Monsters are the source of nightmares that frighten both children and adults alike and it's why they are the subjects of so many horror films. This all started with the Universal monsters beginning from the 1920s to the 1950s; all inspiring modern-day reboots of various styles and qualities.
From Dracula to Frankenstein, there are many iconic Universal monsters but who is the scariest? Each monster delivers a different kind of horror with some being scarier than others. Some are not even that evil but are the result of other people's cruel and evil nature.
Frankenstein's Monster
There are many Frankenstein movies out there but Boris Karloff's films will likely always remain the most famous. At first, this man-made monster is big, imposing, and his undead appearance can be somewhat frightening. The truth is that he is a misunderstood creature that doesn't know what he is or what the world is. As a result, the people only make a monster out of him out of hysteria.
Though he does have scary moments, especially when he's more intelligent in The Bride Of Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Monster is a tragic character. It was actually the misunderstanding and appearance of this monster that inspired Stan Lee when he created The Incredible Hulk.
The Wolf Man
Another tragic character, The Wolf Man begins as Lawrence Talbot portrayed by monster legend Lon Chaney Jr., a kind man who becomes the victim of a curse to transform into a werewolf every full moon. Lawrence has no control over his actions as this beast. It is not some misunderstood creature but a monster that kills without question.
This same theme passes over into The Wolfman, the remake directed by Joe Johnston. While the original Wolf Man makeup might not seem as scary, it's still impressive for the time which is amplified by the dark and gothic atmosphere.
The Bride
Unlike Frankenstein's Monster, The Bride is a more monstrous creature. She constantly hisses in a creepy fashion plus the idea that this was Dr. Frankenstein's own bride resurrected to be the Monster's bride adds a sinister and disturbing nature to the character as a whole.
Despite her design being used for endless parodies and becoming a children's Halloween costume, The Bride remains an iconic figure of horror. Even Kenneth Branagh recognized this when he adapted the character into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in 1994.
The Phantom Of The Opera
Before it was one of the most famous musicals ever made, The Phantom Of The Opera was a silent film starring the father of Lon Chaney Jr. as the titular monster. It's a similar story about a masked man in an opera house who becomes infatuated with a woman. Instead of having a plethora of famous songs, it relies more on straight-up horror.
Unlike the musical version, Lon Chaney's Phantom is much more heartless and villainous rather than the tragic figure. When unmasked, the Phantom's face is more skeletal, resembling an undead monster rather than someone who was born differently. When revealed, the Phantom remains a terrifying presence despite having no audible dialogue.
The Gillman
Unlike other Universal monsters, the origins of the Gillman are unknown and he's the least human-like of them all. In The Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Gillman is the titular antagonist who stalks the intruders of his domain through some of the first examples of underwater horror in film history.
Though dated by today's standards, the suit designed by Milicent Patrick is still a creepy monster, especially in the underwater scenes. This is one of many monsters that inspired filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro in his career thanks to its ominous, inhuman methods of stalking and killing humans.
Count Dracula
When it comes to the depictions of these classic monsters, none of them created a stereotype like Bela Lugosi's version of Dracula. From video games to cartoons to even costumes around Halloween time, a person is bound to see a Dracula that resembles Bela Lugosi from James Whale's Dracula.
That shows how iconic this Dracula is; the accent, the sinister hypnotizing scares, and seeing him skulk in the darkness but it's all combined with the fact that he's a genuinely charismatic host at first. Bela Lugosi brings it all together with an iconic design that turned Dracula into a timeless classic.
Imhotep
In a case of mistaken identity, most seem to remember Imhotep for being a brutal killer but he's actually not. Boris Karloff brings this monster in The Mummy to life as well but he only kills at the beginning before becoming human again for the rest of the film.
Imhotep does bring the scare factor with an endlessly creepy performance by Karloff. He's stiff, always stares intensely, and can fill the scene with dread with just a few words. Many actors have played the Mummy character but Karloff's will always be remembered.
Kharis
Where Imhotep relied on atmosphere and psychological terror, Kharis was more akin to a slasher villain who would murder people for the person that controlled him. Kharis is actually the more commonly remembered Mummy that helped inspire the Hammer version and Universal's remake.
He was darker, he was more brutal, and while he did not have that haunting presence of Boris Karloff or Lon Chaney Jr., Tom Tyler relied on being a more physically imposing threat. An unstoppable killer can be equally as scary as shown by the likes of Jason Voorhees and his many iconic kills.
The Invisible Man
A killer coming at a victim is scary but imagine if the killer could not be seen. That is horror and that is why The Invisible Man is a terrifying concept. Jack Griffin began as a scientist who created a formula to turn the subject invisible, including himself.
In an attempt to cure himself, he descended into madness and became a mass murderer. It's hard to tell where he comes from, sometimes it's impossible and to make it worse, Griffin enjoys terrorizing and constantly laughs and mocks his prey as he creates chaos.