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Final Destination is a horror movie franchise created by Jeffrey Reddick. The story follows a group of people who narrowly escape death due to a seer's prediction, only for Death to return and seek world order by killing them off in painfully intricate ways. The franchise consists of six films, along with movie-inspired novels and comic books.
Through the movie series, many characters with interesting storylines became instant fan favorites. Some were antagonistic, others humorous, but all were memorable in their own way. Together, they contributed to some of the best moments in the Final Destination franchise over the years.
Here are the 10 best characters from the franchise.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer. The list is in no particular order. Spoilers ahead.
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Clear, Rory, and other memorable characters from the Final Destination franchise
1) Clear Rivers (Ali Larter)
Clear Rivers is one of the most well-designed characters in Final Destination 1 and 2. She believes the first visionary, Alex, who claimed that Flight 180 would explode mid-air, and disembarks from it, setting off a chain of horrific events. She is introduced as a regular teenager whose personality changes as the events progress.
Rivers is one of the most resourceful characters in the franchise, with the tenacity to outsmart death at every turn for a long time before she ultimately succumbs. Her innocent and compassionate nature changes after witnessing the deaths of many friends, leaving her haunted, aloof, and blunt in the second movie.
Ali Larter's acting prowess embodied Rivers' consequences of cheating Death, but her true persona shone through till the end, when she died in an oxygen tank fire trying to help others survive.
2) Rory Peters (Jonathan Cherry)
As one of the most eccentric characters in Final Destination 2, Rory escapes death twice, once in Paris and again during the pileup on Route 23 following Kimberly's vision. Cherry effectively portrays the duality of a laid-back young man addicted to drugs who also exudes compassion when the time is right.
His death, though quick, is considered one of the most gruesome in the franchise. The combination of its horrific hilarity and Rory's acceptance of his imminent demise makes him one of the most memorable characters.
3) Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
Wendy is the visionary in Final Destination 3. She has a premonition of people dying on the Devil's Flight roller coaster. When it comes true, her life takes a turn as she tries to save herself and her loved ones. Wendy stands out as a protagonist in the franchise, thanks to Winstead's assured screen presence and her ability to carry the heavy premise till the end.
She is one of the smarter, more emotionally adept characters in the franchise, with a controlling nature that is put to good use when the cast is on the run from Death. Wendy uses her visions to save everyone she loves from Death's grip. Her loyalty and care get the spotlight, even during the final train sequence where she tries to get everyone to safety.
4) Alex Browning (Devon Sawa)
Alex is the original seer in the Final Destination movie franchise. Sawa's realistic portrayal of a young boy whose visions drive him toward mental instability made him one of the franchise's standout characters. His paranoia underscores most of the original movie's premise, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
As a protagonist, Alex also showcases quiet resilience, helping Clear escape Death. He uses his intelligence to figure out the motives behind the plane explosion and the subsequent deaths, making him and the first part of the franchise a household name.
5) William Bludworth (Tony Todd)
One of the most prominent recurring characters in the Final Destination series (including in the most recent Bloodlines), Bludworth was a force to reckon with, portrayed with grim precision by Todd. He is a coroner who owns the Bludworth Funeral Homes and often acts as a messenger who knows the antagonist, Death.
Bludworth adds an eerie tone to the franchise's dark premise. As his backstory of being almost a victim of Death is revealed in the most recent installment, fans began piecing together his remarkable knowledge, conviction, and mysterious persona. Final Destination: Bloodlines was Tony Todd's last movie, released posthumously.
6) Peter Friedkin (Miles Fisher)
The Final Destination franchise is known for its compassionate protagonists who do everything to save themselves and their loved ones from Death. This makes Peter stand out as one of the very few victims whose egotistical self-preservation trumps everything else.
Fisher portrayed the dark side of survival through Peter, who repeatedly saved himself at the cost of everyone else, including his friend Molly. His spiral from being a decent person to an evil, manipulative embodiment of Death itself is an interesting villain addition to the fifth installment of the franchise.
7) Tod Waggner (Chad Donella)
While Tod was the first to die in the Final Destination franchise, he is a fan favorite for his charisma, despite limited screen time. Donella captures both the mischief and youthful energy of a teenager fantasizing about romance and the sobering fear of someone whose innocence is shattered by trauma.
His death, misinterpreted as suicide, makes his character all the more memorable for its heartbreaking end. Donella embodied the fear and agony of being asphyxiated, leaving a lasting impression on every moviegoer.
8) Nick O'Bannon (Bobby Campo)
In the fourth installment, The Final Destination, Nick is the visionary who predicts the McKinley Speedway disaster. Although he is the protagonist of one of the least popular movies in the franchise, Nick leaves an impression as a handsome, kind college student who steps up when things get tough.
While Nick's personality isn't developed entirely, Campo brings compassion and bravado to his character. He pulls off one of the franchise's toughest saves, getting friends and strangers out of a mall doomed to explode. This storyline makes his character one of the best in the series.
9) Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook)
As the protagonist of Final Destination 2, Kimberly is one of the most intelligent characters in the franchise, being the only visionary to cheat Death's design. She understands her mission and is determined to do everything in her power to help herself and her friends escape.
Whether blocking the highway exit to stop the Route 23 pileup or calling Clear Rivers a coward for not helping stop Death, Kimberly brings sensibility, clear-headedness, and trustworthiness to her role.
10) Erik Campbell (Richard Harmon)
One of the secondary protagonists in Final Destination Bloodlines, Erik, plays the part of the non-believer in any horror movie perfectly. With his sarcastic persona and goth-like appearance, he adds a layer of levity to the franchise before things inadvertently go south.
Erik is one of the grandchildren of Iris, the original visionary whose premonition set every other premonition in motion. Harmon brings both snark and fierce protectiveness to Erik's character, whose enjoyable screen presence was tragically cut short by Death's design.
Stream all movies in the franchise on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. Catch the latest installment, Final Destination Bloodlines, in theaters, released on May 16, 2025.
