You’re never born a heroine, you become a heroine…and usually by being thrown into scary situations that will challenge you to think on your feet, outsmart the villain, and most importantly: face your fears. We love a good horror movie. As the spooky season is officially upon us, we’re excited for an excuse to rewatch (or watch for the very first time—we won’t judge you), classic Halloween flicks that get our blood pumping. Most of the biggest franchises in horror film history utilize a trope: the final girl. Who is she, you ask? The female protagonist who ends up being the only survivor and has to confront the killer or monster. Here are five of our favorite final girls who—when push came to shove––shoved, and awesomely so.
Laurie Strode
Most rankings online will have Laurie Strode ranked last (first) on their list, and for good reason: she was the one who started it all. The OG. What better horror movie to watch on Halloween than a movie called Halloween? Rated as one of the best slasher series of all time, this horror installment accumulated 13 films that span across five timelines. It’s a doozy to chronologically watch this series but if you’re looking for Laurie, rest assured: you just need to follow what has been coined the “Halloween Saga” consisting of five films, the last of which came out in 2022: Halloween Ends. (But of course, it never really ends, does it?)
Fans call Jamie Lee Curtis who plays Laurie Strode, the ultimate final girl. Not just because she originated the term “Scream Queen” but because she was able to beat Michael Myers time and time again. It did beg the question of how a man could die so many times and still find a way back to her, but we’ll suspend our disbelief and just say this: even after 44 years, Laurie Strode has proven she’s the one to beat and her fearlessness and audacity have us all nodding our heads in approval.
Sidney Prescott
Next on our list of the best final girls in horror movies is Sidney Prescott, played by actress Neve Campbell, in the slasher series, Scream. The movie has been praised for reinventing the slasher trope by having the serial killer (Ghostface) not be one person, but a guess of who could it be? Every. Single. Time. A refreshing way to keep the story going (and rebooted), yes, but not so good for Sidney Prescott who can never seem to escape the new killer, no matter where she goes.
In Scream 2, Sidney is away in college when she attends a sorority party, where Ghostface shows up and attacks her. They all want Sidney and it’s probably because her legacy holds up. She starts off as the virginal stereotype in love with a boy named Billy. We won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say, Sidney learns the hard way not to date the narcissist. Sidney unfailingly finds a way to uncover the mystery of who is wreaking death among friends and beloved community members, in movies one through five. Sadly, she doesn’t come back for movie six. Sidney is fierce, smart, and always one step ahead of the killer. It’s what makes her one of the best final girls of all time.
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Clear Rivers
Early 2000s kids know the trauma that Final Destination caused. This is why millennials refuse to be behind a log truck on the highway. (if you don’t know, skip to #2 of the franchise.) In the first installment of Final Destination, we meet Clear Rivers. She’s got all the characteristics of a final girl: angsty, headstrong, tough, but she is not the main character. She is the final survivor, though, and goes on to play a very important role in the second film, helping the new unlucky ensemble cheat “Death” since she’s already aware of—and has bested–– its pattern.
What is notable is that there was an alternative ending to the first film: one where Clear is pregnant. Producers must not have wanted to continue that narrative into the second film. Fans argued that as much as “saving two lives” would have been a nice ending, they didn’t feel the romance between her and Alex, the protagonist. Clear Rivers is an honorary final girl that we admire for overcoming her mental struggles and facing “Death” again once and for all.
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Nancy Thompson
One of the best final girls who could teach us a lesson on being proactive rather than reactive is Nancy Thompson from Nightmare on Elm Street. Although we only really get to see her in action during the first installment, she does make an appearance in one of the sequels. You’ll want to watch this one for a rare sighting of young Johnny Depp, who plays the Nancy’s boyfriend, in total bad boy style. If you’ve never seen Nightmare on Elm Street or have no clue who Freddy Krueger is…then don’t fall asleep. Kidding, but that is the premise of the slasher series that takes a different approach to torment and torture: Freddy only shows up in your worst nightmares and kills you…but in real life, too.
While other final girls, although brave for being able to defend themselves against the killer until the end, Nancy might just be the most clever final girl. Knowing that Freddy can only kill in dreams, she sets up multiple traps and pulls him from the dream world into reality, where he’s finally caught. She outsmarts the villain by beating him at his own game. Nice one, Nancy.
Ellen Ripley
Last but certainly not the least, we have one of the best final girls of one of the top horror movie franchises, Alien, Ellen Ripley. Ellen defies the stereotypical final girl and truly embodies feminism. While many argue that the films should be categorized under the Sci-Fi genre, it’s difficult to see the creatures in these movies and not be completely mortified. However, there’s one woman who knows how to get rid of them. In the first installment, while in space, Ellen’s team accidentally onboards an extraterrestrial being that after latching on to one of the ship member’s face (thus given the name “facehugger”) grows inside his body. It’s disgusting to read, yes, it’s even more disgusting when they plunge out of the character’s chest.
Ellen is the sole survivor of the first film, but goes on to relive the danger of these creatures. She is able to film-by-film (there are four before the prequel, Prometheus), destroy them and save the lives of all the crew members. What’s notable, too, is that in the fourth film, she comes back as a clone of herself and still somehow finds a way to defeat the aliens. Go, Ellen!
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Be a Final Girl
These five final girls may all have very different circumstances, but one thing in common: they fight through their fears and doubts even when all the odds are stacked against them. They’ve earned the title of “badass” because they know that in order to survive, sometimes you just have to go with your gut, rise to the challenge, and fight with everything in you. (Or take risks and do things differently!) They might not start out as strong, daring, or tactical, but when faced with life-or-death circumstances, they choose to be. After all, real courage is not about being afraid. It’s about doing what you have to do in spite of being afraid.
In life, there are always going to be obstacles, situations where you find yourself being pulled out of your comfort zone, or having to face a difficult or altering decision. In the same vein, I encourage you to trust your gut, take the risk, and rise to the challenge. It’s only when you’re faced with things that scare you or you’re uncertain of, that you truly gain an opportunity to grow, release your potential, and prove yourself—not just to others, but most importantly, to yourself.
Be a final girl. Because no matter what life throws at you, you will survive. You have it in you.
