final girl
Last one standing
Final girl is a horror film trope: the last woman standing who survives to confront the killer after everyone else has died.
The term emerged from slasher films of the 1970s and 80s, where the survivor was typically virginal, resourceful, and less reckless than her doomed friends.
She's the classic final girl—she didn't drink, didn't have sex, and outlasted the monster.
The concept has expanded in film criticism to analyze gender dynamics in horror.
Able to recover quickly
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
- escapeFlight from captivity
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- perseveranceSustained resolve despite obstacles
defiance · courage · bravery · determination · fortitude · grit · tenacity · overcome
Knife-wielding horror villain
- subversionUndermining established authority
- virginOne sexually inexperienced
- purityUncontaminated quality
- moralityRight and wrong principles
Jamie Lee Curtis · Ellen Ripley · cliché · stereotype · genre convention · meta · self-aware · archetype
Knife-wielding horror villain
- screamLoud sharp cry
- killerOne who causes death
- stalkerObsessive, unwelcome follower
- chaseRapid following of quarry
escape · terror · fear · victim · nightmare · isolation · gore · bloodcurdling
Celebrated advocate for women
- heroineBrave female protagonist
- agencyPower to act
- strengthPower to exert force
- transformationThorough change in form
triumph · confrontation · turning point · fighting back · reclaim · subvert · gender · male gaze
Story's central figure
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- character arcProtagonist's gradual transformation
- twistRotating motion or surprise
narrative · screenplay · direction · cinematography · thriller · franchise · sequel · reboot
resilient
Able to recover quickly
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
- escapeFlight from captivity
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
perseverance · defiance · courage · bravery · determination · fortitude · grit · tenacity · overcome · adversity
slasher
Knife-wielding horror villain
- subversionUndermining established authority
- virginOne sexually inexperienced
- purityUncontaminated quality
Jamie Lee Curtis · Ellen Ripley · morality · cliché · stereotype · genre convention · meta · self-aware · archetype
slasher
Knife-wielding horror villain
chase · escape · terror · fear · victim · nightmare · isolation · gore · bloodcurdling · haunting
feminist icon
Celebrated advocate for women
transformation · triumph · confrontation · turning point · fighting back · reclaim · subvert · gender · male gaze · power shift
protagonist
Story's central figure
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- character arcProtagonist's gradual transformation
twist · narrative · screenplay · direction · cinematography · thriller · franchise · sequel · reboot · casting
- Horror FilmsThe Exorcist, Halloween, The Shining, Friday the 13th, Night of the Living Dead
- character tropesantihero, hero, damsel in distress, mentor, femme fatale
- horror tropesjump scare, haunted house, masked killer, slasher, creepy doll
- stock charactersvillain, sidekick, hero, damsel in distress, fool
- charactersprotagonist, antagonist, hero, character, characters
- female rolesheroine, leading lady, main character, action heroine, romantic lead
final girlmasked killer
Disguised lethal assailant
monster · boogeyman · Michael Myers · Jason Voorhees · Freddy Krueger
girl, final, finally, finale, finalize, finalized, finality, finals, semifinal