Top 10 Most Terrifying Monsters in Fantasy TV Shows, Ranked

Fantasy TV show monsters often have some of the most creative creature designs and storylines. While most horror shows feature terrifying creatures, some of the best fantasy TV shows of all time also have ones that are just as scary. On the other hand, fantasy allows for more whimsy and fun, and the monsters in fantasy TV shows often reflect this.

The best TV show monsters often appear in fantasy TV series as protagonists because the fantasy genre can have a loose definition of the word “monster.” Many fantasy TV shows are considered masterpieces for their approaches to characters who look or act differently from the protagonist, and these include characters that would be thought of as monstrous in other genres.

Nephilim

Supernatural

Supernatural became a fantasy genre phenomenon for its epic tale of two brothers pitted against supernatural forces, as well as its unusual interpretation of many Biblical figures. One of the best surprises in Supernatural was the way it wrote angels, making their half-human, half-angel offspring potentially monstrous. The Nephilim blend virtually limitless strength with unpredictability, becoming terrifying in the process.

The Nephilim are the most powerful creatures in Supernatural, and even their birth kills their celestial parent. That said, while angels are often written as remote, the Nephilim also struggle with human issues. This gives Jack the potential to be the ultimate monster, poised between good and evil, and while he ultimately remains good, his power would be a terrifying force in another Nephilim’s possession.

SkekSo

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Fantasy monsters are often outlandish, designed to inspire a particular feeling in viewers in addition to scaring them, and this is true of SkekSo, the decaying Emperor of Thra. Of all the characters in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, SkekSo is a monstrous tyrant, desperate to cling to his fading power, and he looks the part, sneering and surrounded by golden trinkets.

SkekSo is a great fantasy TV show monster because he looks exactly as you would expect a corrupt and unpopular villain to look when he is on the brink of losing his empire. Fantasy allows us to explore wider world themes through whimsy and fairytale, and SkekSo is a perfect reminder that bullies do not last forever, and unchecked ego is often their downfall.

Myriapod

The Witcher

In the Witcher games, one of the creepiest monsters is undoubtedly the centipede creature. The Witcher TV series has made it even more disturbing, adding extra legs and a flattened-looking head that resembles a sheep’s skull. While Geralt was able to dispatch the Myriapod, it is one of the scariest monsters in The Witcher, and is even capable of ripping other monsters apart.

The Myriapod is an example of excellent creature design, as it clearly belongs in the fantasy genre rather than pure horror, and more of it is revealed in every scene. It is extremely organic-looking, resembling tree branches as well as other animals, but moving with the jerky speed of a spider and keeping the long centipede’s body from the game.

Sweet

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Fantasy monsters can be some of the most fun to watch, even while being menacing, and the best villains in Buffy the Vampire Slayer often fall into this category. The musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling” should not have worked, yet it has become one of the best in the entire show. The main antagonist is the dapper, suit-wearing, singing demon, known as Sweet.

Sweet’s iconic tap dancing introduction sets him up as an antihero before his song grows more disturbing by the line. Even at his most malicious, Sweet is mesmerizing, which is partly thanks to a great performance by the underrated Hinton Battle. Of all the Buffy villains who appeared in one episode, Sweet made his mark on the show, setting up the next major storylines.

Jinnamuru Xunte

Grimm

One of the most iconic monster designs of all time is Jeff Goldblum as the Brundlefly in the movie The Fly. The TV show equivalent to this is undoubtedly Grimm‘s Wesen, known as the Jinnamuru Xunte. The creature is one of the most powerful monsters in Grimm, and it is both grotesque in its appearance and in the way it behaves.

The Jinnamuru Xunte forces its victims to hallucinate their worst nightmares, and puts parasites into their eyes, making them cry tears which the monster then feeds on. The predatory creature is a great example of creative monster design in the fantasy genre, as it physically resembles a giant fly, but it embodies the concept of fear itself.

The Hyde

Wednesday

Wednesday‘s Hyde outcast species is based on the old British story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll was a respected character who took a potion that turned him into a monster. Like the legend, Hydes are regular humans who become monsters after experiencing a traumatic event or an intervention from another character, either chemically or psychically.

People who host a Hyde usually do not know it, but the two sides of their personalities can eventually bond. This gives the creature a lot of potential for the ongoing series. Wednesday blends horror and fantasy, often putting a new and modern spin on common fantasy monsters like sirens and werewolves. The Hyde is a great creative twist.

The Tribid (Hope)

The Vampire Diaries: Legacies

Many dark and romantic fantasy TV series have explored the idea of fantasy creature hybrids, but The Vampire Diaries did something very unusual when it combined the three main species’ powers. A Tribid is part witch, part vampire, and part werewolf, with the potential to use all of their powers. Only Hope Mikaelson had the right bloodline, but there was potential for more.

The Tribid is The Vampire Diaries‘ universe’s answer to Supernatural‘s Nephilim, with the potential for limitless power being concentrated in one person through three different fantasy monsters’ bloodlines. Hope’s blood had several powers in The Vampire Diaries: Legacy, and while this could have made her the ultimate savior, she could also have become a monstrous destroyer if the show had continued.

White Walkers

Game Of Thrones

After their terrifying introduction in the first series, the White Walkers did not fully become a part of Game of Thrones until later on. This makes them stand out among other fantasy monsters, as it was the impending threat of them that drove many of the characters’ actions throughout the show, with tension building for us as viewers before the inevitable battle.

They are virtually unique as fantasy monsters, as the very threat of them had such an effect on the characters, with the Night’s Watch specifically being placed as a human shield. Even then, few characters were ever able to kill a White Walker. The icy, undead beings are the silent and haunting embodiment of winter, which, as the Starks warn, is always coming.

The Demogorgon

Stranger Things

The 1980s-inspired Stranger Things is a great blend of horror and fantasy, and this is seen in its approach to its monsters. Seeing children raise a cute pet from birth, which turns out to be a monster, is a common trope in the fantasy genre, and Dustin’s relationship with Dart is a perfect example. The Demogorgon is extremely disturbing from birth onward.

Part of what makes the Demogorgon such an unforgettable fantasy TV show monster is the fact that it appears to have no motivation. We know what Vecna’s plan is, and the characters have found a way to avoid his influence through music. However, unlike Vecna, who is a clear villain, Stranger Things‘ Demogorgon is an intelligent but mysterious predator, and this can be even scarier.

Weeping Angels

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is in a league of its own as a TV show, defying genres and blending many within a single episode. That said, most episodes of the show contain elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Introduced in the episode “Blink,” The Weeping Angels instantly became some of the most iconic and jump scare-inducing TV show monsters of all time.

The innocent-looking statues move at terrifying speed, but only when you are not watching them. The monsters send victims back in time and feed on the lives they could have lived. The instructions “don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink” are now some of the most well-known lines in the show, and Doctor Who‘s Weeping Angels episodes are masterclasses in suspense.