The Evil Dead franchise includes some of the best movies in horror history. This is partly due to the terrifying undead monsters known as the Deadites. There’s a wide variety of them throughout the series, all of which pose as threats in their own way. Let’s take a look at the best Deadites the Evil Dead franchise has to offer.
10) Mia (Evil Dead 2013)
Mia is the protagonist of the 2013 Evil Dad reboot, and her Deadite is unique in that it’s a demonic doppelganger of her, a completely separate entity rather than just herself transformed like most other Deadites. She’s creepy and well-acted. Another interesting detail is that she represents Mia’s addiction, a darkness that she must overcome. Having a Deadite represent something like that for a character is unique and fascinating. However, a lot of what this Deadite does is a rip-off of what’s seen in the classic films, making her feel rather derivative instead of creative.
9) Winged Deadite (Army of Darkness)
It’s honestly quite shocking we haven’t seen more flying Deadites in the series. Deadites are already scary and dangerous. Strap some wings on them and they become that much more of a threat. This thing’s face is absolutely horrifying and is a pretty memorable monster from Army of Darkness, the third film in the franchise. That being said, it doesn’t have tons of screentime and doesn’t accomplish a whole lot.
8) The Marauder (Evil Dead Rise)
The Marauder is an amalgamation of the Deadites of Ellie, Danny, and Bridget from Evil Dead Rise. It only shows up at the very end of the movie, but it’s extremely cool and really scary. Bringing the threats from the movie together (literally) in the third act is brilliant, and proves to be a difficult obstacle for the movie’s hero to overcome. They’re not as agile as other Deadites, but they’re scarier than most of them.
7) Evil Ash (Army of Darkness)
The evil Deadite version of Ash Williams from Army of Darkness is the perfect rival for the main hero of the series. He’s the perfect copy of him, commands an entire army of Deadites, and is a master with a variety of weapons. He comes close to taking over the world, which is something not a lot of Deadites could say. He feels more like an actual character than most Deadites. That being said, it could have been anyone leading the evil army, as it was the army itself that was the real threat at the end of the day.
6) Morgue Deadite (Ash vs. Evil Dead)
During a scene at a morgue in the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series, a corpse, or part of one, is reanimated as a Deadite. This particular Deadite is more or less a butt, colon, and intestine. It’s disgusting and surprising, and is easily the funniest Deadite in the whole franchise. It also manages to pose an actual threat to Ash. Seeing an intestine wrap itself around the titular hero and pull him into a butt to suffocate him is genuinely hilarious. This Deadite perfectly showcases the comedy-horror elements of the series. It’s also some extremely impressive puppeteer work.
5) Cougie (Ash vs. Evil Dead)
Cougie is a high school mascot turned Deadite in Ash vs. Evil Dead. It’s a pretty hilarious concept, but it’s also sad that it implies an innocent high school student met their demise, and it’s actually pretty creepy. Giving a Deadite the razor-sharp teeth and claws of a jungle cat makes him that much more of a threat. There’s something about a possessed mascot stalking the halls of a high school that’s surprisingly chilling.
4) Ellie (Evil Dead Rise)
Ellie is the protagonist of Evil Dead Rise and is a single mother doing her best to raise her kids. Having her turn into a Deadite and become a danger to her children is absolutely heartbreaking. She’s also incredibly creepy and menacing. Ellie is probably the best acted Deadite in the whole series, as she gets you to care about her and wish there was a way to revert her back to human and help her family while also sending a chill down your spine.
3) Linda (The Evil Dead)
Linda is one of the classic Deadites, paving the way for the rest to come. She’s absolutely terrifying to look at, with her almost clown-like makeup appearing very unsettling. Her high-pitched voice is chilling as she taunts Ash throughout the film. Her being Ash’s girlfriend and one of his central motivations throughout the first two movies makes her Deadite status truly tragic and adds a lot of emotional weight to the story.
2) Henrietta (Evil Dead II)
Henrietta is easily one of the coolest and scariest Deadites in all of Evil Dead history. Starting off as a creepy old lady is spooky enough. Transforming into a horrifying undead monstrosity with an extending neck is extremely frightening. On top of her being super well-designed, the traditional effects and puppeteering for her are insanely impressive. She also provides Ash with one of the biggest and toughest fights of his life.
1) Cheryl (The Evil Dead)
Cheryl is what comes to mind for many folks when they think about Deadites or the Evil Dead franchise in general. The image of her trying to slam the basement trap door open is one of the scariest shots in all of horror. Cheryl’s Deadite has become synonymous with The Evil Dead and even made a bit of a return in Ash vs. Evil Dead. Plus, the fact that she’s Ash Williams’ sister makes it all the more heartbreaking for the protagonist. Cheryl is essentially THE classic Deadite and therefore deserves the number one spot.
Nonstop Nerd 