Why Michael Myers Is the King of Slashers

I’m not writing this for some cheap “if you know, you know” clout. It’s simple: Michael Myers is the king of slashers. Period.

And before anyone thinks I’m jumping on the Halloween hype train, let me make one thing clear; I’ve been a Myers fanboy since I can remember.

Growing Up with Michael

Every October, I wore out my VHS copies of Halloween and Halloween II. My aunt once surprised me with the three pack, Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween III. It felt like Christmas morning all over again. Finally, I could watch them without commercials, and finally, I could see Part 3 (even if Michael didn’t show up in it).

My mom was overprotective… no Marilyn Manson, no violent movies, no nudity. But when my sister and I went to my dad’s house, it was different. He rented horror movies every weekend. We marathoned Hellraiser. We hunted for the Halloween sequels. I wanted Part 3 so badly it hurt. When I finally had it in my hands, it felt like I’d unlocked a new level of fandom.

I even had a Michael Myers mask. I wasn’t allowed to wear it in public, but I wore it in the car everywhere we went, startling strangers on the road. I lived and breathed the Shape.

Freddy and Jason in the Zeitgeist

That doesn’t mean Michael was always on top. In the ’80s and early ’90s, Freddy Krueger ruled pop culture. He was bigger than the Pepsi logo. Jason Voorhees wasn’t far behind. Even as a little kid, I knew Freddy as well as I knew Santa Claus.

Freddy and Jason had toys, cameos, and talk show appearances. Michael didn’t, at least nowhere to the extent Freddy and Jason did. For a long time, Halloween was the quieter franchise, the third in line.

And let’s be honest: if Michael had been as popular back then as people like to claim, we would’ve gotten Freddy or Jason vs. Michael decades ago.

How Michael Pulled Ahead

A lot of people still dismiss Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies, but let’s be real, he kept Myers alive. He did what the Nightmare on Elm Street remake tried to do but pushed too far into edgelord territory. He did what the Friday the 13th remake avoided by playing it too safe.

Zombie made his Halloween films controversial. He sparked debates that lasted for years. People accused him of “destroying the franchise,” but by making Michael his own, Zombie did something the other remakes couldn’t, he kept the Shape in the spotlight.

The Nightmare remake doubled down on Freddy’s backstory, leaning too hard into his crimes. Fans hated it. The Friday remake stuck to Jason’s roots but stripped out the undead mystique that made him iconic. It wasn’t a disaster, just forgettable.

Zombie’s Halloween wasn’t forgettable. It made fans argue, defend, attack, and care, and that kept Michael relevant. Even today, more fans are warming up to his take. Back then, he did what the others couldn’t: he kept Myers alive.

Then came Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy. Love it or hate it, it put Myers back in theaters, back in conversations, while Freddy and Jason, unfortunately, stayed silent.

Myers’ Legacy

Here’s the thing: Michael has something Freddy and Jason don’t, no sense of logic.

Freddy and Jason both kill for revenge. It’s twisted but understandable. You know why they do it.

Freddy is intimidating, a burned monster with knives for fingers.
Jason is intimidating, a hulking beast driven by rage.
Michael? He’s something else.

He isn’t scary because he’s monstrous. He’s scary because he’s off. If you saw him across the street, you wouldn’t think “serial killer.” You’d think, who the hell’s that weirdo. That ambiguity, not knowing why he kills, or who he’ll kill next, is what makes him terrifying.

It’s what Billy and Stu said in Scream: movies are scarier when there’s no motive. Michael is that philosophy made flesh. He kills because he kills. He’s the Boogeyman; pure and simple.

Final Thought

I’ll always respect Freddy and Jason. Freddy owned the ’80s. Jason carved his legacy in body count. But Michael Myers endured. Rob Zombie kept him alive when the others went quiet. Blumhouse gave him another trilogy. And his mystique, that blank, emotionless face and total lack of motive… still resonates today.

That’s why Michael isn’t just another slasher icon. In the words of Ash Williams:
“Hail to the king, baby.”