10 Scariest Witches In Horror Movies

Since Häxan came out in 1922, witches have been a constant presence in pop culture and spent decades scaring audiences in various shapes and sizes. Like vampires, zombies and werewolves, witches have gone through a variety of iterations over the years - from purely magical individuals, to disgusting hags with no powers, to even less traditional men instead of just women.

Horror films have long used witches in their arsenal of terrifying tools that have allowed them to frequent the genre so often. The ingenuity of the filmmakers involved mean that there are witches from recent years on this list, as the industry finds new and exciting ways to utilise the classic movie monster.

On this list, you will find hideous witches, beautiful witches, powerful witches, powerless witches, witches you will never forget, and witches you never even get to see. The different ways they've been used over the years is extraordinary and makes for an incredibly varied history in film.

Regardless of the pictures they were featured in, these witches all proved to be petrifying examples of one of the most enduring horror villains - a form of villain that shows no sign of going anywhere anytime soon.

Not a typical horror film, but just as horrifying for children and adults alike is this adaption from the work of Roald Dahl. Centred around a boy who discovers a convention of witches who are plotting to turn the world's population of children into mice, the storytelling here is relatively kid friendly.

The appearance of the maniacal and cackling witches isn't quite as welcoming, however, as the execution of their reveal is done in terrifying fashion. The Grand High Witch herself is played by the suitably regal Anjelica Houston, who fully embraces the cruel depravity of the character in every way.

Being able to disguise themselves as ordinary looking humans, the film builds up to the transformation scene. As we see them remove their gloves to reveal their long pronged claws, or peel their skin back to unveil their hideous visage, it is the kind of sequence that will be burned into the mind of any adult let alone the children it was marketed towards.