Fans said goodbye to the long-running AMC series The Walking Dead in 2022. The seemingly never-ending struggle against zombies introduced a few fan-favorite characters like Michonne who excelled at killing the undead. While The Walking Dead is over, some of the shows’ best zombie killers will carry on in spin-offs and TV events.
Of course, characters from The Walking Dead aren’t the only cinematic zombie slayers who impressed fans over the years. Classic horrors like The Evil Dead and new hits like Train to Busan each introduced their own zombie-killing stars. These slayers were able to take out the undead enemy in creative ways and survive seemingly insurmountable odds during the apocalypse.
10 Ben
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
One of the first zombie killers in cinematic history appeared in George A. Romero’s 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead. A man named Ben was passing through Pennsylvania during the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse that dominated Romero’s franchise.
Ben secured himself at a farmhouse with a few other survivors and immediately took charge. He not only proved capable of commanding a room when needed, but he also showcased his zombie-killing skills early in the genre. Ben survived through the night while zombies took everyone else, but he still met a frustrating and untimely death.
9 Shaun Riley
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The zombie genre reached new heights in the last few decades with a wide selection of well-received horror films. 2004’s Shaun of the Dead capitalized on the popularity of zombies by exploring the genre in a new way to become one of the best horror comedies.
Shaun Riley and his best friend Ed were two regular guys who woke up to discover a world where the dead began to rise. It took a bit of experimentation for both Shaun and Ed to find their zombie-killing skills. Shaun took charge and gathered his family and friends together for a pint at the local pub. He continued to lead the fight as one of the few survivors to make it out alive.
8 Peter Washington
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
George A. Romero followed up his iconic Night of the Living Dead with 1978’s Dawn of the Dead. The zombie infection continued to spread across the country as survivors grouped together to fight against the walking undead.
Peter Washington was a S.W.A.T. officer in Philadelphia when the zombie outbreak began. He left the city with a fellow officer and two TV station employees. They found sanctuary in a mall and lived happily for a time before the zombies invaded the mall. Peter faced both zombies and murderous bikers but survived to face a grim future away from the mall.
7 Yoon Sang-Hwa
Train to Busan (2016)
2016’s Train to Busan was a heart-breaking zombie movie by South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho. It followed a group of people on the titular train in South Korea as a deadly zombie outbreak quickly spread across the country.
Yoon Sang-hwa was traveling on the train with his pregnant wife. He became an opinionated leader among the group of survivors. His incredible strength served the group well as they moved through the various cars and tried to avoid the fast-moving zombies. Sang-hwa sacrificed his life to protect his wife and unborn child, who were a few of the only survivors in the end.
6 “Tallahassee”
Zombieland (2009)
A zombie apocalypse decimated the population in 2009’s Zombieland, which was another darkly comedic take on the horror genre. The group of survivors that formed chose to keep an emotional distance by using the names of their cities instead of their real names.
“Tallahassee” had a unique skill for taking out zombies creatively, and he did it with passion. After losing his son to the zombies, he developed a taste for killing the undead that helped him get over his loss. Tallahassee rigged up traps and was proficient in all manner of firearms, making him the most effective zombie killer in the Zombieland franchise.
5 Lionel Cosgrove
Braindead (1992)
Before Peter Jackson directed one of the best movie trilogies of all time, he stormed into the horror genre with his own gory black comedy in 1992. Braindead, also released as Dead Alive, followed Lionel Cosgrove as he dealt with a growing zombie infection among the senior population that began with his mother.
Lionel Cosgrove attempted to keep the zombie outbreak contained within his mother’s home. When he ultimately failed and they all broke free, the usually timid Lionel jumped into action to save his new love. He cut a path through the undead with a lawnmower in one of the genre’s goriest scenes, earning his place among other zombie slayers.
4 Michonne
The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
The Walking Dead featured quite a few impressive zombie killers, but none impressed fans quite like Michonne. She first appeared in the TV series walking alongside two chained zombies. She had removed their arms and mouths to keep herself safe from infection and blend into the crowd of zombies.
Michonne carried a katana that she used to slice through entire hordes of zombies. She helped keep a group of survivors alive before becoming a leader and protector of a new city. Michonne proved time and time again that she was more than well-equipped to take on any threat, zombie or otherwise.
3 Cherry Darling
Planet Terror (2007)
Planet Terror was Rodriguez’s contribution to his and director Quentin Tarantino's homage to a classic era of filmmaking with Grindhouse in 2007. Planet Terror explored a zombie outbreak caused by an experimental gas created by the military.
Cherry Darling was an exotic dancer who quit her job a day too late to avoid the outbreak. She lost her leg early in the film in a car accident. She outfitted herself with a powerful prosthetic made out of a machine gun and rocket launcher. Cherry Darling became the leader of the survivors due to her fighting skills, determined attitude, and overpowered zombie-killing leg.
2 Ash
The Evil Dead (1981)
Ashley J. Williams was a supermarket employee who headed out to a cabin in the woods with his friends and girlfriend for a quiet weekend in 1981’s The Evil Dead. Instead, they read from an ancient book of the dead and unleashed an evil force. It corrupted and possessed Ash’s friends and loved ones, who became Deadites.
While the Deadites weren't traditional horror movie zombies, they still possessed dead bodies and threatened to take over the world. Ash lost his hand to the possession, but he replaced it with a chainsaw. His fight against the Evil Dead took place across time, and he led entire armies against zombies with nothing but a chainsaw, a shotgun, and an attitude.
1 Alice
Resident Evil Franchise (2002-2016)
Alice first appeared in 2002’s Resident Evil adaptation before starring in every film in the long-running franchise. After fighting against the initial outbreak in Raccoon City, Alice led the charge against some of the scariest horror movie zombies as they decimated the world.
Alice was a highly-trained security agent who turned on Umbrella Corporation prior to the Raccoon City outbreak. Umbrella experimented on Alice and turned her into a powerful zombie-killing machine. She eventually discovered her origins as a clone, though only after years of honing her skills against every kind of mutant zombie Umbrella could imagine.