If you haven’t finished binging Peacock’s Crystal Lake (2026) series yet, stop reading right now because major spoilers are ahead!

Let’s get one thing straight: this new prequel series isn’t just a nostalgic cash grab—it is genuinely better than almost any movie in the original Friday the 13th film series. Developed by showrunner Brad Caleb Kane and produced by A24, the series anchors its terror in heartbreaking, complex human drama rather than just body-count logistics. Anchored by a phenomenal performance from Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, alongside William Catlett as Sheriff Levon Brooks, Cameron Scoggins, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, and a haunting turn by Callum Vinson and Jonathan Tison as young and adult Jason, the series explores the tragic, codependent bond between a mother and her misunderstood son. Directed by a team including Michael Lennox, the show captures the eerie, damp isolation of Camp Crystal Lake while taking bold creative swings.

Best of all? In a spoiler-free nod to the broader franchise lore, the series introduces a fun, subtle sci-fi/paranormal explanation for Jason’s physiological anomalies and future trajectory. Suddenly, watching Jason X (where he’s launched into space) makes complete sense in light of the experimental underground clinical trials and biological tinkering hinted at in the show’s deeper mythology.

With AMC offering the original movie marathon for just three more days, there has never been a better time to revisit the entire timeline. Whether you’re tracking Jason across cinematic sequels, comic books, sketch comedy, or robot chicken parodies, here is the ultimate, definitive list of every Friday the 13th film and major media appearance in order.

The Complete Friday the 13th Film & Media Index

1. Friday the 13th (1980)

• Release Date: May 9, 1980
• Short Plot Blurb: A group of young counselors attempts to reopen the infamous Camp Crystal Lake, only to be systematically hunted down by an unseen stalker seeking bloody vengeance for a tragedy years prior.
• Writers: Victor Miller
• Director: Sean S. Cunningham
• Actor Playing Jason: Ari Lehman (young Jason / brief jump-scare appearance)
• Top Known Actors: Betsy Palmer, Kevin Bacon, Adrienne King
• Final Girl: Adrienne King (Alice Hardy)

2. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

• Release Date: May 1, 1981
• Short Plot Blurb: Five years after the original massacre, a new camp nearby falls prey to a deformed, sack-wearing survivalist living off the grid in the woods: a grown-up Jason Voorhees avenging his mother.
• Writers: Ron Kurz
• Director: Steve Miner
• Actor Playing Jason: Warrington Gillette (and Steve Dash)
• Top Known Actors: Amy Steel, John Furey, Russell Todd
• Final Girl: Amy Steel (Ginny Field)

3. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

• Release Date: August 13, 1982
• Short Plot Blurb: Seeking a quiet weekend at a lakeside cabin, a group of teens crosses paths with a newly mask-wearing Jason, who claims his iconic, hockey-masked identity after a bloody confrontation.
• Writers: Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson
• Director: Steve Miner
• Actor Playing Jason: Richard Brooker
• Top Known Actors: Dana Kimmell, Paul Kratka, Tracie Savage
• Final Girl: Dana Kimmell (Chris Higgins)

4. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

• Release Date: April 13, 1984
• Short Plot Blurb: Believed dead after the events of Part III, Jason returns to Crystal Lake to terrorize a new group of vacationing youths and a family next door, culminating in a showdown with young horror prodigy Tommy Jarvis.
• Writers: Barney Cohen
• Director: Joseph Zito
• Actor Playing Jason: Ted White
• Top Known Actors: Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, Kimberly Beck
• Final Girl: Kimberly Beck (Trish Jarvis) — alongside Corey Feldman (Tommy Jarvis)

5. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

• Release Date: March 22, 1985
• Short Plot Blurb: Traumatized by his past encounter with Jason, an institutionalized teenage Tommy Jarvis is sent to a rural halfway house where a series of brutal, copycat murders begins to unfold.
• Writers: Martin Kitrosser, David Cohen, Danny Steinmann
• Director: Danny Steinmann
• Actor Playing Jason: Richard Alan Brown (as the copycat Roy Burns) / stuntman stunt representations
• Top Known Actors: Melanie Kinnaman, John Shepherd, Richard Young
• Final Girl: Melanie Kinnaman (Pam Roberts)

6. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

• Release Date: August 1, 1986
• Short Plot Blurb: Accidentally resurrected via a lightning strike while Tommy Jarvis tries to cremate his corpse, an undead, supernatural powerhouse of a Jason returns to Crystal Lake with a thirst for camp-counselor blood.
• Writers: Tom McLoughlin
• Director: Tom McLoughlin
• Actor Playing Jason: C.J. Graham
• Top Known Actors: Thom Mathews, Jennifer Cooke, David Kagen
• Final Girl: Jennifer Cooke (Megan Garris)

7. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

• Release Date: May 13, 1988
• Short Plot Blurb: A telekinetic teenager vacationing at Crystal Lake accidentally shatters Jason’s watery tomb, unleashing the undead slasher against a house full of partying teens.
• Writers: Manuel Fidello, Daryl Haney
• Director: John Carl Buechler
• Actor Playing Jason: Kane Hodder (making his iconic franchise debut)
• Top Known Actors: Lar Park Lincoln, Kevin Spirtas, Susan Jennifer Sullivan, Kane Hodder
• Final Girl: Lar Park Lincoln (Tina Shepard)

8. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

• Release Date: July 28, 1989
• Short Plot Blurb: Stowed away on a high school graduation cruise ship heading from Crystal Lake to New York City, Jason embarks on a floating rampage before bringing his terror to the city streets.
• Writers: Rob Hedden
• Director: Rob Hedden
• Actor Playing Jason: Kane Hodder
• Top Known Actors: Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves, Peter Mark Richman
• Final Girl: Jensen Daggett (Rennie Wickham)

9. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

• Release Date: August 13, 1993
• Short Plot Blurb: Blown to pieces by an FBI sting operation, Jason’s demonic, squirming soul-heart possesses various hosts to jump from body to body in a desperate bid for family resurrection.
• Writers: Dean Lorey, Jay Huguely
• Director: Adam Marcus
• Actor Playing Jason: Kane Hodder (and various body-switching actors)
• Top Known Actors: John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Steven Williams, Todd Farmer
• Final Girl: Kari Keegan (Jessica Kimble)

10. Jason X (2001)

• Release Date: April 26, 2002 (Festival run late 2001)
• Short Plot Blurb: Captured by government scientists in the 21st century and cryogenically frozen after failing to be contained, Jason wakes up over 400 years later aboard a spaceship, where he upgrades into “Uber-Jason.”
• Writers: Todd Farmer
• Director: James Isaac
• Actor Playing Jason: Kane Hodder
• Top Known Actors: Lexa Doig, Chuck Campbell, Jonathan Potts, David Cronenberg
• Final Girl: Lexa Doig (KM-14 / Rowan LaFontaine)

11. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

• Release Date: August 15, 2003
• Short Plot Blurb: Banished from the nightmares of Springwood’s youth, a weakened Freddy Krueger manipulates a resurrected Jason Voorhees to cross-over into Crystal Lake and terrorize teens, sparking an epic cinematic turf war.
• Writers: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift
• Director: Ronny Yu
• Actor Playing Jason: Ken Kirzinger
• Top Known Actors: Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena, Kelly Rowland, Jason Ritter
• Final Girl: Monica Keena (Lori Campbell)

12. Friday the 13th (2009 Reboot)

• Release Date: February 13, 2009
• Short Plot Blurb: A gritty, high-octane reimagining that combines elements of the first four films, following a determined man searching for his missing sister near the ruins of Camp Crystal Lake, right into Jason’s traps.
• Writers: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift
• Director: Marcus Nispel
• Actor Playing Jason: Derek Mears
• Top Known Actors: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle
• Final Girl: Danielle Panabaker (Jenna)

Other Notable Appearances of Jason Voorhees in Media

• Comic Books (DC / WildStorm / Dynamite / Avatar Press): Jason has crossed paths with numerous comic icons, most notably battling Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash (dark crossover event), fighting the superhero universe in various crossover runs, and headlining dedicated slasher comics published by Avatar Press and WildStorm.
• Robot Chicken (Adult Swim): Jason has been featured in multiple stop-motion sketch parodies on Robot Chicken, typically lampooning his silent nature, his mother complex, and his struggles with modern technology or group therapy with other slashers like Michael Myers and Leatherface.
• Late-Night Sketch Comedy & Parodies: Over the decades, shows like Saturday Night Live and various MTV specials have used Jason as shorthand for summer-camp dread, depicting him dealing with mundane domestic life or going to couples counseling.
• Video Game Icons: Beyond dedicated titles like Friday the 13th: The Game, Jason has left his machete-wielding footprint across gaming history, serving as a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat X and a pop-culture skin staple across multiplayer survival titles.