9 Smartest Final Girls in Horror History, Ranked
In horror, not everyone makes it to the end. Those who do often share one thing in common: they're wickedly smart. Here are the best final girls in horror history so far.
Horror movies love their tropes. But perhaps no route is more beloved than the Final Girl one. You know her. She's the one who makes it to the very end and outsmarts the killer, demon or whatever force that was following all of them. Today we're counting down 9 Final Girls whose smarts (or survival instincts) saved their lives when others around them fell victim.
9. Mia Allen: ‘Evil Dead’ (2013)
When most people would crumble under demonic possession, Mia Allen grabbed a chainsaw and fought back.
In the 2013 reboot, Mia and her friends retreat to a remote cabin for what should be a peaceful getaway. Instead, they encounter something really terrifying. Mia went from victim to victor (even after being possessed herself).
What makes Mia brilliant: despite overwhelming odds, she calculates her moves with precision, culminating in one of horror's most satisfying chainsaw showdowns.
8. Sarah Carter: ‘The Descent’ (2005)
In The Descent, Sarah survives both nature and monsters in this claustrophobic nightmare.
When a caving trip with friends turns deadly, Sarah shows she's got something to survive. Trapped underground with flesh-hungry creatures hunting them, she adapts to the darkness and makes her way out.
What makes Sarah brilliant: raw survival instinct and quick thinking.
7. Dana Polk: ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)
The Cabin in the Woods gave us Dana fighting an entire system designed to kill her.
When Dana and her friends visit a cabin for the weekend, they're actually lab rats in a massive conspiracy.
What makes Dana brilliant: she has the courage to make decisions that no one should have to face.
6. Laurie Strode: ‘Halloween’ (1978)
During Halloween, Laurie wrote the rulebook for surviving horror movies.
When Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield on Halloween night, Laurie is the only one who notices something's off. While her friends dismiss the creepy guy in the mask, she stays alert.
What makes Laurie brilliant: her awareness of her surroundings. And in later films, she turns preparation into an art form, ready for Michael's inevitable return.
5. Sally Hardesty: ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)
Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is pure survivor energy.
When a trip back into childhood home turns into the worst day ever, Sally finds herself hunted by a family of killers (including the infamous Leatherface).
What makes Sally brilliant: her survival instinct is off the charts. She escapes multiple times and outmaneuvers an entire family of murderers through sheer determination.
4. Adelaide Wilson: ‘Us’ (2019)
In Us, Adelaide uses her past trauma as her secret weapon.
When creepy doppelgängers invade her family's vacation, Adelaide taps into her unique understanding of her shadow self.
What makes Adelaide brilliant: she’s resilient and has a very high survival instinct.
3. Nancy Thompson: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street shows Nancy turning the tables on a nightmare himself.
When her friends start dying in their dreams, Nancy studies dream psychology to understand the rules of Freddy's game. Instead of running, she creates a plan to bring him into her world.
What makes Nancy brilliant: strategic thinking that flips the script on a supernatural killer by fighting him on her terms, not his.
2. Erin Harson: ‘You're Next’ (2011)
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When masked killers crash a family reunion, they didn't expect Erin. While everyone else panics, she turns household items into weapons and the house itself into a deadly trap. You're Next features one of the smartest final girls ever.
What makes Erin brilliant: she thinks like her attackers, staying steps ahead and using her survival training to flip the script on the hunters.
1. Ellen Ripley: ‘Alien’ (1979)
Ripley is the ultimate Alien survivor with brains to match.
When a deadly alien wreaks havoc on her spaceship, Ripley is the only one who follows proper quarantine protocol (if only her crewmates had listened). As chaos erupts, she outsmarts a perfect killing machine.
What makes Ripley brilliant: her ability to think clearly under pressure and understand her enemy.
