Stock characters in Slasher 
Horror films 
Maddison Bunny Allin
WHAT ARE STOCK CHARACTERS? 
• Stock characters are a key 
component of genre fiction 
• They are no the main characters 
however are easily recognized 
characters which play a part in most 
films of the same genre 
• The different types of stock 
characters are: the wanderer, the 
popular girl, the jock, the final girl, 
the Pandora and the pervert.
THE POPULAR GIRL 
• The popular girl in a Slasher Horror film is usually the most 
attractive girl who is very wealthy and the most popular girl 
at school. She is often the girl who is desired by most men in 
the film and/or has a boyfriend who is often the jock. 
• They usually tend to be either the first or last character to die 
and are often either best friends or enemies with the final 
girl. 
EXAMPLES: 
Sarah Michelle Gellar in 
I know what you did last 
summer 
Paris Hilton in house of wax Camilla Belle in when a stranger 
calls
THE FINAL GIRL 
• The final girl Is the last one to have survived either because 
they have killed the killer or because they have managed to 
escape from the killer. 
• She is often a girl who is either best friends with the popular 
girl or is an outcast with no friends who does well in school. 
• She is often almost killed a number of times however 
manages to escape 
• EXAMPLES: 
Jennifer Love Hewitt 
in I know what 
you did last summer 
Marylin Burns in Texas 
chainsaw massacre 
Neve Campbell in Scream 2
PANDORA 
• This character is usually a girl in the film who comes across as 
someone who is innocent and wouldn’t hurt anyone and can turn 
out to either be the killer in the film or the person who attracts the 
killer. 
• Sometimes the audience know that this character is the killer 
however the characters in the film do not until a later stage and 
sometimes, neither of us know who the killer is. 
EXAMPLES: 
Megan Fox in Jennifer’s body 
Who is also the popular 
Girl in this case. 
Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan Doofy from Scary Movie
THE WANDERER 
• The wanderer in most horror/slashed films is often 
the first person to be killed as they are usually 
clueless and walk into trouble. The wanderer is often 
played by a young actor who is naive. 
EXAMPLES: 
Ned from ‘Friday the 13th’ is 
killed after following a dark into 
a shed 
Tatum from ‘scream’, is the first 
to get killed. 
Vincent from bloody beginnings 
explores the abandoned hospital 
while everyone else is asleep.
THE JOCK 
• The Jock is usually good looking a young and often is dating 
the popular girl. There stereotypically athletic but stupid and 
naïve and usually are one of the first to be killed in the film. 
There usually a cocky character which then leads them to be 
killed, they also have usually been taking drugs or drinking. 
• EXAMPLES: 
Curt in ‘cabin in the woods’ is 
killed after trying to jump of a 
motorbike to escape. 
Blake from ‘house of wax’ is 
killed just before sleeping with 
his girlfriend. 
Morgan from ‘Texas chainsaw 
massacre’ is killed after trying to 
attack the killer.
THE PERVERT 
• This character can either be a male serial killer who is 
motivated sexually troubled personality or can be one 
of the characters who gets murdered by the killer 
because of they’re are a pervert. There usually kind of 
crazy and don’t get along with the other characters. 
• EXAMPLES: 
‘final destination 3’ Frankie is 
killed when he is still hanging 
around secondary school three 
years after graduation. 
‘night mare on elm 
street’ freddy kruger, 
plays the psycho killer.

Stock characters in horror

  • 1.
    Stock characters inSlasher Horror films Maddison Bunny Allin
  • 2.
    WHAT ARE STOCKCHARACTERS? • Stock characters are a key component of genre fiction • They are no the main characters however are easily recognized characters which play a part in most films of the same genre • The different types of stock characters are: the wanderer, the popular girl, the jock, the final girl, the Pandora and the pervert.
  • 3.
    THE POPULAR GIRL • The popular girl in a Slasher Horror film is usually the most attractive girl who is very wealthy and the most popular girl at school. She is often the girl who is desired by most men in the film and/or has a boyfriend who is often the jock. • They usually tend to be either the first or last character to die and are often either best friends or enemies with the final girl. EXAMPLES: Sarah Michelle Gellar in I know what you did last summer Paris Hilton in house of wax Camilla Belle in when a stranger calls
  • 4.
    THE FINAL GIRL • The final girl Is the last one to have survived either because they have killed the killer or because they have managed to escape from the killer. • She is often a girl who is either best friends with the popular girl or is an outcast with no friends who does well in school. • She is often almost killed a number of times however manages to escape • EXAMPLES: Jennifer Love Hewitt in I know what you did last summer Marylin Burns in Texas chainsaw massacre Neve Campbell in Scream 2
  • 5.
    PANDORA • Thischaracter is usually a girl in the film who comes across as someone who is innocent and wouldn’t hurt anyone and can turn out to either be the killer in the film or the person who attracts the killer. • Sometimes the audience know that this character is the killer however the characters in the film do not until a later stage and sometimes, neither of us know who the killer is. EXAMPLES: Megan Fox in Jennifer’s body Who is also the popular Girl in this case. Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan Doofy from Scary Movie
  • 6.
    THE WANDERER •The wanderer in most horror/slashed films is often the first person to be killed as they are usually clueless and walk into trouble. The wanderer is often played by a young actor who is naive. EXAMPLES: Ned from ‘Friday the 13th’ is killed after following a dark into a shed Tatum from ‘scream’, is the first to get killed. Vincent from bloody beginnings explores the abandoned hospital while everyone else is asleep.
  • 7.
    THE JOCK •The Jock is usually good looking a young and often is dating the popular girl. There stereotypically athletic but stupid and naïve and usually are one of the first to be killed in the film. There usually a cocky character which then leads them to be killed, they also have usually been taking drugs or drinking. • EXAMPLES: Curt in ‘cabin in the woods’ is killed after trying to jump of a motorbike to escape. Blake from ‘house of wax’ is killed just before sleeping with his girlfriend. Morgan from ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’ is killed after trying to attack the killer.
  • 8.
    THE PERVERT •This character can either be a male serial killer who is motivated sexually troubled personality or can be one of the characters who gets murdered by the killer because of they’re are a pervert. There usually kind of crazy and don’t get along with the other characters. • EXAMPLES: ‘final destination 3’ Frankie is killed when he is still hanging around secondary school three years after graduation. ‘night mare on elm street’ freddy kruger, plays the psycho killer.