1996’s Scream changed the horror movie genre forever; shaking up the slasher movie formula with a refreshing take, delivering ingenious social commentary, and presenting audiences with many of the best-written characters in all of horror. Kevin Williamson, the main writer of the Scream franchise, has flawlessly provided many well-rounded, beloved, intriguing, and diverse characters, with some truly investing character arcs. Due to this, it’s safe to say that Scream delivers possibly the best showcase of well-written and developed characters in the entire horror genre. Putting its characters at the heart of the series, here are the best characters in the Scream franchise.
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9 Casey Becker
Dimension Films
Poor Casey Becker was the first real Ghostface victim in the whole franchise (besides her boyfriend, only moments before), and even with her small amount of screen time, Casey Becker is simply an unforgettable character. Played by Drew Barrymore, who, with her stellar acting chops and charm, only helped shape Casey into the beloved character she is today. Filled with tension and suspense, as audiences instantly fell head-over-heels for her, the pitch-perfect opening is jaw-dropping and a phenomenal introduction to the Scream franchise, which is only accentuated by the audience’s admiration for Casey Becker.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Billy Loomis
Throughout the entire first movie, Billy didn’t do much to hide his shady nature, but his undeniable charm and love for Sidney made us forget about how creepy he kind of is. This, however, made his reveal both shocking and somewhat predictable, as he reveals how utterly twisted he is, and that the Woodsboro murders were all an act of revenge on Sidney’s mother, Maureen Prescott. Sure, Billy may be the film’s villain, but Skeet Ulrich’s enticing performance had us adoring one of the Ghostface killers. This made his appearance in Scream (2022) and the reveal that he is Sam Carpenter’s dad, more shocking and equally exciting. Hopefully we can expect his return in Scream VI in one form or another.
7 Mindy Meeks Martin
After the tragic loss of many fans’ favorite character, Randy Meeks, there was a void left in the Scream franchise. Thankfully, Scream (2022) gifted us Jasmin Savoy Brown as Mindy Meeks Martin, Randy’s niece. Mindy is now the modern day audience’s Randy, explaining the rules of the movie, as well as being a well-rounded, hilarious, and intelligent character, that fans of horror and movies in general all admire and adore. Mindy is only that much more memorable and beloved thanks to the engrossing performance from Jasmin Savoy Brown. This made her “death” that foreshadowed Randy’s “death” in the first movie, much more gut-wrenching, as we didn’t want to see her go. Thankfully, Mindy is returning in Scream VI to take on another Ghostface.
6 Kirby Reed
As one of the few real great characters from Scream IV, Kirby became an instant fan-favorite, showing no fear, great intellect, adaptability, and had captivating and tenacious moments against Ghostface. Hayden Panettiere only accentuated our love for the character and stole every single scene she was in. After Scream IV, fans were clambering for her return, and in a brief moment in Scream (2022), fans can see a YouTube thumbnail and title suggesting that she is still alive as Kirby takes on an in-world interview. Due to this, fans can expect Hayden Panettiere to return as Kirby Reed as a main role in the highly anticipated Scream VI.
5 Stu Macher
Whenever you put Matthew Lillard in any role, you know it’s going to be dynamite, and Stu Macher is possibly one of Matthew Lillard’s best roles. Bringing his impeccable acting chops and humor to the role, made fans instantly fall in love with his character, no matter how undeniably twisted he may be. Stu’s off-the-wall and downright mental outbursts at the end of the flick are incredibly entertaining, and his infatuation with both Billy and brutal murder are a sheer delight to watch on screen. Stu’s death was brutal and memorable, but we can’t help but hope that Stu somehow survived his death, and will make an anticipated appearance in Scream VI.
4 Randy Meeks
Woods Entertainment
Scream is vastly well-known and appreciated for being a self-referential satire on the horror genre, with delicious social commentary, and Randy was one of the film’s main catalysts for this. Delivering brilliant speeches that ingeniously lay out the rules of the movie and its genre, as well as being a character with a vast knowledge of movies, horror fans and movie fans could relate to him and geek out over his character. Likewise, Randy is a plainly lovable character, had many brilliant character moments, and showed great intellect to help the rest of the film’s characters. Jamie Kennedy made the role his own, and helped Randy become one of the most beloved and relatable characters in horror history.
3 Dewey Riley
Paramount Pictures
Woodsboro’s ex-sheriff provides many of the franchise’s more emotional and heartfelt moments, making us inherently connect to Dewey, and making him a fan-favorite character. Played by David Arquette, who provides the right amount of bravado and immaturity that makes Dewey the iconic character he is today. Dewey is the hero we all need in our lives, especially when being pursued by Ghostface. Sure, Dewey may have been stabbed in pretty much every movie and kind of failed to help Sidney stop the Ghostface killers in most of the movies’ final moments, but his bravery and sheer determination to protect those around him, makes fans adore him even more, which made his death in Scream (2022) so much more heartbreaking. Similarly, Dewey helps make the emotional and romantic moments of the franchise more believable and impactful, especially with his adorable relationship with Gale Weathers, who we will get to later.
2 Sidney Prescott
Sidney Prescott is at the center of the whole franchise, meaning she has had many intriguing character arcs and many moments to show how tough she really is. Sidney is without question among the best final girls in horror movie history. Neve Campbell helped elevate Sidney into the phenomenal character she truly is, giving Sidney more depth as well as delivering some of the most remarkable “one-liners before the kill” in movie history.
1 Gale Weathers
Miramax
Yes, we know some may without a doubt put Sidney Prescott in first place, and while she is more than worthy of the top-spot, we have to argue that Gale Weathers is the best character in the franchise. Gale Weathers is unyielding, determined, and doesn’t shy in the face of danger; instead, she thrives on it. Without Gale Weathers, even Sidney may not have survived some of the Ghostface killers in the franchise. Her investigative journalism comes in handy when trying to figure out who is behind these killings, and she is such an unstoppable force of nature, that even when shot or stabbed multiple times, will always get back up for the final round. Courteney Cox brings her A-game, in a pitch-perfect performance, making Gale Weathers all the more tenacious. Her relationship with Dewey also provided for many of the cutest moments in the franchise, helping layer her character, giving her more stakes, and a more captivating personality.
