In Theaters 44 Years Ago, Friday the 13th Redefined Jason Voorhees (And Ruined Him on the Same Day in the ’90s)

Friday the 13th as most people know it took time to find its identity. Series icon Jason Voorhees wasn’t even the killer in the original movie; it was his mother, and when it comes to the version of Jason people recognize, that didn’t really exist until the third entry. Indeed, Friday the 13th Part 2, the killer’s official debut as series antagonist, featured a more backwoods version of Jason, sporting a sack over his head and overalls. Released 44 years ago on August 13th, 1982, Friday the 13th Part III would give Jason his most iconic feature: his hockey mask.

The decision transformed the character into a pop culture icon. Friday the 13th Part III set the blueprint for a hulking, masked depiction of Jason, which other sequels would follow. One of those sequels — Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday — released 11 years later on August 13th, 1993. It would similarly attempt to redefine Jason, but the result was a sequel that overcomplicated the Friday the 13th lore and made Jason feel less special in the process.

Friday the 13th Part III Gave Jason His Hockey Mask (And Redefined The Character)

Directly following the events of Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part III sees Jason stalking a new group of teens. Amongst them is Chris Higgins, whose family owns a house on Crystal Lake, and who is dealing with the trauma of having been attacked in the woods. Unlike its predecessors, it’s worth noting that the cast of Friday the 13th Part III aren’t counselors. They’re merely teens looking to party. In this regard, Part III begins a new trend for the series, with many of those characters fitting archetypes that would become commonplace, like stoner couple Chuck and Chili or the prankster, Shelly.

There’s also the matter of the movie’s gimmick. Friday the 13th Part III was shot in 3D. As such, there are multiple scenes of characters putting objects close to the camera. Without the 3D, those scenes are goofy to watch. Make no mistake, however, as Part III is arguably one of the scariest in the Friday the 13th series. The film has a quiet, eerie atmosphere, especially in the dimly lit barn sequences. Jason himself is also at his most terrifying.

Portrayed by stunt actor Richard Brooker, Jason Voorhees in Part III is no longer the scrawny, bag-headed killer from Part 2. He’s physically massive, with a prominent hump on his back. Of course, Jason is hidden for most of the film; either we see things through his perspective or catch only brief glimpses of the killer. That changes when Jason steals Shelly’s hockey mask. As the killer launches a harpoon through Vera’s eye, we finally see him in full view, sporting the mask. The scene is treated as a dramatic reveal, with good reason. It’s as though the director was saying “yeah, we’ve really got something here,” and indeed they did. That hockey mask forever changed Jason.

Jason Goes to Hell Brought New Lore to Friday the 13th, But Also Overcomplicated Jason

Whether it was the hockey mask or not, Jason Voorhees endured. Part III set the standard for Friday the 13th sequels to follow, each film keeping Jason as the same hulking, silent brute. That’s not to say those same sequels didn’t attempt to take the character in new directions, however, and often to mixed results. Released 11 years after Part III, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, the ninth entry in the franchise, would introduce brand new lore for Jason. For many fans, it was too dramatic a shift.

Jason Goes to Hell begins with Jason being blown to pieces by the FBI. Though his body is destroyed, Jason’s spirit begins to possess those around him, hopping from body to body as he continues killing. As bounty hunter and Jason expert Creighton Duke reveals, what we know as “Jason” is only a vessel for an ancient demon, one that can only be reborn through a member of the Voorhees bloodline. As interesting an idea as that may be, it was a big leap from what came before it, and not in a good way.

To give the film some credit, it is fun, in a messy way. Even with a lack of Jason, there are some gruesome kills and great visual effects. But it doesn’t feel like Friday the 13th. Worse, it complicates a simple idea that worked: a killer in a mask.

Why Part III is Beloved while Jason Goes to Hell is Hated

Today, Friday the 13th Part III isn’t just remembered as the film that gave Jason his hockey mask; it’s considered one of the best Friday sequels. Maybe that’s because, in addition to its fun kills, creepy atmosphere, and likable cast, Part III set the blueprint for so much to come. It’s important to remember that at this point, the series was discovering its identity. In many ways, Part III reflects that. Jason is still treated as this backwoods killer — with early scenes even hinting at him being a cannibal. Even if ideas like that ultimately weren’t revisited, Part III gave the series something important: a visual for how Jason should look.

Jason Goes to Hell, in contrast, tried to redefine Jason through a complicated storyline. While one can maybe appreciate the ambition involved, turning Jason into a demon that can only be killed by a relative feels like a step too far. Maybe Jason Goes to Hell should have followed the lesson Part III taught 44 years ago today: that to make an icon, sometimes all you need is a cool mask.

You can stream Friday the 13th Part III on Paramount+ Roku, Sling TV, and other streaming platforms.