Hundreds of users replied with deep-cut horror picks, classic cartoon creepers, and anime villains that still give them chills. We read through the thread, found the most talked-about characters, and rewrote their stories using the best user insights.
What follows is not just a list, it’s a psychological trip through characters that were never meant to be scary… but totally are.
17 Favorite Scary Movie Characters by Reddit User
1. The Gentlemen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Image by 90s Flashback
“The Gentlemen from the Buffy episode ‘Hush’.”
These creepy figures from Buffy glide silently, smile with impossible calm, and steal voices. Redditors recalled being absolutely paralyzed by their stillness. What makes them scary isn’t noise or gore, it’s the lack of both. One comment summed it up: “That smile was worse than any scream.”
When fear has no sound, your brain fills in the blanks. That’s what makes The Gentlemen so unforgettable.
A creature from the SCP Foundation, SCP-939 mimics human speech to lure prey. Redditors called it one of the most disturbing SCPs ever. Not only is it terrifying in appearance, but the idea that it talks like someone you know made it a recurring nightmare.
When something pretends to be safe, it becomes even more dangerous. That’s a primal fear SCP-939 exploits.
3. Shou Tucker (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Image by cbr.com
“You know exactly what scene I’m talking about.”
Redditors didn’t even have to explain, the name said it all. The infamous scene where Shou Tucker fuses his daughter with the family dog is considered one of the most horrifying moments in anime. Users shared that they had to pause the episode, and some never returned to the series.
Psychologists say unexpected fear creates lasting memory maybe that’s why we still flinch at innocent-looking villains.
4. The Pale Man (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Image credit: Youtube.com
“The thing with eyes in his hands. I still have nightmares.”
With his stretched skin and quiet, predatory movement, The Pale Man doesn’t chase you. He waits. Reddit users mentioned that scene as one of the scariest in all of cinema, precisely because it doesn’t rely on jump scares.
Creatures that move slowly but surely trigger dread more effectively than fast, loud monsters.
5. Other Mother / The Beldam (Coraline)
Image by cbr.com
“The button eyes. Just no.”
Other Mother starts sweet, then slowly reveals her monstrous side. Redditors said the transformation was what stuck with them. The final spider-like form is horrifying, but it’s the betrayal of trust that makes her so scary.
When someone who’s supposed to love you turns out evil, it hits deeper than gore or violence ever could.
The film Smile hit Reddit hard. That fixed, unnatural smile was mentioned over and over. It wasn’t just creepy, it was wrong. Redditors said the film took something so basic and made it terrifying.
A human face that feels “off” disrupts our emotional safety. That’s why fake smiles stick in your brain.
Some Redditors pointed to the Babadook’s voice. Others, its lurking presence. But most agreed the real horror was psychological. It wasn’t just a monster, it was depression made tangible.
When fear represents something real (grief, trauma), it hits harder and stays longer.
8. Courage’s “You’re Not Perfect” Scene (Courage the Cowardly Dog)
Image by Youtube.com
“It’s quiet, it’s slow, and it destroyed me as a kid.”
A floating figure tells Courage: “You’re not perfect.” That line, delivered softly, wrecked Redditors. It wasn’t loud or violent. It just… cut deep. And for many kids, that was their first exposure to psychological horror.
Harsh words spoken gently are remembered longer than screams.
9. Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)
Image by gamerant.com
“He’s charismatic and terrifying. That’s the worst combo.”
Hisoka isn’t a monster, but he might as well be. He creeped Reddit out with his mix of flirtation and sadism. One user joked: “I’m scared of clowns and gymnasts now.”
Characters that are scary and seductive confuse our instincts and that’s why they disturb us.
10. Chucky (Child’s Play)
Image by gamespot.com
“I threw out my sister’s dolls after watching this.”
He’s small, he’s plastic, and he has a knife. Redditors said Chucky ruined dolls for them forever. His laughter still echoes in the backs of their minds.
More character rewrites coming soon in Part 2 (Slenderman, Momo, The Wendigo, etc.)
11. Slenderman (Creepypasta)
Image by soundcloud.com
“I used to check behind my door before bed because of him.”
Slenderman is tall, silent, and faceless. Born from internet folklore, he quickly became a cultural icon of fear. Redditors described sleepless nights, seeing him in the corner of their eyes. The fact that he doesn’t chase — just appears — makes him even worse.
The less detail a monster has, the more we project our own fears onto it.
12. Momo (Internet Urban Legend)
Image by idnes.cz
“Just the image alone messed me up.”
Momo wasn’t from a show or movie, just a sculpture that spiraled into a creepy urban legend. Users said they still couldn’t look at the picture. Some admitted to deleting the image from their phones after seeing it once.
What spreads fast also embeds deep. Momo’s legend proves the internet can create new horrors from nothing.
13. The Wendigo (Folklore / Until Dawn)
image by yaninagames
“That screech in Until Dawn was the worst.”
Based on Native folklore, the Wendigo is often portrayed as a gaunt, cannibalistic spirit. In the game Until Dawn, its scream alone had Redditors slamming their controllers down. The idea of transformation after consuming flesh stuck with users.
Monsters that were once human remind us of what we could become. That’s always scarier than something purely fictional.
14. Zalgo (Creepypasta)
Image by screenrant
“The corrupted text scared me more than jump scares.”
Zalgo is less a character, more an internet phenomenon. He represents chaos and destruction often shown through broken, glitchy visuals. Reddit users remembered encountering Zalgo text on forums and immediately backing out.
Our brains crave order. Glitch effects exploit that discomfort to create fear without sound or story.
15. HIM (The Powerpuff Girls)
Image by sketchfab.com
“Why was this allowed on a kids’ show?”
HIM’s voice alone gave Reddit users chills. His mix of flamboyance and malevolence created an unsettling contrast. People remembered turning the volume down every time he appeared.
The clash between playful tone and evil behavior makes HIM one of animation’s most quietly terrifying villains.
16. Angelica Pickles (Rugrats)
Image by collider.com
“She had power. And she knew it.”
While not traditionally scary, Angelica Pickles was mentioned as a source of childhood intimidation. Redditors joked about how her manipulative behavior and unpredictable tantrums made Rugrats feel more like a psychological drama. Her voice and mean streak made her unsettling to young viewers.
Dominance and unpredictability in children’s characters can feel terrifying when you’re still learning the rules of the world.
17. Judge Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Image by discover.hubpages.com
“No villain has made me more uncomfortable.”
Frollo’s intensity and religious hypocrisy scared Reddit users on a deeper level. One commenter wrote, “He made evil feel real.” His lustful obsession masked as righteousness made him a villain that was all too human and that’s what made him horrifying.
Villains based on real-world power and obsession stick with us because they could exist anywhere.
Our Personal Haunting Favorites Scary Characters
Even after reading hundreds of Reddit replies, a few scary characters of our own still send chills. Here are some of our personal picks that didn’t show up in the thread, but probably should have:
Miss Trunchbull (Matilda)
Image by panjango.com
You don’t need monsters when you have terrifying principals. Her hammer-throwing, cake-forcing madness left many of us scarred long before we knew what horror was.
When a child’s safe space (like school) becomes hostile, the trauma feels real and long-lasting.
The Skeksis (The Dark Crystal)
Image by voyagecomic
Creepy bird-lizard overlords with rotting faces? Yes, please. These characters combined political greed with horror and felt too grown-up for kids’ eyes.
Sometimes it’s the aesthetic, the smell of decay, the twitch of the jaw that truly unsettles us.
The Wheelers (Return to Oz)
Image by Youtube.com
Rarely mentioned, but unforgettable. They weren’t the main villains, yet their squeaky wheels and cackling laughs turned this kid’s fantasy into pure nightmare fuel.
When horror shows up in non-horror films, it shocks our system more than anything we braced for.
Scary Final Thoughts
Whether it’s from anime, cartoons, creepypasta, or film, fear doesn’t always come from where you expect. Sometimes it’s a doll, a smile, or a single whispered line that lingers.
We’re just scratching the surface of what Reddit has to say. These characters prove that horror lives not only in the dark but in the everyday moments that twist unexpectedly.
