Independent Research- Typical Characters in The Horror Genre

In horror/thriller films there is usually a stereotypical group of characters that appear throughout the genre.

                               

                                                                                                                   The Killer

Jason Voorhees from "Friday The 13th"

The first character who normally appears within the horror genre is a killer of some kind  In the picture to the left is Jason Voorhees from the "Friday the 13th" franchise. He is a very stereotypical antagonist as he is dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask to hide his identity. If they are wearing a mask it often hides there emotion further portraying them as a killer and it makes it difficult for the audience to establish a connection between them. One fear that a mask can play on  is the fact that no one knows what lies underneath which creates tension among the viewers.  Typical killers are also commonly seen to be wearing gloves to hide evidence of themselves and to be carrying a weapon of some sort, usually a knife or dagger. A stereotypical killer is often depicted as having some sort of extra human power usually in the form of strength as they faster and more powerful than there victims. If they do manage to get injured they never show it as they get back up from it and recover straight away as if to show that they are immortal or inhuman.

Usual Qualities of a Killer

Dark clothes, Mask, Gloves, Weapon (Knife/Dagger)

The Hero

Rick Grimes from "The Walking Dead"

The next type of character to appear is the hero. The hero is the one who usually saves the day and anyone in distress. They are stereo-typically males as they are the more stronger and powerful sex, however its not uncommon for there to be a female hero. This is known as a counter type. A stereotypical hero is shown to be muscular and in good physical shape. They are portrayed as brave people who sometimes show little emotion to further reinforce themselves as a strong and brave person. This is usually the viewers favorite character as many people often wish to be a hero themselves and the hero contains characteristics that many people wish they had themselves. In a horror film its often stereotypical for the hero to die as it shows that the killer has triumphed and challenges the convention of good beating evil.

Usual Qualities of a Hero

Strong, Male, Athletic, Brave

                                                                                                              Female Victim

Sidney Prescott from "Scream"

A typical horror film always contains a female victim as they represented as weak and vulnerable characters. A stereotypical female victim is depicted as being clumsy and dumb. This creates tension within the audience as it makes her an unpredictable character and the audience never really knows what she will do next. She is often the first to die within a horror film due to her behavior and the way she acts. The purpose to having a female victim is to allow the audience to establish some connection between them and her as the audience would be feeling sympathy towards her.

Usual Qualities of a Female Victim

Vulnerable, Weak, Clumsy, Scared

The Non-Believer

Carter Horton from "Final Destination"

The Non Believer is usually the character who denies the killers existent or refuses to believe in them. They are usually portrayed as a cocky arrogant character. This role is most commonly played by males as it suits their personality more than females. The audience often finds it hard to like this character due to their personalities as they are usually mean towards other characters and can act as a bully in most films. Due to them not believing in the killers, its stereotypical that they are normally the first to die within a horror film. Once this character dies this leaves all the other characters within the film on edge as they are now aware of the killers presence. 

Usual Qualities of The Non-Believer

Cocky, Arrogant, Attractive, Cruel