The Final Girl Trope (Spoilers for Various Horror FIlms)

I have made it no secret that I love horror films, as well as other horror media like books, comics, and video games. I have also claimed that “The Final Girl” trope is one of my favorite overall tropes in storytelling. And it’s sort of true still to an extent.

But what is the “Final Girl” trope? The title is usually given to the young woman who finds herself able to evade and possibly even defeat a killer/evil force in a horror film. However, this is really a basic definition. And the trope has really evolved so much since it’s first introduction, whether it be through changing times or fantastic subversions.

The trope’s nature started off very misogynistic. Sure, at face value, we like seeing people like Nancy, Ginny, or Laurie fight against the killers and survive. But back then, these were society’s pictures of the “good wholesome women.” These were responsible girls who didn’t party, do drugs, and were virgins. Any woman that did the opposite of that in these kinds of horror films, usually kicked the bucket. Meanwhile, there stood the Laurie Strodes. The symbols of virtue that end up taking the killer down in the end.

But nowadays, with queer culture and just the evolution of our thinking, the final girl trope isn’t the same anymore. Not really. Virginity isn’t a pre-req for surviving a horror movie anymore. Neither is morality. Sure, our final girl still needs to be someone worth rooting for, but we don’t have too many cases of a cookie-cutter classic final girl anymore. And that’s such a good thing!

Even some of those older slashers have been updated through modern sequels, bringing us new and more badass versions of those beloved final girls. (Halloween Trilogy anyone?)

So what is today’s version of a good “Final Girl?” I mean, I only have opinions here, so feel free to tell me I am wrong.

I think the first and most obvious requirement for someone to be a “Final Girl” is that they need to survive the entirety of their story. Whether it be a movie, or a book, or something else. It’s in the name. Whether it be through fighting there way to the end, or through fake-out deaths. If that character is still standing on the last page, and they aren’t the killer, they qualify.

However, there’s a sidenote here. A character’s status as a “Final Girl” isn’t taken away if they die in a sequel. They survived a movie. Just because they got offed in the next, doesn’t mean they didn’t survive the first one.

Next! (And remember this is just my opinion.) The “Final Girl” can be anyone. Doesn’t matter the race, gender, sexuality, skin color. We’ve evolved overall as a society, to a point where anyone can be that horror movie hero. If I listed ten horror movies (with characters that survive till the end credits) off the top of my head, you’d probably have a wide pool of types of people. So I may use the term “Final Guy” or “Final Person.” I am talking about the trope and the characters that fit into it.

While the “Final” implies that someone is the last person standing, I believe that films can have more than one “Final Girl.” The Scream Franchise is notorious for having multiple survivors each movie. And each one did something to earn that title. (Obviously, surviving the movie.) Now there may be some argument that this defeats the purpose of the term, and I guess I could see why? But if you want to argue that none of the Scream characters deserve the title of “Final Girl/Guy,” you are welcome to have that argument with someone else.

Now, there is also the question of “Does getting to the end of a movie automatically make you a Final Girl?” And I am unsure of the real answer to this question. Because I will root for any character I like to make it to the end credits by any means. But on the other hand, what if they were never in much danger to begin with? For example, Ronnie is a character from the 2008 Prom Night. He is a side character (and one of the most likeable characters in the film) who is in our protagonist’s friend group and is up for prom king. People who have seen (or even remember) this movie sometimes forget that the man survived the movie. By the cut-and-dry definition I have given so far, he technically is a “Final Guy.” However, as I said, people forgot he survived. Because the film was more focused on Brittany Snow’s “Donna” the whole film. (Honestly, Ronnie and his girlfriend were much more enjoyable to watch.) So, I am happy calling a character like Ronnie a “Final Guy” despite him not doing much to keep himself.

Then you have the middle of the spectrum. There are those that get absolutely maimed while fighting the killer, only to be rolled back into the movie on a stretcher at the end of the movie (or are even miraculously brought back in a future film.) So many characters in the Scream Franchise fit this mold. But there are others too, like Brandy’s character “Karla.” Hell, even Laurie Strode fits here.

Then you have the other end of the spectrum. The character who does whatever it takes to survive. Erin (from the movie “You’re Next”) was a force to be reckoned with the second the first crossbow bolt was fired. She came from a background where she was trained for survival. Chris (from Get Out) fights his way out of a house of brain swaping assholes using a bachi ball, a letter opener, a taxidermy deer head, and the good old fashioned method of stomping. However, you don’t have to kill a killer to survive a horror film. This is demonstrated by Sally (from Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Laurie Strode as their killers didn’t die in their movies. Same could be said for Brooke and Natalie from Hell Fest, or any of the Final Destination Survivors (if they even live that long.)

Honestly, the “Final Girl” trope has benefited from the times changing and all of the subversions. I do think that there are sometimes issues with it, but the issues usually boil down to the writing of a story. That and public opinion. There are some “Final Characters” that I can’t stand. There are some “Final Characters” other horror fans can’t stand. Sometimes reasons for the dislike are valid. But sometimes they’re not. I, for one, think that “I Know What You Did Last Summer” had the wrong “Final Girl.” Is this a correct opinion? Probably not. I am sure people love Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Julie is a great “Final Girl.”

I think my main point is that the trope can be taken multiple ways in the modern world of horror. And I am very glad that the stereotypical “perfect socially acceptable woman” mold of the final girl has been mostly replaced with deeper characters survive based on merit and grit more than morality and purity. I am also really glad guys and non-binary folks can easily be fit into the category.

Was this a weird post? Maybe! I kind of went in circles and was very rambly. But it is a good post, and it is about something I sometimes like in movies and tv shows when it is executed in a unique and fun way. And it was nice to have a second wind when it comes to these blog posts. Ideas are a bit hard to come by sometimes. Anyway! Hope you enjoyed!