The Definitive Jason Voorhees Movies In Order (2025 Update): Every Film Ranked And Explained

For decades, Jason Voorhees has been the undisputed king of the slasher genre, a hulking, silent menace whose iconic hockey mask is instantly recognizable across the globe. But with 12 films in the main franchise, plus a major prequel series and a new movie on the way, figuring out the correct *Jason movies in order* can be a confusing journey through time jumps, dream sequences, and even outer space. This guide, updated for December 2025, cuts through the confusion, providing the definitive release order of the entire saga, alongside the latest news on the "Jason Universe" content currently in development.

The *Friday the 13th* franchise is one of the most enduring horror sagas, spawning billions of dollars in revenue and creating a pop culture icon. While the films are best watched in their release order to track the evolution of Jason's character and his increasing supernatural abilities, we'll also dive into the behind-the-scenes facts, including the accidental origin of the famous hockey mask and which films truly made the most money at the box office.

The Complete Jason Voorhees Filmography: Release Order (1980–2009)

Watching the films in their theatrical release order is the simplest and most satisfying way to experience the saga, as each movie builds directly on the last, even when the timeline gets a little murky. This list is the official, sequential order of all 12 films in the main franchise, culminating in the 2009 reboot.

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• 1. Friday the 13th (1980)
  The Origin Story: The film where Jason Voorhees is famously *not* the killer. The antagonist is his mother, Pamela Voorhees, seeking revenge for her son's alleged drowning at Camp Crystal Lake in 1957. This film establishes the lore and the setting.
• 2. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
  Jason's Debut: Jason officially takes over as the killer, two months after the events of the first film. He is shown wearing a sack over his head with one eyehole—the pre-hockey mask look.
• 3. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
  The Hockey Mask: The most pivotal film in the series. Jason finds and dons his iconic hockey mask after killing a prankster named Shelly. This film is also notable for being released in 3D.
• 4. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
  Tommy Jarvis's Introduction: This film was intended to conclude the series, featuring the definitive battle between Jason and a young Tommy Jarvis, who seemingly kills the slasher.
• 5. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
  The Imposter: The most controversial entry. Jason is dead, and the killer is a copycat named Roy Burns, driven by grief. Tommy Jarvis is now a troubled teenager.
• 6. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
  The Supernatural Turn: After fan backlash to *A New Beginning*, Jason is resurrected by a bolt of lightning, transforming him into the undead, zombie-like killer we know today. This film cemented his supernatural status.
• 7. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
  Jason vs. Carrie: Jason is pitted against a new protagonist, Tina Shepard, a teenager with telekinetic powers (often compared to Stephen King's Carrie).
• 8. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
  Misleading Title: Despite the title, Jason only spends the final 20 minutes of the film in New York City. Most of the action takes place on a cruise ship sailing from Crystal Lake.
• 9. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
  Body-Hopping: This film introduces the lore that Jason is a demonic entity that can transfer his soul from body to body, an attempt to explain how he keeps returning.
• 10. Jason X (2002)
  Jason in Space: Jason is cryogenically frozen in 2010 and awakens in the year 2455 on a spaceship, leading to his transformation into the futuristic "Uber Jason."
• 11. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
  The Crossover Event: The highly anticipated crossover film that pits Jason Voorhees against the other horror icon, Freddy Krueger, from the *A Nightmare on Elm Street* franchise.
• 12. Friday the 13th (2009)
  The Reboot: A complete reimagining of the first four films, streamlining Jason's origin and combining elements of the original series into a modern slasher.

The Box Office Battle: Ranking Jason's Biggest Hits and Deepest Cuts

While the original films were cheap to make and highly profitable, the franchise's biggest financial successes came from the later, more ambitious projects. Understanding the box office performance helps explain the creative decisions made over the decades.

The highest-grossing film in the entire franchise is, unsurprisingly, Freddy vs. Jason (2003). This crossover event was a massive hit, grossing over $116 million worldwide against a budget of around $30 million, proving that the combined star power of the two slasher icons was a huge draw for horror fans.

The second biggest hit is the Friday the 13th (2009) remake, which debuted with an impressive $40.5 million opening weekend and went on to gross over $65 million domestically. This success showed there was a massive appetite for a modern take on the Crystal Lake killer.

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On the flip side, the films that struggled the most commercially were often the most experimental. Jason X (2002), which took Jason to space, and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), with its body-hopping plot, are generally considered the lowest points in the box office history of the main saga, though they maintain a cult following among hardcore fans.

Behind the Mask: Essential Trivia and The Hockey Mask's Accidental Origin

The evolution of Jason Voorhees from a drowned boy to a machete-wielding, undead killer is rich with fascinating behind-the-scenes stories. The most crucial piece of trivia concerns his iconic look, which wasn't planned at all.

The Sack Mask and Jason's First Appearance

In *Friday the 13th Part 2*, Jason's initial appearance as the main killer features him wearing a burlap sack over his head. This look was a direct homage to *The Town That Dreaded Sundown* and was intended to be his signature look. Furthermore, in a shocking piece of trivia, the very first on-screen appearance of Jason as an adult killer in the opening of *Part 2* was actually played by a woman, stunt coordinator Betsey Palmer, to make him appear more unsettling and less like a hulking man.

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The Accidental Hockey Mask

The iconic hockey mask was introduced in *Friday the 13th Part III* (1982) purely by chance. During a lighting test, the film's mask supervisor, Martin Sadoff, brought a Detroit Red Wings hockey mask to the set as a joke. Director Steve Miner immediately loved the look, believing it gave the character a more distinct and menacing silhouette, and decided to use it permanently. This simple, accidental choice redefined the slasher genre and created one of cinema's most recognizable villains.

The Man Behind the Mask

Over the years, many actors and stuntmen have portrayed Jason Voorhees, contributing to the character's physical presence. The most famous and fan-favorite actor is Kane Hodder, who played Jason in four consecutive films: *Part VII*, *Part VIII*, *Jason Goes to Hell*, and *Jason X*. His physical, lumbering performance and signature head-tilt are considered definitive by many fans of the franchise.

The Future of Crystal Lake: A New Movie and Prequel Series Update (2025)

After years of legal battles over the rights to the franchise, the "Jason Universe" is finally expanding with fresh, canonical content, making this the most exciting time for fans in over a decade. The latest updates for 2025 include both a new film and a major television series.

The Crystal Lake Prequel Series

The most concrete new project is the upcoming A24 television series, Crystal Lake, which serves as a prequel to the original 1980 film. The series is being developed by Bryan Fuller, known for his work on *Hannibal*, and will star Linda Cardellini as the younger Pamela Voorhees. Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane has teased that the series, which has recently wrapped filming, will be a "paranoid '70s thriller" and not a traditional slasher, though he has promised "rivers of blood" for horror fans.

The 13th Film and Reboot Talks

While the *Crystal Lake* series focuses on Jason's mother, the big screen is also set for a return of the hockey-masked killer. There are strong indications and reports of a new, 13th *Friday the 13th* film, with a potential release date locked in for March 13, 2025. Furthermore, original franchise director Sean S. Cunningham has been in talks to develop a new reboot of the original *Friday the 13th*, suggesting a fresh start for Jason's big-screen saga is imminent.

Whether you are a seasoned horror veteran or a newcomer to the Voorhees family saga, the best way to prepare for the new wave of content is to watch the original films in their release order. From the original Camp Crystal Lake massacre to his intergalactic adventures as Uber Jason, the journey of this iconic slasher is a crucial piece of horror cinema history.