Why Rocky Is Phantasm's Most Badass Character

Rocky is one of the coolest characters in the Phantasm-verse

Rocky wasn't supposed to survive. In 1994, when Phantasm 3: Lord of the Dead introduced audiences to a nunchuck-wielding, crew-cut sporting, ex-military badass named Rocky, horror fans braced themselves for the inevitable another new PHANTASM character destined to die.

But director Don Coscarelli and actress Gloria Lynn Henry had other plans. Rocky not only survived the film but chose to walk away on her own terms, becoming the only secondary character in the entire Phantasm franchise to make it out alive. Three decades later, fans still tell Henry that Rocky helped them stand up to bullies, improved their mental health, and taught them to take control of their lives.

Rocky is such a badass!

Don Coscarelli cast Gloria Lynn Henry specifically for her "tough look" and martial arts training, envisioning Rocky as a Grace Jones-style warrior who could hold her own against the Tall Man's undead army. Henry, a Detroit-born actress with a theater degree from Wayne State University, brought more than physical presence to the role. When the script called for Rocky to yell "Hands off my man!" while defending Reggie from attack, Henry pushed back. She told Coscarelli: "I can't say my man because he's not my man, but I can say my boy because he's my ride-or-die." The line became "Yo bitch, hands off my boy!" a small change that fundamentally altered the power dynamic, establishing Rocky as an equal partner rather than a love interest.

This scene from PHANTASM 3 between Rocky & Reggie is CLASSIC.

The actress's commitment to authenticity paid off in ways neither she nor Coscarelli could have predicted. At an early test screening in May 1994, audiences vocally worried: "Is she gonna die? We don't want her to die!" Henry remembers thinking, "Yeah I don't wanna die either!" That audience reaction confirmed something important viewers were starving for new Phantasm characters who survived the films, and Rocky gave them exactly that.

Rocky getting ready to do battle against a Silver Sphere.

Rocky's introduction sets the tone for everything that follows. She and Tanesha capture Reggie in a mausoleum, initially suspicious of this stranger being chased by a flying chrome sphere. Before Reggie can properly warn them, the sphere drills into Tanesha's head in a scene so graphic it earned the film an initial NC-17 rating. Witnessing her best friend's death becomes Rocky's catalyst, the trauma that transforms her from survivor of the Tall Man's apocalyptic landscape into active combatant.

The character made such an impression that David Hartman brought her back for a cameo in 2016's Phantasm: Ravager, the franchise's final installment released 22 years after Phantasm 3. Rocky appears in a post-credits sequence as a member of Earth's resistance in the post-apocalyptic future, confirming she continued fighting the Tall Man's forces after departing.

Don Coscarelli’s Phiction Tales From The World of PHANTASM has an incredible “Rocky” Chapter.

In 2024, Coscarelli published "The Rocky Road" in his book "Phiction: Tales from the World of Phantasm"—an entire short story detailing Rocky's discharge from the armed services, her travels through the rural South searching for family, and her first encounter with the Tall Man's activities. Three decades after her debut, Coscarelli is still exploring Rocky's story.

Gloria Lynn Henry regularly attends horror conventions, where the depth of Rocky's impact becomes tangible. Fans approach her with stories that go beyond typical celebrity appreciation. "I have some fans who are just obsessed with this character," Henry explains. "It has made them be more in control of their lives, it has helped their mental stability. I have one fan who said it helped him not get bullied anymore because Rocky showed him how to stand up."

Gloria Lynne Henry is a popular convention guest

Henry's ongoing engagement with the fanbase has also nurtured Rocky's legacy. By attending conventions, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about fighting for the character's integrity, and expressing genuine appreciation for fans' emotional connections to Rocky.

Thirty years after Phantasm 3: Lord of the Dead was released Rocky remains a fan favorite not despite her limited screen time but because of what that screen time represents. Rocky is a survivor, a warrior, and a woman who knew when to fight and when to walk away. The fans who tell Henry that Rocky changed their lives. Rocky kicked zombie ass, rejected the traditional horror movie ending, and drove off into the sunset in a stolen hearse.