June 13, 2025: Happy Friday the 13th! While many view the date as ominous and filled with bad luck, horror fans know it as the namesake of one of the most iconic slasher franchises in cinematic history. Friday the 13th has become more than just a superstition — it’s a pop culture phenomenon with a legacy built on gore, screams, and one unforgettable villain: Jason Voorhees.
How Many Friday the 13th Movies Are There?
There are currently 12 films in the Friday the 13th franchise, with a prequel series titled Crystal Lake in development. The upcoming series will take fans back to the eerie beginnings of Camp Crystal Lake, where a new generation of unsuspecting counselors will meet their doom.
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Where It All Began
The original Friday the 13th debuted in 1980, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Kevin Bacon, and Jeannine Taylor. The plot follows teenage counselors attempting to reopen the long-abandoned Camp Crystal Lake, only to be hunted by a mysterious killer lurking in the woods. The film’s success helped spawn the golden age of slasher horror throughout the 1980s.
Enter Jason Voorhees: The Face of Fear
Although Jason doesn’t appear as the killer in the first film, he quickly became the franchise’s central and most feared character. The hockey mask-wearing, machete-wielding maniac made his brutal debut in Friday the 13th Part 2 and fully cemented his horror legacy in later sequels, including:
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
- Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
From rising from the lake to returning from the grave, Jason has done it all — including going to space and battling Freddy Krueger.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Spanning decades, video games, comics, and fan conventions, Friday the 13th remains one of the most influential horror franchises of all time. Jason Voorhees stands shoulder-to-shoulder with horror icons like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, symbolizing pure slasher terror.
So, if you’re feeling brave this Friday the 13th, why not dim the lights and revisit the series that made summer camp scary?