Netflix's Fear Street Trilogy introduced horror fans to a whole new gallery of iconic villains. But which one was the most memorable?

Warning: This article contains discussions/images of graphic violence and murder.

For the downtrodden residents of Shadyside, dealing with serial killers was just one of the myriad of problems they had to contend with living in a cursed town. Every decade or so, a new killer would appear out of nowhere, a seemingly harmless citizen possessed by the vengeance-fueled spirit of Sarah Fier. The Fear Street trilogy explored the origins of these killers as well as Shadyside itself, all the way back to the pilgrim settlement of Union it was built on, and the fate of its resident witch.

Each movie provided an homage to specific horror icons, and as Deena and her friends desperately tried to break the curse, their pursuers took on legendary status. Whether it's because they were efficient killing machines, cunning, terrifying to look at, or just incredibly charismatic, the villains of the Fear Street trilogy were some of the most entertaining, scary, and welcome additions to the horror genre.

10 Sarah Fier

Initially thought to be the source of all the bad luck in Shadyside, Shadysiders grew up with a nursery rhyme describing the death of Sarah Fier, who was executed for practicing witchcraft in the early days of the settlement. When Deena and her brother discovered that she had been the one to possess Ryan Torres and then eventually Sam, it was explained that Sarah Fier was just enacting her revenge against the town through a curse.

It wasn't until Fear Street: 1666 that Sarah's true origin story was revealed, but until that point, the fact that she could possess almost anyone made Deena and the other teens paranoid about even each other. Viewers didn't have to see Sarah Fier to be afraid of her, and she existed as a dark presence that cast a spell over the entire trilogy.

9 Billy Barker

Billy Barker was only a child when he slipped on a doll mask, picked up a baseball bat, and killed his siblings. He appeared briefly throughout the trilogy, always tapping his bat as he walked, the eery expressionless facade of his mask (that was quite similar to Michael Myers') sending chills up the spine of anybody who crossed him.

Like many creepy kids in horror movies, Billy brought an unsettling atmosphere to the movies. The slow walk towards his victims, followed by the slow, rhythmic taps of his bat on the ground, was enough to instill fear in the viewers. Some fans just wish that he got a bit more screen time than he did.

8 The Milkman

The Milkman, aka Harry Rooker, appeared to kill victims wearing the same uniform he wore when delivering milk bottles on his route in Shadyside in the 1950s. He was also the killer who rushed Ziggy at the end of Fear Street: 1978.

Although he didn't appear on screen much, The Milkman was certainly one of the scariest killers in the movie. Every time he was on-screen, he always took viewers by surprise as he seemed to come out of nowhere. The writers even used this to their advantage to successfully implement several "jump scares," as viewers often forgot about him. If the writers and director intended to have everyone on the edge of their seats, it certainly worked.

7 The Grifter

The Grifter was a hulking killer who hunted women in the 1920s, sporting a long leather mask to conceal his features as he terrorized Shadyside. The Grifter was one of the killers who first appeared in Fear Street: 1994 Part I, and was eventually captured in Part III after Deena and her friends set a trap in the Shadyside Mall.

Technically, he didn't need a knife, ax, or baseball bat to be threatening; his large size and menacing visage harkened back to killers like Michael Myers, who slowly and dogmatically followed their prey, unperturbed by distance or obstacles, and always certain they would catch them. If he got his own movie, he would certainly end up as memorable as the villains in some of the best slasher movies.

6 Pastor Cyrus Miller

The first serial killer in Shadyside traced his origin back to the 17th century when he killed the children of Union after locking them inside the church. He appeared just once in Fear Street: 1666 after being possessed by what the townspeople took to be Sarah Fier, but was in fact a much darker force.

Not only was the pastor's crime horrific to behold, it was committed by the one person charged with protecting the village's morality, making the incident particularly scarring and personal. In an age when members of the clergy held more authority than anyone in the village he was the most trusted, and therefore a truly effective villain capable of the most insidious acts of malevolence.

5 Tommy Slater

When fans first caught a glimpse of the Camp Nightwing Killer in Fear Street: 1994, they had no idea he would turn out to be the mild-mannered camp counselor Tommy Slater in its sequel. Knowing that Tommy eventually would become a violent ax-wielding murderer made him both a tragic and complicated Shadyside killer.

Clearly inspired by Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, Tommy was an effective homage to '70s slasher movies with the highest kill count of any of the killers, but where Voorhees was a mindless drone, Tommy was doomed to kill the one he loved. His final scene with Cindy was incredibly horrific and heartbreaking.

4 Skull Mask

Skull Mask was the first Shadyside killer fans saw in the trilogy, and his cadaverous mask came to define the movies - even if Sheriff Goode initially thought he'd taken him down. Skull Mask reappeared several times in Fear Street: 1994 Part I and Part III, terrorizing Deena and her friends in their homes, in the hospital, and in the grocery store.

An obvious callback to slasher movies of the '90s like Scream, Fear Street's Skull Mask managed to be genuinely terrifying rather than simply corny, thanks to the fact that he could cover ground in a short period of time, and was capable of incredibly effective kills.

3 Ruby Lane

Easily one of the most intriguing villains in the trilogy, Ruby Lane appeared in Fear Street: 1994, with more of her backstory being revealed through her mother, Mary, in Fear Street: 1978. A troubled teen who killed all of her friends at a party, Ruby would stalk her victims, wielding a shaving razor and eerily singing "You Always Hurt The One You Love" as she went.

Ruby didn't need to be fast-moving, powerfully built, or capable of feats of superhuman strength. She was an enigmatic, sinister villain whose haunting verses signaled to viewers that something wicked was just around the corner. And, because she was attractive to characters, like Simon, with her iconic beehive hairstyle and retro clothes, she was capable of deceiving her victims before she killed them.

2 Solomon Goode

Introduced as a kind but lonely widower in Fear Street: 1666, Solomon Goode was Sarah Fier's betrothed after having lost his wife and young child to sickness. Sarah's feelings for Hannah prevented her from being able to return his affections, but it was Sarah's threat to reveal his occult practices to the people of Union that made him truly turn against her.

Solomon was the worst type of villain as he was practically a wolf in sheep's clothing - a legacy his ancestors would continue as they attempted to deceive everyone disguised as a friend. However, fans will admit that the revelation of Solomon's betrayal was executed to perfection since they didn't see it coming. Like Sarah, they too had trusted him, so the reveal evoked a lot of emotions in them that stayed with them for a long time.

1 Nick Goode

Earnest and brave along with a pair of big blue eyes, when fans first met Sheriff Nick Goode in Fear Street: 1994, he had all the hallmarks of being a hero. He apprehended Skull Mask, and after initially appearing distrusting, seemed to genuinely care about the safety of Deena and the others. In Fear Street: 1978, he was shown to be a compassionate teenager who risked his life to save Ziggy and as many campers as possible from Tommy Slater's rampage.

His proven altruism and kindliness, combined with his position of authority in Sunnyvale and his clean-cut good looks, made his sudden villainous turn all the more shocking and hurtful. The revelation that he was also such a wolf in sheep's clothing, and responsible for perpetuating the willful harming of trusting Shadysiders, just to ensure his family's prosperity, made him the best villain of all.

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