10 Most Iconic Characters From Cult Classic Movies

Vague as the term may be, the fact is that cult cinema is one of the most important, historied, and beloved branches of film. These are movies that usually (though not always) performed poorly at the time of their release but later started to grow a loyal cult-like following. Fandom, irony, re-watches, and midnight screenings are all crucial elements that define cult cinema.

Throughout their history, cult films have offered audiences several of the medium’s most iconic and memorable characters. From characters that are well known because of how compelling and well-written they are, like Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, to ones famous for how badly crafted they are, like Johnny from The Room, cult cinema’s most iconic figures are always a blast to follow. These are the most iconic characters from cinema’s best cult movies, many of which are outright legends in modern cinema.

10 Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal)

‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)

The film that revitalized the midnight cult classic circuit at the turn of the century, Richard Kelly‘s Donnie Darko is the perfect gateway into cult cinema for teens. It’s about a troubled teenager who, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, starts to be plagued by visions of a tall man in a rabbit suit who warns him about the impending end of the world and manipulates him to commit crimes.

One of the creepiest cult classics ever, this time travel extravaganza is as terrifying as a movie can get without actually being a horror movie. A huge part of that sense of mystery, fear, and uneasiness comes from the lead character, Donnie, played by an impeccable Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s far from any teen movie hero archetype, perfectly fitting the film’s clever satirization of the genre. His arc is absolutely fascinating, and its ambiguous conclusion is one of the biggest factors that have made this such a big cult hit.

9 Divine (Divine)

‘Pink Flamingos’ (1972)

In satirizing exploitation movies — themselves a key field of the cult circuit — John Waters made what many consider one of the sickest movies ever made. It’s Pink Flamingos, a raunchy dark comedy about a notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure going up against a sleazy married couple who try to humiliate her and snatch her title as “The Filthiest Person Alive.”

The lead character is Divine, played by legendary cult figure Divine, a renowned drag queen and common collaborator of Waters. Her instantly recognizable appearance and off-putting demeanor make her one of the most unmistakable presences in cult cinema. Divine embodies everything that cult cinema is all about, meaning shock, transgression, subversion, and so much camp that it’s nearly palpable through the screen. Pink Flamingos is by no means an easy watch, but Divine makes it all worth it.

Buy on Criterion

8 Johnny (Tommy Wiseau)

‘The Room’ (2003)

Regarded by many cinephiles as the single worst movie ever made, Tommy Wiseau‘s The Room is legendary for all the wrong reasons. It’s a film so terrible that it must be seen to be believed, with a plot so convoluted, nonsensical, and inconsequential that it’s hard to come up with a synopsis. Nevertheless, bold people have attempted the deed before, and they’ve come up with this: It’s broadly about a successful San Francisco banker whose seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when his deceitful bride-to-be embarks on an affair with his best friend.

Nothing in The Room follows the basic rules of cause and effect, and no character speaks or behaves like any real person would. There’s something truly fascinating about the ways in which Wiseau, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film, seems to understand nothing about the human race. As a result, his character, Johnny, is one of the funniest and most enigmatic in the history of film. All of his lines are stupidly quotable, everything he does is a laughable puzzle, and Wiseau’s hammy performance is the cherry on top to truly make Johnny impossible to forget — for better or worse.

Buy on Amazon

7 Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)

Known for his iconic and generation-defining teen movies, John Hughes never made a cult classic bigger than the endlessly charming Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s a comedy about a high school wise-guy determined to have a day off from school with his friends despite what the Principal thinks of the idea. Youthful, uplifting, and with enough fourth-wall-breaking to make Deadpool proud (then again, Ferris does predate the Merc With a Mouth by four years), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the best cult classics from the ’80s.

Back in the decade of decadence, Hughes was proving that teen comedies could be genuinely funny and well-made. The magic and charisma of the genre take human form in Ferris Bueller, who represents teenagers’ carelessness, mischief, and fun-loving ways. He’s a charming, deeply endearing character who cult fans have been repeatedly falling in love with again and again for nearly forty years.

6 Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell)

‘The Evil Dead’ Franchise

Spawned by one of the masters of camp and wackiness, Sam Raimi, the Evil Dead franchise is one of the most beloved and successful in the history of horror cinema. It focuses on the badass Ash Williams, whose life is altered forever after he becomes the sole survivor of an attack by flesh-possessing demons in a mysterious cabin in the woods.

Queens among horror B-movies, the Evil Dead films following Ash are far and away the best installments in the franchise (not to mention the terrific TV show Ash vs Evil Dead). Thanks to Raimi’s delightfully over-the-top direction, Bruce Campbell‘s highly physical performance, and all the iconography that’s been linked to his character in the legacy of these cult hits, Ash is as iconic a horror movie character as they come.

Watch on Tubi

5 Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt)

‘Fight Club’ (1999)

At the time of its release, David Fincher‘s Fight Club was impossible to label anything other than a failure; it was divisive among critics and didn’t meet expectations at the box office. Nowadays, though, it’s remembered as one of the greatest action thrillers ever made; that’s just how cult receptions work. It’s about an insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker who form an underground fight club that evolves into something far bigger than they expected.

One of the best action cult movies of all time, Fight Club is as thrilling and shocking as it is entertaining. Its two lead characters are both fascinating, but there’s one in particular that’s among the most iconic in all of cult cinema: Brad Pitt‘s Tyler Durden. Even setting aside how often and how badly the character has been misinterpreted over the years, he’s still an engrossing antihero with complicated motivations and a terrific performance as an anchor. Mysterious, fun, and charismatic, Tyler Durden makes the film’s main plot twist all the more effective.

4 Foxy Brown (Pam Grier)

‘Foxy Brown’ (1974)

No list of the most important cult classics of all time would be complete without at least a few Blaxploitation films, and no list of the best Blaxploitation movies would be complete without Jack Hill‘s Foxy Brown. Starring Blaxploitation legend Pam Grier, it’s a B-action movie about a vigilante who takes a job as a high-end prostitute to get revenge on the mobsters who killed her boyfriend.

Yes, the title of Quentin Tarantino‘s Jackie Brown, also starring Pam Grier, is a direct reference to Foxy Brown; that’s how influential it is. Of course, that wouldn’t be the case without a gripping character at its forefront. Grier’s performance, the character’s evident influence on pop culture, and the empowering legacy of such a badass Black female character have all helped carve Foxy’s place as one of cult cinema’s most important and iconic heroes. Grier herself is a legend in the genre, thanks to Foxy, Jackie, and another of her most famous efforts, Coffy.

3 Jason Voorhees (Multiple Actors)

‘Friday the 13th’ Franchise

They’re so iconic nowadays that it’s easy to forget that no installment in the Friday the 13th franchise has ever been a true, undebatable success. Only one of them (Freddy vs. Jason) has grossed over $100 million at the box office, and none holds a score greater than 34 on Metacritic. Even still, that hasn’t stopped several films in the series, from the original to Jason X to Jason Goes to Hell (probably one of the worst cult classics ever), from growing cult followings.

Likewise, the ski mask-wearing, practically indestructible, comically-prone-to-resurrection Jason Voorhees is among the genre’s most influential and instantly recognizable iconography. One of the most powerful horror villains, Jason is synonymous with the genre itself, occupying the same slot as other icons like Freddy or Pennywise. Being that not every Friday the 13th film is a cult classic, it’s perhaps not that common to think of Jason as a cult icon — but that’s exactly what he is: a scary, awesome-looking cult icon.

2 Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges)

‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998)

The Coen brothers have directed a few cult classics here and there throughout the years, but saying that the film that started a literal religion is their biggest cult hit shouldn’t be considered a stretch. It’s, of course, The Big Lebowski, a stoner comedy about a man who gets mistaken for a millionaire of the same name. Thus, he seeks restitution for the rug that was ruined when two men urinated on it to coerce him into paying a debt he knew nothing about.

Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski is an easy-going unemployed man who loves smoking pot, drinking White Russians, and bowling with his best friends. Being one of the most unconventional movie heroes, he doesn’t have an arc because he doesn’t need one: The Dude abides. Effortlessly funny, cool, and endearing, played magnificently by Jeff Bridges at his best, The Dude can brag about being not only one of the most iconic cult characters but one of the most iconic movie characters in general.

1 Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry)

‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)

Cult movies with great characters come and go, but no matter how iconic they may be, no cult character will ever surpass the undisputed king of the midnight movie circuit: Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s a raunchy comedy musical about a newly-engaged couple whose car breaks down in an isolated area. They decide to seek shelter at the residence of a mad scientist about to unveil his latest and most extravagant creation: the ultimate male and the perfect sex symbol.

It may not be one of the best musicals of all time, at least as far as traditional notions of artistic quality are concerned, but cult classics are all about disrupting those notions — and few films do it as well and as charmingly as Rocky Horror. Frank himself, played to perfection by Curry at his most flamboyant, is the ultimate cult character: quotable, influential, disruptive, and controversial even nearly fifty years later. Frank is fun and funny, sings exquisitely well, and is the most memorable part of an already pretty unforgettable film.

NEXT:Poorly Rated Movies Destined to Become Cult Classics