How Old Would Leatherface Be Today?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies are not always very clear on the fate of the Sawyer and/or Hewitt family at the ending of the films. In fact, sometimes Leatherface is seen very much alive and even angry, or frustrated! This leads Texas Chainsaw fans wondering, could Leatherface be alive still today? Would it be possible, if he were not a fictional character? What age would Leatherface be if he had survived everything and was still breathing today?
Horror Enthusiast has carefully reviewed all the evidence available throughout the Texas Chainsaw and Leatherface movies to speculate upon his most probable fate, and ultimately whether or not Leatherface could be alive today.
Where is Leatherface Now?
Although it would be absolutely amazing if the original Leatherface from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) were still alive. He was (at best) in his 20s in the original film, but what would be a greater struggle than age, would be his lifestyle. He has no skills to keep himself alive besides murdering, butchering and cooking. He would literally have to rely on hunting humans off the highway…and with technology today, it is unlikely he would survive the first major disappearance of…anyone. Because he could not get a job on his own, he would be relying upon his family to provide jobs to him (be it cannibal-related or not).
It is possible, however, that parts of his family survived and are still involved in a Texas-Chainsawing syndicate. If some of his family is assisting him, and with a high protein diet, he is probably still alive. He may be suffering from some version of Mad Cow disease, however, from eating other human beings for so long. This would not matter much, as it has been speculated that Leatherface already suffers from mental illness.
If he were alive from the original film, he could be alive still. At best (if he were 20 years old in 1974), he would be 67. If he were in his mid 40s, say 46 for example purposes, he would be in his 90’s. Given the high-risk lifestyle he has lived, the lack of society-based / people skills, and the cannibalistic diet, he probably has met his demise within the last few decades.
The Leatherface from the later movies in the franchise could still be alive. Although the 2003 and 2006 movies focused still on a 1960s and 1970s era setting (leaving Leatherface still a wrinkled elderly man in the event he is still alive), there was Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994), which featured a still-young appearing Leatherface, maybe in his late twenties to early 40s, and these two films appeared to be set in “present day” for their time. This would place Leatherface’s odds more favorable, providing an age today potentially as low as 46-50 years old.
And then there is the Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) film which shows what seems to be a present day Leatherface alive and well, maybe in his 40s or 50s.
Leatherface Gets the Last Laugh
Leatherface very well could be alive still. His survival skills, though minimal in quantity, are hardcore and allow him to eat as frequently as he finds victims. With all the flesh he carves off his victims, he probably could survive the cold even without shelter…though it does not seem anyone has ever cared about the Sawyer/Hewitt properties ever before, so his home probably still stands just fine. In the end, Leatherface might be laughing under that grotesque mask of his after all!
Additional Info: Ed Gein, the character Leatherface was based upon, was not actually a murderer but only a grave robber. He died in 1984 in a mental institute, though he probably knew about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie that he inspired.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
