Pinhead
Pinhead (also known as the Hell Priest) is a fictional horror movie character who appears as the main antagonist in the eleven Hellraiser movies, played by Doug Bradley in the first eight movies.
Fictional character biography[]
Pinhead can be recognized by the pins he has in his head, hence his name. His origins are explained in the film Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
Pinhead was originally a man named Elliot Spencer. He was a captain for the British Expeditionary Force during World War I. After witnessing many deaths in the war, Spencer developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and survivor's guilt. As a result of this, he lost faith in God, for letting these deaths happen, and in humanity, for being cruel enough to kill itself. Spencer decided to wander the Earth to find himself. He eventually ended up in India, where he found the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box which, if solved, can open a portal to Hell. Spencer solved the puzzle and as a result, was turned into Pinhead and, somewhat ironically, wanted to kill the human race for being so cruel.
Pinhead controls a group of demons known as the Cenobites (also known as The Order of the Gash) to help him carry out his murders. His method of killing is mainly by tearing people apart using hooked chains. He also enjoys sending people to a world of eternal suffering, instead of killing them. Some of his victims are also turned into cenobites.
He is eventually defeated by being sent back to Hell.
Filmography[]
A tattoo of Pinhead.
- Hellraiser (1987)
- Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
- Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
- Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
- Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
- Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)
- Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
- Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)
- Hellraiser: Revelations (2011)
- Hellraiser: Judgment (2018)
- Hellraiser (2022)
Pinhead is played by Doug Bradley in Hellraiser 1-8, all due to Bradley rejecting to reprise his role for the ninth and tenth films. Bradley says that he's still opened to play Pinhead again, he's just waiting for the right time, Bradley also claimed that he would really like to play Pinhead in a movie adaptation of The Scarlet Gospels.
Hellraiser (2022)[]
Pinhead in the 2022 movie.
In the Hellraiser 2022 Hulu movie, Pinhead is a woman, played by Jamie Clayton. In the original novel The Hellbound Heart, it was implied that Pinhead was a woman. The origins of this incarnation of the Hell Priest are unknown. Unlike the original Pinhead who wears robes, this version wears her mutilated skin as a dress.
In other media[]
Pinhead is a playable DLC character in the video game Dead by Daylight. Pinhead was added to the game on September 7, 2021.
See also[]
- Chatterer
- Female Cenobite
- Pinhead costume
- Chatterer costume
- Butterball costume
- Female Cenobite costume