Our Top 15 Final Girls: From Sidney Prescott to Maxine Minx
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating our favourite survivors in the horror genre
by Lana Thorn & Alex Kaan 8 March 2026
© A24
Horror has long been a genre that has centred the stories of women, whether they’re battling an extraterrestrial on a spaceship or escaping a masked killer in a meta slasher. From Laurie Strode to Nancy Thompson, these are our 15 favourite final girls.
Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) - Scream franchise
© Paramount
A sister duo we needed more of, Sam and Tara’s relationship is the bedrock of Scream (2022) and Scream VI. Barrera was unceremoniously fired from the franchise for posting stories in support of Palestine on social media, and Ortega followed suit in solidarity.
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) - Alien franchise
© 20th Century Studios
We’d be trapped on a Xenomorph-infested spaceship just to be near her. Originally written as a man, Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley is rightly celebrated as one of the best female leads in any genre.
Julie and Karla (Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brandy) - I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
© Columbia
This woefully underrated Bahamas-set slasher sequel sees Jennifer Love Hewitt’s OG final girl Julie James joined by her sweet-natured college roommate, Karla (played by singer-songwriter and actress Brandy). The pair give us one of the best Final Girl friendships in horror history.
Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) - Bodies Bodies Bodies
© A24
Halina Reijn’s horror comedy meets Gen Z satire sees a murder party game turn into a real killing spree. Fortunately, Amandla Stenberg’s standout Sophie makes it out alive with her girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova).
Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) - Scream franchise
© Dimension Films
It’s ironic that Wes Craven’s meta horror film ended up delivering a final girl as iconic as those in the slashers Scream was poking fun at. Thanks to Neve Campbell’s inimitable scream queen performance, Sidney Prescott has joined the likes of Sally Hardest and Laurie Strode in the proverbial Final Girl hall of fame. Speaking of…
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) - Halloween franchise
© Trancas International Films
John Carpenter’s storied slasher birthed a franchise, a slew of imitators, and the legendary career of its Final Girl, one Jamie Lee Curtis.
Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) - Ringu
© Toho
While this Japanese horror classic, famously remade as The Ring with Naomi Watts, isn’t a slasher, the tale of a cursed videotape that kills its viewers follows many similar beats. Accordingly, Nanako Matsushima’s endearing protagonist is a certified Final Girl for escaping the clutches of her televisual nemesis, Sadako (Rie Inō).
Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) - X Trilogy
© A24
Mia Goth’s fearless pornstar, Maxine Minx, survives Ti West’s tributes to both 70s and 80s slashers (X and Maxxxine) while never straying from her charmingly badass motto: “I will not accept a life I do not deserve.”
Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) - A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise
© New Line Cinema
Nancy Thompson just wants to get through high school and spend time with her boyfriend (Johnny Depp in a crop top). The only catch is, of course, that Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is hunting her in her dreams. Heather Langenkamp played the role twice to perfection, before—in a moment of Final Girl meta madness—playing herself in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.
Grace (Samara Weaving) - Ready or Not franchise
© Searchlight Pictures
Samara Weaving’s tough-as-nails bride faces a fate worse than getting jilted on her wedding day when her husband’s family hunts her down in a twisted game of hide-and-seek as part of a supernatural ritual. She’ll grace our screens again in less than two weeks in the aptly titled sequel, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.
Donna Chambers (Angelica Ross) - AHS: 1984
© FX
In American Horror Story’s 80s slasher tribute season, Angelica Ross plays a serial killer specialist squaring off with killer janitor Mr Jingles (John Carroll Lynch). Donna herself doesn’t believe she’ll make it out alive (“A Black Final Girl? They kill girls who have my complexion off first”), but luckily, she bucks the trend.
Sally Hardest (Marilyn Burns) - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
© Bryanston Distributing Company
Sally just wanted a fun road trip with her friends—instead, she stumbled upon a deranged cannibalistic family, including the delightful Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen). Sally is often credited with originating the Final Girl trope, although earlier films, like gialli, did feature versions of the archetype.
Naru (Amber Midthunder) - Prey
© 20th Century Studios
In this 18th-century-set Predator prequel, a Comanche healer aspiring to be a hunter finds the (not so) perfect opportunity to prove herself when she encounters a Predator dropship. In fighting the alien species, Amber Midthunder gives us a 1700s Final Girl for the ages.
Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) - Happy Death Day franchise
© Universal
Slashers meet Groundhog Day and Back to the Future in Christopher Landon’s horror comedy series where a college student caught in a time loop must find her killer to escape it. Jessica Rothe delivers a funny yet fierce performance as poor Tree Gelbman.
Emily Davis (Nichole Sakura) - Until Dawn (video game)
© Supermassive Games
Before its wildly different movie adaptation, Until Dawn was a beloved snowy slasher video game with interactive choice-based survival gameplay. Technically, Emily, who actress Nichole Sakura describes as “the bitch” in the story, isn’t always going to make it out alive—but if you play the game right, this nuanced teenager makes for an A-grade Final Girl.