The Top 10 Best Final Guys

5. Chris Washington- Get Out

Jordan Peele exploded onto the horror scene with his incredible feature film premier, Get Out. Not only was Get Out one of the best films of 2017 but it’s also one of the best examples of systemic racism in movies. At the center of this horror film is Chris Washington, an up-and-coming black photographer getting ready to meet his (white) girlfriend’s family for the first time. At first, they seem like wonderful, accommodating people who want nothing more than to make Chris comfortable no matter how awkward they might make it. They hide a horrible ulterior motive as they plan to auction off Chris’ body and place the winning bidder’s brain inside it. This might seem like the plot of a terrible science fiction movie, but that doesn’t make it any less terrifying for Chris. The first chance he gets he fights back and manages to defeat the entire family. For beating the snot out of a bunch of racists, Chris earns a respectable spot on this list of final guys.  

4. Arkin- The Collector and The Collection

Arkin probably has the worst timing of all the final guys on this list. After weeks of staking out a house, he finally makes his move to rob it the same night that a horrifying serial killer has decided to turn it into a trap-filled maze. The killer’s only there for the family and has no idea that Arkin has broken in to rob the safe. He could have just cut and run, but Arkin decided to try to help the family instead (he probably should have just called the cops). He actually uses his brain to outsmart the killer at every turn and makes it through most traps (quite uncommon in the horror genre). Despite being captured by the Collector at the end of the first film, he manages to escape and goes back after the psycho to rescue a kidnapped girl with a team of mercenaries. Arkin is a survivalist that isn’t afraid of pain as long as it means getting out alive. Not only that but when he got the chance, he beat the hell out of the Collector.  

3. R.J. MacReady- The Thing

Some of the scariest creatures in horror come from beyond the stars. R.J. MacReady knows that first hand as he managed to survive an encounter with one alien that is the stuff of nightmares. The creature is a shapeshifter able to take the appearance of anything organic that it comes in contact with. That means there’s no telling who or what might actually be an alien in disguise. As if that wasn’t enough, the damn thing can transform into gut-wrenching abomination-unto-the-lord versions of these things as well. It’s enough to make anyone go mad, but not R.J. MacReady. Despite being trapped in the middle of the Arctic with no way to escape, MacReady pulls on his big boy pants and puts up his dukes. Even with a huge disadvantage, MacReady manages to survive his encounter and comes pretty close to actually killing the monster.  

2. Ash Williams- The Evil Dead Franchise

I mentioned the final girl trope earlier, which has been a huge part of horror for a long time. Director Sam Rami deliberately turned it on its head when he cast Bruce Campbell as Ashley “Ash” Williams the hero in his Lovecraftian horror flick, Evil Dead. Ash mirrors every cliche we’ve seen from final girls over the years, right down to the third act moment where he seizes a weapon and decides to fight back against the demons that have been trying to kill him. It turns out to be one hell of a transformation because Ash goes on to become one of the greatest monster hunters to ever grace the silver screen (and the small screen). When he finishes up with the ones in the cabin he even heads back in time to kick medieval demon butt, making him the only final guy on this list that time travels.      

1. Richard B. Riddick- Pitch Black and Riddick

Sometimes the best way to fight a monster is with another monster. In any other movie, Riddick could have been the villain, but in the space horror films Pitch Black and Riddick he’s the thing that the aliens should be scared of. One of the most dangerous men in the galaxy, Riddick is an escaped killer who is very good at what he does. So good that most of the people who go after him don’t come back alive. His days of running are cut short when he’s finally captured by a bounty hunter. On the way to turn him in, the ship the two are sharing ends up crashing on an alien planet. A number of passengers survive and when Riddick escapes, they think he’s the thing they have to worry about. They’re dead wrong (literally when it comes to most of them) and soon a vicious race of hungry aliens emerges from hibernation. Riddick proves to be the one at the top of the food chain though, as he fights his way off the planet, making him the deadliest final guy in movie history. 

Honorable Mention: Tommy Doyle- The Halloween Franchise

When it comes to horror movies, “Tommy” is a pretty popular name for final guys. Seems like every supernatural slasher has tangled with one at some point or another. That said, I want to give an honorable mention to the counterpart of the greatest Final Girl of all time, Tommy Doyle. When Tommy first showed up in the holiday horror franchise, he was just a little kid being babysat by Laurie Strode. That fateful Halloween when he first encountered Michael Myers sealed his fate and tied him to the killer for the rest of his life. He popped up four of the Halloween films (and one of those Rob Zombie flicks we all try to forget), and as he got older he learned to fight back against Michael. He doesn’t actually defeat Myers at any point since the character is still trucking along, but he is set to appear in the upcoming Halloween Kills. Maybe he’ll get lucky this time.

Shout-Out: David Drayton-The Mist

David is a controversial choice for sure when it comes to final guys. Yes, he does make it to the end of one of my favorite Stephen King movies. Although he manages to make it through interdimensional aliens and fanatical survivors, he’s forced to make a gut-wrenching choice at the end of the film. Many might frown upon him for it, but I see it as the ultimate selfless act of mercy. Even though he had the right reasons for his decision, David has to live with the guilt of it for the rest of his life, making him one of the tortured final guys of all time.

Those are my picks for the best final guys of all time. This was one of the hardest lists I’ve ever had to pull together, and I know there are tons of other great final guys out there that didn’t earn a spot. If you think I missed one of the greats, leave me a comment below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved final guys make their big-screen debuts. So, be sure to check back to see how these rankings might change!