Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning‘s Roy Burns may technically be what you would call a “copycat killer,” and as such, the fictional mass murderer doesn’t seem to get the love from horror fans he deserves. Still, Roy is a very much an awesome and memorable villain in his own right, and following in Jason’s footsteps shouldn’t get the sinister paramedic the flak that it does. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, is it not?
With all that said, let’s honor the greatest Jason Voorhees cosplayer ever by looking back at what made him so special in A New Beginning.
The Backstory
The story of the “replacement Jason” begins with a brutal murder at the Pinehurst Youth Development Center over a chocolate bar dispute. As bad luck would have it, the victim is none other than the son of local paramedic Roy Burns, and Roy’s heartbreak is clear when he sees the remains of his only child. This makes something snap in Roy’s brain, setting in motion a series of brutal murders seemingly as payback to society for allowing the killing to happen.
For whatever reason, Roy kept his relationship with his son private from the locals, though he clearly kept an eye on him from a distance. Given how quickly he turned to violence, it’s likely Roy had been struggling with his mental health for many years, which may also explain how he lost custody of his son and kept his fatherhood a secret. His decision to pursue murderous revenge over his son’s death also serves as a throwback to Friday the 13th killer Pamela Voorhees, which means the Roy Burns character pays tribute to both of the major killers in the franchise to come before him.
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The Look
Obviously the most controversial aspect of the Roy character is how he dresses up like Jason Voorhees. This not only fools Roy’s victims, but also those in the audience watching the film for the first time. Perhaps Roy should have stayed in his EMT uniform so as to avoid the confusion. Still, there’s a method behind the madness, and Roy’s decision to go full Jason has less to do with merely trying to “copy” Jason and more to do with a deep admiration for the murderer.
In other words, Roy meant no disrespect towards Jason by adopting his gimmick for his own murders. Sheriff Tucker theorizes that Roy used the Jason outfit to throw the cops off his trail, but keep in mind, Roy wore the costume to kill people that he knew weren’t going to get away. He clearly wanted his victims to feel the fear of being preyed upon by Jason Voorhees, suggesting Roy wasn’t just dressing up like Jason – he wanted to be Jason. If that doesn’t show Roy had nothing for love for the original Jason Voorhees, I don’t know what will.
The Deaths
Roy Burns doesn’t waste any time starting his killing spree, and once he starts, he never stops. In fact, A New Beginning has a higher body count than any of the Friday the 13th movies to come before it, proving Roy was certainly no less capable than the real Jason of racking up the kills on a Friday the 13th.
You could also say Roy was a bit more creative than Jason when it came to the kills. For as many bodies as there are in A New Beginning, it’s interesting that most of them were all killed in separate interesting ways. Keep in mind Roy’s very first kill is shoving a lit flare down someone’s throat, and none of us can ever forget when he crushed poor Eddie’s head against a tree using a leather strap. Ouch.
The Toughness
Jason or not, Roy Burns is a beast. Stopping him is not easy, as the copycat killer just keeps coming even after getting rammed with a tractor and diced with a chainsaw. It’s also worth pointing out that Tommy Jarvis killed the real Jason Voorhees as a 12-year-old boy, but an older and stronger version of Tommy needed the help of both Pam and Reggie to finally stop Roy.
Of course, Jason would become an unstoppable monster in the following sequel when Tommy inadvertently brings him back from the dead. Still, you could make the argument that Roy was much more dangerous than the “human Jason” from parts 2-4.
The Reveal
Director Danny Steinmann was not permitted to use the real Jason Voorhees as the killer for A New Beginning, as the character was truly meant to be killed off permanently in The Final Chapter. The easy way to go would have been to immediately introduce Tommy as the new killer, but the filmmakers cleverly thought of using a copycat killer instead. Going this route meant they could, in a way, bring back “Jason” for a new killing spree while honoring Paramount’s decision to keep the real Jason dead. Sure, Jason is revealed to be Roy in the climax of the film, but for the most part, the character is Jason until the mask comes off.
Along with the original, A New Beginning also stands out from the rest of the series in that its ending gave us something different. Virtually every other Friday the 13th movie ends the same way, with a final girl (and sometimes final boy) finally killing Jason Voorhees (for now). Kudos to the filmmakers for putting a spin on the story.
The Legacy
Time has been treating Roy Burns rather nicely, as Friday the 13th fans have come to embrace A New Beginning. With its memorable death scenes and amazing cast of characters, the film has its place for most fans of the series, even if not everyone was overly thrilled at first with the movie’s twist ending.
Roy in particular has gotten a lot of love in recent years as well, having gotten the action figure treatment from Funko and NECA. He is also available as a playable killer in Friday the 13th: The Game along with the Pinehurst Youth Development Center map, and he can even be unmasked in the game to have his real face exposed. Horror fans consistently cosplay as the Roy version of Jason at various horror cons and events as well. He may not be Jason Voorhees, but he’s certainly just as awesome.
Related Article: Take the ‘Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning’ Quiz!
