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We decided to take a step back and drill down into our horror memory banks to rank a few of the best TV beasts to grace the small screen. The results were a mixed bag, with a few nostalgic surprises seeping in to join some modern creepers. Scroll down to take in ten of the TV horror creatures that are scaring audiences in primetime.
10) Ghastly Grinner – Are You Afraid of the Dark?
A blast from the past, and similar to Goosebumps‘ “Attack of the Mutant,” the Ghastly Grinner mixes a few concepts to please comic book fans and horror fans. He also taps into that evil clown trope that we have seen with Pennywise and the Joker. The Grinner is otherworldly strong, can teleport around, and seems to have the magical power to infect victims with his laugh. It turns anybody affected into a laughing creep drooling blue ooze.
9) Tooth Child – Channel Zero
If you skipped Channel Zero when it was airing on SyFy, Shudder has you covered. And with that, you have a chance to take in the next creepy monster on the list: The Tooth Child from season one of the anthology series. The Tooth Child has origins in the world of creepypasta and in the series, is tied to the Candle Cove series that has been connected to several child murders. All of that backstory is there to take in when you watch the series, but you can see that this monster is frightening based on looks alone. It has a humanoid shape and is technically a shell for a murderous spirit, but the shell is made of teeth. Lots and lots of teeth.
8) Shadow King – Legion
While Legion is not your classic horror TV series, Noah Hawley’s take on Marvel’s mutants comes with one of the scariest baddies on television. Known as Amahl Farouk, this psychic mutant has existed as the Shadow King for hundreds of years and targets David due to his father, Charles Xavier, and to feed on his psychic power. To do this, he takes on several disguises, with one being the horrifying Devil With Yellow Eyes. If I were to run into this version in my dreams, I’d never want to sleep again.
7) Demogorgon/Vecna – Stranger Things
We’re combining these two because they are technically all part of a hive mind in the Upside Down. They are also the most frightening baddies from the Netflix hit, occupying different ends of the monster hierarchy to this point. The Demogorgon is more of a classic predator with humanoid qualities, but they are aggressive like a xenomorph. Vecna is more of a mastermind controller, originally known as the human Henry Creel. He was sent through a gate to the Upside Down by Eleven after he tried to use his psychic powers to murder her and other test subjects. He is the driving force behind the attempts to destroy humanity, and is still alive at the end of season four. The final season arrives in November, so we’ll hopefully get an update.
6) The Gentlemen – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Only appearing in the partially silent episode “Hush,” The Gentlemen have remained a memorable and horrifying addition to the monster canon. The six demons arrive in Sunnydale and immediately make all of the citizens silent by stealing their voices. The plan is carrying enough weight to cause troubles, but then you take a look at their makeup and design. These are horrifying monsters with demonic eyes, rictus grins, and a whole lot of style that Slenderman would borrow years later.
5) The Weeping Angels – Doctor Who
If you’ve ever played Super Mario Bros, these Doctor Who villains are sort of like dealing with the ghosts and boos. These aliens are depicted as statues locked in time but in reality they are quite frightening, especially when they manage to gather around. The Weeping Angels have time travel powers and can create time loops to feed on unsuspecting victims. But the real reason for the fear comes from the horrifying look they all have, backed up by razor sharp teeth. As long as you never blink, you should be fine.
