The Best Main Characters In The Chucky Franchise Ranked
Ever since his cinematic debut in 1988, Chucky has been striking fear into the hearts of horror fans fearing for the safety of their ankles. This pint-sized slasher villain has enjoyed seven feature films (eight if we count the 2019 remake, made without many of the original cast and crew's blessing). And in that time, this plastic, pint-sized psychopath has shared the screen with a whole host of memorable side characters, chilling human villains, and intrepid heroes. But looking back over the franchise's tenure, some of the series' characters are a little nearer and dearer to our heart than others.
Our favorite "Child's Play" characters run a varied gamut (which is impressive, considering some of them have teeny tiny doll legs), from characters we love to hate to characters we'd like to date. Wait, did we say that part out loud? (Tiffany, if you're reading this, hello). With all that said, make sure you know where your kitchen knives are and press on for our definitive ranking of the best characters in the "Child's Play" movies. Beware story spoilers for the "Child's Play" franchise below.
15. Madeleine
To kick things off, we don't have a goofy human villain or hardened ally but a tragic figure. Madeleine is a patient at the Harrogate mental facility, where our heroine, Nica Pierce, has been relocated after the events of "Curse of Chucky." Over the course of "Cult of Chucky," we slowly piece together the puzzle of Madeleine's past. She murdered her own infant. And the guilt atrophied what remained of her sanity.
So when she sees Chucky, she doesn't see an inanimate doll. She sees her child. And so, Charles Lee Ray takes advantage of the situation, manipulating Madeleine to enact his dastardly plan. She's a victim, but there's always a degree of ambiguity to her complicity in Chucky's murders. The shared whispers between the pair aren't privy to us, but there's something strangely sweet about their final embrace. Madeleine wants to be reunited in the next life with her child, and Chucky is all too willing to oblige (his methods aren't exactly the "peaceful send-off" the hug hinted at). Portrayed by Elisabeth Rosen, Madeleine is an unforgettable character in the "Child's Play" franchise.
14. Pete Peters
"Seed of Chucky" is a lot of things. Crass. Campy. A litmus test for what might be considered "bad taste." But it's not subtle. Case in point — this ridiculous, very gay slasher film stars John Waters. For the uninitiated, John Waters is the impresario of trash. He's an author, artist, and director of transgressive cult movies that feature some of the filthiest acts of depravity ever committed to film. Waters' presence is both a loving nod to the director's perverted reputation and a physical indication of the kind of genre films "Seed of Chucky" wants to align itself with.
Waters plays Pete Peters, a predatory paparazzo whose nose for a scoop leads him to photographing Chucky in a ... compromising position. Unfortunately for pervy Pete, this puts him on Chucky's radar and the wrong end of a jar of sulfuric acid. A skeezy tabloid culture vulture who meets an appropriately sticky end, Pete Peters is an all-time "Child's Play" character more than deserving of his sleazy spot on this list.
13. Chief Warren Kincaid
Chief Warren Kincaid doesn't have a lot of screen time in "Bride of Chucky." But that's mostly because he takes a nail gun to the face when he accidentally threatens Chucky and Tiffany Valentine's plans. Portrayed by the late John Ritter, Chief Warren Kincaid is easily one of the best human villains in the franchise. Kincaid is the uncle and guardian of the lovesick Jade, one half of the star-crossed duo who are (ostensibly) the heroes of the film. It's a miracle that Chief Kincaid can tie his shoes with that stick lodged so firmly up his [redacted]. Lording his authority over his niece at every opportunity, Chief Kincaid is a control freak, a square, and the kind of authority figure who doesn't tend to last long when an agent of chaos like Chucky is around. You absolutely love to hate Chief Kincaid. He's an over-the-top jerk who meets a spectacularly gory end. What more can you ask for from a secondary baddie in a slasher film?
12. Phil Simpson
You'd think a franchise with an un-killable killer doll wouldn't need to add more villains into the mix. But you know what they say: Misery — teeny, plastic, chubby-cheeked misery — loves company. While the vast majority of the human villains in the "Child's Play" franchise are objectively horrible people or cartoonishly evil (Barb Pierce in "Curse of Chucky" springs to mind), not all secondary antagonists are created equal. Enter: Phil Simpson of "Child's Play 2."
After the harrowing events of the first film, you'd hope that poor, traumatized Andy Barclay would find some semblance of peace. But things go sideways for the little guy long before Chucky re-enters the picture. Andy, now in the foster care system, has landed in the Simpson household. And while the kind-hearted Joanne Simpson has a passion for helping troubled kids feel safe and loved, Phil has the nurturing instincts of a plank of soggy cardboard. Andy seems "hard" as far as foster kids go. He has too much "baggage." Can't they send him back?
Portrayed with against-type severity by Gerrit Graham, Phil's controlling edge offers a fun, subtle foil to Chucky's chaos. Phil's not malicious ... he just feels a bit overwhelmed by all this "murder doll" stuff. Even though he's a bit nasty about it, Phil's exasperation is understandable. And in a roster full of over-the-top secondary villains, Phil is far and away one of the best.
11. Mike Norris
Genuinely helpful authority figures aren't exactly plentiful in the "Child's Play" franchise. You're a lot more likely to stumble across corrupt policemen or overworked orderlies than a savior. This feeling of childlike helplessness is paramount to what makes "Child's Play" tick — no one believes you about the killer psychotic doll. And even if they did ... it's not entirely sure that your would-be-hero can shoot straight.
One notable exception is Mike Norris (portrayed by Chris Sarandon in the original film and Brian Tyree Henry in the 2019 remake). Unlike his more closed-minded colleagues, Norris' doesn't discount possibilities when murder investigations need solvin'. Heck, he even considers little innocent Andy a suspect in his babysitter's murder until he witnesses Chucky's shenanigans firsthand. Norris gets bonus points for sticking by the Barclays' in their hour of need, delivering the killing blow with a well-aimed shot to Chucky's heart. He also deserves kudos for being the man who killed (or ... tried to kill) Charles Lee Ray. Norris knows how to get the job done. He also knows how to swallow his pride and pivot when it turns out the "job" in question "knew voodoo and transferred his soul into a child's plaything."
10. Damien
Ah, Damien, we hardly knew ye. However, Damien Baylock (Alexis Arquette) makes the most of his teeny-tiny screen presence in "Bride of Chucky." Living out a goth fantasy that would make any Hot Topic employee proud, Damien (whose real and decidedly less cool real name is Howard Fitzwater) is defined by one, extremely relatable character trait: He's madly in love with Tiffany Valentine. And he's willing to do anything to be her boyfriend. Well, almost anything.
Tiffany gets off on men committing crimes for her, and while Damien is (understandably) head over platform boots in love with her, deep down, he's a law-abiding citizen. Sometimes you just want a beautiful woman to treat you like scum, but you draw the line at going to jail for third-degree murder, you know? Damien is all of us: A leather-clad freak who just wants love and a clean criminal record. Unfortunately for Damien, Tiffany's ex is back in town (and back from beyond the pale, resurrected through voodoo magic). And sadly, mocking Chucky's appearance is a sure-fire way to wind up on the wrong end of the Good Guy's kitchen knife ... or suffocating pillow, in this case.
9. Glenda
You bet your bottom dollar we're treating Billy Boyd's Glen and Glenda as two separate characters. Chucky and Tiffany's infernal offspring has not one but two personalities. And boy howdy, are we big fans of both of 'em, characters named for the 1953 cult film "Glen or Glenda," a semi-autobiographical docu-drama starring writer-director Ed Wood as a person who fluctuates between female and male gender expression.
In "Seed of Chucky," Glenda, the female personality of the pair, is an absolute maniac. We'd say she takes after the worst qualities of her homicidal parents, but if we're being honest, Glenda gives both of her parental units a run for their money. While Glen is mostly in control of their shared body (thank god), Glenda emerges when her brother is especially stressed or overstimulated. Which, given the circumstances of your parents being killer dolls, is bound to happen. We don't see a lot of Glenda, which is why she ranks lower than her brother. But as a truly nightmarish force of chaos, we had to include her on this list. Mostly out of fear for what would happen if we didn't.
8. Glen
When you're the child of two murderous maniacs trapped in plastic doll bodies, it's totally expected that you're going to be a little messed up. Unexpectedly, Glen — sweet, sweet Glen — is an angel. He's soft-spoken, good-hearted, and desperate for a loving family life that doesn't involve nearly so much slaughter. Glen wants to feel loved, supported, and accepted. And he would prefer if that could happen without anyone else having to die.
While it's true that Glen has a body count of his own in "Seed of Chucky," most of his kill count is accidental. Well, mostly. While the murders of Pete Peters and Britney Spears (yep) were unintentional, the patricide was on purpose. But hey, it runs in the family. And we're focusing on the wrong thing — it's super admirable that Glen only committed one real murder considering who his parents are. Indeed, Glen embodies the best, rose-colored qualities of Tiffany Valentine. And we love him for that.
7. Jennifer Tilly
If you somehow clicked on this list and you haven't watched every entry in the "Child's Play" franchise, you might be a little confused right now. What is Jennifer Tilly doing here? Isn't she an actress? And isn't this list about "Child's Play" characters? Strap in. Grab a stiff drink. Whatever you need to do. "Seed of Chucky," for the uninitiated, stars Jennifer Tilly as Jennifer Tilly, an actress who is playing the film-within-the-film version of Tiffany Valentine (not to be confused with Tiffany Valentine, the actual possessed living doll who just happens to sound exactly like Jennifer Tilly).
If your head is spinning, you're starting to get a taste of the postmodern joys that await you in "Seed of Chucky." As this fictional version of herself, Tilly is voracious, crass, and arrogant. She's a comically rude C-list actress who wants to be taken seriously as a thespian. Few people can make fun of themselves, and Tilly's willingness to have fun with her public perception is a joy to watch. She's campy, complicated, and an inventive way to get Tiffany's soul back into Jennifer Tilly's body.
6. Karen Barclay
Look, we stan a single mother doing her best. It really is that simple. Portrayed by Catherine Hicks in director Tom Holland's original and Aubrey Plaza in the 2019 reboot, Karen is a widow, a loving mom, and a heroine worth rooting for. She can't afford her 6-year-old son a Good Guy doll for his birthday. So what does Karen do? She buys a doll from a man in an alleyway. She didn't know it came from a crime scene. And she definitely didn't know that it contained the malicious soul of a serial killer. It was an act of love for her son.
And yeah, sure, it backfired pretty spectacularly, but Karen rises to the occasion once she realizes what's going on. Moms in horror movies don't tend to be allies to young, frightened protagonists (Judy Brewster, from Holland's other notable horror flick, "Fright Night," is a great example of this. Your kid thinks there's a vampire next door? Offer him a valium. Great parenting, Judy). Karen is a notable exception — always in her son's corner, fighting tooth and nail for his well-being until the threat is dead and buried ... for now.
5. Kyle
"Child's Play" earned its reputation as the preeminent LGBTQ+ slasher franchise at the dawn of the new millennium, which saw queer characters and a fierce embrace of camp become staples of the series. But if you know where to look, queer themes have been integral to the series since the early days. Which makes sense. Don Mancini, who's written every entry in the "Child's Play" franchise barring the 2019 remake, is openly gay. And folks tend to draw from their own experiences.
One of the earlier queer themes in the series is the notion of "found family," the idea that LGBTQ+ kids often forge new domestic units in the absence of accepting, or attentive, genetic equivalents. Enter: Kyle, the big sister that Andy never had. In "Child's Play II," Andy meets Kyle (Christine Elise) while in the foster system. Despite her own troubles, Kyle immediately comes to Andy's defense, saving his life and helping him defeat his plastic pursuer. And as we learned in "Cult of Chucky," Kyle is still a permanent fixture in Andy's life. They share the trauma Charles Lee Ray brought into their lives, and they've resolved to fight the menace together to make sure other kids don't suffer the same fate. Kyle's kickass, what can we say?
4. Andy Barclay
While the "Child's Play" franchise would inevitably zoom off the rails with the enthusiasm of a runaway train (and we're all for it), the first handful of entries in the series were full of genuine peril and menace. And while an ankle-slicing possessed doll is terrifying in its own right, what really makes "Child's Play" work as a horror film is Alex Vincent's performance as Andy Barclay. In fact, Vincent earned a Saturn nomination for his performance in the original film.
Vulnerable and whip-smart, Andy Barclay is a protagonist that you root for and fear for in equal measure. He's tiny and innocent, but he's not stupid. And you genuinely mourn for the childhood Andy loses through his encounters with Charles Lee Ray. Chucky stole Andy's life from him ... and no matter how many Chucky clones he kills, he can never get that time back. And yet, psychologically scarred though he may be, Andy comes out the other end of hell dedicated to making sure that no other kid has to go through the same trauma. He isn't just a survivor ... he's a hero.
3. Nica Pierce
If you've been sleeping on the two most recent entries of the OG "Child's Play" franchise, consider this your push to reconsider! One of the key ingredients in what makes "Curse of Chucky" and "Cult of Chucky" so good is Nica Pierce. Played by Fiona Dourif (daughter of Brad Dourif, who plays Chucky), Nica is easily one of the most memorable and compelling female horror protagonists of the last decade.
When we first meet Nica, she's at an incredibly low point. Her sister wants to sell their childhood home before their mother's murdered corpse has had a chance to cool. But Nica is nothing if not tenacious. A lifetime spent in a wheelchair will do that to you. Nica's character arc has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, taking the tenacious final girl to an abusive mental institution and finally positioning her as the new fleshy vessel of Charles Lee Ray. Whether she's fighting for her life or possessed by her mother's killer, Nica rules.
2. Charles Lee Ray (aka Chucky)
The man, the myth, the legendary pint-sized serial killer — Charles Lee Ray rules. Sure, he terrorizes a small child and is a menace to society, but look at that little face! Was Charles Lee Ray's 11th-hour decision to transfer his soul into a doll to cheat death a good move? Objectively no, but for our sakes, we're sure happy he did.
While Chucky begins the franchise pretty straight-faced (though that stiffness might be a result of being encased in a plastic body, now that we think about it), his character progression is truly one for the ages. He goes from desperate homicidal maniac to family man to multi-corporeal god of chaos. Have Freddy or Jason demonstrated that kind of growth in their cinematic slasher tenures? We think not!
Even when he's being a total psycho, you can't deny that Chucky has charm. He's not just a bogeyman who goes bump in the night. He's a worthy intellectual foe, expert gaslighter, and a renegade wit. The whole point of Chucky is that he has a soul. And no matter where that soul winds up — or how many pieces of it wind up in red-haired dolls — you can't help but kind of root for the little guy. He puts his more lumbering, personality-deprived peers to shame. And that's one of the reasons he's stuck around for so long. You can't keep a Good Guy down.
1. Tiffany Valentine
Not to be, uh, dramatic, but we would die for Tiffany. In fact, we're pretty sure the "Child's Play" franchise would've died without her too. Introduced in "Bride of Chucky," Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly) is Chucky's old flame. Such is her love for the homicidal maniac that she goes out of her way to bring his soul back from beyond the pale. Thus begins a new chapter in Tiffany's life — a series of increasingly bonkers events that cement the antiheroine as one of the greatest horror villains of all time.
Placing Tiffany ahead of Chucky might seem controversial, sure. But consider this ... have you seen Tiffany? Have you basked in her Hot Topic glory and heard her Marilyn Monroe purr come out of the body of a 1-foot tall plastic doll? We love Chucky, don't get us wrong, but he can get a little lost in the "I love to kill" sauce sometimes. Tiffany has the range. She's a romantic, a supportive mother, a partner-in-crime, and a sadist all at once. Barbie, eat your heart out.