10 Formidable Final Girls Who Survived Horror Movies

5. Buffy Summers - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Sarah Michelle Gellar kicked ass as Buffy Summers back in the late 1990s, but before that, Kristy Swanson was the original vampire slayer, providing the blueprint for one of the most successful genre shows in TV history. Buffy may not seem like an obvious choice for this list, but without the "final girl," there would be no Buffy. Joss Whedon first came up with the idea when he theorized what might happen if one of these final girls stood up for themselves from the outset, turning the tables on their would be assailants. Finally, a strong and wilful final girl who doesn't feel the need to be overly masculine or virginal in the process. By subverting the concept of the "final girl," Whedon created a role model for an entire generation of women. If only Gellar could have starred in the original movie. Oh, well. A geek can dream.