The backbone of the Friday the 13th franchise has always been the relationship between Jason Voorhees and his mother, Pamela. Even after she's beheaded in the original film, Jason's love and respect for her never dies. By using her hatred of teenagers as fuel, he maintains his rampage for decades against the young visitors of Camp Crystal Lake. But even though everyone knows about the mother/son duo, what's the deal with his father?
Throughout the entire Friday the 13th franchise, Jason's father's backstory is never deeply explored and fades from importance with each entry. That being said, it doesn't mean that his father doesn't have a presence. Depending on the type of media, Jason's father has been seen as a villain or an absentee father, but no matter the version, it's clear that Jason's strength and brutality come from him. But who is he, and why hasn't he ever appeared in the films?
Who Is Jason Voorhees' Father?
Elias Voorhees is a character that has been explored more in written media than in visual. But that doesn't mean that he hasn't been given thought in the films. The original film's writer Victor Miller mentions how there wasn't much time to explore the character during the creative process. As a result, he ends up leaving his wife and child after Pamela exhibits an unhealthy obsession with his son. Appearance-wise, Elias is always a burly figure who looks as intimidating as he is, no matter the version.
In Friday the 13th: Pamela's Tale, Elias is described as an abusive miner who routinely assaulted Pamela. After learning that she was pregnant with Jason, he beat her even more, and she finally retaliated by cutting him to pieces with an axe and disposing of the remains in Camp Crystal Lake. This abusive throughline with the character also remains in the Jason vs. Leatherface comic, where he beats Pamela and Jason. But in that version, Pamela kills him with a machete, tying the weapon to hers and Jason's future. The most significant departure comes in Friday the 13th: The Game, where Elias is considered a stepfather to Jason, and his birth father is unknown. At first, Pamela marries him to escape one abusive relationship but stumbles into another. As a whole, it's fixed that Elias is considered a violent and dangerous man.
Why Elias Voorhees Never Appeared in the Friday the 13th Films
Although there is no visual moment with Elias Voorhees in the films, his presence permeated the franchise up until Friday vs. Jason. During the production of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, it was planned that Elias would finally have a reveal as the man who kept Jason from being cremated. The deleted scene shows him paying off the gravekeeper, Martin, to care for Jason and Pamela's graves. But as he mourns them, he clenches his fist, realizing his son is no longer dead. However, the scene never made it to filming because the studio was not interested in adding a new backstory, and Martin was also killed in the film. As a result, Elias was once again left buried.
Since then, there have been other attempts to bring the character into the limelight. But through unforeseen circumstances, Elias has never made it into live-action. That being said, his influence and demeanor in other forms of media have helped define Jason's portrayal and better explain why he's such a brutal character. So, in the end, while Elias isn't always present, his impact is evident.