Top 20 Badass Horror Movie Heroines.!
# Badass Leading Ladies in Horror Films
These leading ladies kick ass! For this list, we’ll be looking at the female protagonists in horror films who are arguably tougher than the villains. Our countdown includes:
1. **"Friday the 13th" Franchise**
2. **"28 Days Later"**
3. **"A Nightmare on Elm Street" Franchise**
4. **"Halloween" Franchise**
5. **"Scream" Franchise**
6. **"Alien" Franchise**
7. **"You're Next"**
8. **"The Descent"**
9. **"Evil Dead" Franchise**
10. **"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Franchise**
Which of these final girls would you least like to meet in a dark alley? Let us know in the comments!
These leading ladies kick ass! For this list, we’ll be looking at the female protagonists in horror films who are arguably tougher than the villains. Our countdown includes:
1. **"Friday the 13th" Franchise**
2. **"28 Days Later"**
3. **"A Nightmare on Elm Street" Franchise**
4. **"Halloween" Franchise**
5. **"Scream" Franchise**
6. **"Alien" Franchise**
7. **"You're Next"**
8. **"The Descent"**
9. **"Evil Dead" Franchise**
10. **"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Franchise**
Which of these final girls would you least like to meet in a dark alley? Let us know in the comments!
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Badass Horror
00:15Movie Heroines. For this list, we'll be looking at the female protagonists in horror
00:24films who are arguably tougher than the villains. While the genre itself can expand beyond
00:29straightforward horror, we won't be considering characters who have innate, superhuman abilities,
00:35so you won't be seeing the likes of Carrie White or Alice from Resident Evil. Since we'll
00:42be hailing their climactic exploits, there will be spoilers. Which of these final girls
00:47would you least like to meet in a dark alley? Let us know in the comments.
00:53Number 20, Gale Weathers. Scream franchise. Don't let this pseudo-meteorologist name fool
01:03you, Gale Weathers is one tough cookie. Though she began as something of an antagonistic
01:08figure, she evolved into a fan-favourite character in her own right through sheer tenacity. Even
01:14though the various killing sprees don't primarily centre around her, she utilises her go-getting
01:19reporter techniques to tackle the mysteries head-on and uncover key information. This,
01:25of course, puts her directly in the crosshairs of Ghostface, but she welcomes danger with
01:29aplomb and proves quite scrappy when the chips are down. Plus, if multiple sequels are any
01:35indication, she's really, really hard to kill.
01:45Number 19, Alice Hardy. Friday the 13th franchise. Oftentimes, looks can be deceiving, and Alice
01:52Hardy is the perfect example of that. Kind-hearted and immure, Alice isn't necessarily the person
02:01we'd pick to come out of a mass killing spree, especially since the character we thought
02:05we'd be following gets iced early on. Still, she stands out among her fellow counsellors
02:10that all get unwittingly killed by actually standing toe-to-toe with her attacker, even
02:16if her attacker is an unassuming middle-aged woman. Still, Mrs Voorhees' insanity makes
02:32her quite the dangerous opponent, and Alice defies expectations by taking a machete to
02:37her head. Sure, Jason has Alice go out with a whimper in the sequel, but she remains the
02:49only character in the franchise to kill a Voorhees for good.
02:53Number 18, Meg Penny. The Blob. Long before she was the uber-hateable Amanda in the Saw
03:00movies, Shawnee Smith was displaying Final Girl characteristics in the 1988 remake of
03:06The Blob. After her date is horrifically consumed by their titular creature, Meg sets out to
03:18make sure the town is prepared. She, of course, is met with severe scepticism, but once the
03:23secret's out, she saves lives anyway, starting with her little brother Kevin. Still, the
03:28whole town is going to need to send her a thank you card when she discovers the Blob's
03:32weakness to cold. Teaming up with the bad boy Brian, Meg manages to lure the Blob over
03:39to canisters of liquid nitrogen, the explosion of which freezes the monstrosity for good.
03:48Number 17, Dana Polk. The Cabin in the Woods. What is it with horror movies and virginity?
04:03The Cabin in the Woods may not be the only horror film to poke fun at the genre's tropes,
04:08but it does it with style, as our designated virgin serves as the principal heroine. As
04:13one member of a group of college students who are trapped to die to ensure the world's
04:17continued existence, Dana is unwilling to play along, and all hell breaks loose. Though
04:27some may argue that sacrificing yourself is the heroic route, we think that rebelling
04:31against a system of torture and death earned her place here.
04:50Number 16, Kirstie Cotton. Hellraiser franchise. You've got to be a badass if you're going
04:55to go up against interdimensional demons like the Cenobites, but thankfully, Kirstie is
05:00and then some. Initially suspicious of her stepmother, Julia, and Uncle Frank, Kirstie
05:06uncovers their evil pact and seeks to thwart them. Though she inadvertently summons the
05:11Cenobites, she uses them to her advantage by turning them onto Frank. Once he and Julia
05:16are dealt with, Kirstie gets an applause-worthy moment when she banishes the Cenobites back
05:21to their dimension. Her badassery isn't limited to the real world, however.
05:31As in the sequel, Kirstie takes a few names on the Cenobites' home turf, too.
05:36Number 15, Jennifer Hills. I spit on your grave. Now, here's a character who almost
05:42makes like a slasher villain to get the job done. After she's continuously assaulted by
05:47four men over a long period of time, the young Jennifer resolves to find catharsis the old
05:53fashion way, revenge. Though the movie's brutal nature makes it difficult to recommend, it's
05:58still sickly gratifying to watch as Jennifer dispatches her attackers one by one, including
06:04cutting off the ringleader's, well, you know...
06:10Though we don't necessarily condone any of her actions, it's hard to look at her hoisting
06:22up an axe, speeding along in a motorboat, and not think, I am woman, hear me roar.
06:33Number 14, Selina, 28 Days Later. 28 days may not seem like a long time to survive in
06:43the zombie apocalypse, but this ain't your average zombie apocalypse. Indeed, you need
06:47to have a steady resolve to do what needs to be done, which Selina exemplifies when
06:52she unflinchingly dispatches her fellow survivor, Mark, when he's bitten by an infected.
07:03Sure, Selina can be considered cold, but it's that hardness that also keeps her other survivors
07:13alive. Though it's ultimately Jim that gets to go beast mode in the big finale, Naomi
07:19Harris' staunch performance as Selina makes us want to see more of her.
07:24Number 13, Hayley Keller, Cruel. Most heroines on this list only have flesh and blood killers
07:30to deal with, but Hayley Keller has to go up against a freaking hurricane and a slew
07:34of angry alligators. Attempting to locate her father in the wake of the storm, Hayley
07:49finds him in the crawlspace along with the deadly reptiles, and from there must find
07:55a way to survive as the house becomes progressively more flooded. Thankfully, Hayley's a swimmer
08:00with the University of Florida Gators, and a nascent badass to boot. Though we'd probably
08:14do infinitely worse in this situation, Hayley's not only able to kill a couple of alligators,
08:20but she manages to save her dad and his dog before finding rescue. Now that's a badass.
08:27Number 12, Teresa Tree Gelbman, Happy Death Day franchise. Dubbed the coolest girl in
08:33horror by Style Island, Tree Gelbman is a university student and sorority girl who relives
08:39the day before her death over and over until she discovers the identity of her murder.
08:49We know what you're thinking. Happy Death Day sounds like Groundhog Day, but with a
08:53decidedly morbid twist. Of course, the black comedy slasher is all that, but also much
08:59more, thanks to Jessica Roth's performance as Tree.
09:12Of course, like most of horror's final girls, she's badass, but she also changes as a person
09:18throughout both films, learning lessons through the repeated experiences she goes through
09:23and subsequently sharing them with others in the process.
09:33Number 11, Jen, Revenge. Another book you shouldn't judge by its cover, Jen proves there's
09:40a lot more to her than a beautiful exterior. After a weekend in the desert goes wrong,
09:44Jen is left for dead by her boyfriend and his friends. However, she survives a straight-up
09:49impalement and doggedly pulls herself back together. The landscape forcing her to go
09:55back and confront the three men, Jen gets her titular revenge by taking out her tormentors
10:01one by one. Though the movie is very I-Spit-On-Your-Grave in that sense, Jen's story is
10:12primarily one of survival, which she achieves solely through quick thinking and persistence.
10:17All along, she was a survivalist, and she didn't even know it.
10:23Number 10, Sarah Carter, The Descent Franchise. This film unfortunately flew under the radar
10:29upon release, but should be necessary viewing for any true horror fan. Sarah's story first
10:35breaks your heart and then has it beating a mile a minute. Recently suffering the tragic loss of
10:40her daughter and husband in a horrible car accident that she survived, Sarah goes spelunking
10:45to forget her troubles, as you do. Sadly, this woman just can't catch a break.
10:53Met with horrible, deadly lifeforms that eat the unlucky ones who come across them,
10:58Sarah scrambles to survive. And what a dramatic survival it is,
11:03well, depending on which version you saw.
11:05Number 9, Mary Beth Dunstan, Hatchet Franchise. Danielle Harris was already a horror movie
11:22scream queen for playing Jamie Lloyd in the Halloween movies, but damned if she didn't
11:26grow up to be a badass one in the Hatchet movies. Though Harris doesn't play Mary Beth in the first
11:32Hatchet movie, she takes over the role and stars in the next two. Mary Beth initially enters the
11:37Louisiana swamp looking for her lost brother and father, only to discover they've been killed by
11:42the vicious spirit of Victor Crowley. Twice more does she return to the swamp, seemingly
11:48killing Crowley both times. Though Crowley keeps coming back, Jason Voorhees style,
11:53it takes a lot of badassery to kill a being that's technically already dead.
11:58Number 8, Nancy Thompson, A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise.
12:11When Wes Craven created Freddy Krueger, one of the film's scariest serial killers was born.
12:16And every scary serial killer needs a brave heroine to terrorize.
12:28Despite her young age, Nancy uses her intelligence and bravery to seemingly defeat Freddy at his own
12:37game, which unfortunately is not always standard for the genre. An important enough figure in this
12:43series' lore that Heather Langenkamp was even tapped to play herself in a meta-sequel of sorts,
12:49Nancy set the standard for anyone hoping to defy Freddy's will. She's the horror heroine of our dreams.
12:56Number 7, Mia Allen, Evil Dead.
13:10When Evil Dead was remade slash rebooted for a new generation, it was very clear that recasting Ash
13:16was a thankless job. So, the filmmakers crafted Mia, a new character to serve as the protagonist.
13:26And I think it's in here with us now.
13:37An addict who chooses what should be a peaceful cabin retreat to go cold turkey,
13:42Mia has much worse things to contend with than mere withdrawal.
13:48When an evil begins possessing her and her friends with tongue-splitting,
13:53blood-curdling results, she summons her inner strength and becomes the only character to
13:58survive the film. Thus, she confronts her inner demons and actual demons all at once.
14:05Number 6, Erin, You're Next.
14:08When brothers Crispin and Felix hired goons to invade their house and kill their family for the
14:13inheritance, they didn't exactly count on Crispin's girlfriend Erin on having grown up in a survivalist
14:19compound. So, when the masked assailants do arrive, Erin is quick to action, setting up a
14:25series of traps. She ambushes and ultimately kills all three of them, making us wonder who the real
14:40predator is here. Not only that, but she ultimately does away with Felix, his girlfriend Zee, and even
14:46Crispin when she learns of their treachery. While she doesn't come out unscathed, Erin is just too
14:52badass to be killed. Though, maybe too badass for her own good.
15:01Number 5, Clarice Starling, Hannibal Lecter Franchise.
15:06Whether you consider these films more thrillers than horror movies,
15:09we dare you to describe the basement scene in Silas of the Lambs as anything other than horrifying.
15:17Clarice Starling is introduced to audiences as a headstrong FBI trainee who's flung into the frying
15:24pan when she's assigned to pick the brain of notorious incarcerated serial killer Hannibal
15:30Lecter in order to find active one Buffalo Bill. Of course, Starling's sharp-wittedness allows her
15:36to keep up with Lecter, but it's her killing of Bill and rescuing his captive that makes her truly
15:43badass. Though Julianne Moore is no Jodie Foster when playing the character in the sequel,
15:55she makes an impression anyway when she saves Lecter from an even more sadistic individual.
16:05Number 4, Laurie Strode, Halloween Franchise.
16:13In the history of cinema, there have only been a handful of true scream queens. With her turn in
16:32this series of films, Jamie Lee Curtis ensured her inclusion on that list. In fact, she's
16:38practically a founder member. The biological sister of the murderous madman Michael Myers,
16:48Laurie Strode is a paragon of virtue, standing in defiance of a force of death and destruction.
16:55We can only imagine that a fragment of what makes her sometimes-brother such a lethal adversary
17:01lives inside of her, allowing Laurie to survive several run-ins with such a savage determination,
17:07with her being strong enough to face him even 40 years after his original killing spree.
17:22Number 3, Cherry Darling, Planet Terror.
17:31Granted, this ode to grindhouse cinema is playing on an entirely different level
17:39than our other entries, but Cherry Darling rises to the challenge through sheer conviction and
17:44vigor. A go-go dancer who loses a leg to a pack of zombies, Cherry has every reason to give up.
17:51However, she turns her disability into an advantage by using her wooden leg and eventually
17:56assault rifle to mow down her enemies. Yeah, you heard that right.
18:01She has an assault rifle attached to her leg, and it's glorious.
18:14You could argue that there's not much more to this movie than awesome visuals,
18:18but with an awe-inspiring character like this, we're hardly complaining.
18:26Number 2, Sidney Prescott, Scream franchise.
18:40Created by Kevin Williamson for Wes Craven's Scream series,
18:43Sidney again and again finds herself in the crosshairs of the Ghostface Killers,
18:49through no fault of her own, really, but keeps her wits about her, discovers their identities,
18:54and survives. This is made all the more impressive given the genre-obsessed nature
18:59of her assailants, who aren't likely to fall for the typical scary movie traps that beat
19:04so many villains. Consistently tormented by people she's close to, Sidney outmanoeuvres
19:09them all while remaining a kind-hearted person, which may be her most courageous act.
19:25Number 1, Ellen Ripley, Alien franchise.
19:38For any of you that think the Alien franchise doesn't count as a horror series,
19:42we defy you to watch these films and not be terrified beyond belief.
19:46Beginning as a warrant officer, Ellen Ripley becomes a total badass in her own right
19:52through her encounters with the eponymous creature.
20:04Whether it's the heart-stopping tension of the first film, the high-octane action of the second
20:09film, or the insanity of the third and fourth, Ripley is at the heart of it all. Dispatching
20:15xenomorphs left and right, she stands toe-to-toe with an alien queen and comes out on top.
20:22If that doesn't ensure her place atop this list, nothing will.