10 Horror Movie Heroes Who Became Smarter In The Sequel

In The Collector, Arkin O'Brien (Josh Stewart) got far more than he bargained for when he robbed a house in order to pay a debt, only to discover that the titular serial killer had already broken in.

But even in the first film, Arkin is a relatively capable character who nevertheless makes a few silly mistakes.

Namely, not fleeing the scene when he first had the chance, and then running clear into the path of a cop car while making his escape, allowing the Collector (Juan Fernández de Alarcón) to capture him at the end of the movie.

But Arkin is also an underappreciated example of an anti-hero who took everything they learned the first time around and applied it in spades for the sequel.

In The Collection, Arkin escapes early on and is convinced to help another party take down the Collector in exchange for his criminal record being purged, which might not sound too smart, but Arkin is far greater prepared to deal with his arch-nemesis this time around.

At the end of the movie, now armed with the knowledge that the Collector is an entomologist, he researches every working entomologist within a 200km radius, and eventually tracks the killer down to his home.

Here, Arkin subdues and kidnaps the unmasked Collector, promising to torture and kill him just as he did to so many others.

Given that the planned third film, The Collected, was abandoned mid-way through filming, it's safe to say that this was basically a happy ending for Arkin, who through his resourcefulness and observation skills was able to learn from his mistakes and come out on top.