How does Kirby Reed return in ‘Scream VI?’

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Scream VI.

While it’s undoubtedly a huge blow not to have Neve Campbell return once more as original final girl Sidney Prescott, Scream VI does instead revive a legacy character we once never thought we’d see again. Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed became a huge fan-favorite thanks to her role in Scream 4, so much so that it was a widely held belief for years that she actually survived her apparent death in that movie.

Sure enough, 2022’s Scream “requel” subtly confirmed that this was the case with an easily missed easter egg. Although this initially seemed to be a self-contained wink to the fans, it actually turns out that this was intended to set up Kirby’s comeback in Scream VI, something that was entirely orchestrated by Panettiere herself.

The trailers and preview clips might’ve given us some idea how Kirby fits into the film, but there’s still many questions that needed answering, like how exactly she survived the events of Scream 4 and does she make it out of this one alive. With one last spoiler warning, then, let’s dig into Kirby’s Scream VI storyline.

Explaining Kirby Reed’s return into the Scream universe

As we discover immediately upon her entrance into Scream VI, Kirby Reed has become an FBI agent since her own encounter with Ghostface back in Woodsboro back in 2011. She also has a pre-existing relationship with Sam Carpenter, as she was a senior at Woodsboro High when Sam was a freshman.

Transferring to New York City from the Atlanta office upon the outbreak of the latest Ghostface killings, Kirby becomes a valuable ally for the Carpenter sisters and their friends as they battle to survive and unmask the murderer(s). Unsurprisingly, Kirby bonds with fellow horror nerd Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and also connects with Tara over their similar near-death experiences at Ghostface’s hands.

During this conversation, we learn that Kirby technically died for four minutes after she was stabbed in the abdomen by Charlie Walker in Scream 4. This event made such an impact on her that she vowed that she would never be scared by monsters again and instead would make herself the thing that monsters fear. This led to her choice to join the FBI.

Kirby helps the gang turn Ghostface’s murder museum into a “kill-box,” a trap for the murderer, except their trust is shattered when Wayne calls Sam claiming Kirby was fired from the FBI a year ago after apparently suffering a psychiatric breakdown. Although this points to Kirby being Ghostface for a moment, it’s ultimately revealed that Wayne is the killer and he was attempting to frame her.

Upon confronting Wayne, Kirby is shot multiple times in the chest, seemingly killed. However, she later returns, thanks to wearing a bullet-proof vest, only to be attacked by Wayne’s daughter — and fellow Ghostface — Quinn (Liana Liberato), stabbed in the exact same place she was once stabbed by Charlie. Remarkably, Kirby manages to survive this altercation as well and execute the third Ghostface, Ethan (Jack Champion), by throwing a TV on his head, harking back to Stu’s death in 1996’s Scream.

Scream VI is out everywhere now.