00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're breaking down the most iconic character tropes in horror
00:13films and exploring how they've evolved over the years.
00:22The Jester. A large chunk of slasher films sit on the thin line between fun and fright,
00:28and no trope embodies that more than the Jester. All work and no play makes even horror diehards a
00:33little antsy. So, that's where the comic relief comes in, injecting a bit of levity between
00:38Bounce of Killer Carnage. Fittingly, you can always count on them dying in a hilarious fashion, too.
00:56Usually, with an iconic last line.
00:58I think I almost just pissed my pants.
01:00You did piss your pants.
01:01What?
01:02The role hasn't changed too much over the years, but that's partially because it's a somewhat
01:05recent addition to the classic slasher cast. Since it took a few decades for slashers to
01:10fully embrace the comedic shtick, the comic relief has stayed pretty consistent thus far.
01:15Whether they're a goofy best friend, a bumbling cop, or just someone with a good sense of humor,
01:19you can always rely on them to get some laughs.
01:22Can't close that. Hi, I know what you're thinking. This is a weird help, but I can handle it.
01:26The Scholar. Also known as the nerd, or brains, this type is often categorized as a walking stick
01:32in the mud. But, it's hard not to root for them nonetheless. After all, they're usually the only
01:37ones thinking with logic. The Scholar will rightfully point out flaws in the rest of the character's
01:42decision making. Like, hey, maybe we shouldn't split up to explore this abandoned house when there's
01:47a bloodthirsty killer on the loose. Then we just leave the roads altogether, drive as far as we
01:52can into the forest, and we go on foot from there. However, their brains don't always save the day.
01:58In fact, the Scholar is usually long gone by the time the final act rolls around. Probably because
02:03if they stayed alive, they keep poking holes in the script. There are certain rules that one must abide
02:09by in order to successfully survive a horror movie. For instance, number one, you can never have sex.
02:15The Scholar is an interesting trope, in that it hasn't evolved so much as it's been dispersed
02:20into other caricatures. Over the years, slasher characters on the whole have begun wising up,
02:25eliminating the need for a sole voice of reason. They haven't completely faded away,
02:30but they're not quite as special as they were back in the day.
02:32So why are you so sure that the killer's working by the rules of a horror remake?
02:36Well, the original stab structure is pretty apparent.
02:39Two kids killed in a house when their parents are away?
02:41And then the school's hot chick savaged beyond recognition?
02:44We all know where it goes from there.
02:46A party.
02:47Exactly. A party.
02:49The promiscuous one. More interested in getting laid than escaping death,
02:53every slasher in the 70s and 80s came with some form of, well, a woman embracing her desires.
02:59You get the point.
03:00Do you want to play psycho killer? Can I be the helpless victim?
03:06Okay, let's see.
03:07No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface. I want to be in the sequel.
03:11Oftentimes, this scantily clad character is loud, brash, and not afraid to say what they think.
03:17They're also positioned as something of a moral foil to the virginal leading lady.
03:21In layman's terms, the promiscuous one almost always gets it on, and usually dies for it.
03:26If all the violence didn't get these films an R rating, the full frontal definitely would.
03:31See anything you like?
03:38However, as slashers began to push beyond the idea of purity versus desire,
03:42the lady of the night changed too.
03:44Most films reimagined the archetype as an edgy best friend type.
03:48They're still spunkier than the true leading lady,
03:51but have a lot more agency over their role in the story.
03:53That doesn't always mean they die with more dignity, though.
03:56No!
04:03The stoner.
04:05At first glance, you might think this is an offshoot of the jester.
04:08And, in a way, you're right.
04:10But there's one important distinction between the two.
04:13The stoner isn't here to crack jokes, or have fun.
04:16They're just here to vibe.
04:18People in this town drive in a very counterintuitive manner.
04:22That's what I have to say.
04:24Do you want to spend the weekend in jail?
04:26Because we'd all like to check out my cousin's country, homie.
04:28Party, honey, that's not okay.
04:31Statistical fact.
04:32Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car.
04:36Similar to how early slashers played into the idea of lust as a sin,
04:39they also condemned drugs and rock and roll.
04:42That's where the stoner comes in, traditionally on their way to an early grave.
04:46Still, we have to admit, there's something endlessly entertaining about someone realizing
04:50there's a killer out there and deciding to light up.
04:52It's an excellent character type to play with.
04:58So much so, recent flicks have expanded the stoner's role by giving them some traits of the scholar.
05:03It leans into an easy joke that the only way to behave rationally in a horror movie
05:07is if you're under the influence.
05:09Either way, the stoner is the only one you can confidently say dies at peace.
05:13The Jock
05:28No pre-2000s teen group is complete without someone to stir the pot.
05:33Full of sexism, swagger, and sex drive,
05:35The Jock is the quintessential hyper-masculine himbo.
05:39You know the kind.
05:40He's the star football player and dates the queen bee,
05:42a.k.a. the promiscuous one.
05:53He's basically the tormentor from any teen drama, ever.
05:56Just plopped into a movie where a masked killer runs around with a knife.
05:59It goes about as well as you'd expect.
06:01The Jock almost never makes it to the end.
06:03More often than not, they die alongside the promiscuous one after bumping uglies.
06:16And, just like their partner in arms, the Jock has also become increasingly more sympathetic as the years go by.
06:21In some cases, he's missing entirely, instead merged with a scholar into a good-spirited boyfriend.
06:27That doesn't help their survival right, though.
06:29Instead of getting it on, they most likely die in some valiant bid to save the others.
06:34That's where they end up part of the killer's plan in some dramatic twist.
06:37As they say, it's always the boyfriend.
06:40Corn syrup. Same stuff they use for pig's blood and carry.
06:43The days where horror icons only targeted upper-class white kids are long over.
06:50That's not to say slashers are particularly diverse, though.
06:53Starting in the late 90s and early 2000s, it seemed like every group of victims-to-be had one black friend.
06:59Occasionally, they interchanged for another minority, but very seldom was there more than one.
07:04They also got seriously shortchanged on screen time, usually being the first or second of the main cast to bite the dust.
07:16It's a shame, since these token minorities traditionally step into the role of the scholar, which makes them inherently more likable than anyone else.
07:24Even with the disappointing results, it's still a far cry from the earliest slashers, which were as diverse as white bread.
07:29On the bright side of things, several notable directors of late have brought a distinctive cultural lens to other corners of the horror genre.
07:36Farer skin has been in favor for the past, what, couple of hundreds of years?
07:41But now the pendulum is swung back.
07:44Black is in fashion.
07:46Unfortunately, when it comes to slashers, being anything other than straight and white is usually still a sign to start writing your will.
07:53I'm gay! I'm gay!
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08:11The Final Girl
08:12You know them, you love them.
08:15It's the leading lady herself.
08:17There's not many tropes in all of fiction as firmly established as The Final Girl.
08:20The Laurie Strodes, Nancy Thompsons, Sidney Prescotts, and Julie James.
08:25They're almost always defined by their moral uprightness.
08:28What are you waiting for, huh?
08:31What are you waiting for?
08:33While their comrades are off engaging in all forms of debauchery,
08:37The Final Girl remains pure and innocent,
08:39which saves her from the killer's rampage until the obligatory third act bloodbath.
08:44Or at least, that's how it went for decades.
08:46And we mean decades.
08:48The trope became so ingrained in pop culture,
08:51modern slashers began to play on those expectations.
08:54Nowadays, it's not uncommon for there to be a fake-out heroine
08:57who dies in the first act,
08:59sometimes as early as the opening scene.
09:07To go along with that,
09:09Final Girls themselves have slowly become more complex.
09:11Just like the promiscuous one grew beyond their lustful origins,
09:15Final Girls are no longer solely defined by their virginity.
09:18The Virgin.
09:21Me.
09:23Virgin.
09:24We work with what we have.
09:26These days, it's all about the character's ingenuity
09:29or connection with the killer.
09:31Even so, Final Girls are still an ironclad staple in slasher films,
09:35and quite frankly, we wouldn't have it any other way.
09:38What's your favorite horror trope?
09:40Let us know in the comments below.
09:41We'll see you next time.
09:49We'll see you next time.
09:49Bye.
09:50Bye.
09:50Bye.
09:51Bye.
09:55Bye.
10:00Bye.
10:08Bye.
10:09Bye.
10:10Bye.
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