10 Horror Movie Characters Who Had To Die To Win
6. Ellen Hutter - Nosferatu (1922)
Much has been said about this pioneer of not only horror, German Expressionist cinema, and cinema in general, and with good reason. F.W. Murnau's towering work revolutionised the horror genre due to its visual style, contribution to vampiric tropes, chilling subject matter, and of course Max Schreck's terrifying performance as Count Orlok.
As the motion picture's story progresses, Orlok takes a frightful interest in his visitor Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangeheim)'s hometown of Wisborg, and his time there is marked by death due to his Plague-inducing presence. Hutter's wife, Ellen (Greta Schroder) learns of Orlok's weakness - the blood from a woman of pure heart - and invites the vampire to her home in order to end his reign of terror, but at the cost of her own life.
It can be argued that the means behind Orlok's defeat are a bit antiquated and serve as a prime example of Ellen's objectification, but it was also clear that she had agency in her actions, actively learning the means to defeat Orlok and save her town from the supernatural wrath of his presence.