Final Destination Archetypes Ranked
Final Destination isn’t exactly famous for having the most 3-dimensional cast of characters, but sometimes, you do see an attempt to make their characters stand out before they meet their maker. A good Final Destination script has characters that earn their death scenes, and a bad one feels like a death compilation. Here’s how I classify and rank all characters from all six films, and rank them. Hopefully this helps you develop your next Final Destination story :).
Note: The placement of the character on the list says little about how good or bad their death scene or personalities are, though that might give them plus or minus points. The main point of this list is to analyze the role of a good Final Destination character.
#9 The Water Balloon: Their only purpose is to help the movie reach its quota of death scenes, and they usually don’t even show up until it’s their turn. Usually their scene goes; main characters show up, they don’t believe in death’s design, they die. Examples of Water Balloons include:
• Evan (FD2)
• Ashley and Ashlyn (FD3)
• Lewis (FD3)
• Carter (TFD)
• Samantha (TFD)
• Andy (TFD)
• Isaac (FD5)
• Dennis (FD5)
#8 The One Trick Pony: They may not be 3-dimensional, but at least they get their job done. That job being, steering the tension or being a plot device. They usually only appear for one scene as well, but that scene does more than add a body to the count. One Trick Ponies include:
• Terry (FD)
• Brian (FD2)
• Franky (FD3)
• Perry (FD3)
• Nadia (TFD)
• Jonathan (TFD)
• Roy (FD5)
• Agent Block (FD5)
#7 The Friend: Much like the Water Balloon, they’re there, so that the cast doesn’t feel too empty. They don’t stand for much. The difference is, they meant something to someone. Their death feels like a tragedy, not a spectacle. Examples of Friends are:
• Tim (FD2)
• Kat (FD2)
• Erin (FD3)
• Janet (TFD)
• Olivia (FD5)
• Howard (FD: BL)
• Julia (FD: BL)
#6 Death’s Prey: Finally we get to people who acknowledge that death is after them. Even if it’s just helplessly react. They are quite passive, but through their eyes, we see how terrifying, or melancholic in a way, it is to have death knocking at your door. Examples of Prey include:
• Miss Lewton (FD)
• Nora (FD2)
• Eugene (FD2)
• George (TFD)
#5 The Side-Kick: They play an important role in giving the protagonist someone to have chemistry with, but are unfortunately often undercooked. This is more mandatory for a story rather than fun to have, but without a Side-Kick, the story gets boring real fast. Examples of Side-Kicks are:
• Officer Burke (FD2)
• Kevin (FD3)
• Lori (TFD)
• Charlie (FD: BL)
#4 The Comic Relief: Even in a movie about death and freak accidents, we need someone to remind us, that, just because you’re escaping death, doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun. Thanks to them, the characters’ last adventure was at least somewhat fun. Comic Relieves include:
• Billy (FD)
• Rory (FD2)
• Hunt (TFD)
• Bobby (FD: BL)
#3 The Sacred: They are rather passive as well, but they move others. Their deaths mean, or would mean, much more than just a life lost, it would mean worlds flipped upside down. Often family members or lovers, but they can also be strangers whose deaths broke someone (specifically Todd). Examples of the Sacred include:
• Todd (FD)
• Julie (FD3)
• Candice (FD5)
• Molly (FD5)
• Darlene (FD: BL)
#2 Death’s Wingman: My personal favorite archetype, and probably a lot of others’ too. They are the rebels who, at some point in the movie, have decided to take the wheel and become death itself. Or at least tell death where to stick it. They want to live and will do anything to survive, even take lives. Examples of Wingmen include:
• Carter (FD)
• Ian (FD3)
• Peter (FD5)
• Nathan (FD5)
#1 Death’s Enemy: The one person every Final Destination story needs, apart from the visionary, is the one who stands in death’s way and refuses to budge. The visionaries, of course, pretty much always belong in this category, but it can also be someone else, actively fighting death’s design and pissing him off. Examples of Death’s Enemies are:
• Alex (FD)
• Clear (FD/FD2)
• Kimberly (FD2)
• Wendy (FD3)
• Nick (TFD)
• Sam (FD5)
• Iris (FD: BL)
• Erik (FD: BL)
• Stefani (FD: BL)