Horror movie buffs love to speculate about how they may fare if they were pursued by Michael Myers in Halloween or stuck in one of Jigsaw's traps in Saw. Though many would like to believe that they'd overcome slim odds or best the baddies thanks to a superior intellect, the awful truth is that most wouldn't live to tell the tale.
Protagonists in horror movies often possess a superhuman level of bravery which sees them through to the end credits. Thus, the "final girls" and other stalwart survivors of the horror genre are among the most courageous in all of cinema.
Julie James (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Generally held to be a ripoff of the ultra-successful Scream, which debuted a year prior, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a run-of-the-mill slasher film that retains a cult fan base of nostalgic viewers. Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Geller, it's a thrilling albeit misguided attempt to reinvigorate the then-stumbling horror genre.
After apparently killing an unknown man in a car accident, Julie James and her friends are accosted by an unknown assailant one year later. James exhibits bravery by unraveling the mysterious circumstances and exonerating herself in the process.
Jaime Height (It Follows)
An art house horror film that'll get under a viewers' skin, 2015's It Follows centers on a shape-shifting entity that mercilessly stalks and kills its target. However, the target can pass the unknown pursuer's mark to another person by means of sexual intercourse.
After earning the attention of the entity thanks to a duplicitous date, Jaime must do everything in her power to eliminate the threat before it can accomplish its goal. Refusing to pass the mark to someone else and dauntless in her quest to finally kill the monster, It Follows' Jaime Height is about as brave as horror protagonists come.
Alice Hardy (Friday The 13th)
Though hokey and slightly cliché even for the time period, 1980's Friday the 13th is a quintessential slasher movie that's come to be recognized as a paragon of horror. It's known for the hockey-mask-wearing killer Jason Vorhees, but his mother, Pamela, steals the first film in the series.
After surviving the murderous events of the movie, camp counselor Alice Hardy encounters Pamela Vorhees, who reveals herself to be the killer. She attacks Alice, but the teenager is able to fend her off, eventually decapitating her with a machete. This brutal act of self-defense required fortitude most simply don't possess.
Sidney Prescott (Scream)
Less of a character and more of a critique of the lazy, derivative nature of horror film production, 1996's Scream revitalized the slasher subgenre by offering a wink and nod alongside the guts and gore. It also pokes fun at now-clichéd films like Halloween while borrowing more than a few notes from it.
Sidney Prescott, arguably the best horror-movie final girl of all time, must navigate a world of sex and slayings as a horror-movie-obsessed killer stalks those close to her. She has one hell of a burden to bear, and the fact that she survives through multiple installments is a testament to her strength.
Sarah Bailey (The Craft)
In 1996's occult classic The Craft, Sarah Bailey, a high-school transplant, joins a coven of teenage witches looking to strengthen their powers. After honing their abilities, they cast spells on their enemies, but their newfound occult skills eventually backfire and turn them into self-absorbed sadists.
When Sarah objects to the group's activities, the other three girls plot to kill her. She's subjected to all manner of physical and psychological torture, but she's able to use her craft to fight back and strip her ex-friends of their powers. As capable as she is courageous, Sarah Bailey deserves to be recognized as one of horror's bravest heroines.
Sally Hardesty (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
A road trip through Texas lands Sarah Hardesty and her friends in the hell that is the derelict Sawyer household and its family of cannibals dedicated to mutilation. Sarah's friends are butchered by the horrifying villain Leatherface. Following a lengthy and incredibly tense chase scene, Sarah is captured and forced to join the Sawyer family for dinner.
Barely able to escape with her life, Sarah's undeniable vitality and willpower make her an unforgettable horror protagonist. One of the characters credited with birthing the "final girl" trope, few others would have had mental and physical fortitude enough to endure the brutality of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Beverly Marsh (It)
A member of the Losers Club and a central figure in Stephen King's It, Beverly Marsh must conquer demons both metaphorical and literal to save her friends and her town from the grip of a cosmic terror.
Ever the motivator, Beverly's friends come to depend on and rally around her, but the strength of everyone in the Losers Club is tested when she's captured by Pennywise. Even though she gets caught, she stands her ground when faced with the ultimate chaos of Pennywise, and she's one of the bravest characters King ever dreamed up.
Dana Polk (Cabin In The Woods)
What begins as a riff on tropey horror films morphs into a tale of cosmic import as a group of teenagers unwittingly disturb the fragile balance between humanity and a race of old, dormant gods.
Dana Polk and her friends take a trip to an old cabin and stumble into a slew of weird happenings. She manages to survive, however, and she fights to save her remaining friend no matter the odds. Even when she's told that her actions will cause the end of the world, she refuses to let herself or her friend be sacrificed. The decision, though potentially selfish, also came across as pretty brave.
Laurie Strode (Halloween)
A Halloween night spent babysitting the neighbor turns into a nightmare when disturbed killer Michael Myers returns to his hometown of Haddonfield for reasons unknown. He is hellbent on killing young women, so Laurie Strode must do all she can to defend herself and her town from the unspeakable evil.
Michael Myers may steal the show, but Laurie is equally important to the Halloween franchise. She's in just about every movie, and from her white-knuckle journey to survive the killing spree in 1978's Halloween to her locked-and-loaded battle against the Shape in the 2018 sequel, she's one of horror's most fearless protagonists.
Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street)
Hounded by a horror capable of pursuing people in their dreams, Nancy Thompson seems to be terribly outmatched. The menacing Freddy Kreuger picks her friends off one by one, and she's unable to stop him or to convince anyone of the true nature of the murders.
However, she eventually takes a stand against Kreuger after learning that fear is what gives him power. Making a move of which only the toughest of the tough would be capable, she turns her back on a ready-to-strike Kreuger, sapping him of his power. Freddy would make more than a few comebacks, but Nancy was always ready for him.