Horror hardcore and genre enthusiasts are undoubtedly familiar with the immortal, powerful horror villain known as Jason Voorhees. From blood-stained apparel to his own interactive video game, the zombie-like creature has become synonymous with the realm of horror, etching his name into the genre’s history as one of the most recognizable baddies of all time. Without question, Jason’s influence has stretched so far and beyond that the figure has become a mainstay in pop culture relevance. However, there’s a good chance that moviegoers aren’t entirely educated on Jason’s complicated past — and that’s where this in-depth analysis comes into play.
Across ten out of twelve films in the long-standing Friday the 13th franchise, Jason Voorhees has effectively stalked, tortured, and brutalized victims from all walks of life. Officially introduced in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Jason’s main objective is to seek revenge on the camp counselors that not only murdered his mother Pamela Voorhees, but also let Jason drown in the water at Camp Crystal Lake as a young child. And while some horror villains have an unclear motive for their murders, Jason’s thirst for retribution is quite obvious.
With the franchise currently at a standstill due to a previous lawsuit involving Victor Miller and Sean S. Cunningham, recent cryptic messages from New Line Cinema have teased the possibility that the franchise could receive a long-awaited resurrection. So, before the franchise seemingly returns from the dead, let’s unfold the bone-chilling events of Jason Voorhees’ entire life, starting from the unnerving beginning.
Jason Voorhees is born to parents Pamela and Elias Voorhees
Upon Jason’s birth in 1947, it was apparent that he would face incredible difficulties in his life. In his childhood, Jason suffered from physical and mental deformities, along with an assumed mental disorder that resulted in Pamela wishing to keep Jason out of public school and at home with her. It’s never exactly revealed what the cause of Jason’s disabilities was, but a slew of horror fans believe that Pamela and her husband Elias might have been related and connected to the same bloodline.
Nevertheless, Jason’s deformities caused great difficulty for him and eventually resulted in Jason being bullied during his time at Camp Crystal Lake — a summer camp that his mother sent him to. Jason’s disbursing physical appearance was the main source of the bullying, and counselors at the camp seemed to be disinterested in protecting Jason from said bullies.
Jason drowns at Camp Crystal Lake at the age of 11
To escape his bullies and give himself a few moments of peace, Jason wandered down the pier at Camp Crystal Lake, only to fall into the water and drown. Because Jason was often kept at home with his mother, he never learned how to properly swim, which inadvertently caused his death. Initially, Pamela Voorhees sent her son to the camp to help him gain exposure with other kids his own age and create social skills, but she was unaware of the consistent bullying that her son was enduring.
As explained in the movies, the counselors that were supposed to be watching Jason were off having sex in the nearby cabins. And while no other children at the camp actually forced Jason to drown, it’s obvious that the other kids certainly didn’t care enough to check on him, and simply stood by and watched as Jason drowned in the lake.
Jason returns to Crystal Lake to avenge Pamela’s death
While some believed that Jason had actually died, others were convinced that Jason secretly lived and hid in the woods, growing stronger with each passing year by surviving off the environment. Many within the local community believed that Jason would feed on animals and plants while he spent his days hiding in the forest, just waiting for his opportunity to return and enact revenge — which he eventually did.
In Friday the 13th, Pamela Voorhees goes on a killing spree, taking the lives of counselors who she believed were the cause of Jason’s death. In the end, Pamela was decapitated by Alice Hardy — the franchise’s original final girl. In Friday the 13th Part 2, Jason makes his first initial appearance as the memorable horror villain that diehards have come to know. Boasting an intimidating appearance, Jason terrified new counselors at the summer camp, despite them having nothing to do with Pamela’s murder.
Jason discovers his iconic hockey mask and commits a string of murders
In Friday the 13th Part III, Jason established himself as a recognizable force in the horror genre when he discovered his signature white hockey mask. The aforementioned mask, which Jason took from Shelly after murdering him in the barn, was used to conceal Jason’s hideous facial appearance. In the process, the mask became a memorable item in the lore, and was eventually replicated in a series of masks and other merchandise memorabilia.
With his signature mask at his disposal, Jason commits a plethora of murders behind the eyes of his new identity. In the fourth installment, Jason targets the infamous Tommy Jarvis, along with Tommy’s older sister and mother. When Tommy and his sister survive, Tommy is sent off to a halfway house to fix his bad behavior. While there, Tommy encounters who he believes is Jason Voorhees, although it is actually an imposter named Roy Burns pretending to be Jason. Nevertheless, Jason’s rampage in films three and four are undoubtedly deadly.
Jason is resurrected and continues his path of destruction
In Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, which is considered by many to be the most favored film in the franchise, Tommy Jarvis returns to Jason’s gravesite to resurrect the villain so Tommy can destroy him once and for all. Eventually, Tommy’s plan backfires and he inadvertently releases Jason into the Crystal Lake community. Throughout the sixth film, Jason wreaks havoc on members of the community and counselors that are in his way — thus continuing his previous warpath of destruction and terror.
Amidst his resurrection, the sixth film marks the first time that Jason is seen as a supernatural, zombie-like figure that is certainly more powerful than prior versions of the monstrous villain. From here, Jason uses his supernatural abilities to run amok in places like New York and on a ship in space.
Jason Voorhees’ future in the franchise
As it stands, no official Friday the 13th projects have been announced — which means Jason Voorhees isn’t expected to make his long-awaited return just yet. Still, thanks to recent teasers from big-name production houses, it’s evident that the horror franchise is looking to make a comeback sometime in the future. So, even though the end of Jason Voorhees seemed to be crystal clear, it looks like the menacing villain will be emerging from the shadows of Crystal Lake once again.