The term "final girl" gets thrown around a lot, but let’s set the record straight. Some final girls just barely crawl away. They scream, they hide, and maybe they get lucky. But the real ones? They take control, turn the tables, and leave the killer wishing they’d picked an easier target.
These are the women who didn’t just survive the horror. They owned it.
1. Ellen Ripley — Aliens (1986)
Played by: Sigourney Weaver
Ripley isn’t just a final girl. She’s a final boss. While technically the lone survivor of Alien, it's in Aliens where she flips the script. Flamethrower in one hand, pulse rifle in the other, and a power loader suit that became more iconic than most action heroes. Her showdown with the Xenomorph Queen is still one of the most badass scenes in sci-fi horror history.
Why she dominated: She went back to rescue a kid and still made time to wreck a monster. That’s next-level toughness.
2. Nancy Thompson — A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Played by: Heather Langenkamp
Freddy Krueger stalks dreams, bends reality, and feeds on fear. Nancy? She draws diagrams, rigs booby traps, and refuses to give in. While other victims ran, Nancy planned. She fought back with intelligence, resourcefulness, and a serious grudge. Freddy picked the wrong teenager.
Why she dominated: She beat a literal dream demon with DIY Home Alone tactics.
3. Laurie Strode — Halloween (1978)
Played by: Jamie Lee Curtis
The original final girl. Laurie wasn’t trying to be a hero. She was a babysitter with a knitting needle and zero backup. But she held her ground against Michael Myers with nothing but instincts and sheer nerve. And in the sequels? She trained up, loaded her guns, and waited for round two. And three. And four.
Why she dominated: She went from prey to prepared and turned trauma into battle armor.
4. Ginny Field — Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Played by: Amy Steel
Jason Voorhees is not exactly easy to outsmart. But Ginny did it by going full psychology major and cosplaying as his dead mother. It sounds insane. It worked. She used empathy and trickery to get inside Jason’s head long enough to make her escape. Respect.
Why she dominated: She beat Jason at his own mind game. In a cable-knit sweater, no less.
5. Kirsty Cotton — Hellraiser (1987)
Played by: Ashley Laurence
Kirsty wasn’t a warrior. She was just a regular girl who opened the wrong puzzle box. But instead of becoming a victim, she outwitted the Cenobites, made deals with demons, and escaped literal hell. All while dealing with a family that honestly deserved everything they got.
Why she dominated: She didn’t need weapons. Just a brain, a backbone, and a serious ability to negotiate with demons.
6. Sidney Prescott — Scream Series (1996–2011)
Played by: Neve Campbell
By the end of Scream 4, Sidney is no longer running from Ghostface. She’s hunting. Each film sharpened her instincts and hardened her resolve. While her friends panicked or got picked off, Sidney figured out the killer, fought back, and usually ended things with a headshot and a one-liner.
Why she dominated: She grew stronger with every sequel and flipped the slasher formula on its head.
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