Women Who Kicked Ass in the Eighties- 99 Day to Halloween

Diane Salinger (Creature)

Ms. Salinger portrays Security Officer Melanie Bryce on the NTI ship Shenandoah sent out to Saturn’s moon Titan to investigate a failed mission. Armed with laser guns and skilled in hand to hand combat, Ms. Bryce proved herself to be a fierce female warrior.  This role was a full year before Sigourney Weaver’s part in Aliens.

Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet)

Ms. Maroney appeared in the cult classic horror movies Chopping Mall and Night of the Comet. In both films, her character handles weapons with skill and can take care of herself whether she faces malfunctioning security robots or zombie mutants.

Catherine Mary Stewart (Night of the Comet)

Ms. Stewart plays Regina, the older sister to Kelli Maroney in the cult classic Night of the Comet. Regina shows her skill with machine guns and video games as the sisters try to find survivors and get some shopping done.

Linda Hamilton (The Terminator)

Ms. Hamilton’s portrayal of Sarah Conner would be one of her best roles with Sarah facing off against a murderous robot sent from the future to kill her. With the help of a soldier from the same future timeline, Sarah goes from a simple waitress to a skilled warrior who will fight to protect her unborn son and humanity from Skynet

Sigourney Weaver (Aliens)

Ellen Ripley was the sole survivor of the space freighter Nostromo, and after surviving 57 years in deep sleep, she pushes aside her fears to face off against an army of xenomorphs.  Ripley must then take charge after the young survivor of the colony is kidnapped by the aliens.

Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Ms. Langenkamp emerged as one of the best final girls in the 1984 slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street. Her role as Nancy showed a fierce spirit and determination to take on Freddy Krueger as he murders those around her.

Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser 1 and 2)

Ms. Laurence portrayal of Kirsty Cotton put her at odds with her evil stepmother, criminal uncle, and an army of demon’s intent on taking her soul. Her ability to outwit and resist Pinhead showed her strong will, making her one of the best final girls of the 1980s.

Jennifer Rubin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors)

Ms. Rubin is known to fans of horror for her portrayal of Taryn White in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors. Although Taryn has a history of drug abuse, she is quite useful as a warrior when she transforms into a bad and beautiful punk with switchblades who faces off against Freddy Krueger.

Jill Whitlow (Night of the Creeps)

Ms. Whitlow stars as Cynthia, the pretty girl that college student Chris pines for when alien slugs invade his college. Despite having a boyfriend, Cynthia decides to help out Chris and Officer Ray Cameron as they fight off the aliens with shotguns and flame throwers

Lar Park Lincoln (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)

Ms. Lincoln was one of the more unique final girls who fought back, as Tina Shepard in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. Tina is a troubled teen who has telekinetic power that at first releases Jason but then aids her in fighting him and defeating him. Ms. Lincoln would also appear in House II and an episode of Freddy’s Nightmares.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween 1 and 2) 

As the reigning Scream Queen of 80’s horror, Ms. Curtis played young women having to face off against slasher killers. Whether it was Michael Myers in Halloween, the masked killer in Terror Train and the revenge-minded slasher in Prom Queen.

Adrienne Barbeau ( The Fog, Swamp Thing)

Ms. Barbeau made a career playing strong independent women with roles in The Fog, Swamp Thing, Creepshow and Escape From New York. Always a badass Ms. Barbeau combined beauty and grit in her characters.

Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 and 5)

Ms. Harris was a child actress who scored a considerable role as Laurie Strode’s daughter in Halloween 4 and 5. In the part of Jamie Lloyd, her link to Michael Myers makes her a potential victim as he seeks her out. Jamie shows she can survive and fight back with the help of her adoptive family.