Top 10 Strongest Horror Movie Protagonists
#10: Yoon Sang-hwa
“Train to Busan” (2016) This train was lucky that Sang-hwa was on board. A passenger of KTX 101, the burly and beefy Sang-hwa is traveling with his pregnant wife, Seong-kyeong. Sang-hwa quickly takes control of the situation and doesn’t let a couple of growling zombies get in his way. Armed with nothing more than his fists, Sang-hwa effortlessly goes to town on the violent creatures. He even manages to lift one above his head, proving his incredible physical strength. Unfortunately, Sang-hwa’s strength is also his downfall, as he sacrifices himself by holding a door against a swarm of zombies. He’s the only one who could do it, and he does it in incredible style.
#9: Laurie Strode
“Halloween” franchise (1978-) And here we have one of the most iconic final girls in the history of horror. Laurie isn’t a huge physical threat in the first two movies, but she still holds her own against the deadly Michael Myers. She manages to stab him in the first movie and shoot him in the eyes in the second. That all changes in the later entries, when Laurie is turned into a more traditional badass heroine. She’s physically stronger, more adept with weapons, and mentally prepared to deal with Michael’s rampages. This is taken to its logical extreme in the 2018 sequel, in which Laurie finally dispatches Michael, even if it’s not permanent. Yes, she takes her licks as well, but the showdown is ultimately in Laurie’s favor.
#8: Scott Ward
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“Army of the Dead” (2021) Dave Bautista is basically a walking mountain. In his own words, Bautista is approximately 6’4’’ and 265 pounds, so any character he plays is bound to be a macho tough guy. At least physically. He plays Scott Ward in “Army of the Dead,” a mercenary who’s hired to recover $200 million from a zombie-ravaged Las Vegas. Naturally, zombies are nothing for Scott. At one point, he even manages to dispatch an entire swarm of Alphas using nothing more than a pistol and a knife. He’s also recruited as the leader of the operation, no doubt owing to his experience and incredible size. When it comes to killing zombies, this man knows how to get it done.
#7: Abraham Lincoln
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” (2012) With a title like that, you know exactly what you’re getting. The movie is based on the 2010 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, which reimagines Abraham Lincoln as a slayer of vampires. One could easily imagine Lincoln as a vampire killer and certified tough guy. He was famously tall, spent time in the Illinois Militia, and had a history of getting physical. Here he is a young and strapping lad who can yield a ton of damage with his trusty ax. He uses it to mow down vampires like they’re made of paper, and he barely breaks a sweat while doing so. There have been a ton of vampire slayers throughout the years, but Lincoln is one of the most unique and badass.
#6: Erin
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“You're Next” (2011) Erin is easily one of the strongest final girls in horror. She’s just another college girl who’s expecting a good time at her boyfriend’s family’s vacation home. Unfortunately, this good time is interrupted by masked assailants who violently invade the house. Luckily, Erin is a trained survivalist and is therefore equipped to lead the group to safety. She single-handedly takes control, making sure that others are safe while also giving the invaders a taste of their own medicine. She intelligently improvises booby traps and even defeats the intruders in hand-to-hand combat. Erin is successful in killing all the villains herself, which certainly proves her worth as a certified force of nature.
#5: Abraham Van Helsing
“Van Helsing” (2004) This is a classic character from literature, serving as the personal rival of Dracula. But in 2004’s “Van Helsing,” he’s given a bit of a modern makeover. In the original novel, Van Helsing is strong, but certainly not an action hero. Here, he’s portrayed by Hugh Jackman and prances around like a superhero. He takes on the likes of werewolves, Mr. Hyde, and Dracula’s brides, not to mention Drac himself. The latter is a particularly interesting fight, as Van Helsing turns into a massive werewolf and battles Dracula in his own bestial form. With that kind of strength, he can do anything! Armed with an array of fun weapons, Van Helsing doesn’t let a few Universal monsters get in his way.
#4: Ash Williams
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“Evil Dead” franchise (1981-) This man certainly underwent a transformation. The first “Evil Dead” is a straightforward horror film, and Ash doesn’t have the outlandish traits that he would embody in the sequels. It wasn’t until “Evil Dead II” that the Ash we know and love was born. He’s adept at both weapons and engineering, creating his own complex creations like the Deathcoaster and using his Boomstick to slaughter demons with ease. And then there’s his chainsaw hand. A fantastic combination of physical strength and ingenuity, Ash’s chainsaw hand is arguably one of the most iconic weapons in movie history. You don’t want to mess with a man with a chainsaw for a hand.
#3: Ellen Ripley
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“Alien” franchise (1979-) Similar to Ash, Ellen Ripley undergoes a terrific transformation throughout the “Alien” franchise. In the first movie, she strikes a perfect balance between action heroine and everyday character. She’s clearly scared and generally helpless, but she’s also fiercely smart. She also has great leadership abilities, and she’s the one who ultimately banishes the alien back to space. Ripley is turned into a full-blown action heroine for “Aliens.” Becoming a protective momma bear, she unleashes hell on the Alien Queen by burning her nest and smacking her senseless with an exosuit. There are few images in horror more iconic than Ellen Ripley with a massive machine gun slung over her shoulder.
#2: Richard B. Riddick
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“Pitch Black” (2000) Sometimes you’re forced to work with the bad guys. Especially if they’re the only ones who can help you survive. Vin Diesel plays the classic antihero Riddick, a notorious criminal who’s being transported aboard a spaceship. However, the spaceship crashes on a planet populated by dangerous monsters, and Riddick is the only one who can help. With his surgically-altered eyes that allow him to see in the dark, Riddick leads the survivors to safety. He’s built like a tank, and he holds his own against bloodthirsty creatures and fellow protagonists alike. If we had to pick someone to save us on a monster-riddled planet, we’d have picked Riddick as well.
#1: Alice
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“Resident Evil” franchise (2002-) There’s defeating monsters, and then there’s whatever Alice does. Alice is the main protagonist of the movie series, and she’s battled and killed countless monstrosities throughout the years. Whether it’s fighting the Nemesis in hand-to-hand combat, killing Lickers with her motorcycle, or using her superhuman powers, Alice is nigh unstoppable. She’s wickedly creative in how she fights, and she remains virtually undefeated in combat throughout the entire franchise. Both grotesque monsters and normal zombies fall like flies at her feet. She’s a certified one-woman
