When it was released in 2013,James Wan’sThe Conjuringquickly became a massive box office and critical success, spawning a slew of impressive sequels and spinoffs. Each installment balanced a well-structured narrative while showing some truly incredible and disturbing moments of suspense and terror.
The series is best known for its clever jump scares and eerie tone, but it also has some truly remarkable characters who stand out and even become the most compelling parts of their own respective films. Audiences root for these characters as they find themselves in increasingly fearful situations and forced to battle against the supernatural. From Father Gordon (Steve Coulter) to Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren, here are the ten best characters that theConjuring Universehas to offer.
10Father Gordon
When sinister forces become too great for them, the Warrens need the Church’s support to stand a chance against their sinister supernatural foes. Thankfully, they’re aided by Father Gordon, a representative priest who has stood by their side during their most terrifying cases.
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The fear is timeless.
Though only a minor character in the series, Gordon was still memorable for his helpful attitude and willingness to aid the Warrens in their frightening investigations. Even when he feels skeptical about whether a case is a hoax, he pulls through for the paranormal couple and manages to keep their and the Church’s best interests in mind.
9Anna Tate-Garcia
ThoughThe Curse of La Lloronais often considered the weakest installment in the series, it does featureLinda Cardelliniin a powerfully dramatic performance as the grieving mother, Anna Tate-Garcia. When a terrifying evil spirit curses her children, it’s up to Anna to do everything in her power to protect them.
Despite being a struggling single parent dealing with the recent loss of her husband, Anna has remained steadfast in her need to protect her children. When going up against the terrifying legendary ghost La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez), she managed to conquer her fear and vanquish the vengeful spirit, stopping her from taking children ever again.
8Arne Cheyenne Johnson
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do Itfollows Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), a troubled and misfortunate young man targeted by malevolent forces from hell. When evil spirits manipulate him into killing his landlord, Arne employs the help of the Warrens to prove his innocence and save his soul.
It’s hard not to feel sympathy for Arne as he goes through a waking nightmare throughout the film. He’s forced into a horrifying situation and made to suffer while being constantly tormented by his demonic oppressors. Yet, despite his tortures, he manages to hold out until the end when Ed and Lorraine finally rid him of his curse before the spirits can force him to commit more unspeakable acts.
7Sister Irene
Played by Lorraine Warren actor Vera Farmiga’s younger sister,Taissa Farmiga, Sister Irene is a kind-hearted and devoted novice in training who makes it her mission to save the mortal world from evil. When she’s sent along with a priest to investigate strange occurrences at an isolated Romanian monastery, she soon encountersa sinister demonic nun named Valak (Bonnie Aaron).
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Irene is the perfect antithesis to Valak as she represents purity, light, and hopefulness, while the demon embodies death and darkness. Their rivalry throughout the film is set up to be a classic battle of good vs. evil. Though Valak was a formidable opponent and even corrupted Irene at one point in their fight, Irene still won in the end thanks to her unwavering faith and hidden strength and defeated Valak for the time being.
Annabelle: Creationfollows Janice (Talitha Eliana Bateman), a polio-stricken young girl terrorized by a sinister demon after her orphanage group stays at an isolated house with a dark secret. As her torment increases, her fight to protect her soul leads to a tragic outcome.
Unfortunately, Janice is one of the series' few main characters not to come back from her demonic possession.In a franchise with a surprisingly low body count, it’s sad to see Janice as an exception as she was a genuinely likable and caring friend but corrupted by the terrible evil that took control of her.
5Peggy Hodgson
The Conjuring 2elevated the series with more horror, suspense, and characters to explore. Among the new cast was Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor), an overworked, recently divorced mother who struggles to protect her children after a terrifying force of evil in their new home threatens to take possession of her daughter.
Peggy had a lot thrown on her plate throughout the film. Not only did she have to try and protect her children from the supernatural threat, but she also had to deal with the ridicule and constant doubting of those who were skeptical about her family’s situation. Eventually, with help from the Warrens, she managed to rid her home of the terrible evil and save her daughter before more harm could come to her.
4Roger and Carolyn Perron
Working-class parents Roger (Ron Livingston) and Carolyn (Lili Taylor) Perron thought they’d found their forever home for themselves and their loving daughters. However, they quickly realized something sinister was lurking through the house, threatening to destroy them all.
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Roger and Carolyn were loving parents who were completely out of their element when dealing with the malevolent spirit plaguing their household. However, with their steadfast love for each other and their daughters, they narrowly survived their haunting even when Carolynfell victim to a terrifying possession.
3Judy Warren
Although she makes several brief appearances throughout the series,Annabelle Comes Homefinallysees the Warrens' only child, Judy (McKenna Grace), in a leading role. When her babysitters accidentally unleash the spirits within her home’s Occult Museum, it’s up to Judy to muster up her parent’s courage and faith to contain the evil before it could harm her friends.
Throughout the film, Judy possesses several of her parent’s best qualities to help her win the day against the evil spirits conjured up from the museum. She was careful and displayed moments of intelligence when it came to fighting evil, much like her father, and she was compassionate and put aside her fears to save others, much like her mother. Despite being a little girl, she was capable of stopping the evil spirits from escaping the house and even handled her own when face to face with an actual demon.
2Janet Hodgson
Madison Wolfe’sstandout child acting performanceinThe Conjuring 2drove much of the story’s plot and character drama. She plays Janet Hodgson, a troubled young girl who accidentally finds herself subjected to a horrifying possession after accidentally conjuring up a demon from a Ouija board.
Janet goes through a harrowing ordeal throughout the events of the film. Due to her supernatural torment by the demon Valak, she becomes isolated and alone from those even in her family and finds it difficult to convince the world of her problem. Thankfully, the guiding support from the Warrens eventually led to her survival before the possession would have claimed her life.
1Ed and Lorraine Warren
Undoubtedly, the best characters in the franchise are the paranormal investigating couple Ed and Lorraine Warren. Throughout several frightening haunted cases, Ed and Lorraine remained steadfast in their mission to help those troubled by the paranormal and prevent evil from entering the world.
With Ed being a self-proclaimed demonologist and Lorrain a gifted clairvoyant medium, the two proved to be effective when battling their demonic adversaries. The two bravely stood their ground throughout the franchise, determined to save innocent lives and never let evil win. Their heroic actions and importance to the series have made them the most recognizable characters inthe Conjuring Universe.
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