The Complete History of Jason Voorhees from ‘Friday the 13Th’

Horror hardcore and genre enthusiasts are undoubtedly familiar with the immortal, powerful horror villain known as Jason Voorhees. From blood-stained apparel to his own interactive video game, the zombie-like creature has become synonymous with the realm of horror, etching his name into the genre’s history as one of the most recognizable baddies of all time. Without question, Jason’s influence has stretched so far and beyond that the figure has become a mainstay in pop culture relevance. However, there’s a good chance that moviegoers aren’t entirely educated on Jason’s complicated past — and that’s where this in-depth analysis comes into play.

Across ten out of twelve films in the long-standing Friday the 13th franchise, Jason Voorhees has effectively stalked, tortured, and brutalized victims from all walks of life. Officially introduced in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Jason’s main objective is to seek revenge on the camp counselors that not only murdered his mother Pamela Voorhees, but also let Jason drown in the water at Camp Crystal Lake as a young child. And while some horror villains have an unclear motive for their murders, Jason’s thirst for retribution is quite obvious.

With the franchise currently at a standstill due to a previous lawsuit involving Victor Miller and Sean S. Cunningham, recent cryptic messages from New Line Cinema have teased the possibility that the franchise could receive a long-awaited resurrection. So, before the franchise seemingly returns from the dead, let’s unfold the bone-chilling events of Jason Voorhees’ entire life, starting from the unnerving beginning.

Jason Voorhees is born to parents Pamela and Elias Voorhees

Upon Jason’s birth in 1947, it was apparent that he would face incredible difficulties in his life. In his childhood, Jason suffered from physical and mental deformities, along with an assumed mental disorder that resulted in Pamela wishing to keep Jason out of public school and at home with her. It’s never exactly revealed what the cause of Jason’s disabilities was, but a slew of horror fans believe that Pamela and her husband Elias might have been related and connected to the same bloodline.

Nevertheless, Jason’s deformities caused great difficulty for him and eventually resulted in Jason being bullied during his time at Camp Crystal Lake — a summer camp that his mother sent him to. Jason’s disbursing physical appearance was the main source of the bullying, and counselors at the camp seemed to be disinterested in protecting Jason from said bullies.

Jason drowns at Camp Crystal Lake at the age of 11

To escape his bullies and give himself a few moments of peace, Jason wandered down the pier at Camp Crystal Lake, only to fall into the water and drown. Because Jason was often kept at home with his mother, he never learned how to properly swim, which inadvertently caused his death. Initially, Pamela Voorhees sent her son to the camp to help him gain exposure with other kids his own age and create social skills, but she was unaware of the consistent bullying that her son was enduring.

As explained in the movies, the counselors that were supposed to be watching Jason were off having sex in the nearby cabins. And while no other children at the camp actually forced Jason to drown, it’s obvious that the other kids certainly didn’t care enough to check on him, and simply stood by and watched as Jason drowned in the lake.