Top 20 Smartest Horror Movie Characters
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the horror movie characters that displayed a high degree of intelligence throughout the entire film. Beware of spoilers ahead. What would you have done if you were in their shoes? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: Nancy Thompson
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“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
Few people can defeat an omniscient serial killer who stalks dreams, but Nancy managed to pull it off. Or did she? To be honest, we still don’t really get that ending. Either way, Nancy is one smart hero and one of the strongest final girls in horror. She has awesome investigative skills and is able to uncover the story and motivations of Freddy Krueger. She takes the proper precautions, like drinking coffee and taking caffeine pills to stay awake. She devises the idea of dragging Freddy into the real world. And she does the whole “Home Alone” thing by rigging various booby traps around her house, all of which are surprisingly effective.
#19: Rebecca
“Lights Out” (2016)
Based on a popular YouTube short, this low budget movie sees a family doing battle with a supernatural creature who is afraid of light. It seems like a major weakness, and Rebecca takes full advantage of it. She’s the smartest fighter in the movie, having single handedly defeated the creature in her apartment. She also rigs her mother’s house with light so as to avoid future attacks. And it’s Rebecca who identifies the creature, realizes her weakness, and stages an intervention for her mother in an attempt to stop the attacks. Basically, Rebecca does a lot of heavy lifting for the family!
#18: Dutch Schaefer
“Predator” (1987)
This character perfectly utilizes the talents of Arnold Schwarzenegger and comes across as one of the toughest dudes of eighties cinema. The titular Predator is a nasty creature, using the likes of plasma cannons, a cloaking device, and exceptional hunting skills to eliminate the members of a military rescue team. But he’s no match for ol’ Dutch. Dutch survives thanks to his smart tactics and proficiency with weapons, and he’s the one who realizes that the Predator stalks from the trees. And how cool is that final battle, with Dutch using mud as a camouflage, crafting dangerous traps, and defeating the Predator in hand-to-hand combat? He’s the only survivor, and for good reason.
#17: Sarah
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“The Descent” (2005)
This poor woman is left traumatized when her husband and daughter are killed in a car accident. To help get her through the ordeal, Sarah’s friends organize a spelunking adventure in the Appalachian Mountains. But the adventure only leads to more trauma as they become stuck in the caves and are mercilessly hunted by bloodthirsty creatures. It’s Sarah who proves the most adept at fighting these creatures, at one point taking on an entire horde by herself. She turns into a killer inside these caves, defeating crawlers like it’s nobody’s business while everybody else gets picked off and eaten. And it’s Sarah and Sarah alone who survives – well, in the American version, anyway. The original ending tells a different story…
#16: Damien Karras
“The Exorcist” (1973)
One of the great things about this movie is that everyone is smart and acts logically throughout it. After exhausting all scientific methods, the desperate Chris MacNeil turns to Father Karras for help, believing that her daughter is suffering from a demonic possession. Karras is extremely professional throughout the ordeal, setting up a rapport with the demon and using various tricks to ensure that Regan is actually possessed. He also uses various psychological tactics against the demon, such as questioning its true power. And yes, it’s Karras, not the seasoned Father Merrin, who finally saves the poor girl. Albeit in a rather … nontraditional manner.
#15: Maddie Young
“Hush” (2016)
This horror film from Mike Flanagan tells a traditional story of a home invasion, with a twist: the protagonist is both deaf and mute. Maddie lost her hearing after contracting meningitis and now works as an author in a secluded house. This makes her a prime target for a masked killer who stalks her and attempts to break in. Despite her obvious weakness, Maddie is incredibly smart and does a number of intelligent things throughout the movie, like distracting the killer with a car alarm and using a visual smoke alarm to confuse him. She is also very perceptive, even detecting the killer after he breathes on her neck. Maddie eventually gets the upper hand, and it is glorious.
#14: Cecilia Kass
“The Invisible Man” (2020)
Writer-director Leigh Whannell brought the classic character into the twenty-first century with this critically acclaimed reboot. The Invisible Man is Adrian Griffin, the horrible boyfriend of Cecilia Kass. After faking his death, Adrian dons a bodysuit that turns him invisible and begins stalking Cecilia before framing her for murder. But Cecilia is not one to take this lying down. First, she identifies the presence of Adrian by pouring white paint onto his invisible suit, which is a particularly inspired move. She also correctly deduces that Adrian set up Tom as the fall guy, and in the film’s shocking climax, she uses Adrian’s own tactics against him. She wins the battle, proving herself a great survivalist and a master manipulator.
#13: Martin Brody
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“Jaws” (1975)
This is another movie in which all the heroes are intelligent to some degree, each utilizing their own strengths to defeat the titular shark. Martin Brody doesn’t take a step out of line throughout the entirety of “Jaws,” and all of his ideas are winners. It’s Brody who closes the beaches, and he only reverses the directive when the moronic Mayor Vaughn intervenes. It’s Brody who works with Hooper to identify the shark, and it’s Brody’s incessant convincing that gets Quint hired. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s Brody who finally takes down the deadly shark, having the ingenious idea to shove a scuba tank into its mouth and blow it up with a rifle. It’s no wonder the man became police chief!
#12: Selena
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“28 Days Later” (2002)
This classic horror film isn’t just a groundbreaking work of zombie fiction – it’s also a humanistic glimpse into tragedy and the end of the world. Jim, Frank, and Hannah are driven by emotion and form a familial bond, but it’s Selena who keeps them alive. She is a hardened killer and remains emotionally closed off, correctly deducing that it’s the best method for survival. Selena promptly kills Mark before he can turn, and she is right to distrust the soldiers at the blockade. It’s also Selena who saves Jim’s life and eventually gets them rescued, constructing a massive S.O.S. out of bed sheets and curtains.
#11: Casey Cooke
“Split” (2016)
In this M. Night Shyamalan venture, James McAvoy plays Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with numerous identities who kidnaps three young women. While two of the women, Claire and Marcia, try to escape and are punished as a result, Casey decides to play along with Kevin’s changing personalities and uses them to her advantage. For example, she befriends Hedwig, Kevin’s childish persona, and when “Hedwig” learns of her deceit, she keeps a level head rather than run away like the others. Using her brain, and not letting her emotions get the best of her, results in her escaping the immediate conflict.
#10: Ash
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The “Evil Dead” Trilogy (1981-92)
There are few horror protagonists like Ash. He certainly proved his mettle in the first movie, being the only survivor of the Deadite assault. He also has the brilliant idea of burning the Book of the Dead, which causes Cheryl and Scott to decompose. But he doesn’t turn into a certified action hero until “Evil Dead II.” Here, he’s far more confident, far more adept in his combat abilities, and smart enough to turn his freaking arm into a chainsaw! We don't know how that works, but hey, this is Ash we’re talking about here. Finally, Ash is intelligent enough to transport himself from the Middle Ages back to the present day, and he displays incredible cunning (and manipulation) along the way.
#9: Ben
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“Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
One of the most revolutionary horror movies of all time, it features perhaps the smartest and most resourceful character in all of zombie fiction: Ben. While everyone else around him is either freaking out or in a catatonic state, Ben keeps focused and tries to find a way out of their predicament. It’s Ben who makes most of the decisions. It’s Ben who is the most resourceful. And it’s Ben who survives the night, taking refuge in the basement (despite earlier saying that it was a bad idea). And what does he get for all this trouble? Well, you know what happens.
#8: Erin
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“You’re Next” (2011)
It’s refreshing to see a slasher movie heroine so resourceful and clever. In this movie, Erin is invited to her boyfriend’s family reunion when masked intruders storm the house and all hell breaks loose. However, they didn’t count on Erin, who was raised on a survivalist compound and who proves to be an immense badass throughout the entire movie. She advises everyone how to escape a dangerous situation, takes pictures of the assailants, and even rigs up “Home Alone”-esque booby traps with items found throughout the house. She’s utterly fearless, and we love it.
#7: Sidney Prescott
“Scream” franchise (1996-)
That said, Erin has nothing on Sidney. Throughout five movies, Sidney remains as sharp as a tack and constantly defeats those who are out to kill her, whether it’s by outwitting them or taking the fight to them directly. It helps that Sidney knows the tropes of horror movies: she knows not to run upstairs (despite doing so, but hey, she panicked), and she knows to make sure that the killer is dead so they don’t come back for one last scare. While it eventually plays on her mental health, Sidney certainly knows how to survive the odd serial killer or two.
#6: Laurie Strode
“Halloween” franchise (1978-)
She is one of the first examples of the “final girl” trope. Despite that now being a cliché aspect of slasher films, Laurie broke the mold and provided viewers with a fresh and highly intelligent protagonist who they could root for. She begins the series as a meek high school student, but she could still hold her own in a fight with Michael by using her brain, like when she fashioned a weapon out of a wire hanger. When she reappears later in the series, she is the badass heroine, taking the fight to Michael and defeating him in an epic showdown of brains and brawn.
#5: Michelle
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“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016)
In this movie, Michelle finds herself in quite the predicament: she is locked in a bunker with two men, one of whom tells her that the air outside is now polluted and that she needs to stay with him for her own safety. So, yeah, he’s crazy. It’s a horrifying situation to be in, but Michelle definitely makes the most of it. She feigns flirtation during their dinner in order to steal the key. She manages to escape Howard and destroy a massive alien ship using nothing but a Molotov. She even fashions a freaking Hazmat-like suit out of things found in the bunker! Yeah, we say she’s pretty darned smart.
#4: R.J. MacReady
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“The Thing” (1982)
The greatest thing about this disturbing movie is that the characters do everything right, but they still lose. Now that’s the sign of a fantastic and intelligent horror movie. MacReady ensures that safety measures are in place throughout the movie. He manages to break back into the station when the others have isolated him out of fear. And, most importantly, he’s the one who decides to perform the copper wire and blood experiment, which actually works and exposes the Thing. He does everything he can, but in the end, he’s left stranded in a dark and dreary Antarctic night. Now that’s scary.
#3: Chris Washington
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“Get Out” (2017)
This was one of the most original and entertaining horror movies in years, and protagonist Chris Washington is a big part of that. When his girlfriend takes him to her parents’ house, he immediately begins to notice that things are off, despite their protests: the groundskeeper and housekeeper are a little weird, and he feels uncomfortable when their guests begin to take a particular interest in him. When things inevitably end up going off the rails, Chris uses a brilliant tactic of plugging his ears with chair stuffing to block out hypnotic commands and then single-handedly takes on the entire household.
#2: Clarice Starling
“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
When you can puzzle out the riddles of Hannibal Lecter, you know you’re pretty damn smart. Throughout the movie, FBI agent Clarice Starling needs to consult with the highly intelligent Hannibal Lecter, and watching the two in discussion is extremely fascinating due to their chemistry and mesmerizing back and forth. Starling has a very quick mind and can make connections that others can’t, and she even takes on a dangerous serial killer in the dark by herself, single-handedly saving the girl and the day. She is now a cinematic icon, and it’s not hard to see why. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Nancy Thompson “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) Peter Washington “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) Selena “28 Days Later” (2002)
#1: Ellen Ripley
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“Alien” (1979)
Ripley is perhaps the most influential heroine of all time, and for good reason. Ripley shows intelligence from the very beginning of the first movie, when she deduces that the S.O.S. signal picked up by the Nostromo may be a warning rather than a distress beacon. She’s also the one who refuses to let Dallas, Lambert, and Kane back on the ship, fearing contamination, and we all know how that turned out. The last one standing, she successfully jettisons the alien out of the escape pod at the end of the movie. Ripley is often regarded as the character that challenged and changed established gender roles in horror movies, and her intelligence throughout the film series is why.
