Friday the 13th Part One

Q: Who is the Killer in the 1980 Film Friday the 13th?

When most people think of Friday the 13th, the image that comes to mind is the hockey mask-wearing Jason Voorhees. However, in the original 1980 film, Jason is not the killer at all. Instead, the murderer stalking Camp Crystal Lake is his mother, Pamela Voorhees.

Played by Betsy Palmer, Pamela is revealed in the film’s shocking twist ending to be behind the brutal murders of the camp counsellors. Her motive comes from a tragic backstory: years earlier, her young son Jason drowned at the camp while counsellors neglected him. Consumed by grief and rage, she seeks revenge on anyone who dares to reopen Camp Crystal Lake.

It wasn’t until the sequel, Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), that Jason himself would take up the mantle as the central killer of the franchise. From that point on, Jason became a horror icon, but it’s important to remember that the original film’s chilling power lies in the surprise reveal of his mother as the true culprit.

So, to answer the question: the killer in the 1980 film Friday the 13th is Pamela Voorhees—a grieving mother turned vengeful murderer.