Whether you were first introduced to the Order of the Gash through the 1987 movie or Clive Barker’s original Hellbound Heart, I think it’s safe to say that the BDSM-inspired Cenobites are some of the most memorable monsters in the past century of popular culture. And while “Pinhead” stole the show as the leader of the original band of otherworldly creatures (which included fan-favorites like Butterball, Deep Throat and my personal favorite, Chatterer), the Hellraiser series has gone on to introduce many more Cenobites over the years.
And in honor of Saber Interactive’s upcoming video game expanding the world of Hellraiser with a brand-new story overseen by Clive Barker himself, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six of the scariest supporting Cenobites that aren’t a part of the original foursome.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll only be considering fully-fledged Cenobites of the Order of the Gash, which means we won’t be including characters like the original film’s Engineer and the Hell Workers from Hellraiser: Judgement. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own hellish favorites if you think we missed a particularly scary one.
With that out of the way, onto the list…
6. Little Sister – Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
An impressive spec script that was hastily reworked into a new project when producers insisted on turning the original story into a Hellraiser sequel with J-Horror elements (while also deciding to relocate production to Romania for tax reasons), it’s a miracle that Deader is even watchable! Of course, much of the film’s entertainment value comes from franchise veteran Gary J. Tunnicliffe and his knack for crafting disturbing practical effects on a budget.
Among Hellraiser: Deader’s most interesting creations is the Little Sister Cenobite that only briefly appears during a couple of scenes. Not much is known about this diminutive creature other than her eerie design (with wires criss-crossing an uncanny face that lacks any discernible ears or a nose), but the implication that even a young and seemingly innocent girl can be transformed into a demon is scary enough to earn her a spot on this list.
5. Chatterer Beast – Hellraiser: Bloodlines (1997)
I’ve never been a fan of stories that depict the Cenobites as traditional movie monsters who chase their victims around like wild animals, but Bloodlines found a way around this issue by giving Pinhead a pet. Boasting the most bestial Cenobite design to date, the Chatterer Beast remains a fan-favorite despite only appearing in a single movie. In fact, the idea of a dog-like monster sculpted out of tortured human flesh is so disturbing that I’m surprised we didn’t see similar creatures in any of the sequels.
The only reason the Chatterer Beast ranks so low on the list is the fact that there’s still some contention about whether or not it’s a true Cenobite despite clearly being part of the Order of the Gash. However, the way I see it, the franchise’s BDSM influences may very well mean that this strange creature is actually a heavily disfigured Cenobite who took their Pet Play kink a little too far.
4. Clown – Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: The Devil’s Brigade (1991)
Killer clowns are a dime a dozen in the horror genre, but combining coulrophobic scares with the hellish Cenobites resulted in one of the freakiest creations in the franchise. While the Hellraiser spin-off comic-books have featured a handful of other clown-inspired demons in the past, it’s the Clown once known as Winky Dink that stands out due to his horrific past.
Recruited by Leviathan so he could “entertain” children who became trapped in Hell, this reluctant performer was eventually transformed into a full-blooded Cenobite with a permanent grin and a twisted sense of humor. Clown was also gifted with a demonic pet named Agathion, a creature that he ended up killing after it appeared to sympathize with one of the Cenobite’s many victims.
3. Wordsworth – Wordsworth (1993)
Originally released as a part of Epic Comics’ Hellraiser series and later published in the Hellbound Hearts anthology, Wordsworth is one of the most memorable contributions to the world of Hellraiser despite its brevity. Following a deeply troubled man whose obsession with crossword puzzles puts him on a path to Hell, this memorable comic eventually reveals that we’ve actually been reading an origin story for a new Cenobite with a unique theme.
Master of words and the terrifying stories that they tell, our protagonist becomes a living collage of countless tales of pain and pleasure in what feels like a clever nod to Clive Barker’s other horrific masterpiece, the infamous Books of Blood. And while an amorphous collection of letters doesn’t sound all that scary at first, leave it to Dave McKean to translate this bizarre concept into a design that’s equal parts beautiful and disturbing!
2. The Asphyx – Hellraiser (2022)
I may have some reservations with how the Hellraiser reboot depicts the Cenobites as more traditional demons rather than the incomprehensible entities of the original story, but even the flick’s harshest critics have to admit that its monster designs here are incredible. From the terrifying reimagining of Chatterer to a more book-accurate Pinhead, there’s a lot to love about the revamped visuals, though I’d argue that one of the film’s scariest additions to Hellraiser mythology is also one of the most subdued.
Among the new monsters, there’s a particularly freaky one referred to by the filmmakers as the “Asphyx.” A living embodiment of claustrophobia, this poor creature is trapped in a constant state of asphyxiation as its own skin is permanently pulled over its head like a fleshy shroud. The design may not be quite as bloody as that of its fellow Cenobites, but the implications here are terrifying enough.
It also gets bonus points for reminding me of the Lying Figures from Silent Hill 2!
1. The Surgeon – Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
Hellseeker may have its fair share of problems, but the return of Ashley Laurence as Kristy Cotton and the surreal tone heavily inspired by Jacob’s Ladder make this one of the most watchable sequels since Hellbound. And like any good Hellraiser film, Hellseeker also introduced us to a handful of brand-new Cenobites as Kristy attempted to take revenge on her cheating husband.
By far the most memorable of these additions is the grisly Surgeon, a former Doctor with painful-looking medical implants stuck to his permanently contorted face. Undergoing surgery performed by a Cenobite is already a terrifying idea on its own, but the Surgeon’s horrific design also benefits from having been inspired by original cover art to Clive Barker’s Hellbound Heart – making him a nightmarish throwback to Barker’s original vision and a prime candidate for making a comeback in future Hellraiser media!
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