Growing up in the 2000s, I was surrounded by many odd movies and tv shows. I like to think that back then, creators were less afraid to censor themselves and made more off-the-wall content. Seeing what is being made today, kid shows or movies are much more lighthearted and goofy while the ones in the 2000s were grittier and even darker. As I reflect on my childhood, I've created a list of the most frightening characters that kept me up at night.
The Rats from "Princess Bride"
20th Century Studios
While at a sleepover party, we were given two movie options to watch. Princess Bride won, but we weren't really paying much attention. However, when the scene with the huge, ugly rats popped up, everyone went screaming out the room. I think some were just going along with the act, but I was genuinely scared and refused to continue watching the movie.
Josh & Parker from "Mr. Meaty"
Nickelodeon
I never watched an entire episode of this show. While flipping through different channels, I only got a glimpse of it and I wish I hadn't. I suppressed this show's existence so deep down in my mind that I had a hard time figuring out what it was called. I mean, just look at the character designs. It's so creepy! That is what nightmares are filled with. Who thought it was an okay idea to allow children to watch this?
Yubaba from "Spirited Away"
Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli has always been fawned over for their amazing movies and the high quality of the animation. A friend introduced me to a couple movies, such as Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Spirited Away. I love the style and the uniqueness of the characters, but Yubaba was a sight to behold. She's a large old woman with features that are off putting, such as her huge crazy eyes and wide mouth that looked like she could chomp the main character in a single bite. She also was able to breathe fire, ultimately heightening my fear.
Red Guy from "Cow and Chicken"
Cartoon Network
This is another show that I wasn't really an avid watcher of. I may have seen maybe one or two episodes. Shows like this just weren't my cup of tea. It was filled with adult jokes that went over my head as a child, but now I see how vulgar they were. I can't believe some of the jokes were allowed to be aired; it was a different time. Now, the Red Guy didn't necessarily freak me out, but he definitely made me uncomfortable. From his character design to questionable actions, I didn't enjoy looking at him.
Other Mom from "Coraline"
Laika
In the third grade, my whole class was invited to a classmate's birthday party to see Coraline in theaters. The idea of removing your eyes to sew in button ones makes me physically shutter. As Other Mom became more suspicious and evil throughout the movie, I could feel my body begin to tense. When she transformed into her more thin and bony form, I wanted to run out of the theatre. The use of clay animation also amped up the level of spookiness that I was not enjoying.
Koh the Face Stealer from "Avatar the Last Airbender"
Nickelodeon
With Avatar the Last Airbender's return to Netflix and a resurgence of popularity, I was reminded of the iconic story and beautifully written characters. However, I was also graciously reminded of the less appealing characters like Koh. I'm not too squeamish when it comes to bugs, but seeing a person's face on this centipede looking creature was beyond unsettling.
Ahkmenrah from "Night at the Museum"
20th Century Studios
This one may seem odd because how could one be freaked out by the beautiful Rami Malek, who played Ahkmenrah in the movie, but it was before we got to see his face that actually put me on edge. The first few nights Larry Daley, the security guard, was at the museum, he was told by the old guards not to let Ahkmenrah roam around. Without any true reason why he wasn't let out, it is speculated that Ahkmenrah was claustrophobic due to the banging on the lid of his sarcophagus and screaming. This mystery led me to believe he would be your stereotypical mummy, rotting flesh and all.
Candy Wife from "Flapjack"
Cartoon Network
Flapjack was probably the weirdest show I watched as a kid. This show did not shy away from gore and had very dark concepts. It blows my mind it was created for kids and not for a higher aged audience. The humor was still silly at times, but the graphics were seriously intense. Every character had some strange quirk about them, but Candy Wife was especially eerie to me. She was the only character that was more realistic and not in the cartoony style. The few moments we did see her was in the dimly lit back room of the Candy Barrel which just made this 100% more creepy.
Mrs. Tweedy from "Chicken Run"
Aardman Animations
Mrs. Tweedy was a mean lady who had no remorse for her chickens and only viewed them as a profit. The scene where she has gone completely mental (shown above) is truly terrifying with her axe clamped down between her teeth, her hair sticking out in every direction, and exhausted appearance. She put so much energy in trying to capture the chickens and was ready to kill any of them that attempted to resist. Can you imagine being in one of the chickens positions? I would be running for the hills too.
Fred from "Courage the Cowardly Dog"
Cartoon Network
I could probably make an entirely different list of all the characters that freaked me out from this show alone. Similar to Flapjack, Courage the Cowardly Dog had an array of freaky characters. Each episode, you would meet someone new who was doing some sketchy things to this family that lived in the middle of nowhere. Now, to narrow it down, I have chosen Fred, Muriel and Eustace's nephew. He came to visit one day and would only talk in a monotone voice and in rhythms. He continuously would end each poem with how he was feeling naughty. He also had this wide smile that showed off his yellowed, crooked teeth.
Madame Zeroni from "Holes"
Disney
To this day, Madame Zeroni still gives me the hibijibis and her quote, "If you forget to come back for Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity" will forever haunt me. I genuinely believed that this woman could also curse me. I want to think that deep down she was a nice type of witch, but that evil sounding cackle never sat well with me.
The Hobo from "The Polar Express"
Castle Rock Entertainment
The Polar Express was a movie I watched with my brothers one too many times and it has my absolute favorite christmas song in it ("When Santa Comes Around"). Still, I will never forget the wave of chills that rushed down my spine when I met the Hobo. He was some type of spirit and the scene where he makes the boy follow him into the train car filled with old toys was incredibly creepy. I wondered if I was watching a christmas film or a horror movie.
Sloth from "The Goonies
Amblin Entertainment
The first time I watched this movie was in the sixth grade while in math class. I thought it was pretty interesting to see these kids go on a treasure hunt. I never expected to see a character like Sloth and was initially scared by his appearance. As you get to know more of him, you learn that he is just a harmless gentle giant. Looking back, it wasn't fair of me to judge him based on his deformities and know that people in real life could look similar to him. I was insensitive, but know better now.
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