your best bet is to take him down easily. Don’t give “Mother” a chance to come out, and maybe woo him over dinner.

Strength: Surprise

Weakness: Weighs 98 pounds soaking wet

Biggest Defeat: Winding up in a psych ward