Reason number 9,999,998 why horror is the best genre of the bunch: anyone can be a hero. Horror is about extreme empathy in the face of seemingly insurmountable fear, but with enough grit, fortitude, and ingenuity, whatever monster, madman, or unstoppable evil can be overcome.

That shy babysitter Laurie Strode inspired a rise of final girls in her wake following the release of Halloween. No one would’ve thought that Ash Williams would’ve been the last man standing at the outset of The Evil Dead. And then there are the unique heroes that have disadvantages before the horror even sets in, heroes like the pregnant police officer and a partially blind man who wakes up confused in an ambulance in Deadsight.

In the film, the unlikely pair find themselves needing to work together to survive and escape Grey Country, site of a deadly virus spreading at a rapid rate. RLJE’s Deadsight is now on DVD, VOD, and Digital HD. For the release, we look back at some of horror’s most unique heroes.

Regan Abbott – A Quiet Place

Thanks to extraterrestrial creatures with hypersensitive hearing and protective armor that makes them near impossible to kill, most of the Earth’s human and animal population has been wiped out. The Abbott family have set up an intricate, silent way of living to survive in this new, dangerous world. After a tragic accident that leaves eldest sister wracked with guilt, and her father’s consistent desire to tinker with her cochlear implant to restore her hearing, her deafness makes her feel like an unwanted outcast. Yet, it proves to be the very thing that could save them all.

Susy Hendrix – Wait Until Dark

A recent car accident left Susy Hendrix blind. That major life adjustment would be enough for anyone to deal with, but Susy’s troubles are exacerbated by a trio of criminals that believe their stash of heroin, hidden in a doll, is in her home. First, they con their way into her home, but when their ruse doesn’t work, they get violent. Susy is forced to rely on her wits and level the playing field if she hopes to escape with her life. This tense thriller based on a play earned Audrey Hepburn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress as Susy.

Marty Coslaw – Silver Bullet

Dealing with a vicious werewolf is daunting for anyone, let alone a young paraplegic boy named Marty Coslaw. His rural town of Tarker’s Mills, Maine, is dealing with a string of violent murders. No one knows who is behind it until Marty sneaks out one night in his custom-built motorized wheelchair, the Silver Bullet, to play with fireworks. He uses those fireworks to fend off a surprise attack by the werewolf, which leaves the werewolf wanting revenge. It’s up to Marty and his terrified older sister to save his town. Most people don’t survive an encounter with a werewolf. Marty survives two.

Nica Pierce – Curse of Chucky

Like Marty, Nica is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic. Following the mysterious delivery of a certain Good Guy doll, Nica’s family begin dying all around her. No one should be surprised that it’s Chucky, but getting to the bottom of why he’s targeted her family is a whole new mystery. That Nica isn’t nearly as mobile as her family members creates a new level of suspense, but it also gives her some unexpected advantages in warding off his attacks. Nica makes for an unexpected but welcome addition to the Chucky franchise.

Kazan – Cube

Six strangers wake up in a mysterious cube shaped labyrinth rigged with deadly traps. The strangers soon learn that each member brings a unique talent or skill to the mix, and they realize the best way to survive is to work together. The true MVP of the group, though, is Kazan, an autistic savant with an uncanny talent for math and prime number factorizations. Granted, he spends most of the film as an underdog with many of his companions feeling as though he’s more of a burden. It turns out to be furthest from the truth; the gentle Kazan has the skill they need to navigate their way out of there.

Ambrose McKinley – Late Phases

Ambrose is a Vietnam War veteran who is fiercely independent. He’s less than amused when his son checks him into a retirement community. Ambrose is also blind. Members of the community begin disappearing, and on the night of a full moon Ambrose hears a commotion next door. It’s his neighbor under siege by a werewolf, setting Ambrose and the werewolf on the path for an ultimate showdown. Ambrose’s training and very keen hearing are major assets in his ongoing fight with the werewolf. Even when no one else believes him, Ambrose’s fearlessness and determination save the day.

Maddie Young – Hush

Maddie is a writer who lives in alone in a rural, wooded home. She’s close with her neighbors, and keeps in touch with her family via internet, but she mostly lives a solitary life. Maddie has been deaf and mute since 13, thanks to bacterial meningitis and a corrective surgery gone wrong. When a masked killer shows up at her door and realizes she’s deaf-mute, he thinks he’s got an easy target. He couldn’t be more wrong. Maddie is one tough cookie, but more than that? She’s extremely intelligent, and her writing actually gives her a leg up in foreseeing various outcomes. That masked killer came to rue the day he targeted Maddie.

Malorie Hayes – Bird Box

Based on Josh Malerman’s novel of the same name, Bird Box sees a world plummeted into post-apocalyptic chaos when an unseen foe drives anyone who sees it to suicide. For Malorie and her two children, this means trying to survive a dangerous world and seek a safe haven, all while blindfolded to avoid laying eyes on the creature that instills madness in its beholder. Malorie’s fierce determination to survive and protect her young gives her an advantage, and she’s the protagonist with which we spend most of the journey. But the reality is that blindness is the true hero of this story. It’s blindness that lets our heroes survive, but more importantly- it’s a (spoiler) school for the blind that provides the last safe haven from the nightmarish world outside.

RLJE’s Deadsight is now on DVD, VOD, and Digital HD.