Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Showtime series Yellowjackets, as well as discussions of suicide and cannibalism.Showtime’s hit, Yellowjackets, sports an incredible cast and an unsettling story that reflects tragedies such as the Donner Party and the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, coupled with certain homage to Lord of the Flies by William Goulding. This genre-blending tale of trauma, horror, and heartfelt moments has taken audiences by storm.
There are many terrifying characters in Yellowjackets, each has their own haunting personality. Let’s look at some of the scariest characters from the show.
Updated on April 20, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
With season 2 of Yellowjackets currently airing, there’s no shortage of new information about the characters’ storylines, motives, and secrets as more shocking events unfold. It’s the perfect time to re-evaluate how scary each character is based on the most recent events in the series.
20 Laura Lee
Devout and hopeful to her core, fans were devastated by the death of Laura Lee in the first season. It’s also worth noting that as Jackie died in the finale, she caught sight of an ethereal vision of Laura Lee and the Hunter, hinting at Laura Lee’s supernatural presence.
Laura Lee may have been grating to be around at times, but that didn’t make her unexpected death on the show any less heartbreaking. She was the least scary among the survivors, as she genuinely just wanted to help those around her and never seemed to have any ulterior motive.
19 Coach Ben Scott
Coach Ben is wholesome to his core, acting as a makeshift dad for the Yellowjackets after they are stranded. Despite facing adversity and trauma from the loss of his leg, Ben sets aside his own personal feelings to protect the kids which is completely admirable.
This is why it’s somewhat concerning that he seems to be withdrawing from the rest of the group in the second season. Shifting between reality and his daydreams about his boyfriend, the future doesn’t look too bright for the young coach (which is a fact that elicits mostly worry rather than fear around his character’s fate).
18 Allie Stevens
After deciding to stay home due to an injury (and therefore, not being a part of the crash), Allie is driven by paralyzing survivor’s guilt and intense jealousy. Allie’s debilitating obsession with the survivors is certainly annoying and pathetic, but far from being absolutely horrifying.
She has played a minor role in the show so far, serving mostly as a point of interest during the grand reunion. The only scary or threatening thing about her character is if fans ever have to see her arrogance and fakery on full display again.
17 Sammy Abara-Turner
Inheriting some form of the generational curse placed on Taissa, her son Sammy seemed as if he might be among the most terrifying characters in Yellowjackets. During the early parts of the first season, Sammy had minimal impulse control, and acted violently and aggressively.
However, it’s soon revealed that it’s Tai who’s causing the bizarre behavior from her own son by frightening him with her alternate personality. In the end, Sammy is just an innocent child now caught up in Tai’s messy supernatural mess and the divorce of his parents.
16 Jessica Roberts
When the reasoning behind Jessica infiltrating the survivors of the plane crash as a reporter wasn’t fully revealed within the first season, fans began to fear the worst. Even though she was held in captivity for the majority of the season by Misty, it’s obvious that her decision-making was incredibly dubious.
Audiences now know that Jessica was just doing her job, one that Tai had hired her for. It wasn’t a clean task by any means, as Jessica was manipulating survivors and lying to them, which made her a threat. However, she really isn’t that scary in the grand scheme of things, as she ended up messing with the wrong Yellowjacket.
15 Adam Martin
A central mystery in season 1, Adam was an artistic, sensual, and mystifying presence within Shauna’s life. Even after he was supposedly revealed to have something to do with the death of Travis, he is murdered by Shauna before he answers the many questions surrounding him.
Viewers who speculated that Adam could be part of a larger conspiracy were likely just as disappointed as Shauna, who learned that it was actually Jeff who was blackmailing the Yellowjackets. Adam really did just want to be in her life, even though he seemed like a scary character at first.
14 Travis Martinez
In the woods, Travis is initially plagued by toxic masculinity and insecurity surrounding his own feelings of impotence. Travis, despite having what seems like a good heart, is traumatized by bullying, abuse from his father, and being stranded with the Yellowjackets. This trauma reveals itself in dangerously impulsive decisions in a desperate hope to gain control and assert his dominance.
After the time skip in the show, fans know little about Travis except his apparent suicide (which Natalie asserts is a cult ritual). Since season 2 is revealing more about his character’s relationship with Nat, he becomes a scarier presence in the show just because of how obvious it is that things eventually go horribly wrong somehow. His storyline is like an impending storm that no one can avoid.
13 Jackie Taylor
The terror of Jackie stems from her ability to manipulate and not gauge her emotions, after being raised in a home where her parents set high expectations of her. Jackie is stuck in a perpetual state of working toward being an archetype of a “popular girl,” rather than being genuine. This, tragically, ends in her death, after confronting Shauna about her betrayal.
In season 2, Jackie manages to be terrifying by being a ghost (or a hallucination) that reminds Shauna of her guilt. Of course, she’s still the star of one of the scariest scenes in the series so far, as she’s “accidentally” perfectly cooked and consumed by the survivors in an intense moment that finally shows the start of their cannibalistic actions.
12 Simone Abara
Simone was the least threatening character in the first season. The gentle and family-oriented wife of Taissa worked hard to protect those she loves. Simone was an understanding, courageous angel; the type of person you’d want to be protected by, not from.
But, in the second season, following her discovery of the shrine with Biscuit’s head, Simone wants absolutely nothing to do with Tai. Her character has (understandably) completely changed and has decided to cut off her wife, pushing for a divorce. What’s more, she threatens to expose Tai’s mental health condition and use it to derail her political career. For those rooting for Taissa, this is a horrifying thought.
11 Javi Martinez
By the end of the first season, Javi was adorable, tragic, and also missing. His fate was one of the biggest questions following Yellowjackets‘ first season, and is one that has been recently answered in a somewhat scary way.
While it’s a genuine relief to know that Javi has somehow survived being away for all that time, his return raises too many disturbing questions. How did he survive on his own out in the wilderness? Was he alone? Why does he refuse to speak to anyone? Why doesn’t he seem to recognize the other survivors? And, most importantly, why has he returned?
10 Jeff Sadecki
The 1996 boyfriend of Jackie and eventual husband of Shauna, Jeff clearly has questionable morality, as he showcased in his infidelity toward Jackie with Shauna, along with his failed get-rich-quick scheme in 2021. Jeff also seemed untrustworthy when he volunteered to frame himself for Shauna’s murder of Adam.
What makes Jeff truly scary, though, is how dim-witted he is. Aside from his blackmail plan being ridiculous and pathetic, his recent attempts at confronting Kevyn about Shauna’s involvement in Adam’s missing person case could have gotten them in more trouble. He’s clearly not the smart one in the family, and that’s worrisome.
9 Mari
Although fans didn’t know a lot about Mari, who was mainly established as a secondary character in the first season, some of her scenes have taken center stage in season 2.
Mari has always been unlikeable, as she snaps back, insults, and generally annoys those around her in ways that really don’t help the situation. While that on its own doesn’t make her a scary character, it’s her bizarre devotion to Lottie that makes her genuinely terrifying. Everyone knows that blind trust like this could dictate her role in the cult later on, and there’s no telling what she’d be willing to do, as long as Lottie says so.
8 Callie Sadecki
Callie is the rebellious and manipulative teenage daughter of Shauna and Jeff. This unbridled teen rage coupled with relentless inadequacy reveals Callie to be a terrifying character.
Shauna and Callie’s mother-daughter relationship on the show was already complicated, to begin with, but since Shauna revealed her role in Adam’s murder, things could get ugly. Callie seems like she’s on board with covering up her parents’ crime, but she could just as easily be plotting to turn them in by collecting enough evidence against them. Right now, she’s a frighteningly smart and cunning character who’s not trustworthy.
7 Vanessa Palmer
As many fans would argue, Van is the heart of Yellowjackets as a series. The confident, talented 1996 girlfriend of Taissa, Van manages to be both compassionate and capable, her resilience revealed after she survives an attack by wolves. Van is a leader, establishing trust and connection between the survivors.
However, Van also seems to be caught up in the occult, strongly believing in the premonitions of Lottie. With this belief and cataclysmic fear, there’s no telling the extent Van would go to for self-preservation. With the recent revelation that she survived the ordeal in the wilderness, viewers are left unsure about exactly what she ended up doing for Lottie and what drove her away from Tai. Whatever it was, it likely wasn’t anything good.
6 Kevyn Tan
Kevyn was introduced as the the protective high school sweetheart of Natalie who pursues a relationship with her in 2021. Kevyn may be more involved with the mystery surrounding Travis’ murder than he lets on. Ultimately, however, he gave off mega teddy-bear energy and immediately became a fan-favorite.
The story changes in the second season, as Kevyn is now in charge of the murder investigation around Adam – Shauna is the prime suspect. He’s clearly a great detective, which could be disastrous for the Sadecki family. As he inches closer to the truth, something’s got to give, and this storyline won’t end well for one of them.
5 Natalie Scatorccio
A survivalist to her core, Natalie is the ultimate warrior of the Yellowjackets. As the most badass female lead on the show, Natalie is unafraid to do what’s right, even if that means seeking vigilante justice. Deeply loving, resilient, and unabashed in her decisions, the horror of Natalie resides in a very remote blind spot; avoiding her trauma. Natalie opts for making rash decisions in the face of her trauma, creating havoc that impacts everyone around her. She doesn’t care who she hurts in the process of running away from her own fears.
Her way of helping can also often be misguided, like how she faked Javi’s death in an attempt at dissuading Travis from looking for his brother. Her latest foray into Lottie’s cult is only further proof that she’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants, perhaps highlighting a more selfish side to her character.
4 Shauna Sadecki
Fraught with survivor’s guilt and haunted by Jackie, Shauna’s entire life centers around her high school experience. She’s dating the same person, writing in the same journals, and is numb to her personal existence. Shauna feels little remorse after murdering Adam. She is impulsive, unethical, and unfeeling, which makes her one of the most terrifying characters on Yellowjackets.
She recently showcased her tendency to make rash decisions by telling Callie all about how she murdered Adam, not considering the potential consequences (and not even consulting Jeff). She also held a civilian at gunpoint for taking her car instead of going through the proper channels. Shauna likes to feel dangerous and powerful, and she shows no signs of stopping.
3 Misty Quigley
Simply watch past the first episode to understand why Misty is one of the most terrifying characters in Yellowjackets. She is a wild card; self-obsessed and attention-starved, she is willing to do literally anything to gain loyalty, trust, and regard. Her knowledge of poisons and severe god complex do nothing to assist those who find themselves trapped in her path (sorry, Jessica).
In the second season, Misty is chasing after an allegedly kidnapped Natalie, using the guise of their friendship to use her citizen detective skills to break rules and torment others. In the end, Misty only wants what’s best for herself, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it.
2 Taissa Turner
Irritated by the loss of composure and control, Taissa seeks validation from positions of leadership and is most comfortable when delegating and maintaining balance in her life. Taissa is haunted by what seems to be a generational and supernatural curse to lose control of herself anytime. Inflicting violence upon her loved ones or leaving them in harm’s way when she loses control makes Taissa the ultimate monster to herself.
This supernatural aspect of her life is on full display in the second season, where her alternate personality is increasingly taking control over her actions. There’s no shortage of creepy scenes featuring Taissa (with the classic horror trope involving a mirror being a standout) in the show. On top of all of this, fans still don’t know “how bad it gets,” which she says when referring to some trouble her sleepwalking alter ego has gotten her in the woods. And if it was terrible then, how worse will it be now that she holds political power over the public?
1 Lottie Matthews
Hands-down the most terrifying character within Yellowjackets so far, Lottie is addicted to power and self-importance. Lottie suffered from a childhood of emotional neglect from her wealthy parents, who rather than accepting her potentially psychic abilities and premonitions, medicated her for schizophrenia. The situation within the mountains allows Lottie to not only be accepted for her visions, but praised for them, eventually being placed in a position of power.
Her presence gets increasingly more volatile and detached from reality, sparking extreme fear and chaos within the group. It’s also hinted that she had something to do with Travis’ death, although she denied this in the second season. Her “wellness” camp doesn’t really make her any less scary, as her increasingly disturbing visions and her urge to do something about them imply that she may just start another mess that could disrupt the survivors’ lives during the present day. She has the money and the followers to be able to pull off some truly horrible things (as proven by how they kidnapped Nat in order to “save” her from herself).
