The Most Memorable Goth Characters From Movies
Goths have been a source of curiosity, outrage, self-expression, and fear since the 1970s. Inspired by the New Romantic fashions and Edwardian era, the goth umbrella is wide but cohesive, with various genres reaching beyond the traditional modern subculture represented by some of the best goths in movies today.
Often known for their black hair, sexy and sinister demeanor, love for the weird, unusual, and scary, that's not to say that goth characters are a monolith. In fact, you'll find plenty of goth icons in film showcasing a variety of expressions and characteristics.
Goth representation began long before this concrete subculture developed. Gothic literature has existed since the late 18th century, and some of the media's most beloved goths made their first appearance on the silver screen. From 1915 to today, the best goth characters - including comic-book goths, anime goths, male and female goths alike, iconic horror staples, characters from the 80s and 90s who still stand the test of time, and plenty more famous goth film characters - have sent our cultural environment to darker and more romantic depths, and the best goth characters in movies prove that.
The goth aesthetic today is alive and well, but let's take a look back at some of the all-time best and most memorable goth characters throughout film history.
- 11,196 VOTES
Type of goth: Romantic.
Aesthetic: Witch matriarch.
Signature quote: "They say she danced naked in the town square and enslaved a minister! But don't worry, we told Wednesday, 'College first.'"
General outlook on life: She has unwavering support for her repulsive, close-knit family of beloved freaks.Morticia Addams (Anjelica Huston) is living proof that you don’t age out of being a goth, and gothdom is certainly not a phase. Fierce and somber, Morticia loves her family unconditionally while still embracing their gruesome lifestyle. She even punishes her children for behaving "pleasantly."
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- 21,037 VOTESPhoto: Beetlejuice/Warner Bros.
Type of goth: Traditional.
Aesthetic: All black, lace, modest cut.
Signature quote: "Live people ignore the strange and unusual."
General outlook on life: Embrace the end, life is best lived alone.Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is a perfect case study for the many dimensions of goth mentality. She is sensitive, serious, and deeply morbid. She contains the emotional depths her family lacks, to the point where she summons her household ghosts while searching for support. The big hair and lace choker simply materialize her dark personality.
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- 3877 VOTESPhoto: The Crow/Lionsgate
Type of goth: Traditional, heavily influenced by Robert Smith.
Aesthetic: Clown-adjacent street fighter.
Signature quote: "So the crow spirals down through a collapsed dream and the only sound it makes is like a concave scream."
General outlook on life: There is nothing more beautiful than abject pain.In The Crow, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) is resurrected one year after he was slain alongside his wife the night before their wedding. His character is entirely motivated by revenge, and the darkness that drives him is not only romantic, but dangerous.
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- 4908 VOTESPhoto: The Craft/Columbia Pictures
Type of goth: Catholic high school goth.
Aesthetic: Studs, chains, and leather.
Signature quote: "We are the weirdos, mister."
General outlook on life: Knowledge is power and power corrupts, so have some fun with it.In the later decades of the 20th century, Nancy (Fairuza Balk) was the avatar of teen goth danger. She is troubled, intelligent, and more than willing to use her newfound supernatural powers to cause chaos and gain followers. Her gothness is further enhanced by her parochial school surroundings, which adds an element of daring and defiance to her character.
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- 5894 VOTES
Type of goth: Romantic meets extreme body modification.
Aesthetic: Tim Burton's platonic ideal.
Signature quote: "I am not complete."
General outlook on life: Hack away until you make something beautiful.Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp) inspired an entire generation of spooky kids to paint their faces white and tape sharp blades to their fingers. Mostly nonverbal and skittish in human interactions, Edward can only communicate and obtain social value through his profoundly skilled yet highly cursed scissorhands.
- 6725 VOTES
Type of goth: Evil fairy.
Aesthetic: Imposing vampire bat.
Signature quote: "The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But, before the sun sets on her 16th birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and [perish]."
General outlook on life: If she's not having fun, no one is.She’s known as the "Mistress of All Evil," a foil to the good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Maleficent is the fairy godmother who makes Princess Aurora ill and punishes her with eternal sleep for not being invited to her christening.
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- 7565 VOTESPhoto: Hellraiser/RLJ Entertainment
Type of goth: Industrial.
Aesthetic: Extreme body modification.
Signature quote: "Pain has a face. Allow me to show it to you."
General outlook on life: When you have been failed by God and mankind, wipe out everything in your path.Pinhead’s demeanor was an unusual departure from the typical horror villain. Reserved and articulate, his previous humanity adds to his unnerving cool affect. In an interview, Clive Barker, Pinhead's creator, describes the character as "a cross between an administrator and a surgeon who is responsible for running a hospital where there are no wards, only operating theaters."
The cold callousness of the reigning Cenobite is incredibly goth.
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Type of goth: Cyberpunk.
Aesthetic: Form-fitting leather and studs.
Signature quote: "Lie still. I've never done this before... and there will be blood."
General outlook on life: Human relationships are disappointing.Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is known for her antisocial behavior, as well as her dogged determination to find and punish predatory men by any means necessary. Her world-class hacking skills and extraordinary memory abilities elevate her to a nearly superhuman status.
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- 9835 VOTES
Type of goth: Wizard.
Aesthetic: Dark academia.
Signature quote: "You have your mother’s eyes."
General outlook on life: Love manifests in curious, disturbing ways.At first, Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) may not seem like a true goth. He comes from a franchise with an overall uplifting message and appears to be a stickler for the rules. Plus, no self-respecting goth would wear a robe so magnificent without whiting out their face. Snape’s single-minded focus on challenging and protecting the child of his departed, unrequited love is both deranged yet romantic; and for this reason he is considered a prime goth.
- 10572 VOTES
Dracula From 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'
Type of goth: Scorned soldier turned seductive vampire.
Aesthetic: "A** Bum Head," according to Syfy Wire.
Signature quote: "I renounce God! I renounce him! I shall rise from my own [demise] to avenge hers with all the powers of darkness."
General outlook on life: If your wife perishes, surround yourself with blood-thirsty Transylvanian women who are also called brides, and who will protect you as you seduce the reincarnation of your late wife.Dracula (Gary Oldman) is undeniably the face of the vampire genre. If that’s not goth enough, his way of expressing his heartbreak is renouncing God and taking up hypnotic seduction. The 1992 adaptation of Dracula also solidifies the canon of Winona Ryder’s ongoing love affair with the undead.
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- 11643 VOTESPhoto: Batman Returns/Warner Bros.
Type of goth: The Black Cat.
Aesthetic: Leather-clad anti-hero.
Signature quote: "As I was saying, I'm a woman and can't be taken for granted. Life's a b*tch, now so am I."
General outlook on life: You can live fully and recklessly when you have nine lives to spare.Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) turned into her sultry goth alter ego, Catwoman, out of pure spite. A troubled woman who has a touch-and-go relationship with reality, Catwoman turns from a meek, downtrodden secretary into a menace and a force to be reckoned with when she dons her leather suit.
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- 12526 VOTES
Type of goth: Mattel-core.
Aesthetic: Bride of Frankenstein Cabbage Patch Kid.
Signature quote: "Barbie, eat your heart out."
General outlook on life: It's better to be dead than wed.Tiffany's (Jennifer Tilly) transformation into a doll at the beginning of the Bride of Chucky is a direct result of her immutable predilection for serial slayers and otherwise unsavory people. Despite having her soul sealed away inside of a doll and being taken out by Chucky multiple times, she continues to rise with bigger hair and a bigger attitude.
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- 13292 VOTES
The Vampire From 'A Fool There Was'
Photo: A Fool There Was/EPIXType of goth: Vamp femme fatale.
Aesthetic: Evil showgirl.
Signature quote: "Kiss me, my fool!"
General outlook on life: In a silent film, you can wreck a home without ever uttering a word.Theda Bara’s "vampire woman" was the emblematic femme fatale that birthed the archetype of the "Vamp." A "Vamp" is a woman who causes mayhem and moral degradation that ruins lives. When the unnamed vampire woman meets lawyer John Schuyler aboard a ship, she sinks her proverbial teeth (she is never shown to be a true vampire) into the hapless businessman, turning him into a "fool" who ultimately abandons his wife and children.
- 14362 VOTESPhoto: Ginger Snaps/FilmRise
Type of goth: High school goth.
Aesthetic: Angsty small-town teenager.
Signature quote: "High school: just a mindless little breeders' machine."
General outlook on life: If you can’t beat 'em, join 'em.Brigitte (Emily Perkins) serves as the voice of reason as her sister descends into a vicious werewolf, and she proves that a "blood bond" with a loved one can take on literal meaning. The trauma she endures for her beloved sister is both melodramatic and incredibly dark.
- 15296 VOTESPhoto: Night of the Demons/MGM
Type of goth: The platonic ideal of goth dancing.
Aesthetic: The undead bride-to-be.
Signature quote: "We all experienced it! The noise, the stink, and the chill! All signs of demonic infestation!"
General outlook on life: Demonic possession is attractive and it should be shared with your friends.Angela (Amelia Kinkade) is the perfect example of a Chaotic Goth. There is nothing shy or withdrawn about her, and at one point she dances sensually to Bauhaus in front of a fire after a seance gone horribly awry. Furthermore, she’s only active during Halloween - the best day for goths to be out in the world.
