List of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre characters

This is a list of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre characters.

The Sawyer/Hewitt family

The Sawyer family (Leatherface, Drayton, Hitchhiker, Grandpa and Grandma) from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Sawyers (renamed the Hewitts in the remake and its prequel) are a large, Southern white-American family of poor, psychotic, inbred butchers, cannibals and serial killers in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, who live in the Texas backwoods, where they abduct, torture, murder and eat stranded motorists. The family uses booby traps and man-traps, such as bear traps and spike traps to capture, or kill victims, as the family engages in human hunting also. The family also owns a gas station, where they sell victims' meat as barbecue and chili. It has been confirmed in the crossover comic book series Jason vs. Leatherface, and in various interviews and commentaries on the original films, that the Sawyer family did engage in inbreeding, something that was heavily implied in the third film, though in the recent remake continuation of the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre comics and the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, the Hewitt family were only implied at having engaged in the act of inbreeding, first in the Wildstorm comics and again in the movie, when a captive named Chrissie confronts the Hewitts about it. As seen in Texas Chainsaw Massacres 2, 3, the remake & the prequel, the family (both Sawyer and Hewitt) are fond of leaving bodies in mass body pits or mass graves in various parts of Texas. The inspiration for the family was real killer Ed Gein, whom the film makers also based Leatherface on.

Chop Top

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Drayton Sawyer

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Grandpa Sawyer

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Luda May Hewitt

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Nubbins Sawyer (The Hitchhiker)

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Sheriff Hoyt/Charlie Hewitt

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Leatherface

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Old Monty Hewitt

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W. E. Sawyer

W. E. Sawyer appeared in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, and the opening scrolling prologue text of Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III mentions him. He was portrayed by Joe Stevens.

A character named W. E. Sawyer is first mentioned in the 1990 film Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. In the films prologue, it is said that a man named W. E. Sawyer was arrested some unspecified time between 1973 and 1981 and charged with the murders of the various characters from the original film and the attempted murder of Sally Hardesty, the heroine of the aforementioned film. Deemed guilty for the murders, W. E. Sawyer is executed in a gas chamber in the fictional Huntsville State Penitentiary late in 1981.

Leatherface, the main antagonist of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, is concluded to be Sawyer's alternate personality which manifested when he wore a mask created from the skin of his victims (Leatherface's M.O.); this theory was assumed to be correct as none of Sally Hardesty's accounts about Leatherface contradicted it. The assumption is later proven false though, as the actual Leatherface appears.

In the 1994 film Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, a character named W. E. Sawyer appears as a main antagonist. A relative of the Sawyer family, W. E., like them, is an agent for a powerful shady government organization who has the family forcibly employed for the purpose of terrorizing society. His fate in the film is left ambiguous, as his head is bashed with a hammer by the increasingly unstable Vilmer Sawyer and he does not appear again, leading to the possibility the attack could have killed him, or at least incapacitated him.

Despite his somewhat stereotypical redneck appearance and general insanity, the W. E. Sawyer appearing in this film is depicted as being highly cultured, continually quoting famous historical figures and works of literature, even while torturing people. He often bickers with Vilmer's wife Darla, stating that before she entered the family, it was W.E. who "put things together", referring to the murders. Like his brothers Drayton and Alfredo, W.E. appears to own a gas station/country store and an old pickup truck. W.E. also favors a cattle prod while torturing people, and his brother Leatherface for that matter. During dinner, W.E. is seen talking to his mute Grandpa about the decline of family values.

Other members

• Grandma/Great-Grandma Sawyer: Grandpa's wife, she died an unspecified time before the first films events, although her obese corpse has been preserved by the family and was originally kept in the attic of the Sawyer ranch. It is revealed in the audio commentary on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, by Tobe Hooper, that she is in fact "Great-Grandma Sawyer". First mentioned by Drayton in the second film, who states "Oh Great Grandma in chainsaw heaven!"; her skeletal corpse is later seen in chainsaw heaven - actually a macabre shrine hidden in the amusement park where the remaining Sawyers live in in the second film.
• Little Girl Sawyer: Leatherface's psychotic, unnamed daughter, apparently conceived from the rape of one of his victims; she carries around a dead infant as a doll, which she refers to as "Sally" (a possible reference to Sally Hardesty). In both the rated and unrated versions, her fate is unrevealed. In an alternate ending, she's seen at the end in the back of the Sheriff's car, probably arrested, however, her hands weren't cuffed. In the comics based on the film, no reference is made to Little Girl being Leatherface's child, with her appearing to be just another one of his relatives, possibly Leatherface, Tex, Tinker, and Alfredo's younger sister. She is portrayed by Jennifer Banko.
• Edward "Tex" Sawyer: A hitchhiking cowboy and brother of Leatherface, Edward (simply referred to by the shortened name Eddie) completely despises his real name - for unknown reasons - and prefers to be called "Tex", and goes into a rage when referred to by his true name. Tex is also seen wearing a female's cooking apron and painted fingernails, leading to the possibility that he is sexually ambiguous. Tex is portrayed as the most normal looking family member, which helps in his family's capturing of victims, who believe Tex to be a regular person, however, when enraged Tex becomes highly psychotic. Film writer David J. Schow likened him to Norman Bates on the film's audio commentary. In the rated and unrated versions, Tex is killed when set ablaze by survivalist Benny, after Tex attacks him with an axe. In the alternate ending, Tex is set on fire, but survives, and then is killed when Michelle pushes him into a spike trap. Tex (never referred to as Eddie or Edward) is portrayed as one of the more sane members of the family in the Leatherface comics, actually showing some level of remorse for his actions. Tex is killed in the comics by Michelle, who beats and disembowels him with the very knife he was planning to butcher her with. Co-star William Butler claims that his friend, fellow actor Viggo Mortensen's characterization for Tex was as a sexually ambiguous killer who looked normal, but could snap at any moment. He is portrayed by Viggo Mortensen.
• Tech/Tinker Sawyer: Another brother of Leatherface and easily one of the least sane members of the family, he has a transradial prosthesis hook in place of a right hand for unknown reasons and an affinity for machines, chrome and technology. As he goes by two different names his real name remains unknown. Tech often makes devices to assist his family in the slaughtering of people, he also drives a very large, suped up pick up truck, which is basically a monster truck. Tech also calls one of the main characters, Benny, an African-American, a "darkie", "brotha" and refers to him as "dark meat", leading to the possibility that he is a racist. Tech also tries to discipline his brother Leatherface by throwing his brother's walkman into the oven, however, this plan backfires when Leatherface forces Tech to retrieve it with his good hand. In both the rated and unrated versions as well as the alternate ending Tech is wounded, possibly fatally, when Benny opens fire on the families' house with an automatic rifle, blasting two of Tech's fingers off, as well as an ear. He appears to have died after the shooting, as he is heard saying to his brother Tex that he would be in Hell for breakfast. In the Leatherface comics, Tech is depicted as a former party loving hippie, like his brother Chop Top from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and is fixated with classic rock music and a "Chrome Machine God" he believes controls everything. He also mentions taking quaaludes and hash and lush and the purest lysergic acid ever come from Hashbury. Tech is fatally injured in the comic by being shot repeatedly by Benny, later dying in Leatherface's (who admired Tech, who was his favorite brother) arms.Like his brother Drayton Sawyer, Tech appears as the head of the family household, this role is also explained by writer David J. Schow on the audio commentary for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, in which he refers to Tech as the "brains" of the operation. He is portrayed by Joe Unger.
• Mama Sawyer: The mother of Leatherface and the rest of the Sawyer brothers, Mama is a bitter, aged, wheelchair-bound woman and also has an electronic voice box, possibly from a tracheotomy. When Benny begins to blast the families' house with an automatic rifle, Mama dies after taking several shots to the chest as Tech watches on in horror. Mama's role is expanded upon in the Leatherface comics, which depict her as a stereotypical kindly old woman, capable of speaking under her own power and is also shown to be more dangerous than in the film. Mama meets her demise in the comics when her face is smashed in by Benny, who she was holding at gun point, using his automatic rifle. In the film, Mama mentions that she neutered herself and Grandpa, which implies that the two had an incestous relationship. She is portrayed by Miriam Byrd-Nethery.
• Alfredo Sawyer: Another brother of Leatherface, he appears to be highly demented and perverted and suffers from a speech impediment and heterochromia. He wears a tattered jumpsuit and drives an old pickup truck. Alfredo is also seen kissing a decapitated head, which implies that he has engaged in necrophilia. At the same time he kisses the head, he mentions that he had a girl in Tupelo, but that she had to "go down below", implying that Alfredo has murdered women outside the state of Texas. He often rants and complains about having to clean up for his family, which includes tossing body parts into the bogs and swamps surrounding his family's home, he also bickers with his brother Tex. In one of his bizarre rants, Alfredo refers to his brother Leatherface as "stupid fuck-face". Alfredo also runs the Last Chance Gas Station, which he apparently inherited from his eldest brother Drayton, after his death in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. In the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, Alfredo is killed when, attacking Michelle with a sledgehammer in his pickup truck, she grabs his shotgun lying on the truck's floor and blasts him, his last words being "What are the chances a brainless bitch like you knows how to use that thing?". It is revealed by his brother Tex, that Alfredo worked at the slaughterhouse, but like the rest of his family, he lost his job and went insane. The Leatherface comics depict Alfredo - drawn with an eye patch for unexplained reasons - as even more perverted, insane and dangerous than his film counterpart. Alfredo is killed in the comics' final issue, being forced underwater and drowned by Michelle. Alfredo appears similar in character to his brothers Nubbins and Chop Top, whom he was based on. Also in the Leatherface comics, Alfredo references his brother Chop Top, as Chop Top's famous line "Lick my plate!" is seen spray painted on Alfredo's gas station. He is portrayed by Tom Everett.
• Darla Sawyer: Vilmer's apparent girlfriend or wife (who routinely suffers abuse and domestic violence at his hands). Darla is one of the more sane members of the family; she appears highly disgruntled under Rothman and Vilmer's control and is hinted at once having a normal life, making references to another husband living elsewhere. She also informs a group of teens (her family would later capture) that she had breast implants, and after W.E. Sawyer comes to assist her in kidnapping a fleeing hostage, Darla admitts to owning a gun. In the movie Darla also speculates that her lover Vilmer is from outer space and that either Vilmer or his employers has implanted a device in her head which will kill her. Darla is also the one who explains the Sawyers' backstory to their captive Jenny, telling her that the family belong to a secret group, which has been assassinating people for hundreds of years, including JFK. She is portrayed by Tonie Perensky.
• Henrietta Hewitt: The apparent sister of Leatherface, though her exact relationship to the Hewitt Family is unknown, as family matriarch Luda May mentions that she never had a little girl. Prior to the events of the 1973 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Henrietta lived in a trailer with her corpulent tea-drinking lady friend (name unknown) not far from the Hewitt residence. In the 2003 movie Henrietta adopted/stole an infant from a woman who committed suicide, but the child was later rescued by Erin Hardesty. Henrietta appears as a sickly, homely girl in a dirty house coat and slippers. In the Wildstorm comics, Henrietta along with her friend the Tea Lady, drug and molest FBI agent Henkel. It was her hope that Henkel would leave her pregnant with child. Henrietta is present when a grenade explodes in her family's secret hideout. She is portrayed by Heather Kafka.
• Jedidiah Hewitt: The youngest and most sane member of the murderous Hewitt family. Jedidiah is also the grandson of Luda May Hewitt and the nephew of Leatherface/Thomas Hewitt. Though he was witness to the atrocities committed by his elder family members, Jedidiah had yet to develop the sense of depraved family pride that governed the actions of his kindred. In the 2003 film Jedidiah helps Erin and her friend escape the Hewitt's home. His one known act of violence was in the Wildstorm comics, when in defense of his grandmother, Jedidiah stabbed FBI agent Hooper through the chest, then split his head open with a meat cleaver after the agent tried to arrest Luda May and the rest of Jedidiah's family. On the audio commentary for the remake, that Jedidiah was supposed to be the child one of the Hewitts' victims, but like the baby raised by Henrietta, Jedidiah was inducted into the family. He is portrayed by David Dorfman.
• The Tea Lady: The most mysterious member of the Hewitt clan. Almost nothing is known about her, including her real name and relationship to the Hewitts. The Tea Lady (so named due to her fondness, and seeming obsession with tea) lived in a trailer with her friend Henrietta not far from the Hewitt household. The Tea Lady is morbidly obese and can barely move. In 1973, the Tea Lady had a brief encounter with Erin Hardesty, which ended with the two women drink spiking the girl with drugged tea. The Tea Lady also has a good relationship with the Hewitts, Henrietta and Luda May are very close friends, leading to the possibility that they are related. In the Wildstorm comics, the Tea Lady appears more deranged than she was in the movies. The Wildstorm comics also portray the Tea Lady as suffering from a type of dementia, as she is seemingly unaware of the actions of those around her. Though she bears witness to the Hewitt family's macabre actions, she neither condones nor condemns them. Along with Henrietta, the Tea Lady drugged and molested FBI Agent Henkel. The Tea Lady was also present when a hand grenade belonging to another federal agent named Baines exploded in the Hewitt's secret underground grotto. The Tea Lady was very close to the blast, but it remains unknown whether or not she survived the explosion. She is portrayed by Kathy Lamkin.

Other characters

• Sally Hardesty – After driving with her friends and brother to check and see if a family grave was tampered with after a series of grave robbings, the young motorists run out of gas by an old farmhouse in rural Texas, there they become prey for the cannibalistic Sawyer family. Sally was the only survivor of the original film, but she is believed to have died in a mental hospital after her ordeal. The character returned for a cameo in the fourth film, where she is seen alive, being wheeled through a hospital on a gurney. However, the credits listed her as "Anonymous". She is portrayed by Marilyn Burns in both films.
• Vanita "Stretch" Brock – The main character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, where she appears as a disk jockey at a radio station. The Sawyers intended to kill her, but Leatherface fell in love with her in the process. She escapes the Sawyer family in time for their hide out to explode (thanks to Drayton) which supposedly kills the family. Chop Top follows her and horribly attacks her wielding a straight razor until she grabs a chainsaw and attacks him with it, knocking him over an edge down into the abandoned theme park (where the family lived). In Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Vanita makes a cameo appearance as a news reporter, her identity being confirmed in DVD commentary. Actress Caroline Williams mentions on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 audio commentary, that in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Stretch has taken up Lefty's job of tracking down the family in revenge for their crimes. She is portrayed by Caroline Williams in both movies.
• Lieutenant "Lefty" Enright – The righteous and moral male hero of the second film. Lefty is the uncle of Sally and Franklin and appears as an ageing former Texas Ranger. He turns vigilante when local law enforcement fail to invstigate the Sawyer family. He, in a way, was the one who was responsible for the death of the Sawyers. After he shoved a chainsaw through Leatherface's abdomen, Leatherface accidentally hit Drayton who was holding a primed grenade. The grenade explodes killing Lefty and everyone else except Vanita and Chop Top. Although Leatherface returns in other films, though they are considered alternate sequels to the first and the second films. He is portrayed by Dennis Hopper.
• Michelle – The main female protagonist of Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. College student Michelle, while en route to California with her male companion Ryan to return a car to her father in Florida, encounters Leatherface and his deranged family. With help from Benny, Michelle escapes from the family's swamp home, but not before she is tortured by the Sawyer clan, who murders her friend Ryan. She is portrayed by Kate Hodge.
• Benny – An African-American ex-Marine and survivalist, Benny appears in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. After his jeep crashes into Michelle and Ryan's car, who were fleeing from Leatherface's family, Benny aids the two in trying to escape, successfully killing several members of the family. He appears very skilled at shooting his assault rifle and hand to hand combat. In the film, Benny, along with Michelle, survives and escapes, though in the alternate ending and Leatherface comics, he is murdered by Leatherface. He is portrayed by Ken Foree.
• Jenny – The main female protagonist of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Jenny and her friends encounter Leatherface and his family after ending up in a car accident on prom night. Spending the bulk of the film trying to escape from the family, Jenny is eventually saved by the enigmatic Agent Rothman. The unrated edition DVD of the film reveals somewhat more on Jenny, showing that she is routinely abused by her stepfather. She is portrayed by Renee Zellweger.
• Agent Rothman – A member (or possibly the leader) of a powerful government organization or cult referred to as the "Illuminati". Rothman appears in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation as the evil boss of the Sawyer family. After discovering that Leatherface and his family are "breaking the rules" he has set for them, Rothman decides to shut them down, ordering Vilmer to be assassinated and rescuing Jenny from him. In a brief scene of the film, Rothman is depicted as having intricate patterned carvings and large piercings on his body, which are shown as he torments a hostage girl named Jenny, while the Sawyers have dinner. He is portrayed by James Gale.
• Erin – Erin was the only survivor of the remake. She's responsible for chopping off Leatherface's right arm with a meat cleaver and killing Sheriff Hoyt by running him over with his car. The novelization states that her last name is 'Hardesty', a reference to the heroine of the 1974 original. It is revealed in Wildstorm's comic continuation of the 2003 remake, that after Erin escaped the Hewitts, she was placed in a mental hospital by proper authorities. She is portrayed by Jessica Biel.
• Chrissie – Chrissie is the main protagonist of the prequel to the remake. After she and her friends get into an auto accident while on their way to re-enlist in the army for the Vietnam War, they become captives of the Hewitt family. She risks her life many times to save her friends but eventually the Hewitts capture her. She manages to escape from them before Leatherface guts her in the back seat of a car. She is portrayed by Jordanna Brewster.