Every Scream Movie Ranked By Kill Count

The Scream franchise isn’t the goriest or deadliest horror offering out there, but the bodies do pile up during Ghostface’s killing sprees — and some Scream movies boast higher kill counts than others. Scream reinvented the thriller genre back in 1996, introducing a villain and final girl who would eventually become horror icons. The film challenged all the conventions of the genre, breaking just about every slasher movie rule in the process.

Part of the reason Scream works so well is that it’s incredibly self-aware, and that trend continues through its sequels and reboots (or “requels,” as the characters call them). But even at its most meta, Scream takes its story seriously enough to claim numerous lives, making Ghostface a force to be reckoned with. For the most part, the villain’s violence increases over the course of the franchise, making each of his killing sprees feel more consequential than the last.

Related

Every Person Who Played Ghostface In Scream

Scream introduced a horror icon with Ghostface. Which characters in the franchise have worn the Ghostface mask over the 5 movies and TV show?

6 Scream (1996)

Number Of Kills: 8

The original Scream finds Ghostface wreaking havoc on the town of Woodsboro, and Billy Loomis and Stu Macher’s time in the suit results in eight deaths — two of which are their own. The first killing of the original Scream takes place off-screen, with Billy killing Sidney’s mother for having an affair with his father. He admits to this later in the film, but this death technically isn’t shown like the others. The first on-screen deaths belong to Steven Orth and Casey Becker, both of whom perish during Scream‘s iconic opening.

Following this, Billy and Stu don’t stack up too many bodies, as Sidney is their primary target. While the pair are more than happy to kill anyone who gets in their way or helps further their plan, they mainly focus on Sidney and others they dislike. There are later attempts to kill characters like Gale Weathers and Randy Meeks. However, Billy and Stu only manage to murder three more people — Principal Himbry, Tatum, and Kenny — before their plan gets turned around, with them perishing as a result.

5 Scream (2022)

Number Of Kills: 8

2022’s Scream reboot follows many of the same beats as the original film, so it’s fitting that it has the same death tally. Eight characters die during Scream 2022, with the reboot’s main friend group mostly surviving the latest killing spree. The biggest death of 2022’s Scream is undoubtedly Dewey Riley’s, as the original Scream actor gets a heroic send-off during this fight against Ghostface. The other Ghostface murders include Vince Schneider, Sheriff Judy Hicks, Wes Hicks, Deputy Clay, and Liv McKenzie.

The ending of Scream 2022 reveals another duo as Ghostface: Richie Kirsch and Amber Freeman. In true Scream fashion, both die gruesome deaths at the hands of the movie’s protagonists. Richie’s demise sets up the big reveal of 2023’s Scream VI, which boasts a much higher kill count than its predecessor.

4 Scream 2 (1997)

Number Of Kills: 10

Scream 2 sees Ghostface following Sidney to college, and the sequel ramps up the number of deaths from the 1996 film. Ghostface’s return in Scream 2 results in the murders of 10 people over the course of the film. Among Ghostface’s student victims are Phil Stevens, Maureen Evans, Cici Cooper, Hallie McDaniel, and Derek Feldman. Scream 2 also kills of Randy Meeks, proving the character too unlucky to make it through two Scream installments. Officer Andrews and Officer Richards also perish attempting to rein in the killer.

Scream 2 continues the two-killer Ghostface trend, and it offers revenge as a motive yet again. The movie reveals that Billy Loomis’ mother, Nancy Loomis, is the mastermind behind the Winsor College Murders, with Mickey Altieri helping her. Both characters die before the credits roll, proving yet again that donning the Ghostface mask never really pays off.

3 Scream 3 (2000)

Number Of Kills: 10

Scream 3 moves the action to Hollywood, where the franchise’s most meta storyline finds Ghostface killing the actors filming Stab 3 — the fictionalized version of the very movie it appears in. This inventive addition to the franchise maintains the same number of kills as Scream 2, clocking in at 10 deaths in total. The film’s opening kills off talk-show host Christine Hamilton and Scream 2‘s Cotton Weary. Ghostface then goes on to murder Sarah Darling, Steven Stone, Tom Prinze, Angelina Tyler, Tyson Fox, Jennifer Jolie, and John Milton, mostly using his usual tactics.

Related

Scream 3’s Major Death Retcon Explained (How It Changes Sidney’s Story)

Scream 3’s Ghostface reveal included some dark secrets about Sidney’s family, which changed her story and made it more complex and tragic.

The third Scream installment sets itself apart within the franchise, as it’s the only movie to reveal just one Ghostface killer at the end. Sidney’s half-brother, Roman Bridger, isn’t just responsible for this movie’s murders, either. The ending also reveals that his actions led to Billy’s massacre in the first Scream movie. Like every Ghostface before him, Roman perishes after his time in the costume is done. He dies at the hands of Sidney and Dewey, though his influence over the franchise remains.

2 Scream 4 (2011)

Number Of Kills: 11

The final chapter of the original Scream series, Scream 4 returns Ghostface and Sidney to Woodsboro for a final showdown — at least until the 2022 reboot reunites the duo once more. Scream 4 has the highest kill count of the original four films, and it boasts the second-highest body count of the franchise. Ghostface’s return to Woodsboro results in the deaths of 11 characters, a fitting high for what was almost the franchise’s final outing. Marnie Cooper and Jenny Randall are Ghostface’s gruesome opening kills, but the killer claims many more victims. The others include Olivia Morris, Rebecca Walters, Deputy Hoss, Deputy Perkins, Kate Roberts, Robbie Mercer, and Trevor Sheldon.

Scream 4 returns to the first two movies’ tradition of having two killers, this time revealing Charlie Walker and Jill Roberts as the two Ghostfaces. The pair strive to recreate the original Woodsboro Murders, motivated by Charlie’s obsession with the Stab movies and Charlie’s envy. The duo eventually turns on each other, dying in typical Scream killer fashion.

1 Scream VI (2023)

Number Of Kills: 14

Scream VI takes the cake as the Scream movie with the most kills, making it a fitting — if unexpected — conclusion to the Carpenter sisters’ story. In this 2023 sequel, Ghostface follows Samantha and Tara to New York, unleashing the horror villain’s usual violence in a larger setting. Perhaps that’s why Scream VI claims 14 lives over the course of its two-hour run. Many of these are minor players, including the opening sequence’s Laura Crane, who’s killed by short-lived Ghostface Jason Carvey. Jason and his accomplice, Greg, are killed by the sequel’s real Ghostface. That Ghostface also murders two customers in a bodega and the cashier before moving onto bigger prey.

As important characters go, Scream VI‘s Ghostface takes the lives of people in Samantha and Tara’s sphere, including Dr. Stone, Paul, and Anika Kayoko. Ghostface also kills Gale Weathers’ boyfriend, Books, while pursuing her. The sixth Scream movie pulls its ending reveal from Scream 2, with one significant change: this film has a whopping three killers behind the mask. The Bailey family takes up this mantle following Richie’s death in Scream2022. His father, sister, and brother — Wayne, Quinn, and Ethan — attempt to kill the Carpenters and everyone close to them. However, they don’t succeed, with Samantha and Tara turning the tables and killing them instead.