There is no denying what Friday The 13th is; it is a fun popcorn slasher franchise where viewers come to rejoice in the gory and sometimes ridiculous kills. That's why the characters are usually given the bare minimum of development. Audiences are meant to just enjoy them dying by the hands of Jason or Pamela Voorhees.
So the fans do appreciate went the filmmakers attempted to make genuinely good characters. This results in some of the survivor characters becoming fan-favorites. Some of them the fans hate to see them die. There are even a few characters that rival the likes of the iconic Jason Voorhees as stars of the films.
Vera Sanchez
Vera had the makings of a final girl within her. In one of the few attempts of characterization in Friday The 13th Part 3, Vera is one of the popular girls but she's not in a snotty clique. She's actually one of the few girls who treats the prankster Shelly as a decent human being and with more kindness than not.
In a genuinely heartfelt scene, Vera attempts to convince Shelly he's not a loser, especially to her. That's why Vera dying at the hands of Jason is a bit of a shock because one would expect a character as nice as Vera to live. It also helps in making this Jason a scarier and more heartless killer.
Alice Hardy
The first characters in the franchise to get the honorary title of a "final girl" in the original Friday The 13th. Normally, this would earn a character a higher spot but Alice is not that memorable. For the first two-thirds, she hardly has anything to do with the story.
It's not until the climax when she's on her own having to fight Pamela Voorhees does she start to shine. She gets stronger and she even gets to kill off the villain in an iconic decapitation. As a bonus, Alice did return for Part 2 only to be Jason Voorhees' first-ever kill in the series.
Julius Gaw
This character gets credit for providing the most memorable scene in Jason Takes Manhattan. Julius gets trapped on a rooftop with Jason Voorhees; rather than scream or let himself get taken out by Jason, he fights him. For over two minutes, Julius Gaw sends punch after punch into Jason and even makes Jason stumble.
However, Julius ends up beating his own knuckles until they bleed and he is exhausted. He lets Jason give his best shot and with one punch, Jason sends Julius' head flying off. Not many characters get a chance to stand up to Jason like that, so Julius deserves a medal for it.
Ginny Field
Much like how Jason was better than his mother, Ginny took to the final girl role quite well; Ginny Field shows more of a personality along with some intelligence. She is a student of child psychology, which allowed her to get into the head of Jason and defeat him in the climax.
Even beforehand, Ginny is a very likable character throughout Part 2 and her relationship with her boyfriend Paul feels believable. She's not a deep character, but Ginny is effective, and it is a shame that the planned sequel with her being stalked by Jason in an asylum was scrapped.
Clay Miller
Obviously, Clay stands out a bit more as he is played by Supernatural star Jared Padalecki. Clay is also one of the few hero characters who come to Crystal Lake to fight Jason. When his sister Whitney disappeared, Clay comes to Crystal Lake to find her and ends up having to fight for his and his sister's survival.
Many compare this character to Rob from Part IV: The Final Chapter. Except, Clay doesn't just get killed off instantly; he's a smart character who helps guide the other less intelligent characters. His battles with Jason are great and Padalecki obviously gives one of the stronger performances in the franchise.
Whitney Miller
The sister of Clay, Whitney is a perfect culmination of previous final girls in the series. She has the innocence and charm of Alice and Ginny, she uses the child psychology trick on Jason, and she has the fighting spirit of Trish from Part IV.
Whitney and Clay's relationship helps make the 2009 Friday The 13th reboot feel stronger. The audience cares about the two and their struggles against the brutal Derek Mears version of Jason Voorhees. So when they finally get the upper hand, the viewers actually cheer them on.
Trish Jarvis
For most fans, Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter features the strongest characters. Why? The Final Chapter was meant to be the big finale of the series before it became a cash cow. So, it featured more personal leading cast members with the Jarvis family.
The bond Trish and Tommy have is genuinely sweet; it makes Trish more than the typical teenage sister who can't wait to get away from him. In the climax, Trish goes through the worst terrors trying to keep her brother alive and even delivers damage to Jason.
Steven Freeman
Jason Goes To Hell is often labeled as one of, if not the worst Friday The 13th film. However, it does have its qualities: some of the most brutal kills in the series and a surprisingly likable main character. Steven Freeman looks like a typical nerdy character but Steven ends up showing more courage than most characters would.
He fights Jason, protects those he loves, a nice guy, and always gets back up during a fight. Steven also doesn't take any disrespect from anyone, usually fighting back physically or with a witty comment. This character was strong and deserved a much better film to star in.
Tina Shephard
As ridiculous as the pitch of "Jason versus Carrie" sounds, it actually ended up resulting in one of the best characters of the franchise. Tina Shephard is a character with psychic abilities she accidentally uses to resurrect her father from the bottom of Crystal Lake. Instead, she brings Jason back from the dead once more.
From the start, it's easy to feel sympathy for Tina since she is an outcast and hates herself for her father's death. The character provides more depth in a movie plagued by cliché characters. What really makes her stand out is her fights with Jason Voorhees using her powers, which give The New Blood a unique climax.
Tommy Jarvis
Easily the most iconic character of the series besides Jason himself: Tommy Jarvis. Tommy was so beloved, he appeared in his own trilogy of movies and is playable in Friday The 13th The Game. In The Final Chapter, he is played by young actor Corey Feldman. John Shephard would then fill the role well in A New Beginning.
However, one actor most people tend to remember just as much as Feldman was Thom Mathews in Part VI: Jason Lives. Mathews brings a lot of wit to the character as well as charm to make him a strong lead. Plus his hatred for Jason feels like a true continuation from A New Beginning. Mathews' portrayal is so adored, he would return for the two fan-made films Never Hike Alone and Never Hike In The Snow.