Jason Voorhees was not the villain of the first Friday The 13th, but once he debuted in the sequel, he would carry the franchise, and is likely returning to the upcoming reboot of the series. Not many characters in cinema have the fortune of lasting over thirty years.
When anyone thinks of Jason, the image of the iconic hockey mask instantly comes to mind. However, for the fans, the face behind the mask is always a highlight. Usually saved until the climactic final act, Jason’s face is revealed, and over the course of eleven movies, each unmasked Jason is unique to each film.
The Precursor Jason
Friday The 13th Part 2 (1981)
This was before the franchise found its footing. Everything about this version of Jason would not carry over into future sequels. One of those aspects would be the grand reveal of Jason’s face as he leaps through a window.
While effective in Friday The 13th Part 2, this version of Jason did not age well. The long red hair, the beard, and the overall farmer look make Jason look more akin to a Wrong Turn or The Hills Have Eyes character. Still, it did the job of a good scare and planted the seeds for better versions of Jason to come
Proto-Jason
Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982)
It wasn’t until the third film that Jason finally dons the iconic hockey mask that he is known for. It was also in Friday The 13th Part 3 that the blueprint for Jason’s look was established: tall, muscular, bald, and imposing. The only returning feature from Part 2 is the deformed eye. The unmasked Jason is used quite effectively in Part 3.
Once, he takes it off to taunt a character he had faced in the past. The most memorable scene is when he recovers from his ax wound to chase after Chris trying to escape on the boat. Even though it turns out to be a dream, his creepy grin and the speed of Jason are enough to scare anyone.
The Definitive Jason
Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)
Richard Brooker revolutionized Jason in Part 3, while Ted White’s portrayal of Jason in Friday The 13th Part IV perfected him. With special-effects artist Tom Savini behind the scenes, the look of Jason was enhanced. It keeps everything that made Part 3‘s Jason so memorable and manages to do it even better.
After Tommy Jarvis tricks Jason, his sister Trish uses Jason’s own machete to knock off the mask. Then Tommy embeds the machete right into the killer’s head, making him fall right on the machete to deal even more damage and show off more of Savini’s great work. For many, Part IV featured the quintessential human version of Jason.
The Fake Jason
Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985)
Technically, this one doesn’t belong since it is not Jason. It is a paramedic named Roy Burns going on a killing spree after his son was killed. However, in the context of Friday The 13th Part V: The New Beginning, the identity of this Jason is kept as a mystery until the climax.
Roy Burns is unmasked when he is killed. It’s an unmasking that left many Friday The 13th fans disappointed and confused. Not only did Roy Burns dress up like Jason, but he wore a fancy prosthetic to make his head look like Jason’s head. A twist ending that left a sour taste in fans’ mouths, but the movie has its followers.
Resurrected Jason
Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
After Part V disappointed fans, Jason would return with a bang. Literally, as Tommy Jarvis accidentally revives Jason via a lightning bolt. Jason remains masked throughout Jason Lives, but his face is shown at the beginning before he regains his mask.
Hidden mainly in the shadows, the few clear looks at the decayed undead look at Jason are actually scary. Jason resembles a zombie who would not be out of place in George A. Romero’s zombie movies. The only problem with it is that it is only featured in the opening prologue.
Zombie Jason
Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1987)
Much like with Part 3 and Part 4, The New Blood takes what Jason Lives established and dials it up to eleven. Jason’s makeup in The New Blood is gnarly and disturbing, with his face exposed for a majority of the climax and played perfectly by Kane Hodder.
The New Blood version of Jason is much more damaged, rotten, and even more fitting of a zombie description. Though it was not Tom Savini, John Carl Buechler is easily the best follow-up to him. If Part IV has the definitive human Jason, The New Blood has the definitive undead Jason.
Slimy Jason
Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1988)
In a drastic downgrade, Jason Takes Manhattan was given a much lower budget. Everything about Jason was reduced in comparison to The New Blood. The overall design of the character with the mask on has fans split. Some love the slimy look while others found it too simple and cheap.
Where fans all agree is when Jason takes off his mask. Rather than an intricate zombie design, Jason’s face looks like someone took a Halloween decoration and melted it. It looks laughable and makes an already hated sequel even worse for many fans. Kane Hodder deserved better than Jason Takes Manhattan.
Unfrozen Jason
Jason X (2001)
In a franchise such as Friday The 13th with so many entries, it was inevitable that one movie would go into space. When Jason is unthawed by scientists in the distant future, Jason’s face is shown only briefly during an autopsy. Surprisingly, in a movie where everything is so cheap and tacky, Jason’s face is a superb practical effect.
Unfortunately, it does not match anything seen prior in the films and comes off more like a mutated Jason rather than an undead. The face never appears again, and Uber Jason is given no unmasking.
Back To Roots Jason
Friday The 13th (2009)
In the Friday The 13th reboot, Jason Voorhees is back to his human form and played by Derek Mears. He’s fast, deadly, and a rather cunning hunter. Paying respect to his debut in Part 2, Jason starts with a sack mask which is torn off when he attacks the farmer.
This is the only time Jason’s face is shown, and like in Jason Lives, it’s kept in the shadows. An odd choice since the special effect is pretty good in behind-the-scenes photos and the few glimpses seen in the movie. It would mark the last time fans have seen Jason’s face until possibly in the upcoming reboot.
