The 9 Gnarliest Deaths in the ‘Final Destination’ Movies

The Final Destination franchise is known for Rube Goldberg-like sequences where an unseen force (Death) causes a chain reaction that leads to a character’s gruesome demise. Many of these scenes play on common fears, for instance the LASIK eye surgery death in Final Destination 5 was inspired by real fears the writer and his wife had during her own LASIK surgery. Other deaths are completely unrealistic and out of the blue, like Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) being killed off screen by a random falling brick between Final Destination and Final Destination 2.

The marketing for the upcoming 6th film, Final Destination: Bloodlines, is full of these death traps. So far we’ve seen a nose piercing caught on a chain stuck in a ceiling fan, a revolving door snafu, someone run over (face first) by a lawnmower and a perilous vending machine accident. Will Bloodlines contain the sickest deaths in the series?

Let’s take a look back at the franchise and it’s gnarliest deaths. Ranked from “kind of freaky” to “the beginning of a lifelong phobia”, here are the best Final Destination death scenes:

9. Asphyxiated in a freak household accident

Who it happened to: Tod Waggner in Final Destination.

This was the first death after the explosion of Flight 180. Tod Waggner was a survivor who got off the plane after his best friend Alex Browning had a premonition that the plane would explode. Thirty-nine days later, Tod is at home doing some self care in the bathroom. We see leaking toilet fluid wet the floor, which eventually causes Tod to slip and fall into a clothesline hung in the bathtub, which causes him to die by asphyxiation.

This scene is impactful not only because it is the first time the audience is introduced to the concept of Death coming back for a survivor, but because the Rube Goldberg set-up means this freak accident could happen to anyone. If Death can use an ordinary bathroom to orchestrate Tod’s demise, can anywhere be safe?

8. Crushed by weights at the gym

Who it happened to: Lewis Romero in Final Destination 3.

The misdirection in this scene is executed perfectly. At a gym, Wendy and Kevin warn Lewis about the danger they are in as survivors who cheated death. Lewis refuses to take the warning seriously, even when decorative swords fall and nearly decapitate him. As soon as the audience breathes a sigh of relief, the weights fall and crush Lewis’ skull.

7. Crushed between the floor and a moving elevator

Who it happened to: Nora Carpenter in Final Destination 2.

After refusing to believe Kimberly’s warning that Death is coming after them, Nora leaves and gets in an elevator. At first, Nora is afraid of a man who is carrying a basket of prosthetic arms, some with hooks for hands. Her panic escalates the situation and she ends up getting her head stuck between the elevator’s doors. She is then decapitated when the elevator rises.

6. Impaled by logs/PVC pipes coming through the windshield in a car accident

Who it happened to: Kat Jennings in Final Destination 2.

One of the most iconic scenes in all of the Final Destination films is when the logs fall off of a logging truck in the opening scene of the sequel. One smashes through the window of state trooper Thomas Burke’s car, crushing him to death. The rest cause other vehicles to crash, killing all of the main characters. This sequence is revealed to be a premonition and Kimberly Corman is able to prevent the accident by blocking the highway’s entrance ramp.

Later in the film, survivor Kat Jennings is in another car accident in which PVC pipes penetrate her SUV. Everyone survives, but a careless rescue worker sets off Kat’s airbag, which forces her head into one of the pipes, causing her death.

5. Falling into an industrial wood-chipper

Who it happened to: Kimberly Corman and Officer Burke off-screen.

This would be an excellent scene to witness, but unfortunately it happens off-screen between Final Destination 2 and Final Destination 3. The two survivors of Final Destination 2, Kimberly Corman and Officer Burke, are shown to have been killed in a freak wood-chipper accident. The article says the two were both pulled into the industrial wood-chipper after randomly running into each other at a hardware store.

4. LASIK eye surgery accident

Who it happened to: Olivia Castle in Final Destination 5

If it makes people with eye-related fears feel any better, Olivia doesn’t actually die from an eye injury. LASIK is only the painful catalyst for her death. Olivia actually dies by falling out of a window.

3. Burned to death in a tanning bed

Who it happened to: Ashley Freund and Ashlyn Halperin in Final Destination 3.

Ashley and Ashlyn just want to work on their tans. Unfortunately, after surviving the opening roller coaster accident of Final Destination 3, they’re on Death’s list. A phone call warning them of danger is actually what sets in motion the chain reaction that leads to a shelf falling off the wall and lodging between their tanning beds, locking both closed. Their skin sizzles to a crisp as the beds overheat.

For people looking to be permanently scared away from this unhealthy habit, being locked in a tanning bed is also the subject of a scary scene in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) featuring Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt).

2. Gymnastics accident

Who it happened to: Candice Hooper in Final Destination 5.

After surviving the North Bay Bridge collapse in the opening scene of Final Destination 5, Candace practices with her gymnastics team while her boyfriend Peter cheers her on from the bleachers. A malfunctioning air conditioner drops a screw onto the balance beam which Candace avoids, but the screw still ends up causing a chain reaction that distracts her during a difficult routine on the uneven bars. Candace lands in a macabre scorpion pose, her spine clearly broken.

1. Having your organs sucked out through your anus via a pool drain

Who it happened to: Hunt Wynorski in The Final Destination.

This is by far the gnarliest death in the Final Destination franchise and it has happened in real life. After surviving a deadly accident at the McKinley Speedway, Hunt Wynorski relaxes with a pool day at the local country club. When he accidentally activates the pool’s drainage system, the suction pressure traps Hunt underwater and the drain eventually disembowls him.

Further reading:

• 51 Trivia Facts About the ‘Final Destination’ Universe
• 10 Most Unexpected Deaths In Horror Movies
• The 10 Most Satisfying Deaths of Unlikeable Horror Characters