Like there’s the hero’s journey, I’ve come to realize that there’s also a horror’s journey.
Okay, it’s not really a thing. But typical horror movies go through a couple of broad stages, which are mainly defined by their characters who drive the sequence to the next stage.
It’s not like in other genres where the load is proportionately shared by inciting incidents and situations that drive the story, along with the characters. Not saying that doesn’t happen in horror too (any film needs an inciting incident); however, in a horror movie, it’s mostly an archetype that drives the story and even the inciting incident.
For instance, a group of friends will go to a secluded place for a weekend trip, and one of them will pull out a Ouija board, turning a perfectly safe place into a house of horror. Or they’ll touch something that’s clearly not theirs to tamper with and unleash a demonic force. You know the drill.
In this article, let’s look at some of the character tropes in horror movies that are the cornerstones of this genre, and so are here to stay forever.
The Most Cliché (Yet Effective) Character Tropes in Horror
1. The Final Girl
Laurie in Halloween, Sidney in Scream
Halloween (1978)Source: Sony Pictures, Aquarious Releasing, Compass International Pictures
While survivor’s guilt is real, survival is also a beacon of hope. This character is usually played by the film’s lead, who endures hell while trying to save the rest of the troupe or escape the danger, only in vain.
In the climax, they confront the antagonist and put a stop to the evil, but for them, it is a bittersweet note. They’re alive, but so many people who were important to them aren’t around any longer.
2. The Skeptic
Carmichael Haig in Late Night With The Devil, Glen in A Nightmare on Elm Street
Source: Umbrella Entertainment
They are there to question everything they (and we) see. They begin in complete denial of the existence of the supernatural, until the horror confronts them, bringing them to their knees as they admit how wrong they were. They represent our skeptical minds that refuse to believe in the absence of rationale or hard-core logical evidence.
This character also keeps you on your toes as they force their rationale on the believers and act impulsively, because with this attitude, they’re simply attracting more trouble by provoking the threat.
They readily ignore the signs of danger until they feel the heat really closing in, but now it’s a little too late.
3. The Comedian
Rod Williams in Get Out, Gabe Wilson in Us
Get Out (2017)Source: Universal Pictures
It breaks my heart every time I see this character, because peril is waiting just around the corner. They keep the mood light, providing moments of levity before typically making a sudden and rather violent exit from the narrative. They’re also the ones that help etch out the multi-dimensionality of the other characters.
Once this character is out of the way, you know things are moving toward full-blown horror. That being said, modern horror films, like the ones mentioned in the examples, do not necessarily kill off their comedians (and that makes us happy!)
4. The Believer
The Commune in Midsommar, Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man
Midsommar (2019)Source: A24, Nordisk Film
In sharp contrast to the skeptic, the believer primarily does one of two things: either aligns viewers with the threat or invites it in.
In the first case, they’re the ones who pick up the subtle clues of horror, trying to warn the others about the onset of something ominous. Most of the time, they’re shut down by the skeptic until things get real.
In the second type, the believer triggers the inciting incident through their actions, fueled by their beliefs, becoming the catalyst for the entire horror.
5. The Sacrificer
Ripley in Alien 3, Lee in A Quiet Place
Alien 3 (1992)Source: 20th Century Studios
This character often becomes a memorable part of the horror despite their limited screen time. They are often strong yet exhibit a degree of vulnerability that immediately connects them with viewers.
Sometimes their sacrifice brings an end to the chaos, but even if it doesn’t, their exit from the story leaves a deep hole in our hearts.
6. The Cute Kid
The Grady Twins in The Shining, Carol Anne in Poltergeist, Damien in The Omen
The ShiningSource: Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures
In horror, the cute kid basically means trouble. They symbolize the loss of innocence while evoking an eerie sense of fear.
At the same time, they’re usually the harbinger of everything supernatural, fatal, and ominous. If there’s a cute kid in the horror movie, I’d suggest that you watch the movie with a few friends and the lights on, because things are about to get horrifying!
7.The Guide
Father Merrin in The Exorcist, Dr. Loomis in Halloween, Father Brennan in The Omen
The ExorcistSource: Warner Bros.
This is my favorite character in a horror movie because their arc is all about more storytelling within the story.
Horror films usually open with layers of mystery and suspense, so while you’re navigating the fear, your mind is full of questions. The guide provides the backstory and guides the protagonist to the resolution.
Especially in Bollywood horrors, the guide is one hell of a storyteller—an old man or woman, in their husky quivering voice, telling you the horrific tale of how it all started and how it’s destined to end.
8. The Harbinger
Crazy Ralph in Friday The 13th, Jezelle in Jeepers Creepers
Friday The 13thSource: Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures
This character is often used to set the stage for horror. They’re a stranger, desperately trying to warn you, trying to prevent you from doing something or going somewhere.
These characters and their backgrounds vary, but not their character arc. More often than not, they’re ignored by the soon-to-be victims and may end up dead within the first act of the narrative.
9. The Ambitious Scholar
Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein, Seth Brundle in The Fly
FrankensteinSource: Universal Pictures
This character is often the lead of the story, and their intellect distinguishes them from the rest of the party. While they’re often the ones to trigger the inciting incident, fuelled by their own interests and ambitions, they’re also the ones who end up saving the day in more positive cases.
10. The Hysteric
Hudson in Aliens
Aliens (1986)Source: 20th Century Fox
While most people might find these characters irritating, I think they’re the ones whose arcs are grounded in reality when it comes to horror. I mean, what are you supposed to do if you hear strange noises or see shadows? Wait for it to look you in the eye before it strikes you down?
Nope! I’m crying my eyes out and making a run for it, very much like the Hysteric, even if a leaf rustles in the wrong way outside my window! Doesn’t matter if I’m at home or in a secluded cabin where my friends forced me to accompany them on a weekend trip.
11. The “Perceived” Protector
Deputy Dewey in Scream, Officer Mooney in Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Scream (1996)Source: Miramax, Dimension Films
This character is usually a police officer or a figure of authority who always promises to protect you, but never arrives in time or ends up becoming the first victim.
I enjoy these characters for the sharp contrast they create between two different kinds of power—the power of a protector versus the power of evil. Sadly, the former usually rarely wins against the latter, but when it does, trust me, it’s oddly satisfying.
12. The Minions
Ash in Alien, Julia Cotton in Hellraiser, Rose in Get Out
Alien (1979)Source: 20th Century Studios
These characters facilitate the best plot twists. They are introduced as friends or close acquaintances of the soon-to-be victims, but in reality, they’re in cahoots with the antagonists.
Most of the time, they operate in the shadows, becoming a looming threat that the leads may or may not be aware of, raising the stakes with every move, leaving the audience anxious and anticipating what might happen next.
13. The Corrupted
Peter Graham in Hereditary, Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man, Jack Torrance in The Shining
Hereditary (2018)Source: A24
These are good characters who are taken over by evil, corrupted, as the name suggests, into becoming the antagonist of their own story, most of the time through no fault of their own.
Usually, it is their end that resolves the conflict, and although they embody evil, I’ve somehow never been able to celebrate it.
Let us know which of these character tropes you think are overused in horror!
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