The Unbelievable Survival of Horror Movie Characters

Introduction

The nature of horror movies means they are full of deaths, but some characters emerge from them alive when their demise seems inevitable. It's fair to say some characters absolutely should have died in horror movies, given the predicaments they found themselves in. Their survival is nothing short of a miracle.

Michael Myers and Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends

Of course, the reason they survived is that the plot required it. Whereas other characters perish in identical or seemingly less dire situations, the main character often survives - sometimes more or less unscathed. Whether it's when their bodies suffer injuries that should kill them, or because they fought in close combat with effectively superhuman villains, or otherwise, there are specific scenarios in which horror movie protagonists should not have come out alive.

Laurie Strode In Halloween Ends (2022)

Halloween's Laurie Strode was formidable. Having survived the original movie's events, the franchise's most recent timeline saw her having prepared for another confrontation with Michael Myers for four decades. However, she was still a slightly built woman in her 60s, so a close combat encounter with Myers in her kitchen during Halloween Ends' end fight should have concluded in her quick demise. But somehow, Laurie survived the encounter, even overpowering the nigh-superhuman killer on a couple of occasions during the fight.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode Screaming in Halloween Ends

RELATED: 10 Dumbest Decisions In Slasher Movies That Got Characters Killed

Michael Myers in Halloween Ends

Dutch In Predator (1987)

There's no doubt Dutch was a robust and skilled fighter with ample combat experience, but his hand-to-hand encounter with the titular Yautja in Predator should have killed him. Truthfully, Dutch should've been dead before that - how he survived a hit from the Yautja's plasma cannon, which went straight through other characters' torsos, is a mystery - but he should certainly never have survived an unarmed fight with the Predator. The Yautja was superhuman, and the backhand that sent Dutch flying several meters should have been enough to finish him off. The numerous subsequent punches he received would have likely sealed the deal.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin Peter Hall as Dutch and The Predator in Predator.

Sally Hardesty In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Just one survivor emerged at the end of the legendary slasher film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre after a group of friends found themselves in the clutches of a murderous and cannibalistic family in remote Texas. That survivor was Sally Hardesty, and it was unfathomable how she didn't die. Not only did Sally find herself alone and tied up in the family's home, but she also fainted when they cut her finger so 'Grandpa' could drink her blood. She didn't wake up until the next morning, meaning she was prone and vulnerable for half a day at their mercy. Given how ruthless they'd previously proven to be, goodness knows how she escaped.

A bloodied Sally riding in the back of a truck in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre