When it comes tohorrormovies, the stakes are always sky-high. Always, the consequences of one wrong decision or being in the wrong place at the wrong time can mean life or death. For decades, the genre has introduced someone of the most likable characters and then killed them off. And while death is almost always a given when it comes to horror movies, some hit harder than others precisely because we’ve come to care for certain characters.
Here are 14 horror movie characters that deserved to live, rather than meet the grim fates that they did.
14Eben — 30 Days of Night
30 Days of Nightwas released in 2007 and centers on a small town in Alaska that runs the risk of being overtaken by a herd of ancient vampires. The film was based on the comic book miniseries of the same name. Josh Hartnett plays Eben, an Alaskan Sheriff determined to save both his family and friends from the vampires that threaten them. In the end, Eben sacrifices himself by utilizing a vampire’s blood to
turn himself in order to fight the leader. His heroic acts earn him the most notable mention as a character who deserved more than he received.
13Vicky — Halloween (2018)
David Gordon Green’sHalloween(2018) shocked audiences by being a successful direct sequel in the eponymous franchise. Vicky (played by Virginia Gardner) was by no means a main character in the 2018 horror movie, but her death was one of the biggest upsets of the new trilogy.
Vicky is best remembered for her interaction with Julian (played by Jibrail Nantambu) while she was babysitting him. The character is a classic callback to the true nature of the originalHalloweenfilm and Michael Myers' first killing spree. Yet, her death was one ofthe most brutaland undeserved in horror.
12Daniel — Ready or Not
Ready or Nottackles the children’s game of hide and seek, giving it a whole new and gruesome meaning. Adam Brody has been in a handful of horror movies, but can be best remembered for his role inJennifer’s Body.Brody’s performance in Diablo Cody’s demonic horror comedy mimics his later performance of Daniel Le Domas inReady or Not.As Grace (played by Samara Weaving) finds herself in tough spots throughout “the hunt”, Daniel assists her in escaping or even lies about seeing her at times. Daniel, although part of the Le Domas clan, didn’t wish to take part in the killing of new family members.
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11Alice — Friday the 13th Part 2
Alice (played by Adrienne King) was the final girl of 1980’sFriday the 13th.The sequel,Friday the 13th Part 2, opens with Alice living alone in what appears to be a small apartment. It seems that she is attempting her best to move on from the events that occurred at Camp Crystal Lake. In the cold open, Jason himself makes his way into Alice’s home and kills her. This death particularly, seems to be the strangest of theFriday the 13thfranchise.
The franchise is set to see a reboot some time in the near future, and Adrienne King hinted to some involvement in the upcoming installment on herInstagram.
10Steve — Hereditary
Ari Aster’sHereditaryisn’t particularly every horror fan’s cup of tea, but is one of the director’sbest films to date. The heavily dysfunctional horror-drama thrives on an unnamed demon and the untimely deaths of multiple family members that continues to plague the group as a whole. Although Steve (played by Gabriel Byrne) was divisive to the plot, his death overall was undeserved. He continuously
fought for his son and tried to be supportive to the entire family during the death of his wife’s mother.
9Megan — Re-Animator
Barbara Crampton is one ofhorror’s greatest actresses, especially when it comes to 80s cult classics. InRe-Animator, she plays Megan, the girlfriend of Herbert West’s (Jeffery Combs) reluctant counterpart. Megan’s death is both brutal and unforgiving. After a confrontation in the lab, Megan meets her demise and then is later re-animated by her boyfriend Dan (played by Bruce Abbott). Overall, Megan was an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
8Elise — Insidious
Lin Shaye, although fairly well known in the horror realm, found a home in theInsidiousfranchise. Shaye portrays Elise, a spiritual medium who assists Josh (played by Patrick Wilson) in finding his son in the nether. Elise ends up having a presumed heart attack when she learns that an evil spirit had taken over Josh’s body while he remains in the nether, causing her death at the end of the first film. Although she is a prominent figure in the prequels, Elise’s intentions alone had audiences rooting for her to make it through.
7Ben — Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’s 1968 classic,Night of the Living Deadis one of thegreatest zombie movies ever made. The film was a huge political statement during the time of its release, and still stands as one today. The premise is similar to most zombie films-a group of humans evade being fed on by the rising undead. From the film’s start, Ben (played by Duane Jones) is the most rational of the bunch and also the group’s only African American member. Ben deserved so much more than he was granted, but his death at the end of was divisive to the message in which Romero exhumed.
6Jack — An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in Londonfeatures one of the best werewolf transformation scenes in horror history. However, despite the many aspects about the film in terms of horror, one of the most delightful is the presence of the main character’s sidekick, Jack (played by Griffin Dunne). After David (David Naughton) is attacked and Jack is killed, David starts to see his mangled friend throughout the film.
One of the strangest comedic relief factors inAn American Werewolf in Londonis each time Jack reveals himself, he is more decayed than the last. Neither Jack nor David deserved the events that ensued on the mores that evening, but Jack’s fate to walk the earth as a brutally mutilated corpse seems a bit grim circumstantially.
5Ed — Shaun of the Dead
The horror-comedyShaun of the Deadwas released in 2004 and had withstood the tests of time. The film, to this day, is still hilarious thanks to the comedic pairing of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Frost’s character Ed had long been an anchor in Shaun’s (Pegg) life, holding him back from moving on. When the zombie apocalypse reaches their doorstep, the two are forced to get off their butts. In the end, Ed sacrifices himself for Shaun and is kept as a zombie in the shed.
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