Black folks are historically the sacrificial lambs of horror films, being the first to get mauled by the chainsaw killer or whatever blood-hungry monster chasing after them. Admit it, when you see one chocolate chip in a majority white cast you’re just waiting for them to get wiped out first.
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However, not all Black horror characters go on to fictional glory so soon. There are some who didn’t die first (maybe like, second or third) and more made it successfully to the end of the movie. When the writers give us a chance, we can easily become a crowd favorite whether for stereotypical comedic relief or for just being the most logical one in the room.
Black folks ain’t goin’ for the whole “let’s split up” mess, alright?
In honor of Spooky Season, check out this list of Black horror film characters who defied the odds and lived to tell the story... or at least some of it.
Chris Washington (Get Out)
All of us were on the edge our seats from the time he went over to them white folks house. He didn’t just happen to make it out alive. He learned their game and used it against them. Nothing will compare to the theater reaction of the cop car pulling up on him after he just fatally shot his white girlfriend... all to see his friend hop out and save him.
Jeryline (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight)
Coming out of prison to become demon-slaying vigilante was probably not her list but dammit, she did the thing. She didn’t run from the matted-haired, ugly teeth, claw swinging monster. She karate kicked that sucker out of a window. She also managed to outsmart The Collector in rejecting his offer to become a demon by spitting blood in his face, causing him to melt and burst into flames.
Tom (Bird Box)
Lord have MERCY! Hearts were broken when he died in this movie but ain’t he make it to the end? Tom was the last body caught by the “thing” and he still fought against its hypnotism, protecting his new family before ultimately letting it take over him. However, we got to enjoy his courageous character (and beautiful, shirtless body) for the rest of the film prior. A win is a win.
Brenda Meeks (Scary Movie)
Brenda said and did everything we would in spooky situations like the ones she was in which is probably why she stayed alive for so long. She was also just plain goofy and unserious is extremely high-risk situations which made the satire of the Scary Movie franchise even better.
Sherman “Preacher” Dudley (Deep Blue Sea)
Dude went toe-to-toe with a shark over a bird. He REFUSED to die until he got vengeance and vengeance he got. Water is rising, resources are few and yet he managed to set the entire kitchen ablaze with one thing to say, “You ate my bird.” Don’t mess with pets.
Karla Wilson (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer)
Lowkey... this whole thing is Karla’s fault because she dragged everyone on the trip but I wouldn’t pass on The Bahamas either. Even so, she managed to escape the slasher multiple times and was found alive when help arrived. Arguably, she might have been the only left alive as the ending scene suggests the other main characters might’ve gotten caught.
Adelaide (Us)
Technically, she didn’t just survive once. We find out at the end of the movie that Adelaide isn’t really Adelaide but her tethered self, Red, pretending to be a normal human. The real Adelaide was in the trenches all those years, seeking vengeance for her life being stolen at a young age. Adelaide loses her battle against her tethered self who continues to play house above land. I mean, at least one of them lived, right?
Alexa Woods (Alien vs. Predator)
She was the last one standing. Even when we thought she was going to mauled by a creature triple her size, she managed to strike a spear through its guts. After surviving, she managed to form an alliance with one of the Predators who handcrafted weapons for her to defend herself with. Sanaa got the juice regardless of what role she plays.
Anne-Marie McCoy (Candyman)
In the original film, she managed to escape Candyman but he did decapitate her dog and kidnap her newborn baby boy. In the 2021 adaptation, Anne-Marie thought she would continue living happily ever after as long as she had her son back and refused to utter the killer’s name. However, her son was marked and ultimately transformed into the serial killer himself. She went through literal hell but hey, she survived right?
Emerald Haywood (Nope)
She outwitted an alien/UFO, avoided being eaten alive and managed to live to tell the story with proof of the horror she experienced. The ominous appearance of her brother through the smoke made it unclear whether he lived alongside her. As long as someone can prove aliens are real, that’s enough.
Dr. Miranda Grey (Gothika)
Doctor turn inmate turn ghost whisperer Miranda Grey fled the grip of a serial rapist and murderer. It was as if she was chosen to avenge the women who were victims of these heinous crimes. Luckily, the perpetrator did most of the work taking himself out by causing an explosion. She went on to live in freedom but still seeing apparitions.
Maggie Bess (Thirteen Ghosts)
Being a nanny did not have fleeing from a bunch of ancient ghosts on the job description but Maggie did so and made it out alive. There were a few close calls given she was knocked out by one of them. In the end, she escaped in one piece and quit her job as a nanny. Would you blame her?
Freddie Harris (Halloween: Resurrection)
“Trick or treat, motherfucka!” Ah, Freddie. He gave Michael Myers a fight to remember. He swung on him Karate-style, electrocuted him and tossed him out of a window. It’s safe to say he was the strongest out of the franchise. In a deleted scene, he did die but let’s not dwell on the negative.
Josh (Midsommar)
Josh was like second in line to die but the first main character we see get offed on screen. He made it a good ways into the film otherwise until he caught sneaking out to snap some pictures of confidential cult texts and fatally bludgeoned in the head. The next time we “see” him, it’s just his foot. Turns out curiosity did kill the cat.
Vanderohe (Army of the Dead)
In another survival of the fittest, zombie apocalypse movie, Vanderohe is part of a kickass team headed to Vegas to snatch $200 million from an abandoned casino. He makes it most of the way and was protected by another teammate after coming close to death in a one-on-one with the lead super-zombie. However, after being the last one standing and successfully leaving with the cash, he finds he was bitten and therefore infected. So, he lives! But is also headed toward death.
Andre (Barbarian)
After risking his life to provide shelter to the main character, who was escaping an oversized mommy monster, that monster ends up bursting through his hiding place and rips his arm off. However, he was probably third in line to be a victim in this film.
The Great Ben (Night of the Living Dead)
Let’s be crystal clear, he could save me a cemetery-sized group of zombies any day. Ben took initiative saving the main characters by providing security and shelter for them. By the end, he was the last man standing and was killed by an armed crew who mistook him for a zombie when he emerged from hiding. Sidebar: he also made history as being a Black hero in a predominantly white film.
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