2. What are they?
Stock characters within horror films are characters who have a
lead role that pop up the most throughout the film. They the
protagonists but due to some of their attitudes, they can fall
into the clutches of the killer who is the main character. These
characters include:
The popular girl
The jock
The final girl
The pervert
The wanderer
Pandora
The victims
3. The jock
Mainly seen in teenaged horror films, the jock is
seen as a stereotype of an athlete who is
physically seen as tall, beefy and fairly strong. In
most horror films, they usually have an on-and-
off relationship with the popular girl which is
carried out from the beginning where the killer
takes his fist victim. However, as well as having
the strength and body structure, they are
usually the arrogant, dumb and self obsessed
character within the group.
4. The popular girl
In every group there is an overly feminine
character who is extremely liked by the
majority. They are seen to be worshipped
by other stock characters (including the
jock) and are always focused on their
appearance. On most occasions they are
spoiled, rude and extremely catty
towards most characters and believe that
they are the better looking out of the rest
of them. Although, their attitude is what
causes them to become one of the
victims of the killers in most horror films.
5. The wanderer
This stock character is the character
who is most likely to be killed off first. In
every dangerous situation, they always
wander off from the rest of the group
into either their own world, or because
they are curious of what is going on in
the matter. Due to them being isolated
to from the group, they are less likely to
be able to fight off the killer once in
contact with them leading them to
their inevitable doom.
6. The pervert
This character is sometimes seen to be one of the last
to be killed off. Throughout horror films (mainly
teenaged ones), this stock character is always male
who is seen to be flirtatious towards both the final girl
and the popular girl and the wanderer depending on
the gender. This character is mostly seen to be killed
around the same time as the popular girl due to them
being the most sexually attracted.
7. Pandora
This manipulative character is the dark horse of the group.
Mainly seen as a female, this character is two-faced.
Throughout most of the film, they are sweet, innocent and
sometimes disappears when the group is actively trying to
find a solution to escape the murderer. However, the
character is the big plot twist of the horror film because in
most horrors, they are the killer. Their kind and innocent
personality is the perfect cover for the group to not
suspect that they are the killer until the final girl finally
realizes that it was the Pandora character.
8. The final girl
This character holds the main lead role in the group
who is the last surviving person in the group after the
killers’ killing spree. She is the brightest out of the
group giving her benefits avoid the killer. The horror
film shows her going through stages of fear and
strength in order to defend herself from the killer and
to stay alive for as long as she can. She also finds out
who the killer is (pandora) and tries to murder the killer
to save herself and others in the future.
