Rate These Monsters And Discover Which Supernatural Character Is Your Alter Ego
- by Michelle_Sanders
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Just when we thought our childhood fear of monsters had finally been tucked away safely in the recesses of our subconscious, a friend turned us on to a little program called Supernatural. After a TV binge-a-thon that lasted two full weeks (don't worry, we were on vacation from work at the time, so it's all good), all of that immature monster trepidation came flooding back to us.
We mean, obviously, there's no reason to worry about monsters for real, because they don't stand a chance, not with Sam and Dean on the case. But still, just the thought that they're out there...lurking in the shadows...waiting to prey on unsuspecting victims...well, let's just say it's enough to make any grownup check under their bed with a flashlight and prop a chair up in front of the closet door before going to bed.
Maybe we're the only ones out there suffering from adult-onset monster fears. It could be that we've allowed our phobia of these elusive cryptids to be blown way out of proportion, irrationally dictated by nothing more than a TV show. But we doubt that's the case. Weigh in now! Rate these monsters, and discover a Supernatural character alter ego! Oh, and, leave the lights on. Just trust us on this.
Chupacabra
Chupacabra literally translates to "goat sucker", and is so named because it feeds on livestock. These creatures are thought to be roughly the size of a small bear, and are frequently spotted throughout North, Central and South America on a regular basis. Some people claim these beasts are just coyotes with mange, but who knows for sure?
Jersey Devil
Said to reside in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, this creature is described as a biped with hooves, bat-like wings, the head of a goat, small, clawed hands and a forked tail, because otherwise "devil" wouldn't be an appropriate moniker. The Jersey Devil has been haunting the state it's named for for the past 260 years.
Ghosts
Not to be confused with ghouls, ghosts are the disembodied spirits of the departed. Sometimes, they take the shape of the person they once were, other times, they appear as shadowy figures. Ghosts can be benevolent or evil, it all depends on who they were in life, and how much power they've got now that they're no longer in the physical realm.
Kraken
Far less adorable than Nessie, the kraken is a humongous sea creature believed to be inspired by giant squids, which can grow to an impressive 50-feet in length. The kraken resemble octopi, but instead of eight tentacles, they only have seven—but they more than make up for the one less appendage with their tremendous size.
Changelings
Changelings are fairy children left in place of human children. See, fairies, for whatever reason (sometimes out of spite, other times, just because they take a shine to a certain kid), swap out a fairy baby for a human one. This myth reflects many parents' fear had that their children would develop unexplained illnesses.
Bigfoot
One of the most iconic monsters in the world, Bigfoot is a large, ape-like creature covered in hair and with huge feet (no surprise there). He's elusive, this guy. Many people claim to have seen him wandering in the woods, some even have grainy photos of the alleged sightings, but there's still no conclusive evidence of his existence.
Cerberus
Fearsome guard of the gates to the Underworld, this beastly canine has two more heads than the average dog AND a snake for a tail. He sounds scary, that's for sure, it's just too bad that his name roughly translates to "Spot". That's not very intimidating. Hades might want to rethink his three-headed best friend's name.
Loch Ness Monster
Said to inhabit Loch Ness and fondly known as "Nessie", this long-necked aquatic monster is described as a "sea serpent" or "water monster". The Loch Ness Monster rose to worldwide popularity in 1933, when it was captured on film. The photo was proven to be a hoax, but many people claim to have spotted this big fish.
Godzilla
This over-sized reptile-like beast originated from a series of Japanese films made in the '50s, and he's since become a monster icon. A prehistoric creature, the victim of radiation exposure, this puppet—uh, we mean, monster, is described as a cross between a whale and a gorilla, which is also what its name translates to.
Basilisk
This mythical Greek monster is fairly small, yet described as a king among serpents. It's said that this creature is able to off its victims just by staring at them, and leaves a trail of potent venom in its wake. Basilisks became a well-known monster when they were mentioned in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Banshee
Originating in Irish mythology, banshees are ghostly female spirits. Accounts of their appearance vary, but generally, these monsters have long, streaming hair, wear tattered, flowing robes and have red eyes—but not, like, creepy red eyes, they're just red from crying. The cry of a banshee is said to herald the loss of a loved one.
Vampires
Vampires are nothing more than pointy-teethed people parasites—there, we said it, and we would say it again if we had to! The vampires of sucked blood only came out at night, turned into bats to travel from place to place and hated garlic. Oh, yeah, and they never sparkled in the sunlight.
Zombies
Zombies are reanimated human corpses, so they're essentially the opposite of ghosts. Just what causes these bodies to become reanimated varies from myth to myth. Sometimes it's because of a virus, other times it's caused by black magic. Either way, about the only thing these guys are good for is inspiring an award-winning series on AMC.
Werewolves
A favorite monster muse among writers and directors, werewolves have a low-key tragic vibe to them because they're monsters, but not by choice. These beasts stay in their human form for most of the month, but when a full moon rises, that's when they take on their wolf alter ego, and that's when things get hairy—literally and figuratively.
Mothman
The Mothman was first described in a West Virginian newspaper back in 1966. A large man with wings was spotted by a married couple who, naturally, didn't know what to make of it. Since then, people all over the United States have glimpsed this flying bug man. Some say he punishes wrongdoers, but others say he's a guardian angel.
Goblins
Similar to gremlins, gnomes and imps, goblins are mischievous little monsters who live to make mortals' lives miserable. Though they're generally thought to be small, they have magical powers, which makes them just as troublesome as their full-sized monster counterparts. These strange and hideous little cretins are greedy, always on the hunt for gold and silver valuables to steal.
Manticore
Similar to Egyptian sphinxes, the manticore is a lot more hardcore—which is great, because both of those words rhyme. Instead of telling people riddles and expecting them to come up with the right answers, these part lion, part human, part porcupine, part scorpion creatures swallows people whole with the help of its three rows of teeth. Nice.
Sirens
Yet another monster from Greek mythology, sirens were water creatures who lived on an island and lured sailors to them with their enchanting voices and bewitching music. Sometimes compared to mermaids, these irresistible beings were said to resemble birds and human women, and were blamed for luring many seafarers to their untimely demises.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Another classic movie brought to us by a series of movies from the 50s, the Creature from the Black Lagoon was discovered living in the Amazon and was captured and brought to an aquarium in Florida. It, uh...didn't go well. Turns out this monster is vengeful, aggressive and not afraid to use those clawed, webbed flippers of his.
Cyclops
A prominent figure in Greek and Roman mythology, cyclops are giants with one eye located in the center of their forehead. In fact, the word "cyclops" translates to "round-eyed". Powerful and aggressive to nearly all but their own kind, Cyclops are said to be destructive beasts, which is pretty standard monster fare, if you ask us.
Hydra
Boy, those ancient Grecians, huh? They really loved the scary critters with multiple heads. The hydra was a massive serpentine sea monster that had a whole bunch of heads, and, to make matters worse, for every head that was lopped off, two more grew in its place. Defeating the hydra was the second of Hercules's Twelve Labors.
Yeti
Also known as the Abominable Snowman, the yeti is said to live in the Himalayan region of Nepal, and are frequently seen by the indigenous peoples in the area. The yeti is large and hairy, a lot like its cousin, Bigfoot, and it is said to walk upright and resemble an ape.
Black Shuck
The Black Shuck is a phantom that takes on the appearance of a black dog and roams the countryside in East Anglia. Sometimes described as friendly and helpful, and other times believed to be an omen warning of bad tidings, this large, ghostly canine is one good boy we wouldn't want to meet on a dark night.
Boogeyman
The boogeyman might just be the most unsettling monster here. Why? Because like the boggarts of the Harry Potter series, because the boogeyman takes on the appearance of whatever its victim finds the most upsetting. Is he just manipulative disciplinary crutch for parents of unruly children, or is there some credence to this monster's existence?
Wraiths
In Scottish folklore, a wraith is a malevolent spirit trapped here on earth. In the Supernatural fandom, wraiths are similar to vampires, but instead of blood, they feed on the brain fluids of their victims, specifically targeting those who produce a lot of dopamine. Either way you look at it, these monsters are shiver down your spine-worthy.
Hidebehind
Classified as a "fearsome critter", the Hidebehind is a sneaky monster who hides behind trees and other objects in order to conceal itself from its victims. Fast and wily, this monster pounced when its prey least expect it, then consumed their victims whole. Hidebehinds took the fall for many missing lumberjacks back in America's early frontier days.
Sleipnir
The offspring of the Norse trickster god, Loki, and a horse named Svadilfari, Sleipnir was an eight-legged horse and the favorite steed of Odin. Personality wise, Sleipnir was one of the good guys, called the "best horse among gods and men", but, call us crazy, we just can't get behind the idea of a spider steed. *Shivers*
Gamera
A Japanese movie monster that lives in the shadow of the ore popular Godzilla, we can't help but feel Gamera should get more monster love/fear. Gamera is essentially a moody turtle who swims out of the ocean every so often to befriend a small child and destroy scale model replicas of the city in displays of cheesy graphics. So, what'd'ya think? Scary or meh?
Hodag
This creature had a lot going on. It had the face of an elephant, the head of a frog, the back of a dinosaur and a long tail with spears at the end. Ultimately, it turned out that the guy who reported capturing the hodag made the whole thing up, but the idea of this fearsome critter lives on.
Man-Eating Trees
"Man-eating trees" is a term used to refer to any legendary carnivorous plant large enough to consume a human being. These trees were first mentioned in an article in New York World in 1874, and allegedly consumed natives in Australia. These trees were said to be slender, with tendrils that writhed with "the fury of starved serpents". Yikes.
Wolpertinger
Wolpertingers are a lot like jackelopes, but don't be tricked into thinking they're one and the same, because they're not. These little demon bunnies are (according to folklore) native to the Bavarian Alps, where they have lots of room to flap their hawk-like wings and fly. How can something so adorable be so scary at the same time?
Minhocao
When you stop and think about it, worms are pretty creepy as it is, but when you hear about the Minhocao, they get even worse. The Minhocao is a huge serpent-like earthworm, covered end to end in black, scaly skin. With its strong jaw, it burrows deep beneath the jungles of South America.
Nandi Bear
The Nandi Bear takes its name from a tribe from the western portion of Kenya, where it supposedly lives. These monsters are ferocious and powerful, with muscular front shoulders and a sloping back, making them similar in appearance to the hyena. Those who believe in the Nandi Bear say that it eats the brains of its victims, which makes sense for a monster.
Tatzelwurm
Where most monsters use venom or the element of surprise to snag their victims, the Tatzelwurm relies on its poison breath to take down its prey. This dragon-like creature has a long snake-like neck and a face like a cat. We still can't decide if that makes it eerie or adorable. What do you think?
Krampus
Nothing says "Merry Christmas!" like a half-goat, half-demon monster who steals children who had the nerve not to do what their parents told them to all year long, are we right or are we right? By now, pretty much everyone knows what a Krampus is, but our familiarity with this monster hasn't made it any less upsetting.
