WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Halloween, in theaters now.


In the gory subgenre of slasher movies, antagonists can stand out with the number and creativity of their kills. Because, in a good slasher film, the tension comes from the monster remaining seemingly indestructible while it hunts the remaining characters. Killing a busload of people is shorthand for how relentless, and dangerous, the villain is.

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Michael Myers does a pretty well for himself in the new Halloween, with his kills both varied and plentiful. However, some of the most brutal take place off-screen, which may lead viewers to wonder just how many people he kills in the film.

The Official Halloween Kill Count

Halloween 2018

Michael’s first kills come when he’s being transported by bus to a new prison. The bus driver doesn’t die onscreen, and his body isn’t showcased like so many of the other corpses. But we do learn from Dr. Sartain that Michael overpowered the bus guard and the bus driver, causing the fatal crash that set him free. It’s safe to assume the driver either died in the crash or was murdered shortly thereafter. The same goes for the bus guard, who at least tries to warn Michael's next victims before he dies.

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The hunter and his son are next, having the bad luck to stumble upon the crash. The hunter looks for survivors, and finds Michael. While his death occurs off-screen, we see the results of it when Officer Hawkins arrives later. Michael has broken his neck so badly that it appears more warped than snapped. His son tries to escape and call the police, but Michael cleanly snaps his neck. That also means Michael’s first on-screen kill in this film is a child.

Director David Gordon Green ratchets up the tension at a gas station for the next four kills. While one-half of the podcaster duo, Dana, uses the restroom, Aaron finds the corpses of the attendant (whose jaw is ripped open) and a mechanic (who's been bashed to death with a hammer). Michael attacks Dana, and Aaron (to his credit) does his best to save her. For his troubles, Michael slams him face-first into a wall and a bathroom stall, leaving him bleeding out and concussed. Michael then finishes off Dana, strangling her.

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Halloween 2018

The next two kills come in quick succession, and are even more frightening for their sheer random nature. Michael takes a hammer, walks inside a house, and casually beats a woman to death off-screen, before moving to the neighboring building to stab a second woman through the throat. The throat stab is actually one of the more brutal on-screen deaths. Also of note is that Michael stops and considers a crying baby, before leaving it alive. That's just after murdering it’s mother, leaving audiences to wonder exactly why the baby was spared.

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The next three deaths are all Michael’s favorite target: teenagers. Vicky is babysitting young Julian and waiting for her boyfriend Dave to arrive. Julian asks her to look in his closet, and that’s, unfortunately, where Michael is waiting. Michael gets the drop on her and stabs her to death. Dave rushes upstairs to help, and is stabbed through the neck off-screen and pinned to the wall in a grisly homage to the original film.

Although Michael fails to kill Officer Hawkins when he discovers the crime scene, he does find Oscar after he tries to kiss Allyson, and she leaves him behind. Oscar’s cape catches on the gate and keeps him from escaping, allowing Michael to catch him, stab him, and impale his head on a gate spike.

Halloween 2018

Michael is taken out of the picture briefly when Hawkins hits him with his car, but the killer is saved by Dr. Sartain. Michael thanks him by giving him the most brutal kill of the film, crushing his skull beneath his boot. Two cops then approach Michael to ask where Hawkins is. While we don’t witness what actually happens, we do see the after-effects: Michael stabbed one to death with what looks like a windshield wiper, and then ripped the head off the other to turn it into a makeshift (and horrifying) jack-o'-lantern using a flashlight and his dismembered head.

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Michael’s last official kill of the film, and probably his most personal to the Strode family, is Ray. He was Karen’s husband and Allyson’s father, a well-meaning bumbler who was more friendly than he was smart. While at Laurie’s house, he sees a police squad car arrive. Apparently forgetting that there’s a clever serial killer on the loose, he walks outside and discovers the aforementioned guy-o’-lantern inside the car. That gives Michael the distraction he needs to sneak up behind him with a chain, choke him out, and snap his neck. RIP Ray, you big dummy.

Exceptions and Survivors

Halloween 2018

Michael doesn't kill everyone, and not even all the deaths are his. Laurie Strode is wounded in her final battle with Michael, but he fails to kill her before she traps him in a burning building. Julian scrambles out of his bedroom and heads out to find help. He isn’t seen again, but there’s nothing suggesting that he didn’t get away. Officer Hawkins is killed, but not by Michael. It’s Dr. Sartain who stabs him in the neck to protect Michael.

In total, Michael’s kill count is 17 people during the course of Halloween. Not bad for two days' work.


Now in theaters, Halloween is directed by David Gordon Green from a script written with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer and Andi Matichak, with Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney sharing the role of Michael Myers. The film is executive produced and scored by John Carpenter.