Who Is Jason Voorhees' Father? His Extended Friday the 13th Family, Explained
Everyone knows all about Mrs. Voorhees and her demonic offspring, but who exactly is Jason’s father?
Fans of Friday the 13th are very familiar with Jason Voorhees’ mother, Pamela. Driven to murder in the wake of her son’s death by neglectful camp counsellors, Pamela Voorhees is the original killer of the franchise. After death, Pamela continued to inspire Jason to murder, but what about Jason’s father?
Whilst Elias Voorhees is mentioned in the films, he never actually appeared. This presents an opportunity for the prequel series, Crystal Lake. Set primarily between the supposed death of the 11-year-old Jason and the events of the first film, Crystal Lake digs deeper into the character of Pamela, including a dark past tied to her husband. Here’s a spoiler heavy explanation of the different versions of Jason’s dad.
Jason Voorhees’ Father According To The Lore
Although Jason’s dad never appeared in any of the Friday the 13th movies, the character was briefly mentioned. The lore around Elias Voorhees is better explored in the Friday the 13th comics, books, and videogames. Described as a stoic, burly, and physically intimidating miner, most of the canon implies that Mr. Voorhees was a horrifically abusive father and husband.
The videogame suggested that Elias was actually Jason’s stepfather, and his biological dad a violent criminal who assaulted Pamela. Needing security for her unborn child, Pamela married the 'safe option' in Elias, only to discover that he was also a man of intense cruelty. Each of these iterations are thought to have been murdered either by Pamela or Jason to free themselves from his tyranny.
Another version of Elias is of a man who abandoned his wife and son. This ties into the Friday the 13th movies, as during the latter films, Jason is revealed to have a half-sister and niece.
Crystal Lake’s Different Version of Elias
Crystal Lake’s version of Jason’s father is vastly different from what fans have previously come to know. Firstly, his name is different; the character is Elias Wittering rather than Voorhees. The Voorhees name is instead an alias that Pamela adopts when she and Jason go into hiding. Upon introduction, Elias is a slender corporate salesman who is dating aspiring singer Pamela.
After her pregnancy comes under threat, Elias relocates the pair of them to Houston so that Pamela can participate in a medical trial being run by the company he sells products for, Bellflower Chemical. Once in Houston, Elias quickly climbs the job ladder and moves from corporate sales to head of R&D. His shining jewel is the Argonaut Project, of which Jason is the most successful participant. Gradual exposure to radiation since being in the womb has fundamentally changed and enhanced Jason’s regenerative abilities, something that will eventually cause all kinds of issues for hundreds of Camp Crystal Lake employees.
This iteration of Jason’s dad is more clever and cunning than what has been alluded to before, and he makes for a very chilling villain. Elias appears during the second half of Crystal Lake’s debut season, with the penultimate episode fully exposing just how dastardly a character he is.
Although not what the audience will be expecting, Elias Wittering is a great addition to the Jason Voorhees lore, and it is far more interesting — especially given the period setting — to have Jason’s origins be medical experimentation, rather than an abusive father.
Could Crystal Lake Introduce Jason’s Sister?
During Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, wider members of Jason Voorhees’ family are introduced, chiefly his sister, Diana, and niece Jessica. In the lore of the film series, Jason can be resurrected into the body of a family member, and Jessica becomes his vessel. For Crystal Lake, Elias and Bellflower’s experiments on Jason have turned him into an indestructible human cockroach so Diana’s body wouldn’t be needed. The character could still add an interesting dynamic to the story, however.
With Pamela having fled with Jason eight years prior to being tracked down by Elias’ men, there has been plenty of time for him to find a new wife. Jason’s nanny seems to be the most likely option, especially with her being privy to Jason’s experimentations. So, could she and her offspring make an arrival during Season 2? There's every chance the Voorhees family tree will expand.
