3. Ellen Ripley (1979's Alien)

Played by: Sigourney Weaver

Also appears in: Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997)

Final Girl traits: Female, gender ambiguous name (Ripley), investigative, audience's point of identification, defeats killer, survives

Alien is a sci-fi thriller, not a horror film, but the first film might as well be a slasher with the alien as the serial killer. And Ripley is undoubtedly the gender-bending point of identification, and ultimately the last astronaut standing (er, floating?). Like Evil Dead's Ash, she transitions to action hero in the later films.

10/10