STOCK CHARACTERS

WHAT IS A STOCK CHARACTER? Stock characters are the other characters

in a movie, apart from the main protagonist.

In regards to horror, they are usually the ones who are victimised and killed throughout the movie.

Over the years there has also been repetition in what type of person becomes a stock character as they have become quite popular to use in horror films.

FEMALE VICTIM/ FINAL GIRL Every horror; including J-horror feature a female victim;

portrayed as vulnerable and in need of protection. It refers to the last woman alive to confront the killer and the one left to tell the story.

There is a climax in which the last surviving member of the group, a girl or woman, either vanquishes the killer or gets away.

Dates back to earlier horror films; made in a sexist era. Young, blonde and attractive- helps to widen male audience e.g.

female in the ring. She is typically sexually unavailable or a virgin, avoiding the

vices of the victims (sex, illegal drugs lifestyle, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name

(e.g., Laurie, Sidney, Billie, Georgie). 

NON- BELIEVER Often male, however the non- believer in the J-horror

movie ‘the ring’ is a cocky girl who doesn’t believe in the ‘urban legend’ that her friend describes to her.

Portrayed as being cocky at ease, convincing the others characters that they are over reacting and that noting is going on. But are always the ones to die first.

Begins with the audience listening to this voice of reason and be reassured. Once he force rushes towards her and presumably kills her the audience panic as all sense of security has gone.

HERO Strong, usually male, character. Show little emotions. Strong and supportive

towards other characters. Recent horrors have started to feature women

as the role, as it makes the film more un-predictable and challenges older and more traditional conventions.

The journalist in ‘The ring’ is performed by a women who is investigating the video that seems to curse most of the stock characters.

HYSTERICAL CHARACTER Typically known as a female and not wanting to leave the

building(where they are), usually after witnessing the murder of a friend. E.g. In the ring (J-Horror) one of the friends in the cabin who gets the last call dies as they are the hysterical character; scared and frightened of what the have witnesses and been threatened by (Yurei)

Breaks into hysterics, resulting in her staying behind and being killed, or the character saved to be the last one killed and it helps build more suspense.

The character has quite an impact on the audience and the hysterical emotions reflex onto the audience, which helps build more suspense.

ANTAGONIST/ EVIL CHARACTER There are many forms in different sub-genres of horror;

serial killer, demonic possession, ghost, monsters. If the antagonist were stabbed they usually manage to

get backup unharmed; idea of being inhuman. In the ring the Yurei plays on the fear of the unknown

and there is never any proof that they do not exist. They play on the audiences primal fears and the fact it is relevant for the situation to happen

to them. This character has the biggest impact on the audience and strikes fear into them. They are what cause the suspension Throughout the film and all other codes and convention have been building up to.

CONCLUSION From this research of the different stock

characters that feature in horror films, I have found that throughout the years the codes and conventions have changed. As the sub-genre that our group has decided is J-horror, the stock characters in our trailer may be the same or again challenge the sub-genre’s codes to make it unexpected to our target audience.