Best Slasher Movie Final Girls
A bit definitely needs to be said on who exactly is eligible. As for the films seen here, not every single one is universally accepted as a slasher, but I did choose movies that I have seen considered slashers on at least one occasion. That having been said, Psycho isn’t considered.
Also, for a character to be a final girl, they have to be involved in the final act — usually a chase of some sort. They don’t necessarily have to make it out alive, as sometimes the final girl dies in bleaker endings. And some movies I do consider to have more than one final girl. And after much deliberation, I decided that the “girl” part of the final girl status could be waived for one character — and no, it’s not Sleepaway Camp.
Also, when a character appears in more than one movie — if it’s in the same series continuity, they will appear as one single character. If they spring up in a remake or something, then they’re eligible to be in here twice.
73. Sara Moyer (Bianca Kajlich) — Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
A nothing character. Very forgettable.
72. Jade (Katherine Heigl) — Bride of Chucky (1998)
The teen characters are easily the worst thing about this movie. Jade is annoying and not particularly likable.
71. Courtney Bates (Jennifer Myers) — The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
She’s supposed to be like 13, and she looks 30. It’s strange.
70. Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan) — Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
More of a victim than a strong character.
69. Beth (Angela O’Neill) — Sorority House Massacre (1983)
Nothing really to say here.
68. Laurie Ballard (Pamelyn Ferdin) — The Toolbox Murders (1978)
She just seems to spend most of the movie tied up. Not a whole lot to do.
67. Vicky (Samantha Scaffidi) — Terrifier (2018)
The ending to this movie doesn’t work at all, and there isn’t much to this character. I like the fakeout, though, where you’re led to believe the final girl is someone else.
66. Michelle (Kate Hodge) — Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
Really nothing to this character.
65. Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) — A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
This is before we knew what we had with Rooney Mara. This movie is so pointless and forgettable, just as its lead.
64. Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) — Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009)
To be perfectly honest, Laurie sucks in the Halloween remake, and the injustice the writing and performance did to that character is part of what dragged that movie down. Perhaps a small part, though.
But I like her in Halloween II. It’s nice to see a character just dealing with the trauma of the previous film, though it’s not capitalized on as well as it might have been.
63. Pam Roberts (Melanie Kinnaman) — Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Not a great character because we don’t know much about her. She sort of becomes the final girl just because no one else is left; there was little to indicate that she would be the movie’s main character. Still, though, she does do what she needs to do, keeping Reggie “the Reckless” safe when they’re being chased by Roy Burns.
62. Marti Gaines (Linda Blair) — Hell Night (1981)
The only discernible character trait here is that she’s implied to be poor and doesn’t like rich people. She acts incredibly stupid towards the end, and basically survives out of luck.
61. Maggie Burroughs/Katharine Krueger (Lisa Zane) — Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
As a massive Billy Zane fan, I have to give some credit to his sister here. Still, she’s a forgettable character in a bad movie. I guess she kind of gets to be badass.
Lezlie Deane’s Tracy also makes it all the way through this film, and she’s a much better character. But I decided not to include her because she’s pretty uninvolved in the climax, as that’s all Freddy vs. his estranged daughter.
60. Pam (Ruth Martinez) — The Mutilator (1985)
Forgettable. Even bland looking for a sleazy ’80s slasher movie heroine.
59. Jennifer Tilly (Jennifer Tilly) — Seed of Chucky (2004)
Sure, her inclusion as the main character of the movie is just an extended joke, but she still is the source for a lot of the humor and fun of the movie.
58. Diane “Blaze” Sullivan (Roz Kelly) — New Year’s Evil (1980)
I actually kind of like this character, but she’s not really a part of most of the action of the movie, and it’s weird to have a slasher movie final girl be someone in their forties.
57. Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) — Stage Fright (1987)
You know, I want to call her capable, but then she can’t figure out how to use a key on a door. She’s okay. She doesn’t ever seem that concerned for the people around her’s life, so that’s a little different. She’s sort of just out to save herself.
56. Trish Devereaux-Craven (Michelle Michaels) — The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
Not the most memorable character in the movie, but she’s fine.
55. Rowan LaFontaine (Lexa Doig) — Jason X (2001)
Her final girl sequence comes early in the film, as she locks Jason in cryosleep for a few centuries. She comes back later and doesn’t make too much of an impression, though.
54. Molly (Jocelyn Jones) — Tourist Trap (1979)
She seems out of place in her group of friends, but she ends up being a decent character towards the end, and the last shot of the movie is memorable.
53. Katy Rose (Katherine McNeil) — The House on Sorority Row (1983)
52. Natalie (Amy Forsyth) — Hell Fest (2018)
Even though she’s the main character, there’s nothing really to her, and she’s probably the third most likable girl in the movie.
51. Whitney Miller (Amanda Righetti) — Friday the 13th (2009)
50. Sarah Mercer (Lori Hallier) — My Bloody Valentine (1981)
49. KM-14 (Lisa Ryder) — Jason X (2001)
I kind of hate this character, but a lot of people seem to like her, which is why she’s so high here. The only non-human in the list.
48. Marybeth Dunston (Tamara Feldman) — Hatchet (2006)
I’m yet to see the sequels here, hence Danielle Harris’s non-inclusion for this role. She remains shrouded in mystery for much of the movie, but she’s the only character to know what’s going on, and she’s on a quest to find her father (Robert Englund), making her the emotional heart of the movie.
47. Jessica Kimble (Kari Keegan) — Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
This movie has decent characters all around, actually. She’s not the best, but she ends up being very capable.
46. Carol Manning (Caroline Munro) — Slaughter High (1986)
The only character in this movie with a heart. Extra points for being Caroline Munro, but points lost for being almost 40 and portraying a teenager for the first third of the movie.
45. Jenny (Renee Zellweger) — Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1995)
A decent performance, but of course she’s overshadowed by all the batshit insanity of McConaughey.
44. Brooke (Reign Edwards) — Hell Fest (2018)
She’s definitely not the main character, but she’s the most likable of the cast.
43. Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) — The Strangers (2008)
Not a proper slasher given the low body count, but I’ve seen people consider it to be one. A pretty boring and undefined character, but Liv Tyler does a pretty good job.
42. Rennie Wickham (Jensen Daggett) — Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
The rare final girl that ends up killing someone that isn’t the killer (RIP Miss Van Deusen). Some of the worst ’80s fashion and hair, but not a terrible character overall, though she has some kind of contrived history with Jason.
41. Kristin De Silva (Perrey Reeves) — Child’s Play 3 (1991)
Ends up having not a whole lot to do in the film, but she’s a fun character nevertheless.
40. Melissa Morgan (Aleisa Shirley) — Sweet Sixteen (1983)
Disturbingly seductive for a character that’s supposed to be 15/16, Melissa is largely a red herring, but her mysterious nature has a presence over most of the film. But she does have her own theme song, which is neat.
39. Lizzy White (Vanessa Grasse) — Leatherface (2017)
I like the character and the performance a decent amount. She’s lower here than she could be, because the movie’s not really a slasher.
38. Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) — Child’s Play (1988)
Karen is just a mother trying to look out for her kid, and also deal with the fact that he might be in possession of a killer doll. There isn’t a whole lot to this character, and she’s frequently out of her element, but some random mother facing this kind of thing would be.
37. Lisa Webber (Kim Myers) — A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
A surprisingly moving performance by Kim Myers. She kills Freddy through love.
36. Lori Campbell (Monica Keena) — Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
A pretty lame character overall, but she’s really attractive, and she beheads Freddy with a machete while throwing a Freddy one-liner back at him. She works for a movie like Freddy vs. Jason.
35. Vanita “Stretch” Brock (Caroline Williams) — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
I like this character a lot, actually, even if the emotional beat the movie goes for at the end completely doesn’t work. She’s a fun and clever character, who weirdly works as a love interest for Leatherface. It’s strange.
34. Kim Hammond (Jamie Lee Curtis) — Prom Night (1980)
Solid character, and it’s Jamie Lee Curtis (you’ll see more of her on this list, of course), but she’s severely underused.
33. Betsy (Gaylen Ross) — Madman (1982)
She’s pretty much the only character in this movie that isn’t a complete idiot. She’s a decent character, even if she is sidelined for most of the movie.
32. Erin (Jessica Biel) — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Not much to the character, but Jessica Biel is gorgeous and quite good in the role. One of the better things about this surprisingly okay movie.
31. Val Bates (Robin Stille) — The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
I’m a sucker for someone who’s just out there to protect a younger family member.
30. Gail (Sarah Buxton) — Nightmare Beach (1988)
I like how her main character trait is being annoyed by everyone around her. It works well for a movie like this. Plus she’s gorgeous, which doesn’t hurt.
29. Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak) — Halloween (2018)
She’s compelling enough. She’s revealed to be fairly clever, though she isn’t as central to the plot as her mother or grandmother.
28. Mary Samuels/Loomis (Meg Tilly) — Psycho II (1983)
This is just about the best way you could have made a sequel to Psycho, I think, centering it around Norman Bates and his own personal demons. Mary Samuels not only is central to the twist of this movie, but makes up a good deal of the heart of this movie, as she’s sympathetic towards Norman throughout the entire thing.
27. Rachel Carruthers (Ellie Cornell) — Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
She may die early on in Halloween 5, but Ellie Cornell gives a solid performance in Halloween 4, and I’m a big fan of a final girl’s motivation being to protect their younger sibling.
26. Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) — The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The most memorable thing about this character is that she’s left to presumably go crazy at the end of the movie. She’s not the most interesting, but she helped establish the trope, so respect.
25. Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell) — Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Dana Kimmell had two pretty great final girls before her in the series, but she was still able to make a name for herself here, being the first of several people to kill Jason. The attempt to make her past tie to Jason is forced, but her dealing with trauma makes for a compelling character.
24. Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) — A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
Mark Patton refers to himself as the first and only “male scream queen,” so it seems like he would want him to be included here. And he’s pretty great in this movie. The movie’s not that great, but he might have the best scream of anybody in this list (which is saying a lot, with three Jamie Lee Curtis appearances). He also has a dance sequence that’s pretty amazing.
23. Pam MacDonald (Vicky Dawson) — The Prowler (1981)
22. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) — Alien (1979)
I’m anticipating two problems people would have with this ranking. One, Alien is basically a slasher movie. It follows the formula, with a killer stalking a bunch of people in a confined environment and killing them off one by one.
But if I consider that enough of a slasher movie to allow Ripley on my list, why don’t I have her higher? If I were looking at the entire series, I certainly would, but I don’t think you can possibly argue Aliens is a slasher movie, and Aliens is where the character makes a name for herself. In the first Alien movie, there isn’t much to this character. She’s intelligent enough to be the last survivor, but she doesn’t have too much of a personality.
21. Trish Jarvis (Kimberly Beck) — Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
A pretty awesome character that’s just out there trying to protect her younger brother, Tommy. She ends up smashing Jason with a TV set and basically cutting his hand in half.
20. Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) — Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
On a movie that has a lot of clever commentary on slasher movies, it’s a bit disappointing that the twist revealing that she was always meant to be the final girl is more than a little predictable. Still, she’s a compelling character, and becomes a legitimate hero.
19. Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) — Candyman (1992)
What makes this character so compelling is she’s a victim for like 99% of the movie, and everyone hates her, until her moment of heroism. But we’re with her all the way, and know that she’s just trying to do the right thing. A solid performance from Madsen as well.
18. Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) — Halloween (2018)
Judy Greer’s a pretty good actress, and she’s very well cast here. She’s a compelling character for both her relationship with her mother and daughter, and accounts for my second favorite generation in this movie.
17. Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) — Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
It’s kind of amazing that the filmmakers put this much pressure on such a young actress, but Danielle Harris does a legitimately great job. She’s no physical match for Michael Myers of course, but her methods of survival and evasion are pretty awesome to watch.
16. Alice Hardy (Adrienne King) — Friday the 13th (1980)
It might be controversial to rank the original Friday the 13th’s final girl this low, but I think the series had better. Alice is pretty awesome in her own right, though, and who could forget her beheading Mrs. Voorhees? Great moment.
15. Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) — Happy Death Day (2017)
The only final girl on this list to die more than once, Tree starts out as a contemptible character, but becomes a very likable and compelling one as the story progresses. She’s the best part of a pretty decent movie overall.
14. Alice Johnson (Lisa Wilcox) — A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
I have mixed feelings here because I think Alice sort of sucks in Elm Street 4, but kicks serious ass in Elm Street 5. She becomes a great character, even if she didn’t start out as one. And a lot of that is the performance by Lisa Wilcox, which greatly improves in the second movie she’s in.
13. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) — Scream franchise (1996–2011)
She may not be the true “Final Girl” of the series, but she’s still a memorable and fun character. She provides a lot of the humor of the series when it’s not just commenting on horror movies, and as seen best in the first movie, she can kick ass, if needed.
12. Marci Burke (Dana Kimmell) — Sweet Sixteen (1983)
This movie may be completely forgotten, but Dana Kimmell’s Marci is the best thing about it. It’s actually an okay movie overall, but Marci’s high school Miss Marple routine is definitely compelling. I love the relationship she has with both her father and brother.
11. Kyle (Christine Elise) — Child’s Play 2 (1990)
Watching Kyle’s and Andy’s relationship develop throughout the movie is one of the highlights of Child’s Play 2, and she has to deal with Chucky more than you might expect for a supporting character.
10. Alana Maxwell (Jamie Lee Curtis) — Terror Train (1980)
Jamie Lee Curtis does a great job playing this character, who, like Caroline Munro in Slaughter High, is sort of the only character with a conscience in her movie. She’s put through hell in this movie, but comes out a hero.
9. Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) — Curse of Chucky (2013) and Cult of Chucky (2017)
I’m just going to assume Fiona Dourif got this role due to the dedication of her father as Chucky over the years, but she definitely earned it, giving a great performance as a vulnerable and wheelchair-ridden woman in the two most recent Chucky movies.
8. Megan Garris (Jennifer Cooke) — Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Megan Garris is great. She’s a really charming character, and writer/director Tom McLoughlin said he was thinking of the old ’30s and ’40s screwball romantic comedies when he conceived this character, and that shows. She’s a beacon of light when the story gets dark (sure, it never gets too dark in this very comedic Friday film), and she’s heroic not only for her protection of a bunch of children, but for her assisting Tommy Jarvis and taking on Jason.
7. Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) — A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Future Oscar winner Patricia Arquette did a great job playing Kristen Parker in her first film role. She’s a great character, and the first “dream warrior” — someone capable of pulling others into her dreams to combat Freddy, which would become a table of the series.
6. Ginny Field (Amy Steel) — Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Yeah, mentioning that she’s majoring in child psychology is a sloppy way to set up the ending, but at least she takes on Jason in a cerebral way. I like this character a lot. She’s atypical as a final girl, given that she’s sleeping with her boss, which is fun. And it’s a solid performance. Many would consider Ginny to be the best final girl of the Friday the 13th series, and that’s almost me.
5. Tina Shepard (Lar Park Lincoln) — Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
My favorite Friday heroine by a narrow margin, Tina is gifted with telekinetic powers that bring her nothing but grief for 95% of the movie until she has to take on Jason. I mean, she did accidentally revive Jason, and she accidentally killed her father as well, when she was young.
Tina is awesome though because she remains strong despite the amount of emotional abuse she goes through throughout the movie, whether it’s from her corrupt and exploitative doctor, or from the bully Melissa. And let’s be honest — she kicks Jason’s ass.
4. Nancy Thompson/Heather Langenkamp (Heather Langenkamp) — A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
I’m including her from New Nightmare, because that movie’s basically all about how the line is blurred between the movies and reality. And I’m including her from the third one, too, even though she dies, because she dies at the very end.
Heather Langenkamp doesn’t really give a great performance in any of these movies, but the character is still so likable as she’s written. I think I like her best in Dream Warriors, in which she channels the trauma of her past towards helping others.
3. Erin (Sharni Vinson) — You’re Next (2011)
As someone in graduate school for English just as Erin in You’re Next, I’m tempted to think of the chaos and obstacles she goes through as an allegory for graduate studies (which I laid out in a tweet that was met with approval or at least amusement by the film’s screenwriter, Simon Barrett).
Regardless of that vague connection I share with this character, Erin is awesome, and there’s a lot of dark humor to be had in how capable this character is to square off against a group of savage killers.
2. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) — Scream franchise (1996–2011)
Scream may have come out 15 years after the height of the slasher craze, and of course comments on Jamie Lee Curtis and various slasher movies. But it’s also a legitimately great slasher film.
Sidney remains the bright spot of the Scream series even at its lower moments. Neve Campbell had a tough job here, being the one really grounded character in a sea of goofiness, and her committal to the role is part of what makes the movies work as well as they do, and make the character so memorable.
Sidney is awesome, and watching her deal with the trauma of previous films really helps drive the sequels. It’s great to see this character grow over the course of four films, and I think that’s a huge part of why she’s this high.
1. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) — Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), and Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998), Halloween (2018)
So I wasn’t sure when I would publish this list, and a lot of work went into it before 2018’s Halloween was released. At the time, she was #2. This year’s Halloween sequel propelled her to #1.
So what makes her so great? Well, she’s the prototypical final girl, of course. And Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance in the original Halloween (as well as 2018’s Halloween and to a lesser extent, H20) is really great. She’s vulnerable, yet very capable, and certainly worthy of the fight.
