There are endless types of horror movie villains that will scare you, shock you and haunt your nightmares for years after the credits roll — but none would be quite as compelling without the characters you can actually root for; the ones who will have you screaming, “He’s right behind you!” as you hold your breath in hopes they make it to the bitter end.
None of those characters are more impressive than the famous Final Girl, the female character who rises above the odds to — hopefully — defeat the monsters, serial killers and ghouls and make it to the other side alive. Evolving over the years, the Final Girl trope once started as damsels in distress, but soon evolved into badass women learning to take down their own demons.
Certain actresses along the way have brought these characters to life, time and time again. From Jamie Lee Curtis’ decades-long portrayal of Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s endless roles in horror and horror-adjacent projects, there are handfuls of women who have cemented themselves as queens of the genre — and relish being the heroes of their own stories.
“In TV women are the stars, but in films we’re still struggling to play the leads. This particular genre is where women seem to get the best roles and can really shine,” Gellar explained in a 2004 interview. “And I like films that are challenging – I couldn’t just be the girlfriend or the wife in a film. So I’ll be wherever the good female roles are. I like horror.”
So who are the top 10 Scream Queens of all time? Keep scrolling to find out:
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