I’m back with part 2 of the best heroine moments in horror history! The horror genre has some of the greatest female protagonists, and this series honors the moments these characters prove how intelligent, tough, selfless, and brave they are. I hope you enjoy and let me know your favorite horror heroine moment! (WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND MAJOR SPOILERS!!!)

When Estelle Castrated Weasel – The Last House On The Left (1972)

John (Richard Towers) and Estelle Collingwood (Cynthia Carr) wanted more than anything to give their daughter, Mari (Sandra Peabody) the perfect birthday celebration. To their dismay, they found out that Mari was not only brutally killed, but her killers were sleeping at their house. Among the killers was Weasel (Fred J. Lincoln), a psychotic S.O.B. who suddenly took a liking to Estelle. Driven by vengeance, Estelle decided to seduce Weasel. She lured him to the woods with promise of fellatio, and with his hands tied behind his back, she began to deliver. At just the right moment, she bit down as hard as she could and castrated him. She then left him to bleed to death, just like her daughter was left to die.

When Ruby Sacrificed Herself And Killed Lizard – The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Ruby (Laura Ortiz) was an innocent soul trapped in a family of sadistic killers and cannibals. After they trap and terrorize a new family, her brother, Lizard (Robert Joy) kidnapped their baby to further torment them. Ruby found herself connecting with this innocent family, and she couldn’t bear to sit back as her family took more lives. When everyone was preoccupied, Ruby grabbed the baby and ran off to return her to her father, Doug (Aaron Stanford). She was almost successful, but Lizard caught up with her and almost killed Doug. Doug ended up shooting Lizard and as he finally reunited with his daughter, Ruby noticed Lizard was about to shoot him. With no hesitation, Ruby ran and pushed Lizard and herself off the edge of the cliff. It was a noble sacrifice that proved she was nothing like her family!

When Beth Avenged Her Friends – Hostel: Part II

Beth (Lauren German) and her friends were on their way to Prague when a beautiful woman, Axelle (Vera Jordanova) enticed them with a relaxing spa vacation in Slovakia. There, they fell victim to rich sadists who pay a lot of money to torture and kill tourists. After being hit with the fact that her friends were dead, Beth planned her escape and revenge. After she successfully bought her freedom, there was one last thing to deal with… Axelle. Using the local bad kids, she lured Axelle away from her next victims, made sure she saw her face, and chopped her head off. It was a small but satisfying victory as Beth at least got revenge for her best friends.

When Mary Used Her Son’s Toy Against His Killer – Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

When Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) fell in love with Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker), she never could’ve imagined the vampire slaying world she’d be pulled into. She was kept in the dark for years about Abraham’s real profession and the fact that they were in the middle of two wars. It wasn’t until one of the most powerful vampires, Vadoma (Erin Wasson) killed her son that she learned the truth. Knowing that silver killed vampires, Mary took her child’s favorite toy, a little silver sword, put it in her gun, and shot it right at Vadoma’s head. It was very fitting revenge for her son!

When Pam Was More Prepared Than The Killer Realized – Totally Killer

When Pam Hughes (Julie Bowen) was a teenager, she was forced to watch all of her friends die at the hands of a deranged masked killer. Since then, she’s prepared herself for his potential return. Fearful for her life and her family’s life, Pam took lots of self-defense classes and hid weapons all over her house just in case the killer reared his ugly head again. Sure enough, he returned and although Pam lost her battle with him, she still put up a hell of a fight. It was a truly valiant effort worth mentioning and she definitely earned her place in this series!