Incredibly scrappy yet highly prolific, sleazy yet weirdly lovable, it’s time to talk about the Friday the 13th franchise. What began in 1980 as a low-budget cash-in on the post-Halloween slasher boom steadily mutated into something far stranger: a shambling, hockey-masked pop culture juggernaut who’s been to Manhattan (kinda), Hell (again, kinda), outer space (for real!), and even squared off on the big screen against another prominent horror icon.

Jason Voorhees isn’t just a killer. He’s a vibe. He’s a blunt-force embodiment of campfire ghost stories, heavy metal album cover art, and pure ‘80s excess. The Friday the 13th series is messy, inconsistent, occasionally incompetent - and yet when it hits, it absolutely rips. So with machete in hand, here’s our ranking of all twelve films in the franchise, from the most disposable to the bloody elite.

12. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

This tired sequel’s title is one of the biggest and most infamous lies in horror history. Jason spends most of this movie on a boat, and when he finally reaches Manhattan, it looks suspiciously more like Vancouver. There are flashes of greatness, like Jason kicking a boombox or punching a boxer’s head clean off, but they’re stranded in a sluggish, oddly cheap-feeling sequel. The toxic waste ending is baffling, even by franchise standards. There’s ambition here, but not nearly enough budget or imagination to make good on it.

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

Bold? Sure. Successful? Not really. This entry sidelines Jason for long stretches in favor of a body-hopping demon mythology that feels imported from another franchise entirely. The opening FBI ambush is legitimately awesome, and the gore is mean and plentiful. But the attempt to graft complex magical lore onto Jason only muddies the waters. That final Freddy tease is iconic, though. Points for that.

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

The black sheep of the franchise. Killing off Jason (sort of) and replacing him with a copycat could have been an interesting pivot. Instead, it feels like a bait-and-switch that audiences didn’t really care for. The sleaze factor is dialed way up, the characters are broadly drawn, and the tonal whiplash is real. That said, it’s not exactly boring. The kills are gnarly, and there’s an unhinged (and apparently drug-fueled) energy to the whole thing.

9. Jason X (2001)

Jason in space! It sounds like a joke, and it mostly is, but this movie mostly understands how ridiculous it is. The cryogenic face-smash and hologram sleeping bag sequence are all-timers, and Uber Jason looks like a nu-metal action figure in the best way. It’s cheap, self-aware, and often very funny. While it lacks genuine menace, it compensates with creativity. Not good in a traditional sense, but pretty damn entertaining.

8. Friday the 13th Part III

This one is important for one major reason: the hockey mask. Once Jason dons that iconic look, the franchise locks into place. Beyond that, Part III is a largely dull 3D gimmick showcase with objects flying at the camera. Kinda neat, but the actual plot quickly grows stale and feels like it’s just going through the motions. That said, the final act in the barn is genuinely tense, and Dana Kimmell’s Chris Higgins makes for a decent final girl. A not quite great, but crucial entry in the franchise.

7. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

The ultimate playground showdown. After years of teases, Jason Vorhees finally squared off against Freddy Krueger in a movie that feels like a sweaty early-2000s fever dream. It's exactly what it should be. The cornfield sequence is especially strong, and the central fight genuinely delivers. The teen cast is forgettable, but when the two horror icons share the screen, it’s pure slasher fan service. Sometimes that’s enough.

6. Friday the 13th (2009)

This remake is far better than it gets credit for. This Jason runs, sets traps, and feels like a survivalist predator rather than a lumbering zombie. The extended opening sequence in particular is brutal and effective, and genre veteran Derek Mears brings real physicality to the role. There’s an intensity here that many of the sequels lack, joining the list of other 2000s horror remakes that leaned further into brutality like Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Marcus Nispel’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Mean, muscular, and underrated.

5. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Going for broke, this time around we get to see a version of Jason Vorhees vs. Carrie White, and it’s exactly as wild as it sounds. The telekinetic angle injects fresh energy into a formula that was wearing thin, while Kane Hodder’s debut immediately becomes the definitive Jason, bringing imposing physicality and subtle performance flourishes. The concept alone makes this one memorable. It’s ridiculous, yes, but confidently so.

4. Friday the 13th Part 2

Before the hockey mask, there was the sack. Part 2 sharpens the formula introduced in the original and introduces Jason as the killer proper. Amy Steel’s Ginny is honestly one of the franchise’s best final girls. She’s resourceful and emotionally grounded, offering a depth we don’t normally get from the victim characters. The wheelchair kill from this entry remains infamous. It’s leaner and more suspenseful than the original, marking it as a solid step forward for the franchise.

3. Friday the 13th (1980)

Sean S. Cunningham’s scrappy original isn’t exactly considered high art, but it’s become essential slasher DNA. The whodunit structure ends up working, Betsy Palmer is unforgettable, and Tom Savini’s effects are gnarly and tactile. That final lake jump scare is one of horror’s most enduring moments, still unleashing fresh screams to this day. It may not have Jason in the way audiences have come to expect, but without this low-budget gamble, none of the rest exists.

2. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter

If the series had actually ended here, it would’ve been surprisingly satisfying. Joseph Zito delivers the tightest and most brutal entry of the original run, with memorable charters to boot. Crispin Glover’s dance is iconic, and Corey Feldman’s Tommy Jarvis becomes the franchise’s emotional anchor. The kills are vicious, the pacing relentless, and Jason’s defeat feels earned. This is the franchise as it should be, firing on all cylinders.

1. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

This is the one. Self-aware without being parody, gothic without being dour, and genuinely a blast. Director Tom McLoughlin resurrects Jason as the full-blown undead monster we know and love in a lightning-struck graveyard sequence that absolutely rocks. The humor lands, the action pops, and Thom Mathews’ turn as an older Tommy Jarvis gives the film a real heart. This movie embraces the absurdity while still delivering some of the franchise’s best kills and atmosphere. If you only watch one Friday the 13th sequel, make it this one.