Another Top 10 Hardest Things To Kill In Movies

Even the most elaborate attempts to cut their careers short don’t seem to faze secret agents. Characterized by sharp survival instincts, rigorous training, and of course classy cocktails, movie spies might be mere mortals, but the physical feats they survive often seem superhuman. Using state-of-the-art gadgets and a knack for improvisation, they’re able to leap from building to building in a single bound . . . and, on occasion, even come back from the dead. Better not try these stunts at home.

The problem with superhuman intelligences is that they can easily outwit us. This can involve the cunning manipulation of humans to avoid termination, such as in “Ex Machina.” But it can also entail the use of technological advantages, such as the use of robot armies or time machines. In robotic bodies, AI’s can survive on desolate, abandoned planets, or take on novel forms designed to mete out death themselves. They can also cheat death by uploading themselves into computer networks, or even transforming into a cloud of nanoparticles.

Professional killers seem able to leap into any situation and come out the other side safe and sound. Their modus operandi usually involves a meticulously laid plan with a quick escape into the crowd. But assassins can also resort to more unconventional methods in a tight spot - including but not limited to the repurposing ordinary stationery. Many assassins have been trained from a young age, and for some these honed responses can kick in even if they’ve completely forgotten their past. Whether dodging or curving bullets, assassins have a special gift for staying alive.

Even with half a heart, dragons are tough beasts. Their scaly hides resist arrows and axes, and their fiery breath is usually enough to deter would-be attackers. In fact, it often takes some unusually novel and dangerous approaches to slow one down. In “Reign of Fire,” the only tried-and-true method requires a helicopter, skydivers, and a bald, bearded, testosterone fueled Matthew McConaughey. While a well-placed, dwarven-forged arrow can also do the trick, dragons seldom go down without an epic fight.

Mummies are made to survive the greatest killer of all: Time. Being mummified doesn’t seem like the most fun process ever . . . but there are advantages. These undead ancients can laugh off bullets, and drain life from the living to regenerate their bodies - a handy trick after millennia rotting in a sarcophagus. Mummy powers can also include masterful manipulation of the elements. It’s pretty tough to get at a monster in the middle of the desert who can use sand as a weapon.

Like secret agents and assassins, ninjas also owe much of their survival skills to years of training. As covert agents in feudal Japan, ninjas served as spies, assassins, and saboteurs known for miraculous and sometimes mystical abilities. On screen, their brutal combat techniques and mastery of multiple weapons keep them alive even when the odds against them seem overwhelming. Ninjas are particularly hard to kill when movie magic gives them gigantic proportions, or certain non-human advantages.

Possessed dolls seem to spit in the face of death. Chucky from “Child’s Play” has been burnt up, shot to pieces, melted, blown up, cut apart, shot some more, dismembered, and stomped on. Few movie characters can boast having gone through so many deaths. But thanks to powerful voodoo magic, the murderous Good Guy doll just keeps coming back. But he’s not the only dangerous doll to constantly cheat death. Whether possessed by murderers, demons, or an overkill of Christmas spirit, possessed dolls are survivors.

Superhero movies wouldn’t be much fun if the villain fell with the first punch. So instead supervillains are basically human, or inhuman, punching bags, able to survive titanic hits, gunshots, and even being blown up in space. In “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the titular villain has a particularly clever means of survival, transferring his mind into multiple robot bodies. Of course, the bad guy always gets it in the end, but only after taking a superhuman beating, and even then, they sometimes don’t stay down for good.

It’s hard to kill what’s already dead. Zombies don’t feel pain, and can keep moving even after receiving injuries that would be fatal for the living. That makes them almost unstoppable. In many movies, the only way to really kill a zombie is with a direct headshot. That can be difficult given their tendency to attack in hordes. While the traditional slow-shuffling zombies are easier to aim at, newer, faster varieties don’t slow down for anyone. Finally, the victims of zombies become zombies themselves, giving the undead an almost infinite supply of reinforcements.


Before we reveal our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:

Nazgul


Giant Spiders


Werewolves

Supernatural beings live and die according to different rules than mere mortals. Their ties to another plane of existence often make them invulnerable, or at least especially challenging to vanquish. Like Chucky, Freddy Krueger and Pinhead just keep returning for sequels, using their supernatural statuses as trump cards. Other beings can change their form to adapt to their enemies. In the form of Pennywise the Clown, the creature from “It” feeds on fear, and can’t be killed through physical attacks alone.