R-Rated horror films have absolutely no monopoly on scary monsters. In fact, some of the most blood-curdling fiends in cinematic history can be found in films traditionally meant for family audiences.
These hellish usurpers made life miserable for children who found their terrifying presence too much to bear. Nightmare fuel on the best of days, these are the 10 scariest monsters ever to Trojan Horse their way into a G or PG-rated film.
Princess Mombi / Return To Oz (1985)
The Wicked Witch of the West may have creeped out kids way back in 1939, but she was nothing compared to the ominous Princess Mombi from Return To Oz. This evil witch stole the heads of pretty girls and kept them in her private collection to swap based on her moods.
When Dorothy accidentally awakens Mombi's heads while trying to steal the Powder of Life, her headless body raises from its bed and begins chasing after her. That single scene drenched an already frightening film with a double dose of scary imagery that left children screaming.
Dragon / The Secret of N.I.M.H. (1982)
The Secret of N.I.M.H. remains Don Bluth's undisputed masterpiece; a triumph in animated children's storytelling. It's also far gloomier and mature than its Disney brethren.
Cat lovers were appalled at an early scene involving Dragon, a farmer's cat with less-than-pleasant physical features and a mean disposition. After watching it chase down and nearly kill Mrs. Brisby in horrifying fashion, it's a wonder if most kids thought twice before petting the neighborhood cat.
The General / Arachnophobia (1990)
It was either a stroke of genius, or sheer madness to make a family-friendly film about killer spiders, but Arachnophobia took the risk. A comedy film at heart, this movie has enough horror scares to send arachnophobes everywhere to the emergency room.
The worst monster of all is undoubtedly The General, a vicious and highly dangerous Venezuelan spider who makes its way to a small Californian town, where it breeds a deadly strain of arachnid. Though based on a real-life creature, The General's species does not actually exist in nature (or does it?), confining it to monster movie territory....for now!
The Gorax / Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
Young children must have swooned at the release of a standalone Ewok film, following the end of the original Star Wars trilogy. After all, they had become a hit with kids, even prompting the launch of an animated Saturday morning cartoon series.
They were ill-prepared for the fearsome Gorax, a gigantic humanoid monster native to the moon of Endor. Capable of yanking trees straight out of the ground, the Gorax was not to be meddled with. For young kids enchanted by the cute, furry Ewoks, this creature came head-on as quite a shock.
Stripe / Gremlins (1983)
It could be argued that Gremlins is a bonafide horror movie, rather than an holiday comedy film. There's no shortage of unsettling scenes strewn throughout the movie, and the resulting violence eventually led to the rise of the PG-13 rating, which speaks volumes.
Stripe is by far the most frightening of the bunch. In contrast to his hedonistic and comical brethren, Stripe is pure malice from the very first moment. His gradual rise from childlike bully to deranged would-be serial killer is unsettling, but nothing tops his gruesome death scene, which sent kids screaming for their parents.
The Grand High Witch / The Witches (1990)
None other than Angelica Houston could play a character like the Grand High Witch with such brilliance. Good natured as she is, the actress brings this sinister character to life in dual forms - a human facade, and a twisted, repugnant body.
While the movie does show dozens of creepy witches throughout its running time, the Grand High Witch is a cut above them all. Her long nose, hairless head, warts and evil eyes are quite scary, even by adult standards. One would be inclined to hide in the closet to avoid this monster.
The Horned King / The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron was an anomaly in Disney animated children's films due to its inherent darkness and fright factor, driven primarily by its main antagonist, the Horned King.
This skeletal figure may either be living or undead, but he's a sore sight for children's eyes. With menacing fangs, glowing red eyes and a somber, understated disposition, he is one of the more frightening monsters in children's movie history.
Gmork / The Neverending Story (1984)
The early 1980s seemed obsessed with conjuring up as many horrors as possible to inflict on children, and The Neverending Story followed suit. The final act of the film reveals one of the main antagonists - Gmork, which remains as scary today as it was over 30 years ago.
The Gmork is little more than an oversized wolf, but its bloodthirsty malice and soulless cruelty are projected right through its large, terrifying green eyes. Many children had a hard time dealing with what was shown on screen, especially when Gmork raises up to attack Atreyu in one of movie's darkest scenes.
The Skeksis / The Dark Crystal (1984)
Jim Henson traded Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy for creatures of ultimate darkness and sheer creep factor when he took on The Dark Crystal, a classic for the ages. Beautiful in every respect, the film is an ode to the mastercraft of puppetry, and the technical challenges required to bring the characters to life.
Henson knew what he was doing when he tasked artist Brian Froud to develop the Skeksis, a race of gnarled, twisted bipedal predatory birds who serve as the principal antagonists of the film. Young children everywhere were paralyzed both with fear and fascination at first glance of these all-too-real beings. Truly scary in every respect, the Skeksis only lose their menace during dinnertime, when things truly get comical.
The Harpy / The Last Unicorn (1982)
This classic animated adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's much-beloved novel has enough creep factor to go for miles, including thundering demonic bulls, red-eyed howling skeletons and creepy old witches. One towers over the rest as the most chilling - the dreaded Harpy, Celaeno.
Loosely based on Greek mythology, this gruesome take on Celaeno has given millions of children nightmares across the globe. The creature's spine-chilling shriek, malevolent eyes and horrible, twisted body serve up a double-dose of scares, especially during the scene when she breaks free of her cage, and reigns death from above. To date, it's perhaps the most unsettling and terrifying scene in children's film history.