Judge Hopkins

Judge Hopkins is the main antagonist of Laika's 2nd full-length animated feature film ParaNorman.

ParaNorman
Hopkins was a judge residing in Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts. A young girl, Agatha Prenderghast, who also lived in the town was accused of practicing witchcraft by the townspeople, to which Hopkins put her on trial. Judge Hopkins, after hearing the testimonies of Agatha's six primary accusers, found her guilty and sentenced her to hanging. However, Agatha's ghost struck Hopkins and her other accusers dead immediately after her execution, and promptly cursed them to rise from the grave as the living dead as punishment for their prosecutions of her. After death, Hopkins and the six accusers realized their misdeeds against Agatha, who by then had become lost in her desire for revenge.

Judge Hopkins and the other accusers were awoken by Agatha's ghost three hundred years later after Norman Babcock failed to read Agatha's mother's bedtime story at Agatha's burial site. Immediately upon rising from the grave, Judge Hopkins made an attempt to communicate with Norman, who fled along with schoolmate Alvin. The two boys hid in Mr. Prenderghast's cabin, but Hopkins and the other zombies broke in and tried to find Norman. Eventually, the boys escaped into the forest, pursued by Hopkins and the other zombies. However, the two were picked up by Norman's sister Courtney Babcock, Norman and Alvin's classmate Neil Downe and his brother Mitch.

As the five attempted to escape towards the town, Judge Hopkins latched onto Mitch's van and struggled to get Norman. In the process, Hopkin's arm was detached by Neil, but he nevertheless managed to enter the van, distracting the five and causing Mitch to drive off the road, sending Hopkins flying out of the van. Despite Hopkin's attempts to keep hold of the van as it tumbled through the forest, he eventually let go and collapsed in the forest. Despite this, Hopkins made it into the town and reattached his arm at the Town Hall. As he searched for the other zombies, he saw them being mobbed by the townspeople, and he himself was shot before leading the other zombies to safety and taking them to the Town Hall to continue searching for Norman.

The zombies encountered Norman in the archives and continued pursuing him towards the roof of the Hall, where Agatha's ghost struck Norman with lightning. While unconscious, Norman had a dream where he witnessed Agatha's trial. Upon awakening, Norman angrily confronted the zombies and admonished them for their actions. A guilt-ridden Hopkins pleaded with Norman to read the book to Agatha so that the zombies may be sent back to the grave, but Norman opted to instead talk to Agatha to permanently stop the curse. Norman formed an alliance with the zombies and broke out of the Town Hall, but the townspeople cornered Hopkins, the zombies and Norman. However, Courtney forced the townspeople to back down, causing Agatha to go on a rampage as a result.

Amidst the chaos, Judge Hopkins hitched a ride with Norman and his family, directing them to Agatha's unmarked grave in the forest. From there, Hopkins remained in the forest until Norman had reasoned with Agatha, convincing her to stop her curse over her accusers. Agatha then ascended into the afterlife, along with the zombies. Hopkins was the final zombie to fade away, making one last, remorseful glance at Norman's family before vanishing.