Michael Myers is arguably the most iconic horror villain in the history of the genre. His painted white Captain Kirk-inspired mask, memorable mechanic jumpsuit, and variety of butcher knives has terrified audiences since the fascinating creature was first introduced in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Amidst countless sequels, remakes, reboots, and reintroductions, Michael Myers continues to flourish as the nightmarish figure that haunts the town of Haddonfield on Halloween night each year.
Time and time again, Michael returns even after withstanding physical turmoil and deadly scenarios which would kill the average man — but the Shape always manages to survive. The masked serial killer has consistently been associated with containing a supernatural ability which keeps him alive, but the actual reason behind this ability remains unclear.
So, why does Michael Myers not die?
As far as the original Halloween movies are concerned, Michael Myers cannot die. This realization occurs during the Jamie Lloyd Halloween sequels, where it is revealed that Michael cannot die due to the Cult of Thorn curse placed upon him as a child. This possessive curse simultaneously awarded Michael with strong supernatural abilities which help to prevent his death and instead keep him focused on killing his entire bloodline. The powerful curse appears as a star constellation in the sky that only happens on Halloween night. As a result, Michael’s death is strongly prevented by a strong astrological power and the ancient protection of the Thorn curse.
In the newest Halloween trilogy, Michael is not controlled by the druid curse, and is instead fueled by hatred and rage for everyone and anyone. Additionally, Laurie insists that with each kill he performs, the more powerful and immortal he becomes. Therefore, his supernatural abilities may still be there, but for an entirely different reason as compared to prior timelines.
Will Michael Myers ever die?
There have been multiple occasions where people have believed that Michael Myers had died. In the original Halloween (1978), Michael Myers falls from a balcony after being both stabbed and shot by Laurie Strode and Dr. Samuel Loomis. However, Michael disappeared after. In Halloween II, Michael is once again shot, this time by his sister Laurie, and endures a massive explosion only to disappear once more. Moreover, Michael was thought to be dead when Laurie Strode seemingly decapitated him in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, though it was confirmed that Michael had switched places with a paramedic and that’s who Laurie killed.
Now, with David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy proving to be so successful, it’ll be interesting to see if the franchise will finally kill off Michael Myers for good. If the newest batch of films truly is the end, then it only makes sense for Michael to meet his ultimate fate. Then again, it’s common within slasher franchises to keep the iconic villain’s story going, so perhaps Michael Myers will continue beyond the latest trilogy.