{"id":2041539,"date":"2026-07-13T16:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041539"},"modified":"2026-07-13T16:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:00:02","slug":"evil-deads-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041539","title":{"rendered":"Evil Deads, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Evil-Dead-Ranked-badge-1200×675.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Ash Williams put it best: the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise is \u201cgroovy.\u201d Last week, the sixth film in the franchise, Evil Dead Burn<\/em>, came to theaters, and with a seventh one on the way in 2028, the world of killer demons unlocked by the Book of the Dead is showing no signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also no sign of a huge drop in quality. Most franchises, especially horror franchises, drop in quality almost immediately. Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream;<\/em>\u00a0all of those have one or two standouts (usually the original) followed by a lot of bad, albeit entertaining, sequels. Evil Dead<\/em> has not been that.<\/p>\n

Most would agree that, like Star Wars<\/em> or The Lord of the Rings<\/em>, the first three Evil Dead<\/em> films are kind of untouchable. Even when you rank them, you\u2019re just tinkering with greatness or personal preference. Then, 20 years passed, and a new crop of films emerged. Films made by filmmakers who grew up with those originals, and with the help of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell themselves, took things to another level.<\/p>\n

Basically, we don\u2019t think there is a bad Evil Dead<\/em> film. But some are better than others, and below, we\u2019ll explain where we put each.<\/p>\n

\"Image:
Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: Starz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Honorable Mention: Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em><\/h2>\n

No Evil Dead-<\/em>adjacent discussion is complete without a shout-out to Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em>, the TV series that ran for three glorious seasons on Starz from 2015 to 2018. The show picked up with Ash Williams 30 years after he thought his Deadite-slaying days had ended, only to discover there are still some ghouls that need chainsawing\u2014with Bruce Campbell having a blast playing an older version of his iconic character.<\/p>\n

Though the series leaned into Evil Dead<\/em>\u2019s more humorous aspects, it also more than delivered on the franchise\u2019s trademark gruesome special effects and expanded its lore in surprising ways, too. Lee Majors as Ash\u2019s dad? Can\u2019t get more groovy than that! But this is a movie list, so while you should absolutely revisit Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em> as often as possible, it\u2019s not part of io9\u2019s ranker.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Souheila Yacoub as Alice in Evil Dead Burn<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Evil Dead Burn<\/em> (2026)<\/h2>\n

The most recent installment, now in theaters, comes in last, not because it\u2019s bad. In fact, it\u2019s pretty great. It\u2019s simply lower than the rest because it\u2019s the purest representation of how much Evil Dead<\/em> has changed since the beginning. Burn<\/em> is a down-and-dirty, brutal, and gory horror movie. There\u2019s almost no humor in it at all. And, as you\u2019ll soon read, we think Evil Dead<\/em> is at its best when it\u2019s scary and gross but also funny.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
The 2013 Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Evil Dead<\/em> (2013)<\/h2>\n

Fede \u00c1lvarez\u2019s reboot is responsible for the horror-first, humor-second pivot Evil Dead<\/em> has taken. None of what is happening now, including the TV show, probably would\u2019ve happened without it. Plus, while this is still very much brutal kills and horror-heavy, the fact that it borrows from those original films with the cabin setting helps with the nostalgia.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Evil Dead Rise<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Evil Dead Rise<\/em> (2023)<\/h2>\n

We put Evil Dead Rise<\/em> above the other two more recent films because it truly feels like a new generation of Evil Dead<\/em>. It\u2019s got the new setting, new characters, and a great sprinkling of devilish humor. It\u2019s the first of the films that took things in an exciting, new direction. One that, we think, will continue into the future.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Army of Darkness<\/em> (Image: Universal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Army of Darkness<\/em> (1993)<\/h2>\n

Now, at this point, it\u2019s important to reiterate two things. One, there is no bad Evil Dead<\/em> movie. And two, Army of Darkness<\/em> is my personal favorite Evil Dead<\/em> movie. Ash Williams going back in time to fight Deadites is, clearly, much more of a comedy than a horror movie, which we love, and Bruce Campbell is electric in it. But it definitely gets away from the horror elements that make Evil Dead<\/em> so unique. So, by a small margin, we put it in third.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
The original 1981 Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: New Line)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. The Evil Dead<\/em> (1981)<\/h2>\n

While Army of Darkness<\/em> leaned much more heavily into the comedy roots of the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise, Sam Raimi\u2019s original film is almost the opposite. It\u2019s funny, of course, but it\u2019s more of a gross-out horror film than what the franchise became. There are some legit scares throughout, and that makes it wonderful. But it\u2019s still not the best.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Evil Dead II<\/em>\u00a0(Image: StudioCanal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Evil Dead II<\/em> (1987)<\/h2>\n

Evil Dead II<\/em> is why the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise still lives on. In this one, Raimi found a perfect balance we didn\u2019t know was possible. There are lots of gruesome kills and wonderful special effects. But there are also several goofy throughlines and scenes. It all comes together perfectly, acting as a sequel and a refresher of the original film. Evil Dead II<\/em> is the perfect Evil Dead<\/em> movie, and while the others have tried, none have nailed it in quite the same way.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by Cheryl Eddy.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

\n

Ash Williams put it best: the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise is \u201cgroovy.\u201d Last week, the sixth film in the franchise, Evil Dead Burn<\/em>, came to theaters, and with a seventh one on the way in 2028, the world of killer demons unlocked by the Book of the Dead is showing no signs of slowing down.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also no sign of a huge drop in quality. Most franchises, especially horror franchises, drop in quality almost immediately. Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream;<\/em>\u00a0all of those have one or two standouts (usually the original) followed by a lot of bad, albeit entertaining, sequels. Evil Dead<\/em> has not been that.<\/p>\n

Most would agree that, like Star Wars<\/em> or The Lord of the Rings<\/em>, the first three Evil Dead<\/em> films are kind of untouchable. Even when you rank them, you\u2019re just tinkering with greatness or personal preference. Then, 20 years passed, and a new crop of films emerged. Films made by filmmakers who grew up with those originals, and with the help of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell themselves, took things to another level.<\/p>\n

Basically, we don\u2019t think there is a bad Evil Dead<\/em> film. But some are better than others, and below, we\u2019ll explain where we put each.<\/p>\n

\"Image:
Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: Starz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Honorable Mention: Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em><\/h2>\n

No Evil Dead-<\/em>adjacent discussion is complete without a shout-out to Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em>, the TV series that ran for three glorious seasons on Starz from 2015 to 2018. The show picked up with Ash Williams 30 years after he thought his Deadite-slaying days had ended, only to discover there are still some ghouls that need chainsawing\u2014with Bruce Campbell having a blast playing an older version of his iconic character.<\/p>\n

Though the series leaned into Evil Dead<\/em>\u2019s more humorous aspects, it also more than delivered on the franchise\u2019s trademark gruesome special effects and expanded its lore in surprising ways, too. Lee Majors as Ash\u2019s dad? Can\u2019t get more groovy than that! But this is a movie list, so while you should absolutely revisit Ash vs. Evil Dead<\/em> as often as possible, it\u2019s not part of io9\u2019s ranker.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Souheila Yacoub as Alice in Evil Dead Burn<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Evil Dead Burn<\/em> (2026)<\/h2>\n

The most recent installment, now in theaters, comes in last, not because it\u2019s bad. In fact, it\u2019s pretty great. It\u2019s simply lower than the rest because it\u2019s the purest representation of how much Evil Dead<\/em> has changed since the beginning. Burn<\/em> is a down-and-dirty, brutal, and gory horror movie. There\u2019s almost no humor in it at all. And, as you\u2019ll soon read, we think Evil Dead<\/em> is at its best when it\u2019s scary and gross but also funny.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
The 2013 Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Evil Dead<\/em> (2013)<\/h2>\n

Fede \u00c1lvarez\u2019s reboot is responsible for the horror-first, humor-second pivot Evil Dead<\/em> has taken. None of what is happening now, including the TV show, probably would\u2019ve happened without it. Plus, while this is still very much brutal kills and horror-heavy, the fact that it borrows from those original films with the cabin setting helps with the nostalgia.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Evil Dead Rise<\/em> (Image: Warner Bros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Evil Dead Rise<\/em> (2023)<\/h2>\n

We put Evil Dead Rise<\/em> above the other two more recent films because it truly feels like a new generation of Evil Dead<\/em>. It\u2019s got the new setting, new characters, and a great sprinkling of devilish humor. It\u2019s the first of the films that took things in an exciting, new direction. One that, we think, will continue into the future.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
Army of Darkness<\/em> (Image: Universal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Army of Darkness<\/em> (1993)<\/h2>\n

Now, at this point, it\u2019s important to reiterate two things. One, there is no bad Evil Dead<\/em> movie. And two, Army of Darkness<\/em> is my personal favorite Evil Dead<\/em> movie. Ash Williams going back in time to fight Deadites is, clearly, much more of a comedy than a horror movie, which we love, and Bruce Campbell is electric in it. But it definitely gets away from the horror elements that make Evil Dead<\/em> so unique. So, by a small margin, we put it in third.<\/p>\n

\"Evil
The original 1981 Evil Dead<\/em> (Image: New Line)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. The Evil Dead<\/em> (1981)<\/h2>\n

While Army of Darkness<\/em> leaned much more heavily into the comedy roots of the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise, Sam Raimi\u2019s original film is almost the opposite. It\u2019s funny, of course, but it\u2019s more of a gross-out horror film than what the franchise became. There are some legit scares throughout, and that makes it wonderful. But it\u2019s still not the best.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Evil Dead II<\/em>\u00a0(Image: StudioCanal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Evil Dead II<\/em> (1987)<\/h2>\n

Evil Dead II<\/em> is why the Evil Dead<\/em> franchise still lives on. In this one, Raimi found a perfect balance we didn\u2019t know was possible. There are lots of gruesome kills and wonderful special effects. But there are also several goofy throughlines and scenes. It all comes together perfectly, acting as a sequel and a refresher of the original film. Evil Dead II<\/em> is the perfect Evil Dead<\/em> movie, and while the others have tried, none have nailed it in quite the same way.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by Cheryl Eddy.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Evil-Dead-Ranked-badge-1200×675.jpg”] Ash Williams put it best: the Evil Dead franchise is \u201cgroovy.\u201d Last week, the sixth film in the franchise, Evil Dead Burn, came to theaters, and with a seventh one on the way in 2028, the world of killer demons unlocked by the Book of the Dead is showing no signs of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,53],"class_list":["post-2041539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-gizmodo-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2041539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041539\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2041539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2041539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2041539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}