The 13 most shocking deaths in the 'Scream' franchise, ranked

As Woodsboro High's authority figure, Principal Himbry (played by Henry Winkler) was confrontational, rude and hated disrespectful students. He was all too happy to wave a pair of scissors at a couple of pranksters and took his job far too seriously.

Casting Henry Winkler was a smart move because Himbry was such a departure from Winkler's most famous role as the rebellious and easygoing Fonz. Still, there was nothing particularly shocking about Himbry's death — the high school principal was always going to get the chop.

Arguably the most famous fresh-faced teen in "Scream" (2022), Dylan Minnette's Wes Hicks - named after the late Wes Craven - met an untimely end barely an hour into the latest sequel. As the well-meaning son of Sheriff (née Deputy) Judy Hicks, Wes was a close friend to Tara and her sister, Sam, placing him high on the suspect list.

But in a move taken straight out of Craven's playbook, new directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett killed Hicks off along with his mother in a tense, grisly set piece. Wes wasn't long for this world but he did make for a very convincing red herring

Derek (played by Jerry O'Connell) was Sidney's ill-fated boyfriend in "Scream 2." After being heartbreakingly betrayed by her first love, Billy, in "Scream," Sidney found Derek.

Despite being suspiciously present after various killings and with a lot of misdirection from director Wes Craven, Derek was actually innocent.

Having lost her mother before "Scream" as well as various close friends and loved ones, Sidney once again lost a maternal figure in "Scream 4." Kate Roberts (played by Mary McDonnell) was Sidney's aunt and mother to Jill (Emma Roberts), and it was yet another moment of tragedy for Sidney.

Roberts was always going to meet a grisly end because, aside from the core cast, anyone is fair game. But the fact she meant a lot to Sidney and was cruelly killed by her own daughter secures her place on this list.

After avoiding falling victim to Ghostface's deadly knife in the second film, Cotton Weary (played by Liev Schreiber) went out in style during "Scream 3's" opening scene. Now a popular talk show host, Cotton and his girlfriend were tracked down by the third film's killer and repeatedly stabbed.

Cotton was an unexpected killing given how prominent a role he played in "Scream 2" but once again Wes Craven was more than happy to bump off a familiar face before the title card had appeared.

"Scream 3" received a mixed response from fans when it premiered but its brightest light was always Jennifer Jolie (played by Parker Posey). A sarcastic, vain, method actor, Jolie was a parody of Hollywood stars but Posey gave her charm and humanity.

It was heartbreaking, then, when Jennifer met a brutal end, stabbed in the back by Ghostface and tossed through a shattered mirror.

We didn't get to know Olivia very well before she met the grisliest fate of all Ghostface victims — repeatedly stabbed in the stomach and gutted. She was the best friend of Jill and Kirby (played by Hayden Panettiere), who were both forced to helplessly watch as Olivia was disembowelled.

After a decade out of action, Olivia's bloody end was a fittingly grim way to show Ghostface was still deadlier than ever.

This entry only half-counts because for almost a decade Kirby Reed was dead. In "Scream" (2022), an Easter egg in the form of a YouTube thumbnail revealed that Kirby, last seen clutching a deadly knife wound, had survived.

Kirby was a firm fan favorite when "Scream 4" premiered so it was undoubtedly a major shock when she was stabbed by one half of "Scream 4's" killers, Charlie Walker. Fans have clamored for Kirby to return, but for at least a decade we thought she was a goner.

Nobody had a hotter 1998 than Sarah Michelle Gellar. She began her career-defining role in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," starred in the slasher hit "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and even found time to appear in "Scream 2" as sorority sister Cici Cooper.

But poor Cici barely lasted five minutes after being ruthlessly stalked by Ghostface while home alone. She made the fatal mistake of running upstairs, where the killer stabbed her in the back and threw her off a balcony. Casting Sarah Michelle Gellar was a smart decision by Wes Craven but shockingly killing her off was even smarter.

It was a long time coming. After surviving the first four films, Dewey Riley (played by David Arquette) finally met his maker in "Scream" (2022). Having "been stabbed nine times, got permanent nerve damage and a fun little limp," Dewey was virtually guaranteed to face the chop in the 2022 "requel."

He was brutally sliced in the back and stomach, devastating fans, even if it wasn't a complete surprise. "It's an honour," the killer said before delivering the fatal blow, and after living through five separate Ghostface attacks, we couldn't have put it better ourselves.

Tatum's death is one of the "Scream" franchise's more hard-to-watch slayings. It's made all the more tragic by the identity of the victim. Played by Rose McGowan, Tatum was Sidney's fearless best friend and "Scream's" biggest asset.

Killing off Tatum in such a horrific way was peak Craven because no one anticipated the death of such a major character so soon. But sadly Tatum's story came to an end when she tried to escape through a garage pet door and was tragically crushed.

As the very first on-screen victim, Casey Becker's (Drew Barrymore) death defined the entire franchise. After being taunted by Ghostface in "Scream's" opening 12 minutes, Casey got the chop meters from being saved by her parents.

Disposing of Drew Barrymore, a major 90s star, so early was a bold move similar to Janet Leigh's sudden demise in "Psycho." It's objectively the most shocking death in the series but it's also arguably the most well known. In 1996 it was a huge twist but in 2022 most people can see it coming.

Poor Randy. The Woodsboro fan favorite met a sticky end in "Scream 2" after managing to survive the massacre in the first film. He taunted Ghostface over the phone before being gutted and as the franchise's resident horror expert it was a huge surprise to watch Randy die so early.

Randy's death was not warmly received by fans and Craven considered ways to resurrect Randy in "Scream 3" but, sadly, his fate was already sealed. Thankfully, "Scream" (2022), pays tribute to him more than 20 years after he died, proving that Randy's legacy is timeless.