Top 10 Creepy Cartoon Monsters

We are six months deep into this pandemic, and if you're anything like me, you've been binging all of your favorite comfort shows. For me, this includes a handful of my favorite cartoons, because let's be real, you're never too old to love and watch cartoons. However, during my cartoon binge-watching adventures, I viewed an episode where the heroes fight one of the creepiest monsters I have ever seen.

This episode led me down a rabbit hole of nostalgia as I recalled some of the creepiest monsters and characters I've seen in cartoons. Here are the Top 10 Creepy Cartoon Monsters curated by The Spooky Bitch.

10. Exo-Skin, My Life As a Teenage Robot

Dr. Nora Wakeman created what's basically a skin suit as a solution for Jenny, but it has a mind of its own and tries to take control of her entirely. I don't know about y'all, but something about how the skin unfolds itself and slithers over to Jenny's bed in the middle of the night is something I can't unsee. The creepy, slimy noises it makes as it moves and that haunting, empty smile is why it takes the number ten spot.

9. Eddie, the Zombie Gerbil, Fairly Odd Parents

Timmy wishes that everything in his dad's garden is alive. He doesn't realize that this includes his deceased pet Gerbil. Although he and Timmy makeup in the end, once risen from the dead, Eddie's goal is revenge for his neglect while he was alive. Kind of a dark twist, and makes you think twice about whether or not you really have time for that puppy in the window. It's a cautionary tale and monster for the number nine spot.

8. The Mad Doctor, The Mad Doctor (Mickey Mouse Animated short)

I remember watching this 1933 classic cartoon as a kid and being thoroughly freaked out. In the cartoon, the Mad Doctor attempts to cut off Pluto's head and attach it to a chicken body to see what would happen. This is one step too close to the guy in The Human Centipede, and for a Mickey short, it's a lot.

7. Him, Power Puff Girls

Cartoon Network/Hanna-Barbera Productions

Him is one of the notorious enemies of the trio and is a literal demon! Both in the O.G. and the new show, Him's lobster look alone is creepy, but their high pitched voice, and the fact that one of their powers is possession are the cherries on top. Furthermore, his true form comes out in the episode “Speed Demon” (2000) and it’s a whole new level of cartoon terror. However, I do appreciate their non-binary appearance.

6. Angelica's Nightmare Baby Brother, Rugrats

This one's not an actual monster, but this baby is terrifying! Angelica finds out she might become an older sister, and her fear of being replaced leads to this nightmare in which she has a giant little brother. He's enormous, he's got a gross deep voice, and he eats Angelica. Angelica is no angel, but this was one of the episodes where we felt her pain and fear.

5. Cuddle E. Hugs, Spongebob Squarepants

Over the years, Spongebob has given us some gems in the creepy character department, but this giant, citizen eating Hamster was one of the most disturbing. This beast appears whenever someone eats an old Krabby patty. He is a food poisoning induced hallucination, but to those suffering, he is real and genuinely terrifying. After Spongebob hallucinates Cuddle E., the devious creature convinces him to feed the spoiled Krabby patties to his friends so he can gobble them up. Cuddle E. is one of those characters whose cuteness adds to their horror.

4. Santa, Invader Zim

3. The Mad Train Engineer, Hey Arnold

This entire cartoon was a creepshow. I love it. When Zim builds a Santa suit to conquer the world, we know no good will come of it. Like in My Life as a Teenage Robot, the Santa suit develops a mind of its own and gains control of Zim. After Dib attacks, the suit transforms into a creepy, spider Santa that has candy cane legs.

2. Shape Shifter A.K.A. #210, Gravity Falls

Arnold, Gerald, and Helga try to get a glimpse of Engine 25, a haunted train that a mad engineer ran off the track and into Hell years ago, or so the legend says. It's a great spooky episode with plenty of build-up and solid writing. However, we don't really see the Engineer until the very end. His entire appearance spooked me as a kid. Ghastly blue skin, scars, and cuts all added to the creep factor here. Not to mention the creepy as Hell Train Song.

1. Freaky Fred, Courage the Cowardly Dog

Gravity Falls is one of the best monster of the week series out there. Though most of the creatures the Mystery Shack team faced were not seriously creepy or scary, the Shape Shifter is an exception. When Wendy and Dipper discover a secret bunker, they must battle the shapeshifter who's been trapped there since Grunkle Ford locked him away during his experiments. From its slimy white body to its gaping, fang-filled mouth, it's horrifying. I wasn't expecting it the first time I saw it, and now every re-watch I'm shook all over again. Not to mention, it can also combine past shapeshifts to create new freaky looking monsters.

Another creepy show we know and love, there was no shortage of monsters to choose from. However, Freaky Fred could not be ignored. Fred is Muriel's nephew who comes to visit, and he gives off major serial killer vibes. It's still a kid's show, so he doesn't murder anyone. Instead, he is obsessed with hair, and won't stop until he shaves Courage. His odd, poetic cadence and an inhumanly wide smile make him all the more menacing. The dude definitely has bags of hair in his closet. He is human, but make no mistake, he's a monster. The first line is all you need to hear to know he deserves our number one spot. "Hello new friend, my name is Fred, the words you hear are in my head. I say, I said my name is Fred, and I've Been very naughty." Number one creep.

Did your favorite make the list? Sound off in the comments and tell us who your top creepy cartoon monsters are!

About the Writer

Deanna Gomez is Editor in Chief of the WODC blog. She helms the Spooky Bitches horror column is the co-creator and showrunner for The Bad Feeling Podcast. (2020)

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