The Final Destination franchise is known for Death’s creative, yet brutal attacks on numerous unsuspecting victims, with each installment delivering its own unique and terrifying take on the theme of impending doom. While some of the Final Destination movies stand out for their high kill counts, it’s the anticipation of how and when Death will strike next that keeps audiences invested and coming for more. Whether it’s a rollercoaster crash, a highway pile-up, or a simple everyday object turned deadly, the franchise’s ability to surprise and shock has made it a guilty pleasure among the horror genre.
The franchise has a history that dates back to its first installment in 2000. Over the years, it has become a unique part of the horror genre, offering an interesting and suspenseful take on Death’s pursuit of those who escape their intended demise. With each new film, the series has continued to innovate, delivering a mix of creative and brutal deaths – as well as rules and changes to Death’s design – that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Numerous shocking deaths are expected of the franchise, but one Final Destination film serves up a kill count unmatched by any others so far.
5 Final Destination 2 (2003) – 27 Kills
The second installment of the Final Destination franchise may be the most realistic of the series with its intense opening car crash sequence. Even though the film was released 20 years ago, a brief moment of fear still creeps in whenever passing a truck on the freeway that’s carrying logs, which speaks to the significant cultural impact this film maintains. Counting the fifteen people that died in the pile up at the beginning of Final Destination 2, Death claimed a total of 27 people, making this number oddly low for what the film has done in later films.
4 Final Destination 3 (2006) – 29 Kills
In Final Destination 3, Death comes for a group of teens celebrating their upcoming graduation at an amusement park. While the group expected to spend the night screaming, they had no idea it would be due to a rollercoaster crashing to the ground. Coming in right behind the previous film with two more deaths, the total kill count is a minimal 29, which included the infamous double tanning bed death scene. Death showed no mercy in this film, and it continued to work overtime in the future films, laying the groundwork for more suspenseful and unpredictable events.
3 The Final Destination (2009) – 61 Kills
Not to be confused by the film’s title, The Final Destination is not the last film of the franchise, but the fourth installment of five – soon to be six. The first to be released in 3D, the kills shown were more extreme, and arguably more cartoonish than previous films. In The Final Destination, Death caused mayhem at a racetrack, unsuccessfully reimagining a car accident that was more terrifying in Final Destination 2. The total number of kills included 51 unlucky souls at the racetrack, and another 10 throughout the course of the film, with some of the most ridiculous deaths in the Final Destination franchise.
2 Final Destination 5 (2011) – 94 Kills
Final Destination 5 is the most recent film of the franchise, but will need to make room for the upcoming Final Destination 6. The fifth installment of the series can be considered a prequel, as the twist at the end of Final Destination 5 reveals that the catastrophic events that take place on a suspension bridge happened before the events of the original movie. Counting Death’s victims on the suspension bridge and the other brutal endings that take place during the film’s 92-minute runtime, Final Destination 5‘s 94 kills make it the franchise’s second-bloodiest movie.
1 Final Destination (2000) – 292 Kills
It’s fitting that the film with the highest kill count is the original film that brought Death’s Design to light. Final Destination stars Devon Sawa as the main character Alex Browning, who has a premonition that the flight he’s on that’s headed to Paris with his classmates will explode upon take off. Forced to get off the plane after causing a commotion, the plane does indeed explode, claiming the lives of 287 victims. As Death comes back for Alex and his friends exited the plane with him, the total kill count reaches 292, making this movie the most brutal and unforgiving of the Final Destination franchise.
