In this post I will analyse the following slasher character archetypes; the killer, the jock, the fool, the nice guy, the scream queen and the final girl, as well as treatment of minorities and adults.
I will be mainly referring to the films The Cabin In The Woods (2011) , The Final Girls (2015) and The Babysitter (2017) , as they are post-modern films satirising these archetypes.
The Killer
The killer is seen as superhuman, and impossible to defeat. They are usually serial killers with a revenge plan and choose their victims carefully, sadistically stalking and torturing for their own pleasure. A common trope is the use of a mask, especially in franchises; e.g. Ghostface in Scream (1996), Micheal Myers in Halloween (1978) and the baby mask in Happy Death Day (2017). Another element in creating a character is having a distinct weapon, such as Leatherface's chainsaw in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).
The motive is usually split; either its a psychopathic killer with a will to murder, or a killer with a revenge plan. The revenge trope is often used with female rape victims turned killers, like Jennifer in Jennifers Body (2009) or Lora Lee Sherman in Cherry Falls (2000).
Slasher films often show the villains development and backstory, for example Micheal Myers' childhood bloodlust, or Friday the 13th (1980) Jason Voorhees' bullying. Another trope is a connection to the protagonist, such as Ghostface and Sidney Prescott in Scream, or Lora Lee Sherman and Jody Marken in Cherry Falls.
The use of a backstory creates further fear with the killers motives, making the killings more believable rather than a two dimensional character.
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| Ghostface from Scream (1996) |
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| Baby Face from Happy Death Day (2017) |
The Jock
The jock or sometimes called the scream king is a popular boy playing sports and of superior physical strength. He tries to fight the killer, but ends up dying, usually first. He is usually presented as the boyfriend of the scream queen (from whom his nickname derives), and is envied by men and wanted by women. His death is presented as a punishment for his behaviour, typically engaging in drinking, drugs and sex, as well as being rude to others, leading the audience to root against him.
(From left to right); Kurt from The Final Girls, Curt from The Cabin In The Woods, and Robbie from The Babysitter
The Fool
The fool is also known as the nerd or the stoner, they are the outcast of the group. They are present due to a longtime friendship or family relation with one of their more popular friends, usually the jock. Used as comic relief throughout the film, and often inferior in intelligence or physicality, they create sympathy within the audience. Mocked by the popular protagonists, the fool is a relatable character the audience roots for, before his death often due to his stupidity.
(From left to right); Duncan from The Final Girls, John from The Babysitter, and Marty from The Cabin In The Woods
The Nice Guy
The nice guy is also known as the scholar, he is usually the love interest of the virgin/ the final girl. Typically tied to the group as the best friend of the jock, creating binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) with the two male characters. He is seen as kind and morally superior compared to the other male characters. The audience roots for him, but acknowledges his sacrifice in order to defeat the killer. He is usually the last one to die, and only survived due to his allegiance with the final girl.
(From left to right); Chris from The Final Girls, Holden from The Cabin In The Woods, and Sonya from The Babysitter
The Scream Queen
The whore or the scream queen is popular, conventionally attractive and typically blonde. Characterised as an air headed bimbo, and usually the virgin/final girl's best friend. Known for her hysterical screaming when confronted by the killer, she is nicknamed the scream queen. Similarly to her male counterpart, she is also an object of lust and envy, as well as partaking in immoral behaviour. She is typically presented as self-entered, spoilt and rude and disliked by the audience. In her essay, "Refusing To Refuse To Look", Brigid Cherry writes "one participant (in the study) described her feelings about characters she referred to as "the stereotypical bimbo": "I tend to find that I don't mind these women being victims- they deserve to be killed off!"" the scream queens are brutally killed off, for audience pleasure rather than plot. Sally Hardesty from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is considered as one of the first scream queens.
The Final Girl
The virgin or the final girl, is a trope first coined by Carol Clover in 1992, who defines it as "the final girl is a female who is the sole survivor of the group of people being chased by a villain, and who gets a final confrontation with the villain, and who has such a "privilege" because of her implied moral superiority." She is typically a brunette, being the binary opposition of the scream queen, as well as being observant and reserved. Unlike her counterparts, she has no interest in sex, drugs and partying. As the film progresses, and she witnesses the murders of her friends, she build up her strength in order to defeat the Killer, while being the protagonist the audience roots for. The first final girl is said to be Laurie Strode from Halloween. Her male counterpart is known as the final boy.
(From left to right); Cole from The Babysitter, Max from The Final Girls, and Dana from The Cabin In The Woods
Treatment of minorities
Typically, there is a trend in slasher or horror films to kill minority characters off first. This has been coined as the "Black Guy dies first" trope. In post-modern horror media, it is often ridiculed, like in American Horror Story or The Babysitter.
Treatment of adults
As slashers target teen or young adult audiences, adult and authority characters are ridiculed. Parents, teachers, and police are presented as incompetent, leaving the final girl to deal with the killer on her own. This can be seen in Halloween and Cherry Falls.
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