20 TV Characters That Scared Us Silly

For many, TV is a safe place, a chance to unwind and forget about the pressures and worries of the outside world. But every now and then, a character creeps onto our screen that makes us feel a little less than safe. And though television has had its fair share of amazing bad guys over the years, only a few have left us truly shaken by their actions, words or even just their appearance. So, get ready to hide under your blanket as we take a look at the TV characters who frightened us more than we’d like to admit! 

The Daleks (Doctor Who) – An all-time scary villain who stalked the nightmares of several generations. The Daleks, an alien race of conquerors who want nothing more than the extermination of the universe, have been Doctor Who‘s most famous villains since their first appearance in 1963. Their robot-like voices and complete lack of mercy make them a chilling foe for the Time Lord, no matter what era you are looking at. To remain so consistently foreboding over the years (the most recent appearance was in 2022) shows just how effectively they can play on our fears.   

Pennywise (IT) – Author Stephen King doesn’t always appreciate adaptations of his work, and so when he praises something, you know it’s worth watching. Tim Curry entered horror history as Pennywise the Clown, the horrifying antagonist of this 1990 miniseries based on King’s bestselling novel. The author believes it was Curry’s performance that made the series so memorable, and it’s hard to disagree. He was the snarling reality of every nightmare you might have had about clowns, and despite two successful IT movies in the years since, he remains the standard for the character.

Vecna (Stranger Things) – Named after the feared Dungeons and Dragons villain, Vecna is a terrifiying supernatural being who started as a child test subject due to his telekinetic abilities, but was banished to the Upside Down netherworld where he grew even stronger. A fine performance from Jamie Campbell Bower typifies everything we love about the Netflix series, which works to bring the most horrifying corners of your mind to the small screen. Even series star Millie Bobby Brown was taken in, as Bower revealed: “I walked up to her (as Vecna) and she burst into tears. She wouldn’t look at me and she was visibly just disgusted by the whole thing.”

Young-hee (Squid Game) – What is it about dolls that tends to make the blood run cold? Perhaps it’s the subversion of innocence that many people find so unnerving – which may be why this giant doll from Korean hit Squid Game is so fascinating. Young-hee is a motion-sensing doll in the murderous competition, “eliminating” contestants who fall foul of her rules. Based on a textbook character from Korean schools, putting this childhood favourite in a bloodthirsty context is symbolic of why the show was so popular. 

Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones) – “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.” Even in a world as brutal as Westeros, this blood-chilling line stands out as one of the most vindictive. Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) was the torturing, murdering, terrorising lord at the centre of one of the show’s darkest stories. From season 2 to season 7, the character’s cruel behaviour and unsettling mannerisms made it a performance so reviled, even the actor himself confessed he didn’t mind leaving the part behind. 

Arthur Mitchell/The Trinity Killer (Dexter) – Considered the most twisted character in a very twisted series, John Lithgow’s award-winning performance as Arthur Mitchell played on the idea that evil lurks beneath polite society. Arthur is seen as a pillar of his community, but secretly he is the psychotic Trinity Killer, a man who murders in gruesome cycles that shock even Dexter (Michael C Hall). His awful message to potential victims, “it’s already over”, became a prediction for one of the most shocking season endings ever, when he departed at the end of season four. 

Killer BOB (Twin Peaks) – How does a behind-the-scenes accident turn into one of the greatest TV performances? When set designer Frank Silva accidentally appeared in the reflection of a mirror during an episode of Twin Peaks, David Lynch liked the effect and cast him as Bob, a mysterious being that occupies people and feeds on misery. Everything about Twin Peaks was mysterious, but inserting this image of pure evil into the mix made every turn of Agent Cooper’s (Kyle MacLachlan) investigation more sinister. Silva sadly died in 1995, before the series was brought back, but his performance lives on in archive footage – and in the minds of fans who have discovered the show in the years since his passing. 

Homelander (The Boys) – We all love Superman because he uses his immense power for the good of mankind. But what if he wasn’t so nice? That’s the disturbing concept at the heart of Homelander, the lead villain of The Boys. While publicly he is the altruistic leader of superhero team The Seven, behind the scenes he is vindictive, corrupt and savagely violent. His million-dollar smile and heroic stature invite viewers to stare deep inside the character… and be horrified by what they find. 

Skeksis (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) – Inspired by the seven deadly sins, Skeksis are a hideous and malevolent race of creatures, and the villains of the Dark Crystal Universe. Though wwful to look at, somehow their grotesque appearance is secondary to their manipulation and cruelty. Their status as rulers of the planet Thra makes their unmatched power and unparalleled brutality a frightening and deadly combination. Ironically, these horrible creatures have regularly been voiced by comedic actors such as Simon Pegg, Keegan-Michael Key and Awkwafina. 

The Weeping Angels (Doctor Who) – There’s something deeply unsettling about a horror concept that makes you feel like you’re at risk. From ancient tales like Medusa that told the viewer not to look, to A Quiet Place that seemed to punish watchers for making noise. For Doctor Who fans, it was the chilling instruction: “Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink!” The Weeping Angels are monsters in the form of statues that can’t move when seen, but move so fast they can get closer between blinks. So terrifying they were brought back a number of times on the show, watching them will make you test your own resolve!

Eugene Victor Tooms (The X-Files) – While paranormal FBI investigators Mulder and Scully were the stars of The X-Files, the spooky subjects of their cases were the reason the show gained so much notoriety. One of the most celebrated came in the first season, as the character of Eugene Victor Tooms. Tooms was a man capable of stretching and squeezing himself through cracks in doors and windows, meaning he could enter even the most secure houses. The idea of a character that could get to you no matter how hard you tried to hide was a key aspect of what made him so frightening.

The Borg (Star Trek) – For Trekkies around the world, the phrase “resistance is futile” is likely to send chills down the spine. First introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation, they are a killer cybernetic unit that absorb all creatures into their collective, turning them into mindless killing machines. At one point assimilating the great Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), they have been a recurring nightmare for Star Trek crews (and fans) ever since, most recently being part of the spin-off show Star Trek: Picard. 

Nanno (Girl from Nowhere) – What’s more unsettling than someone who knows all your secrets? That’s the power of Nanno, the title character from this Thai thriller series. She is an enigmatic school student who drifts from school to school, unearthing the mysteries and crimes bubbling beneath the surface. In an age where our personal information and privacy are more vulnerable than ever, this concept cuts deep into our insecurities. The idea of an elusive, eternal being who hides in plain sight has proven a hit with TV fans, who have made the show popular in many countries. 

Clickers (The Last of Us) – The apex predator in TV series The Last of Us, Clickers are an advanced form of a zombie fungal infection that has spread over the world. Devoid of sight, with their head now a giant jaw, they move based on incredibly sensitive hearing and make our heroes’ every step, and every breath, potentially fatal. The show did an excellent job in translating the creatures from the video game to the small screen – once seen, they may haunt your nightmares for nights to come! 

Chucky (Chucky) – Since the 1980s, Chucky the possessed doll has been a controversial chapter in movie history, making headlines for the Child’s Play series of films. However, in 2021 he made his way to the small screen in his self-titled show, with long-time Chucky voice actor Brad Dourif returning as the doll that goes on a killing spree in a small city. The original scary aspects of Chucky have remained the same over the last few decades: the idea of a child’s plaything becoming an evil being speaks to something in everyone, and makes us all feel a little bit more vulnerable. 

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal) – Another character made famous in movies, many fans wondered if anyone could match the performances of Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins in his many years in the role. However, Mads Mikkelsen did superbly, giving the cannibalistic doctor the unnerving air of a supervillain, while also offering some insight into the mind of a madman. Though the series was cancelled, much to the dismay of the devoted fan base, the impact of Mikkelsen’s creepy performance lives on.

Negan (The Walking Dead) – In a world already overrun with flesh-eating zombies, it takes a special kind of evil to be the most fear-inducing character around. However, that’s exactly the brand of villainy Negan brought to The Walking Dead, starting in its 6^th season. A favourite from the original comic books, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the remorseless dictator of a merciless gang ironically named The Saviours. His unnervingly relaxed demeanour mixed with his outbursts of horrific violence have ingrained Negan into pop culture history as one of the most feared bad guys of recent years. 

The Crypt Keeper (Tales from the Crypt) – An icon of TV horror, the Crypt Keeper was the host of the scary anthology show Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Crypt Keeper during the 1990s. In each episode, the Crypt Keeper would introduce a carefully chosen story from his lair, often weaving dark humour into his introduction. His ghastly appearance, as well as love for horror-themed puns, made him a staple of late-night television, before branching out into spin-off cartoons, movies and game shows. 

Russell Edgington (True Blood) – True Blood was the camp-creepy vampire show that developed a cult following in the 2010s, thanks to its extreme storylines and characters. Yet few in the series could claim to be more extreme than Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare). An elder vampire with a charming and debonair exterior, he reveals it all to be a facade when he sets out on a blood-spattered plan to make vampires the superior species to humans. The juxtaposition between the two sides of his personality makes him an unsettling antagonist for the show’s third and fifth seasons, and one fans won’t soon forget.

Zelda (Terrahawks) – Another character that’s scary just to look at, Zelda is a wicked and vastly intelligent Martian android with the power to teleport her minions to Earth with the intent to terrorise and destroy. Some of the most fearful characters of all time have come from programmes intended for children, and Zelda’s shrill voice struck fear in the hearts of an entire generation.