10 Women to Watch Out For in Zombie Nation

On Z day, people allow their morality to revolve around one concept: building a brighter future for humanity. Everyone has a part to play, but nine times out of ten, the sole survivor of a zombie screenplay is a woman. Women and children are the future and a reminder of domestic life before violence and imminent danger sent everybody running.

Zombie popular culture has given us some of our strongest female characters in the horror genre. They are huntresses. They are healers. They are maternal and protective. They have a depth of character that makes us remember them long after forgetting the film. 

#10 - Ana has all the beginnings of a great character, but I was hung up on her inability to share her emotions with anyone. She was very calculating and logical throughout the film and I never really came to sympathize with her. Nonetheless, after watching the original Dawn of the Dead, it was great to see a woman pick up a gun and do something. I cannot stand Francine's inactivity in the 1978 film. She literally just stands there and watches as her boyfriend rolls around with a zombie for ten minutes. She spends the entire film either smoking her cigarettes, putting on makeup or crying. Ana on the other hand has valuable training as a nurse and can solve problems quickly and efficiently.

#9 - Barbra from Night of the Living Dead is a special case on this list. I almost wrote her off along with Francine. By all means, she is a great example of how women were portrayed back in the day. They can often be seen crying for help or sobbing in a man's arms. For most of Night of the Living Dead (1968) she is either catatonic or completely hysterical. However, she is one determined survivor. When she doesn't have the keys to the car and a zombie breaks open the window, she escapes by putting the vehicle in neutral and rolling down the hill. She is whiny, cowardly and useless, but her resourcefulness redeems her in the end. She is also the only person who realizes that staying in the house is a bad idea, but nobody will listen to her because she is acting crazy. Her performance gave me chills at moments, and she reminded me that most people going through this harrowing experience would be a mental wreck. 

#8 - Alice has a lot to offer as a character. She has amnesia, super powers and a really cool costume. Resident Evil isn't for everyone, but I have always been a fan of the games and a few of the films. You might have noticed that a lot of these female protagonists are blondes. Historically, in Western culture, golden hair symbolized virtue and morality. We see the virtuous young girl overcome impossible trials because of her inherent goodness. Alice in Wonderland and Goldilocks are a few examples, but if you look for it, you notice that golden haired women seldom play villains.

#7 - Andrea is my last blondie on the list, and she is definitely the best. Her character is brave, heroic and damaged. She has her share of flaws. She is prideful, arrogant and at times ignorant of reality. I realized I loved Andrea when I saw her take down that zombie in the RV with nothing but a screwdriver. She didn't want to live with the violence of the new world. She was considering suicide, and then a zombie had her trapped in the bathroom of the RV, breaking down the door to get her. She was so scared, so helpless, most certainly done for and then she took her life back into her hands when she plunged the tool straight through the zombie's eye. It was a major turning point for her character, because she finally accepted that she wanted to fight for her life. She can be headstrong and downright stupid, but she is one hard lady.

#6 - 28 Weeks Later introduced us to Scarlet, a completely selfless protector of children. Not only a medical officer, she was a pioneer in medicine, hoping to develop a vaccine for the infection by studying the blood of an asymptomatic carrier. Beauty, brains and bravery, this character performs incredible altruism in escorting two children to safety.

#5 - 28 Days Later was a fabulous zombie movie, much better than the sequel, and Selena makes it so. She is a fierce contender, and her maternal side shows when she tries to protect a teenage girl's frail psyche. Selena realizes that she and the girl are going to be raped by all of the men protecting them from zombies. Powerless to stop it from happening, she gives the girl pills to numb her mind, and it is a beautiful and tragic moment between them that stays with you forever.

#4 - If you ever want to see a grown man swoon, just bring up Jill Valentine. Every boy who played through the Resident Evil series holds a torch for this young woman. She's the Lara Croft of Resident Evil, attractive, suave and not afraid to show some skin. Alice has a bigger role in the films, but Jill still ranks higher on my list... mostly for her incredible power over men.

#3 - Cherry Darling is the perfect girlfriend for the end of the world. Her transformation is meaningful to women everywhere. I admire her resolve. She loses her leg and she just gets right back up to resume the fight. She goes from being a stripper with no useful skills to being an amputee zombie slayer. It just goes to show, it's never too late to turn your life around.

#2 - Segan works very well as a character because she is so realistic. She isn't your stereotypical tough chick. She has a shaved head and can be quite intimidating in her gear, but her eyes are feminine blue wells of vulnerability. The inclusion of the character is what made World War Z an enjoyable movie for me.

#1 - A woman whose past is shrouded in mystery, Michonne enchanted audiences when she was introduced at the end of Walking Dead's second season. Her heart of gold was revealed when she helped Carl get a picture of his mom, and when she protected Andrea in the wilderness. Her methods of stealth are genius. She survives in the wild by covering her scent with her captive zombies.  One who uses a sword rather than a gun is always a winner in my book, and that is why Michonne is my ultimate hero for Zombie nation. 

Survival Tip of The Day:
Keep a melee weapon handy in case you run out of ammo, something to bludgeon your way through the hordes.