The Final Destination franchise is known for its creative death scenes. The long-running series has made a name for itself with its elaborate Rube Golderg-like kills that keep viewers guessing about how each victim will die.
The best thing about this series’ kills is that no two are ever truly alike. There are so many ways that Death can set up a trap for his victims, and occasionally the film will subvert audience expectations with an unexpected kill. With six movies under the Final Destination franchise’s belt, there are countless favorites in the community, but ten truly stand out as the best the series has to offer.
10
Carter Daniels — The Final Destination
The Final Destination is often regarded as the worst film in the franchise. However, this doesn’t mean that it didn’t have at least one great kill. Enter Carter Daniels, a white supremacist who kicks off Death’s list in the fourth film with a campy kill scene.
When Carter’s tow truck is put into neutral by a falling mirror decoration as he places a cross into someone’s yard to burn, gasoline pours from the back. Carter tries to stop it, but the hook from the tow truck grabs his ankle and pulls him down the road, all while “Why Can’t We Be Friends” blares on the radio.
It all ends with sparks from the dragging tow chain lighting the gasoline, setting the truck and Carter on fire before exploding. It’s a hilarious scene that shows just how funny and self-aware the Final Destination series can be by calling out how awful Carter is until his final moments.
9
Olivia Castle — Final Destination 5
While this is undeniably a fantastic scene, the best parts of this kill come from the buildup, rather than the death itself. Olivia is a character that’s constantly shown as self-conscious about wearing glasses throughout the film. When she decides to get laser eye surgery done, she’s fastened to the doctor’s chair to prepare. However, the doctor steps out of the room to correct an error.
Meanwhile, Death manages to trigger the laser through a zapped circuit, making it far more powerful than normal. Olivia is forced to endure painful blasts to her eye and hand as she struggles to escape. When she manages to get out of the chair, she trips and falls, crashing out a window and onto a car with her eyeball popping out.
It’s a tense sequence that makes the audience feel the pain of the laser. The fall that kills Olivia may not be the most memorable part, but it’s still a great finale to one of the best scenes in the fifth film.
8
Kat Jennings — Final Destination 2
What makes this death scene work so well is how unexpected it is. During this point in the story, Kat is trapped in the front seat of her car after a crash makes a log slide across her legs and the snapped end of a PVC pipe next to her head.
Firefighters arrive to try and rescue her. When they break out the Jaws of Life though, they accidentally trigger the airbag. As it deflates, it’s revealed that the force of it pushed her back into the pipe, impaling her head and killing her instantly.
This scene is such a brilliant showcase of why Final Destination 2 is one of the best sequels in the series. It has a great set-up and a pretty funny joke about how fast the airbag pops out. Then, the gruesome nature of the film shows its face when Kat is revealed to be dead from the blast. It’s a quick kill, but it’s highly effective.
7
Iris Campbell — Final Destination Bloodlines
The latest Final Destination film features a plethora of amazing moments, and this death scene is just one of them. Iris Campbell, the grandmother of the Campbell family, is set up as the all-knowing master of how Death works after years of avoiding him. However, when her granddaughter doesn’t believe her, she decides to sacrifice herself to make sure her family is prepared for what’s coming.
When she senses the wind blowing and notices a fire extinguisher positioned near a weather vane, she rushes out to give her granddaughter, Stefani, her notes on Death. Then, she embraces her fate as the fire extinguisher activates, propelling itself into the weather vane. It falls and is hurled by the wind into Iris, shooting through her face.
What’s even more impressive about this kill is the splash of blood that hits Stefani as Iris dies. It’s such a small detail, but the viscosity and dark color of the blood adds a layer of disgust and terror to an already grotesque scene.
6
Terry Chaney — Final Destination
For the most part, the original Final Destination film is pretty simple. The deaths aren’t nearly as elaborate as what would come in the sequels. However, this death proves that sometimes less is more.
Terry is shown with Carter as he begins to chide Alex Browning over Flight 180 and the friends they lost. However, Terry quickly becomes sick of it and tells Carter off. As she backs up and prepares to walk away, a bus comes from out of nowhere and hits her. This scene caught so many viewers by surprise, and it continues to be one of the most beloved and referenced kills in the series for how effective it is.
5
Ashley and Ashlyn — Final Destination 3
The tanning bed scene has become a fan-favorite kill 20 years after Final Destination 3‘s release. It features Ashley and Ashlyn, two high school girls who go to get tanned before their graduation. As they set the temperature, the heat causes the water on a slushee cup to condensate.
The water drips into an electric socket, making the tanning beds begin to overheat. When they try to get out, a bookcase falls and locks them in before the tanning bed lights break and engulf them in flames.
The absurdity of this sequence is what makes it memorable. It’s such a creative way for Death to take out a victim, and the smash cut to Ashley and Ashlyn’s coffins in the same position as the tanning beds is the ultimate cherry on top.
4
Tim Carpenter — Final Destination 2
Tim stands out among other Final Destination victims because of how young he is. As of 2026, he is the youngest victim of Death’s design, and the way he goes is absolutely brutal.
There’s a tremendous fakeout scene when he goes to the dentist’s office where it looks like he’s going to suffocate. He begins overdosing on nitrous oxide, and a toy blowfish blocks his airways when it falls from a mobile above him. However, he’s saved at the last minute.
His real death comes not too long after. When Tim scares a flock of pigeons, they fly into a crane operator, who accidentally releases a giant window pane, crushing Tim below. The gore effects are incredibly grotesque, and it’s a moment every Final Destination fan can’t get enough of.
3
Rory Peters — Final Destination 2
Following up one of the best deaths with an even better one can be tough for any slasher to do. However, Rory’s death has become an iconic moment in the franchise.
Not too long after Kat’s death, she drops the cigarette she was smoking before being impaled by a PVC pipe. The cigarette then blows into a leaking trail of gasoline left by a news van. This causes the van to explode, launching a barbed-wire fence at Rory.
It flies at him and trisects him, his body parts slowly falling to the ground as he stares in utter shock. The effects for this sequence are so cutting edge for their time. The way his torso, legs, and head slide off each other is incredibly disturbing while also solidifying it as one of the franchise’s best deaths.
2
Erik Campbell — Final Destination Bloodlines
Erik’s death in Bloodlines came pretty unexpected for many fans since it was revealed he wasn’t really on Death’s list. However, when he tries to help his brother Bobby survive, his death is absolutely incredible to watch.
The entire scene revolves around an MRI machine that’s turned on by Death when the two brothers put their plan into action. The magnetic pull of the MRI gets stronger until Erik accidentally puts it in “Research Power” mode.
His piercings pull him to the MRI because of the magnetism. Then, the wheelchair Bobby was sitting in flings at him and pins him against the MRI, slowly bending him until he’s crushed and impaled by the chair. It’s a gruesome death, and it’s also a brilliant showcase of how anyone can become Death’s victim if they mess with him too much.
1
Candice Hooper — Final Destination 5
The first major death in Final Destination 5 showed the franchise still had some tricks up its sleeve, and it’s still a masterclass of how great this franchise’s deaths are. It features Candice at a gymnastic meet when a screw from a fan falls onto a balance beam.
This one element is constantly used to toy with the audience as Candice dances around it and ends up missing it when she jumps off. When she moves to the bars, another gymnast gets on the beam.
As Candice flips around, the other gymnast steps on the screw and knocks over a tub of powder. A nearby fan blows the dust into Candice’s eyes, causing her to lose balance and land on the ground, her spine and legs snapping on impact.
This scene’s use of suspense is reminiscent of Hitchcock and executed perfectly. It’s absolutely the best death in the Final Destination series for the setup alone, but the gory landing makes it stick the landing.
- Created by
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Jeffrey Reddick
- Cast
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Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Tony Todd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, A.J. Cook, Michael Landes, Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher
- Movie(s)
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Final Destination, Final Destination 2, Final Destination 3, The Final Destination, Final Destination 5, Final Destination Bloodlines
- Character(s)
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Alex Browning, Clear Rivers, Kimberly Corman, Wendy Christensen, Nick O’Bannon, Sam Lawton, William Bludworth, Molly Harper