Revenge Of The Slashers: Mother (Norman Bates)

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

Although his kill count is well below that of many of the other villains on this list, Norman Bates (as Mother) is arguably one of the most famous slashers of all time. Between the masterful direction of Alfred Hitchcock in the original Psycho (1960) and the amazing performance of Anthony Perkins in that film and its sequels, Norman Bates consistently lands on lists for most iconic murder scenes, best villains, and best lines.

Bates, for those of you who’ve been asleep for the last sixty years, is the primary antagonist in the highly successful Psycho films, books, and television series. He was created by Robert Bloch and made his first appearance in the 1959 novel Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock brought Bloch’s book to life on the big screen in 1960. The books and films would each have a number of sequels and both would go in very different directions. For this post, I’m focusing on the film series.

On the surface, Norman Bates appears to be a normal, albeit somewhat odd, adult male. He runs the Bates Motel for his mother whom he lives with in the home that overlooks the motel. When talking to customers, he often references his mother. As we dig deeper into his mind, however, we quickly find out that he has developed a split personality after countless years of abuse from his mother, who he eventually murders. Torn apart by guilt, Norman began talking to his mother’s corpse and would eventually take on her persona, going as far as dressing like her.

Basing his motives upon the morbid morality of his mother, Norman, dressed as Mother, murders any young woman that he finds himself attracted to in order to avoid sexual immorality. Marion Crane is his first onscreen victim. Portrayed by Janet Leigh, the death of Marion is one of the most iconic deaths in cinema. Norman would eventually be arrested for Marion’s murder, but would return to the Bates Motel twenty-two years later. Despite his best attempts at holding off his second personality, Norma (or Mother), Bates gives in to her desires and kills again in her name. This would continue in Psycho III and Psycho IV: The Beginning.

The franchise has given birth to a shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock film in Gus Van Sant’s 1998 film starring Vince Vaughn, a Made-For-TV film in 1987 called Bates Motel and a series of the same name in 2013, numerous comics and novels, and countless amounts of merchandise from t-shirts to action figures.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Tomorrow’s slasher is look for dolls!