The 13 Scariest Sawyers/Slaughters/Hewitts

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has given us plenty of frightening psychopaths, with seemingly new ones popping up in each film. I’d guess that’s so they wouldn’t pay royalties for some characters when they could just create new ones, but to be honest, I don’t really understand it. The series just doesn’t seem to care much for continuity.

13. Grandpa Sawyer/Slaughter (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Texas Chainsaw 3D)

Grandpa doesn’t do a whole lot in the series. In fact, he’s sort of a glimpse of dark comedy in the original film, and for some reason his big scene is just redone in the sequel in an even more comedic way. He looks too fake to be truly creepy. I kind of like him better as a decaying corpse like in Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.

12. Tinker “Tink” Sawyer

Chop Top sort of established that some of these characters just need one big quirk. You see that with Chop Top and his metal plate in his head, with Vilmer and his weird mechanical leg thing, and with Tink and his hook. He’s not very scary, and is one of the sillier parts of this movie.

11. Chop Top Sawyer (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II)

A lot of people like Chop Top. Hell, a lot of people like the second movie, though I’m not one of them. Chop Top is one of the reasons I don’t particularly like it. Horror legend Bill Moseley’s performance is so irritatingly over the top that I don’t find him all that scary. Then again, the second movie isn’t really trying to be scary, so there’s that.

10. Darla Slaughter (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation)

Like Tex, Darla is one of those characters that seems completely normal when we first meet her, but really is hiding a bunch of stuff. This was a pretty crazy and stupid movie, but she’s kind of effective.

9. Alfredo Sawyer (Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III)

Alfredo Sawyer has a creepy look to him with his eye. There’s not much to his character, other than he’s apparently a pervert who commits necrophilia. Fairly creepy, but this series would definitely have its more frightening characters.

8. Babi Sawyer (Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III)

There’s something very creepy about a little girl being obsessed with murder.

7. Nubbins Sawyer (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

While his corpse appears in the second movie, he only has one proper appearance in the series (I’m pretty sure he’s in Leatherface, but I don’t think he’s really identified). He’s pretty creepy, and is our first real glimpse of terror in the series.

6. Verna Carson Sawyer (Texas Chainsaw 3D, Leatherface)

While she’s a really small role in Texas Chainsaw 3D, Lili Taylor gives her new life in Leatherface as a commanding matriarch who will do anything for her boy.

5. Edward “Tex” Sawyer (Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III)

Viggo Mortensen is one of the best actors in the series, and he lends Tex a lot of believability. He’s terrifying because he’s completely in control at any given moment. He’s psychotic, but not erratic.

4. Drayton Sawyer (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Texas Chainsaw 3D)

Drayton Sawyer is the most with it in the first movie, and that may be why he’s the scariest. But he’s just a clown in the second movie, winning chili competitions and cracking one-liners. He’s only really a cameo in the opening scene in Texas Chainsaw 3D.

3. Leatherface (every movie in the series)

The mainstay of the franchise, Leatherface has definitely had his ups and downs. He’s really scary of course in the original, but he’s not too threatening in the second, third, or fourth movies. The rebooted series for the most part got him right, except for Texas Chainsaw 3D making him an antihero.

2. Vilmer Slaughter (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation)

Matthew McConaughey’s performance is incredibly over the top, but unlike Moseley’s performance as Chop Top, he manages to be scary. A little silly, sure, but definitely threatening. He’s one of the highlights of the series.

  1. Sheriff Hoyt/Charlie Hewitt, Jr. (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning)

Corrupt cops are scary. When they’re psychotic and played by R. Lee Ermey, they’re absolutely terrifying.

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