Friday the 13th’s iconic slasher Jason Voorhees isn’t known for his sparkling conversation, but contrary to popular belief, he’s spoken three times throughout the series. The Friday the 13th movies are arguably the purest distillation of the slasher formula, following a hulking dude in a mask murdering dumb teens with various sharp tools.
There is something downright comforting in the simple pleasures the franchise offers. From Jason’s hockey mask to his fondness for walking really slooooowly, the slasher is also one of the genre’s most iconic. In contrast to other boogeymen like Freddy Krueger or Pennywise, Jason never taunts or mocks his victims either.
Jason’s non-verbal nature makes the character scarier, as he offers no reasoning or motives; he’s just a blank killing machine. Of course, rules are made to be broken, and there have been some occasions where Jason spoke up.
This puts him ahead of his biggest rival, Michael Myers, who spoke exactly one word in Rob Zombie’s director’s cut of Halloween 2. It should also be noted that one instance of Jason talking might be the most contested scene in the entire Friday the 13th saga.
Every Time Jason Voorhees Speaks In The Friday The 13th Movie Series
Any horror trivia nerd will know that Jason isn’t actually the killer of the original movie; that’s his vengeful mother, Pamela (Betsy Palmer). Pamela is only revealed as the killer in Friday the 13th’s ending, where she has been murdering camp counselors due to the accidental drowning of her son Jason years before.
In a brief flashback to the night Jason drowned, the boy is heard calling for help. For years, this would be the sole instance where the slasher spoke onscreen, but 1989’s Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan broke that silence in many ways.
Throughout the story, the sequel’s heroine, Renee (Jensen Daggett), has visions of the drowning Jason. In each instance, young Jason is begging for help, and has seemingly formed a psychic bond with Renee, as she too almost drowned in Crystal Lake as a child. In the finale, the grown Jason chases her through New York’s sewers.
Ken Kirzinger, who would play Jason in the 2003 crossover Freddy vs Jason, is briefly seen as a cook who gets attacked by Jason in Friday the 13th Part VIII.
It turns out toxic waste flushes the sewers every night, so when Jason sees the flood coming towards him, he utters “Mommy, don’t let me drown!” in a child’s voice. The last instance of the killer talking is a rule-smashing sequence from 1993’s Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.
For reasons too convoluted to explain, the ninth film has Jason hopping between various bodies. One sequence sees heroine Jessica (Kari Keegan) being approached by two police officers, and she knows one of them is possessed by Jason’s spirit. Both officers approach her, offering calming words while accusing the other of being possessed.
There’s no need to spoil the reveal, but having Jason speak so eloquently goes against everything the Friday the 13th movies had established about the character. Director Adam Marcus also knew this was a big cheat, but he also couldn’t figure out a better way to stage the standoff.
Why Jason Speaks So Rarely In The Friday The 13th Series
Curiously enough, there has never been a canon explanation for Jason’s non-verbal nature. The original established that Jason was born with several congenital disorders, and while he’s heard speaking in his drowning scene, it’s assumed his subsequent years alone in the woods removed his ability to speak.
It’s quite possible brain damage from his near-drowning may have played a role in this, too. Considering Friday the 13th took so much from Halloween, where Michael Myers is also a silent stalker, it may have been decided it was best to keep Jason non-verbal to make him more menacing.
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- Movie(s)
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Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives, Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood, Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), Jason X (2001), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), Friday the 13th
- First Film
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Friday the 13th (1980)
- Latest Film
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Friday the 13th
- First TV Show
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Friday the 13th: The Series (1987)
- Latest TV Show
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Friday the 13th: The Series (1987)
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Crystal Lake
The Friday the 13th film franchise is a chilling saga centered around the cursed Camp Crystal Lake and the supernatural serial killer Jason Voorhees. Known for his iconic hockey mask and relentless brutality, Jason is a nigh-indestructible force driven by vengeance. The series follows different groups of teenagers who encounter Jason, leading to gruesome fates. Spanning several decades and various settings, from Camp Crystal Lake to the bustling streets of Manhattan, the franchise combines supernatural elements with slasher horror.
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Friday the 13th
7/10
- Release Date
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May 9, 1980
- Runtime
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95 minutes
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Betsy Palmer
Mrs. Voorhees
