Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is the villain who sends the most chills down our spines
The research also found that 40% of Brits have watched a film so terrifying that they have never been able to watch it again
HANNIBAL Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is said to be the scariest horror film character of all time.
Pennywise the Clown, Halloween's Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger also topped the list.
A study into which characters were the most terrifying when they first graced the silver screen saw Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of psychotic cannibal, Hannibal, nab first place.
A Nightmare On Elm Street's Freddy Krueger took the second spot, with It's Pennywise the Clown coming in third.
Screen content analyst, Nic Ravery explained: "Horror has been part of movie history since the beginning of cinema, and these movies have fascinated generations of cinema-goers from the start because of their power to unlock primal fears within us."
Other characters to appear on the list include Jigsaw from the Saw franchise, and Samara from The Ring.
TOP 15 SCARIEST HORROR MOVIE CHARACTERS
1. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs)
2. Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
3. Pennywise the Clown (It)
4. Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
5. Jigsaw (Saw)
6. Michael Myers (Halloween)
7. Count Dracula
8. Jack Torrance (The Shining)
9. Samara (The Ring)
10. The Xenomorph (Alien)
11. The Thing (The Thing)
12. Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th)
13. Frankenstein's Monster
14. Pinhead (Hellraiser)
15. Ghostface (Scream)
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Delving deeper into what makes a great horror villain, the study found that the top contributing factor for Brits is the idea that they could be anywhere at any time - even right behind you at the cinema.
The research also found that 40% of Brits have watched a film so terrifying that they have never been able to watch it again, and 30% of viewers describe themselves as "jumpers" when it comes to watching horror films.
However, one in seven brave people believe that they are impossible to scare - with a quarter preferring to watch horror films in the cinema as there are a lot of people around them to keep them safe.
Nic continued: "These films continue to be as enjoyable and memorable today – even more so when every spine-tingling moment is in 4K.
"For those feeling extra brave, Vue is bringing the original John Carpenter’s Halloween back to the big screen to celebrate its 40th Anniversary on the 31st October while the new Halloween is now screening nationwide."
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