Just like villains are a key part of horror, so are the main characters they are pursuing. And, when it comes to the genre and all of its subsets, no trope is more prevalent and enduring than the Final Girl. A term coined by Carol J. Clover in “Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film” (1987), the Final Girl is the apple of a killer’s eye. She’s the ultimate survivor and audience surrogate who lives through the final showdown with the big bad.
She ranges from the quintessential ingénue who doesn’t indulge in common vices and likely needs to be saved to the brash badass who isn’t afraid to face a nightmarish situation and create her own kill count. Either way, the Final Girl is a hallmark of horror and, to celebrate her power, we are lining up 12 beloved survivors with the Zodiac sign that we think fits them the best. (Don’t worry, we did the same thing for horror villains, too!)
Note: Yes, we did step outside of the classic Final Girl definition bounds a bit to include awesome women who survive films that are not slashers.
Nancy Thompson – Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Nancy Thompson has the grit, determination, and ambition of a Capricorn. When her friend Tina is killed, Nancy jumped into action and investigated what was going on with Freddy Krueger. She swiftly came up with a plan to trap him and was even bold enough to turn her back on a killer who is right in front of her in the real world, thereby taking away his power.
Later, she trains teenagers how to use their dream powers to their advantage. And, in the OG timeline, even when she dies in the end, she takes one last opportunity to stab Krueger with his own glove. She’s an all-around boss.
Selena – Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
The Aquarian traits of independence and logic certainly apply to 28 Days Later’s brilliant woman protagonist Selena. We meet her in a zombie-infested United Kingdom where she kills her traveling partner Mike without hesitation the moment he gets an infected wound. She’s pragmatic and resourceful, giving her new companion Jim the rundown of this new world’s gritty reality and rules.
She accepts their new virus-riddled world as it is with no pipe dreams of a cure, instead adopting her fiery nature to this reality. But we also get to see glimpses of her carefree and quirky side, like when she gallivants through an abandoned store full of supplies. Considering 28 Days Later isn’t a slasher or an American film, her name isn’t as recognizable as Sidney Prescott or Laurie Strode. But she belongs among the great Final Girls of the horror world.
Sidney Prescott – Pisces (February 19-March 20)
When it comes to the Final Girl Pantheon, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott is certainly in this elite group. Her enduring saga in the Scream franchise continues to inspire Final Girl characterizations to this day. According to Google, Sidney’s birthday is supposedly March 14 which, if true, would make this Final Girl’s Zodiac sign a Pisces. And this actually fits her personality. In the midst of the ongoing chaotic violence in her life, Sidney often shows her empathetic side. She holds her killer brother Roman’s hand as he dies and works as a crisis counselor to help women in need. She’s fiercely loyal and protective of her very small inner circle and isn’t afraid to wear her ebbing emotions on her sleeve. Sidney’s also a creative who once had dreams of becoming an actress.
But that doesn’t mean Sidney is a pushover. She can flip the switch and allow her righteous frustration, cunning, and well-timed rage to come to the forefront to save herself and others. She will take an antagonist to task, both verbally and physically, and can flow with the punches (and stabs) unlike any other. We love an adaptable and delightfully headstrong Pisces queen who can be tough at the right time.
Julie James – Aries (March 21-April 19)
I Know What You Did Last Summer’s Julie James is certainly an Aries. She’s by far the most straightforward and honest person out of her friend group, and that integrity eats at her after believing they killed a man on a dark summer night. She’s level-headed and courageous, quickly moving forward to solve the mystery behind this killer and how she can save everyone around her.
And, when she stands outside and yells “What are you waiting for?!,” that is a challenge only a fiery Aries would issue against an antagonist.
Laurie Strode – Taurus (April 20-May 21)
Once again, according to Google, Halloween‘s Laurie Strode’s February 22 birthday makes her a Pisces. But this infamous Final Girl feels like her Zodiac sign is more aligned with Taurean traits. She’s super smart, resourceful, and very practical with her laser focus goal to eliminate Michael Myers again. Once Laurie sets her mind to a plan or approach, no one can distract her from her path, including her own daughter and granddaughter who believe she’s delusional.
A Taurus will totally turn her house into a trap for a masked killer and patiently wait 40 years to achieve her ultimate goal. Laurie may show spurts of emotion but she still manages to remain calm and cool, like when she bravely faced Michael at her university in Halloween: H20. She’s extremely protective of the few good people in her life and will go to war if anyone tries to mess with them. You gotta love Laurie.
Adelaide – Gemini (May 22-June 20)
A part of this choice is obvious, given that Adelaide’s big battle in Jordan Peele’s Us is against her underworld doppelganger. But Adelaide, like a Gemini, has two different personalities that could surface at any time. On one hand, she’s a loving yet awkward mom and wife. However, she quickly shifts into a fierce and calculating personality when Red and her Tethered family show up. As the film comes to its ending, we discover that Adelaide’s life is all about the duality of pretending to be someone who you are not. She’s in fact the villain who played the game of making herself appear to be the victim. Now that’s one hell of a final girl twist.
Sally Hardesty – Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Sally Hardesty and Leatherface are a horror villain and final girl Zodiac match made in heaven. It’s pretty clear that Leatherface, who literally hides behind someone else’s face, is a sensitive Cancer at heart. And we’d dare say the initially free-spirited Sally Hardesty shares that sign. Poor Sally does a whole lot of screaming and crying, which is understandable when a very large man is chasing you with a chainsaw.
The future Sally became more externally hardened and preoccupied with one day facing her tormentor, but her caring nature for others never waned. We see her come to the rescue in the 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre film and sacrifice her life to save others.
Ellen Ripley – Leo (July 23-August 22)
Ellen Ripley is undoubtedly one of the best sci-fi protagonists of all-time. She has all the confidence, bravery, poise, and general badassery needed to go up against something as terrifying as a Xenomorph in the Alien franchise.
Like a Leo, Ripley is not afraid to take center stage and will not back down from an argument. She’s right, she knows it, and you will also know it, thank you very much. Even after her death, Ellen’s name still rings among the masses as a certified legend and a leader.
Erin Harson – Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Virgos are incredibly popular among the Zodiac signs for good reason. When you share a sign with high achievers like Beyoncé and Kobe Bryant, you can’t help but be driven, focused, and incredibly smart. That’s Erin Harson from You’re Next, an underrated Final Girl who, as the youth would say, stands on business.
Her childhood on a survivalist compound makes her the perfect person to go up against a group of masked killers with a variety of weapons. She expertly secures the house and sets elaborate traps to take out all the killers. Her methodical approach to eliminating targets is stunning to see. Honestly, she should consider becoming a villain because she’d rock it.
Grace le Domas – Libra (September 23-October 22)
Grace finds herself going from the best to the worst of circumstances in Ready or Not. A former foster child, she marries into the wealthy le Domas family for a stable and hopefully happy future. But she soon finds herself in a deadly cat-and-mouse game where the cursed family must sacrifice her before dawn, lest they want to die themselves.
Like a Libra, Grace is a quirky and fun person who seeks balance in her life. And, once she discovers the truth, Grace is determined to tip the scales back in her favor and seek justice against her new in-laws by any means necessary. This resourceful Libra never faces a challenge that she cannot overcome and, although brutality isn’t in her nature, she’s not above doing the needful to survive. And, she’s still stylish, even on the worst night of her life.
Naru – Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Imagine facing the same threat that Ellen Ripley and others faced but without any of the fancy tech resources they had because it is 1719. Now, imagine being just as much of a boss while doing it. Naru doesn’t have to imagine because she did just that in Prey.
The Comanche hunter and trained healer is a stealthy and natural born leader who is willing to face a threat she doesn’t fully understand with zero fear. She stings like a Scorpio when she’s in battle, striking fear into her enemies and becoming a full-fledged war chief with Xenomorph blood on her face.
Jess Bradford – Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
Jess Bradford essentially laid the foundation for what it means to be a modern day final girl, despite her ending being left rather ambiguous. The Black Christmas (1974) protagonist bucked many of the horror heroine norms of the time, refusing to be a damsel in distress or the stereotypical airheaded sorority girl. Instead, Jess’ character is boldly feminist, from the emboldened way she interacts with men in her life to her decision to have an abortion. Having a horror heroine make this choice in the midst of the Roe v. Wade era was truly iconic.
Sagittarians have a lot to say, and Jess does not mince words at all. But Sagittarians can also be rather chaotic, which can lead to big mistakes, which Jess does when she accidentally kills Peter in a panic. Still, Jess does what she wants when she wants, and that’s why this final girl takes the Sag Zodiac sign spot on our list.
