We can all agree that if the world ended today, we would need a strong leader to guide us. There are plenty of survivalist leaders from movies and television we wish could join us if the world ended.
Sure, they are fictional characters, but they have the traits of a survivor make them a great asset in the post-apocalyptic world.
There are many great movies and television shows to pick these leaders from, but we have narrowed our list down to seven. Read on to see if these are the leaders you would pick for your survivalist community.
7. Jim Porter: Falling Skies
Poor Jim Porter was about to retire before General Cole Bressler died in a crash. Porter replaced the late General as commanding officer of the 1st Continental Army. He isn’t your average commander though. He leads a resistance against aliens that took over the world. He even authorized the second assault on Boston which led to the destruction of the Mothership.
6. Negan: The Walking Dead
This show is chock-full of great leaders of survivalist communities. While Negan may be a controversial character since he is more of a tyrant than a leader, he often rules with an iron fist, which is the only way to go in a post-apocalyptic world.
Negan is a tough son of a gun with a set of rules that garnered the support of a small army. He calls his group “The Saviors.” Their MO is bullying other communities into giving them whatever they want. That may not seem like the kind of leader you’d want right now, but you never know if you’d throw out your moral compass in order to survive.
5. Thomas: The Maze Runner
Thomas sold out his former colleagues of WICKED when he found out what they were willing to do to save the world. They wiped Thomas’s memory and sent him to the maze as punishment.
Thomas led his fellow gladers out of the maze and into the scorch and has proven an adequate survivor as he has remembered who he is. He is brave and willing to do anything he has to in order to stop WICKED’s schemes.
4. Eli: The Book of Eli
Denzel Washington always seems to star as a larger-than-life leader. In this movie, he is Eli, a man on a mission to deliver the last remaining Bible to a printing press in Alcatraz. He can take multiple bandits at the same time.
This movie is more focused on individual groups than a community, and Eli isn’t really part of any of them. He is more of a loner. However, he does journey with Solara on his mission and even saves her life. On top of that, his mission is to save a community with literature.
3. Robert Neville: I Am Legend
This is the third adaptation of John William and Joyce Corrington’s novel I am Legend. While the movie doesn’t focus on a community, Dr. Robert Neville is still a great leader and survivor. Neville masters being the last man on earth, following a tight schedule in order to keep mutants at bay.
On top of that, Neville gives his life in the original ending of this film to find a cure for the virus that caused the world to end. He never makes it to the safe community, but the survivors should be eternally grateful to him.
2. Columbus & Tallahassee: Zombieland
Zombieland taught us that the end of the world can be hilarious. Columbus and Tallahassee taught us that you don’t need it all in order to be a good leader. That’s why this pair shares second place on our list.
Columbus is a smart college student who lives by a strict set of rules to survive. Tallahassee has no rules and loves coming up with creative ways to kill zombies. They team up with Wichita and Little Rock, who stab them in the back a couple of times. Despite that, this dynamic duo teams up to save Wichita and Little Rock, showing us all the importance of sticking together no matter what.
1. Rick Grimes: The Walking Dead
This former sheriff was heartlessly tossed into the deep end of a post-apocalyptic world after being shot into a coma. Luckily, Rick has a natural survival instinct, thanks to his training as a police officer.
Sure, he hasn’t been a perfect leader in this zombie-infested world, but Rick has led his group through all sorts of impossible challenges. There aren’t many people who could lead a whole group of people to safety time after time.
Do you agree with our list? Who do you think would be best suited to lead your community if the world ended? Comment and let us know.