While there are many evil and terrifying children in horror films, there are just as many characters who are good and get caught up in the scary situation that their parents or guardians are in. These kids are often wise and perceptive and able to tell that something awful is happening, even if adults are unwilling to share the truth with them.
With adorable, charming personalities and an important place in each story, there are many child characters in horror movies who stand out just as much as the grown-ups among them.
Carol Anne Freeling (Poltergeist, 1982)
The Poltergeist remake might be lacking quite a lot, including scares, but Heather O'Rourke's character in the original 1982 film is perfect. This is a timeless horror movie as the evil spirits in the home target Carol Anne, who is so little that she can't help but be totally transfixed by the static on the television screen.
While the adults in the movie are definitely scared of what's going on, the story wouldn't have the same impact if a young child wasn't being possessed. The fact that such a sweet, innocent kid is taken over by ghosts is effective. Watching Carol Anne's family save her is a wild ride.
Andy Barclay (Child's Play, 1988)
The SyFy Chucky series is successful thanks to the new stories and characters, but also because Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) returns to the franchise as an adult. Andy is haunted by a lifetime of watching the timeless killer doll Chucky kill people, and in the first film in the franchise from 1988, Andy is an adorable child who is a well-written character.
Andy just wants as much Good Guy merchandise as he can get his hands on, and he loves eating the cereal, wearing the pajamas, and of course, playing with his large Chucky doll. Andy is intelligent and figures out quickly that Chucky is up to no good and tries his best to escape him as he's a strong character despite his age and small size. Andy's innocent nature smartly contrasts Chucky's desire for murder, filty mouth, and lack of compassion.
Cole Sear (The Sixth Sense, 1999)
The Sixth Sense is still significant and that's thanks to the incredible characters who have stuck with audiences ever since the movie's 1999 release. Bruce Willis is full of empathy and care as Dr. Malcolm Crowe and his child patient Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is fascinating to watch.
Cole famously says "I see dead people," a classic horror movie quote everyone knows, and he hates that he can see people who have crossed over as he feels their pain all the time. Cole wants nothing to do with the supernatural but can't escape ghosts, and he is so kind and gentle that it's hard not to want to give him a hug and try to help him with the situation that he's going through. While Malcolm is Cole's doctor, Cole teaches Malcolm a lot about life, love, and death.
Aidan Keller (The Ring, 2002)
A classic 2000s horror film, The Ring is an incredibly solid story of a videotape that kills people seven days after they watch it, a mother (Naomi Watts's Rachel Keller) who wants to solve the mystery, and a sweet child character who is freaked out by Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase) immediately.
David Dorfman played Rachel's son Aidan, who sometimes reminds fans of an evil horror movie child as he stares into space and seems to know the dark and evil truth about what's going on. Aidan is a good person, though, and is strongly affected by Samara, which brings home the message of how Samara was hurt by her family and now kills people. Aidan understands right away that Samara had a painful childhood as he draws terrible and disturbing drawings, which may be a horror movie trope but is used well here.
Charlie McGee (Firestarter, 2022)
While the 2022 Firestarter remake has its problems, the young character of Charlie McGee (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) is just as good as the original version, if not a bit more compelling. Charlie is upset that her mom Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) doesn't let her use computers or technology, which makes her feel like an outcast at school, and Charlie hates being a target for bullying and jokes. Charlie's dad Andy (Zac Efron) knows that this is wrong and looks out for his child the best that he can.
Although the movie isn't perfect, Charlie is a fairly well-drawn character whose experiences are relatable. Other kids don't have the power to create fires, of course, but they do experience this kind of horrible treatment. Charlie is kind, cares about her family, and just wants to feel normal.