Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

The real killer is Roy Burns, a paramedic who was traumatized by the murder of his own son. He disguises himself as Jason Voorhees to carry out his revenge killings, using Jason's iconic hockey mask and methods to throw everyone off. The reveal comes at the end when Tommy removes the mask during the barn confrontation, exposing Roy's deranged face beneath.

Roy Burns becomes the killer because his son was murdered, driving him to revenge. Consumed by grief and mental instability, Roy adopts Jason's appearance and killing style to carry out his own vendetta, using the legendary killer's notoriety as cover for hisactions.

Jason Voorhees does not actually appear in this film. The murders are committed by Roy Burns, who dresses as Jason and uses his methods to mislead everyone. The sheriff and characters initially believe Jason has returned from the dead, but this is a deliberate red herring. While Roy styles himself after Jason, the real Jason never appears on screen.

Dr. Matt Letter and Reggie's grandfather George are both murdered by Roy Burns. Their bodies are discovered by Pam and Reggie in the woods during their escape attempt. Roy kills them to remove witnesses and further his plan to frame the killings as Jason's return.

Tommy Jarvis becomes a suspect because of his history with Jason Voorhees and his psychological instability. The sheriff notes that Tommy has the motivation and means, and his frequent absences and strange behavior raise suspicion. Additionally, the murders begin after Tommy arrives at Pinehurst, and his traumatic past makes him an easy target for accusation.

Tommy Jarvis suffers from severe PTSD from his traumatic encounter with Jason Voorhees in Part 4. As a child, Tommy was the one who ultimately defeated Jason, but the experience left him psychologically scarred. These nightmares plague him throughout the film, contributing to his institutionalization and making it difficult for him to distinguish reality from his traumatic hallucinations.

The ending suggests Tommy may be following in Roy Burns' footsteps, showing that trauma has twisted him. After defeating Roy, Tommy is in a hospital when he sees a hallucination of Jason. He throws it away, but when Pam enters, he's wearing Roy's hockey mask and holding a knife, implying he may become the next killer. The ambiguity suggests his psychological state remains unstable.

Early in the film, Tommy is shown having vivid nightmares about Jason, suggesting his mental state is fragile.

Vick kills Joey after being continuously teased and provoked by him. Joey's relentless bullying pushes Vick into a rage, leading him to grab an axe and murder Joey in a fit of anger. This is a standalone murder not connected to Roy Burns' killing spree, and Vick is arrested immediately after.

Roy Burns knows about Jason's methods because he is a paramedic who would have responded to or investigated previous Jason Voorhees murders in Crystal Lake. He uses the iconic hockey mask, a machete, and similar brutal tactics to imitate Jason's style, creating the illusion that the killer has returned.

Multiple characters die at Pinehurst: Joey is killed by Vick with an axe, Tina is murdered with garden shears, Eddie is killed by the masked killer, Demon and Anita die in the outhouse, Dr. Matt Letter and George are murdered in the woods, and Ethel, Junior, Jake, Robin, and Violet are all killed by Roy Burns. Only Tommy, Pam, and Reggie survive.

Eddie and Tina sneak into the woods against Dr. Letter's rules. Tina is found murdered the next morning, her eyes pierced by garden shears. Eddie then confronts the killer and is also murdered. Their deaths are part of Roy Burns' killing spree, designed to look like Jason's work.

Demon and Anita seek refuge in an outhouse after Demon suddenly becomes ill. While inside, they are attacked and murdered by Roy Burns, who is still posing as Jason. Their deaths occur off-screen but are revealed when their bodies are discovered.