North Texas Daily

One of the most influential parts of horror movies is the “final girl” trope. This trope is focused on the last female character who uses her smarts and surroundings to take down the killer or monster and ultimately lives to see another day. Here is a breakdown of my top five final girls and how they have left their mark on pop culture.

5. Nancy Thompson from “A Nightmare on Elm Street”

Played by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy has been through quite a bit. She has watched a countless number of her friends be brutally murdered by a guy with knives on a glove, and she still manages to make it out on her own. What puts Nancy at five is that she has only had three movies to clash with Freddy Krueger, while everyone else on this list has dealt with their antagonist over the course of several movies. SPOILER ALERT: She also does not make it to the end of her franchise. The whole point of being a final girl is to make it to the end, but I am still going to give her the number five spot because Freddy is someone that seems impossible to best.

4. Grace Le Domas from “Ready or Not”

Played by Samara Weaving, Grace has some serious family problems. I have talked about this movie in every way possible, but it is now time to dive deep into how Grace is being ranked above one of the most iconic characters of all time. During the movie, she is locked inside a giant mansion that she is not familiar with at all and is chased by the entire family she just married into. I think this film shows Grace is able to overcome any situation, and if I had to survive in a house with my in-laws trying to kill me, you better believe I would not make it out alive. I can’t stress this enough, please go see this movie.

3. Sidney Prescott from “Scream”

Played by Neve Campbell, Sidney has been chased since 1996. It would be one thing if it was just a single family chasing her or even a mythic being like Freddy, but in every movie of this franchise someone else dawns the Ghostface mask and robe. This means there is a weird society where a bunch of people like to wear the same costume to try and kill one person. That may make you question the continuity of this franchise, but let me assure you, it is still brilliant. Sidney has taken on any type of adversity while losing a ton of friends in the process. Mentally and physically, she has been put through the wringer, and her franchise is arguably the best on this list.

2. Ellen Ripley from “Alien”

Played by Sigourney Weaver, Ripley has a giant problem that is out of this world. “Alien” is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time and is also one of the best-made science fiction movies of all time. Ripley fights a gigantic Xenomorph, and I can’t say that anyone else on this list has had to face a problem like that. Along with being one of the strongest characters in a movie ever, she also gets some development in later movies that only solidifies her spot on this list. There is no way anyone on this list could handle the troubles and turmoil like Ripley could. Not even the number one spot.

1. Laurie Strode from “Halloween”

Played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Laurie has been dealing with a stalker for 40 years. So why is Laurie Strode number one on this list? First, you could argue that Laurie was the first final girl in a horror movie. Yes, there were movies where the last person standing was a girl, but Laurie showed countless times in the first installment alone that she was not going to die no matter what. Second, there have been so many movies in this franchise, she has practically lived multiple lives. Yes, the “Halloween” franchise has managed to backpedal and completely rewrite who Laurie really is. The movie that came out in 1978, along with the 2018 sequel, are the only two that are canonically accurate right now. Despite this, she is still incredibly iconic in the genre. Lastly, this list is my opinion, and I think that Laurie is the best character in a horror movie ever. To me, Laurie Strode is the epitome of a final girl.

Featured Illustration by Olivia Varnell