The 4 Most Common Serial Killer Zodiac Signs, According To Fascinating Study
Find out the zodiac signs of some of the infamous serial killers.
Dan Hussey, OpenClipArt-Vectors, katexlab, Chikovnaya via Canva The most infamous serial killer zodiac signs may point to a personality trait connected with their horrid murders.
By definition, a serial killer is someone who kills at least three people over a long period of time.
Murder is often described as a crime of passion and serial killers are considered psychologically compelled to act out the behavior over and over again.
There isn’t a specific rhyme or reason for why serial killers commit such brutal acts of violence, but one fascinating study found a creepy astrological connection between serial killers.
A 2021 study found that the most common serial killer zodiac signs are Cancer, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Scorpio.
The study analyzed almost 500 known serial killers from around the world, finding that almost 40% of them fell under these four zodiac signs.
What makes these signs — which are almost exclusively water signs and mutable signs — more likely to kill (or perhaps more likely to get caught)?
According to astrology, mutable signs tend to be extremely adaptable, able to conform to their surroundings like chameleons. While that may sound like a positive trait, YourTango astrologer Aria Gmitter explains that mutable signs often lack grounding.
But not all serial killers are one of these signs — in fact, there's at least one serial killer for every zodiac sign.
Serial killer zodiac signs
Here is a list of the worst serial killers, what zodiac sign they belong to, and the murder type each committed, per astrology.
Photo: Elina Madelane via Canva
Aries serial killers
The study found 38 serial killers born under the Aries zodiac sign, which is ruled by Mars, the god of war. Aries is a Fire sign and it rules the head. Together, they have 411 known victims.
Most well-known Aries serial killer: Henri Désiré Landru
French serial killer Henri Desire Landru (April 12, 1869), known as “The Paris Bluebeard,” was born under the zodiac sign Aries.
Landru seduced women, married them for their money and possessions, and then he killed them. He burned them once he dismembered their bodies.
Between 1914 to 1919, he killed 10 women and one of their sons. He was convicted and sentenced to death by guillotine at Versailles.
As an Aries, Henri Desire Landru was driven by his need for competition. He was never content in his relationships which often seemed fraught with tension, another trait of an Aries when the sign is expressed to the extreme negative.
Other Aries serial killers:
Keith Hunter Jesperson (also known as The Happy Face Killer): April 6, 1955
Donald Harvey (also known as the Angel of Death): April 5, 1952
Richard Kuklinski (also known as the Iceman): April 11, 1935
Taurus serial killers
Taurus is one of the least common zodiac sign of serial killers, with 27 serial killers born under this sign with a combined total of 204 victims.
Most well-known Taurus serial killer: Albert Fish
Albert Fish (May 19, 1870), or “The Brooklyn Vampire,” killed what is assumed to be 100 victims. He was a chameleon, blending into his environment and staying hidden.
He was mentally ill as a child, which continued into adulthood. He had very unusual desires and inflicted pain onto himself. Taurus, when expressed to the extreme negative, can be revealed in body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
Fish physically tortured the victims he killed and reportedly had auditory hallucinations that kept getting worse. He became obsessed with torturing and eating mostly young children. He was found to be insane and was sentenced to death.
Albert Fish was motivated by sexual gratification. A Taurus is very sensual and in tune with their sexual side. Because Tauruses are very possessive, Albert Fish is an example of possession to the extreme. He didn't want to share or let go of his victims — that's why he consumed them.
Other Taurus serial killers:
H. H. Holmes: May 16, 1861
David Copeland: May 15, 1976
Orville Lynn Majors: April 24, 1961
Gemini serial killers
Like Taurus, Gemini is one of the least common serial killer zodiac signs with 27 of them born under this sign. They have slightly more victims than Taurus, responsible for 218 deaths.
Most well-known Gemini serial killer: Jeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Dahmer (May 21, 1960), “The Milwaukee Cannibal,” was a serial killer and sex offender. Between 1978 to 1991 he killed 17 men. He raped them, practiced necrophilia with the bodies, dismembered them and ate them.
Dahmer seduced men from bars or hired male prostitutes, then he would drug, rape, and strangle them. He would continue to practice necrophilia with the bodies after their death. He was consumed by his desire to make his victims inferior.
As a Gemini, Jeffrey Dahmer never wanted to be alone. Geminis are very affectionate and can adapt to certain circumstances, but taken to the extreme their personality can turn into a mental health problem.
If Dahmer couldn't find companionship easily, he hired men, thus solving his problem of finding victims. Also, because Geminis can be restless, it explains why Jeffrey Dahmer moved on from victim to victim pretty quickly.
He is thought to have had antisocial personality disorder, which would be the opposite of a free-spirited Gemini. Again, negative to the extreme.
Other Gemini serial killers:
Samuel Little: June 7, 1940
Robert Lee Yates: May 27, 1952
Peter Kürten (also known as the Vampire of Düsseldorf): May 26, 1883
Cancer serial killers
One of the most common serial killer zodiac signs, there are 46 known Cancer serial killers with a combined 404 victims.
Most well-known Cancer serial killer: Robert Maudsley
Robert Maudsley (June 26, 1953), “The Real Hannibal Lecter,” murdered four people, three of whom were in prison. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Cancers are prone to depression. Maudsley heard voices that told him to kill his parents, and he was suicidal and addicted to drugs. He is reported to have said that he only killed his first victim because he deserved it because his victim was an alleged child abuser.
Cancers are very sympathetic to others. This explains why Maudsley committed his first crime: he wanted to remove a predator from society.
Other Cancer serial killers:
Carl Panzram: June 28, 1891
Gerald Gallego (also known as the Sex Slave Killer): July 17, 1946
Sean Vincent Gillis: June 24, 1962
Leo serial killers
Leo serial killers are less common. The study found 39 known Leo serial killers whose victims total 351.
Most well-known Leo serial killer: Donald Neilson
Donald Neilson (August 1, 1936), “The Black Panther,” was convicted for 5 murders. He first kidnapped and then murdered his victims.
Leos have a flair for dramatics. This explains why Donald Neilson kidnapped his victims before murdering them.
Neilson also boasted about his murders, a sign of pride, which is also a strong trait of a Leo when taken to the extreme and mingled with mental illness.
Other Leo serial killers:
Jack Unterweger: August 16, 1951
Elizabeth Báthory (also known as the Blood Countess): August 7, 1560
Ángel Maturino Reséndiz (also known as the Railroad Killer): August 1, 1959
Virgo serial killers
The study found 40 serial killers born under the Virgo zodiac sign. They totaled 269 murders.
Most well-known Virgo serial killer: Ed Gein
Ed Gein (August 27, 1906) is known for skinning human corpses and making furniture out of them. He was found to be guilty by reason of insanity and lived in a state facility for the rest of his life.
"Psycho" character Norman Bates is based on Gein and his abhorrent crimes.
Virgo loves paying attention to details.The way Ed Gein used his victims' bodies shows how he was meticulous in his life as a Virgo. Also, Virgo is very critical of everything they do, so Ed would be his own biggest critic.
Other Virgo serial killers:
Rodney Alcala (also known as the Dating Game Killer): August 23, 1943
Paul Bernardo (also known as the Schoolgirl Killer): August 27, 1964
Peter Tobin: August 27, 1946
Libra serial killers
The study found 44 Libra serial killers, who totaled 485 murders.
Most well-known Libra serial killer: Andrei Chikatilo
Andrei Chikatilo (October 16, 1936), known as “The Butcher of Rostov,” “The Red Ripper,” and “The Rostov Ripper,” killed and mutilated 52-56 people. He targeted children and at-risk teens and was sexually satisfied when he killed his victims.
He was profiled as a “necro-sadist,” or a person who reaches sexual gratification from his victims while they are suffering and when they die.
Libra hates being alone, so it makes sense that Chikatilo wanted to make his victims a part of himself so they never left him. He was found guilty and was sentenced to be executed.
Other Libra serial killers:
Fred West: September 29, 1941
Angelo Buono, Jr. (also known as the Hillside Strangler): October 5, 1934
Bobby Joe Long: October 14, 1953
Scorpio serial killers
One of the most common serial killers, this zodiac sign accounts for 46 known serial killers with a combined total of 537 victims.
Most well-known Scorpio serial killer: Charles Manson
Charles Manson (November 12, 1934) was a cult leader of “The Family” which consisted of approximately 100 followers. They used drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms.
He was looked up to as a prophetic figure and orchestrated the murders of a bunch of people that his followers committed.
As a Scorpio, Charles Manson had leadership in his DNA. He easily slipped into the role of a cult leader. He easily manipulated his followers, which is a common characteristic of Scorpio.
Because he was so dedicated to his cause, he was able to influence his followers to do what he desired, such as committing murders on his own behalf.
Other Scorpio serial killers:
Joseph James DeAngelo (also known as the Golden State Killer): November 8, 1945
David Parker Ray (also known as the Toy Box Killer): November 6, 1939
Nannie Doss (also known as the Giggling Granny): November 4, 1905
Sagittarius serial killers
Another one of the most common zodiac signs among serial killers, Sagittarius serial killers are responsible for 350 deaths.
Most well-known Sagittarius serial killer: Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy (November 24, 1946) confessed to 30 murders, but the exact total is unknown. He preyed on vulnerable and attractive young women. He raped and murdered these women by strangling or bludgeoning them, and then mutilated their bodies after death.
He would visit the corpses at their gravesites for his own sexual gratification. He was sentenced to death by electric chair and was executed in 1989.
Bundy was driven by his deep desire to do anything to achieve what he wanted, which is a characteristic of Sagittarius. His curiosity about after death, which is sparked by being a Sagittarius, gave him immense sexual gratification at just the thought of a body decaying.
Other Sagittarius serial killers:
Edmund Kemper (also known as the Co-ed Killer): December 18, 1948
Rosemary West: November 29, 1953
Larry Eyler (also known as the Interstate Killer): December 21, 1952
Capricorn serial killers
Though the study found 42 known serial killers born under the Capricorn zodiac sign, together they had a whopping total of 813 victims, making Capricorn serial killers by far the deadliest.
Most well-known Capricorn serial killer: John Edward Robinson
John Edward Robinson (December 27, 1943) is a serial killer currently on death row for eight murders, though his actual body count is thought to be much higher. Having used online chatrooms to attract his victims, Robinson is known as "the Internet's First Serial Killer."
Robinson's early life was speckled with crimes such as embezzlement and fraud. He began murdering in 1984 when he is believed to have killed 19-year-old Paula Godfrey, though her body has never been found.
In one bizarre crime, Robinson murdered a woman named Lisa Stasi and then gave Stasi's daughter to his brother for adoption.
Capricorns are known to be independent and masters of self-control. However, their most negative traits include stubbornness and coldness. At their worst, Capricorns are sometimes extremely unforgiving and distant.
Other Capricorn serial killers:
Dean Corll (also known as the Candy Man): December 24, 1939
Niels Högel: December 30, 1976
Vasili Komaroff (also known as the Wolf of Moscow): January 1, 1871
Aquarius serial killers
There are 44 known Aquarius serial killers who've taken 622 lives total.
Most well-known Aquarius serial killer: Gary Ridgway
Gary Ridgway (February 18, 1949), “The Green River Killer,” strangled 48 sex workers to death, though his total number of victims may be as many as 90.
He was sentenced to life in prison with no parole. He avoided a death sentence after agreeing to help authorities find the remains of all his victims.
Aquarians are know-it-alls and very practical. Gary Ridgway was able to exploit his knowledge and used his practicality to keep himself from being sentenced to death.
Other Aquarius serial killers:
Robert Hansen (also known as the Butcher Baker): February 15, 1939
Joel Rifkin: January 20, 1959
Jerry Brudos: January 31, 1939
Pisces serial killers
Pisces is one of the most common serial killers, responsible for at least 461 murders.
Most well-known Pisces serial killer: John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942), known as “The Killer Clown,” targeted young men and boys. He raped and killed them, and then buried them underneath his house and in crawl spaces.
He murdered 33 people and was convicted to be executed by lethal injection.
Pisces are very artistic. As a clown, Gacy was able to exploit his creativity to entice children and young men into trusting him. Pisces like to help others, so Gacy may have felt like he was saving these boys and young men from their lives.
Because Pisces is very playful, artistic, and caring, it is easy to put trust in someone that appears to be trustworthy.
Other Pisces serial killers:
Richard Ramirez (also known as the Night Stalker): February 29, 1960
Dennis Rader (also known as the BTK Killer): March 9, 1945
Aileen Wuornos: February 29, 1956
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Emily Francos is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.