While Studio Ghibli is primarily known for its iconic cast of lovable characters – take Totoro, Kiki, and Ponyo, for instance – every once in a while, the studio manages to conjure up a weirdly unsettling character, especially given their child-friendly reputation.
They may not exactly be terrifying by adult standards, but there’s some real nightmare fuel to be found in the Ghibli filmography for younger audiences. Not all these characters are necessarily villainous, or even intentionally distressing, but others are just downright grotesque. Ranging from regular animals to gods and demons, these are the ten scariest creatures found in Studio Ghibli movies.
Niya
Sure, Niya may be your run of the mill, overweight house cat, but from the miniature perspective of The Secret World of Arrietty’s titular protagonist, he can be more than a little intimidating.
At one point in the movie, Arrietty is chased by Niya – albeit very briefly – who attempts to squeeze himself through a set of metal bars in order to tear Arrietty apart, showing off his impressively sharp teeth and claws. Fortunately, Niya calms down after this and eventually becomes friendly with the borrower.
Moro
Princess Mononoke’s 300-year-old wolf god Moro may not exactly be the most terrifying creature ever put to screen on a visual level, but what makes Moro so unnerving is her unrelenting propensity for violence.
While filmmakers have a tendency to give dogs and wolves a soft side for the sake of the audience, Moro is willing to rip and tear any potential threat – human or otherwise – to shreds without a second thought. Despite all her wisdom, Moro simply isn’t one to show mercy. Just take a look at that snarl, after all.
Catbus
There’s no doubt that Catbus of My Neighbor Totoro fame is one of the most beloved Studio Ghibli characters ever created. Renowned for both the weirdness of his design and his overall cuteness, there’s still something weirdly unsettling about the character.
Maybe it’s those wide, unblinking yellow eyes, his Cheshire Cat grin or his unnecessary amount of legs – he has twelve, by the way – but there’s undeniably something ‘off’ about Catbus. This will likely be the most contentious entry on this entire list, but for those who get it, they’ll really get it.
Kashira
While Spirited Away’s bathhouse is populated with all manner of weird and wonderful creatures, one of its most disturbing residents is the Kashira, a trio of three disembodied heads that loyally serve their master – the nefarious witch Yubaba.
With greenish skin and bulging white eyes, the Kashira attempt to intimidate Chihiro during her first meeting with Yubaba and even attempt to dispose of Haku’s body after he’s nearly killed. What’s more, the heads can even shapeshift at will, taking on the appearance of the giant baby Boh at one point.
River Spirit
Upon first arriving at the bathhouse in Spirited Away, the River Spirit is completely unrecognizable, with humanity’s pollution of its rivers casing him in a thick sludge that’s almost impossible to remove. While the River Spirit is gross enough in this form, he’s arguably even creepier once he’s been successfully cleaned.
Resembling an intensely wrinkled floating face with a detached lower jaw and barely any teeth, the River Spirit may be a benevolent spirit, but that doesn’t make his appearance any less bizarre.
Ohmu
If you’re the kind of person who can’t stand the sight of creepy-crawlies, the Ohmu are sure to send a shiver down your spine. Featured in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, the Ohmu are giant, invertebrate insectoid creatures, created by mankind to ‘purify’ corrupted lands with their spores – crushing anything in their path with their enormous size.
Known to run rampant on occasion, the Ohmu can be incredibly destructive, with their tough exoskeletons rendering them almost impervious to attacks – making them near unstoppable.
The Ape Tribe
Princess Mononoke is undoubtedly one of the more adult movies in Studio Ghibli’s catalog, featuring some surprisingly violent scenes and disturbing moments. There are few things in the movie as likely to inspire childhood nightmares, however, as the Ape Tribe.
Primarily seen as ominous silhouettes with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth, the apes even consider eating a weakened Ashitaka at one point – with their deep, booming voices making the entire scene even more disturbing.
The Forest Spirit
Although the all-powerful Forest Spirit in Princess Mononoke doesn’t represent any particular facet of morality, the various forms it takes are all creepy in their own unique ways.
Its daytime form resembles that of a regular deer – only it’s bright red face is way too close to human for comfort, landing the creature squarely in the uncanny valley. At night, the Forest Spirit becomes the Nightwalker, a colossal, bipedal being that glows a translucent blue. Should his head be removed, the Forest Spirit becomes an amorphous black cloud that frantically searches for its missing head.
Demon Nago
As the god of the boars in Princess Mononoke, Nago was already a significant force of nature. After being shot with iron by Lady Eboshi however, a demonic corruption took hold of Nago, causing him to rampage across the land towards Emishi Village.
As a demon, Nago is covered in leech-like creatures that flail wildly, with red eyes glowing from beneath black mass. Although Ahitaka is eventually able to take down Nago, he’s cursed as a result, resulting in his banishment from the village.
No-Face
Although everybody who’s seen Spirited Away loves No-Face, his initial appearance in the movie was surprisingly terrifying, nonetheless. After feeling rejected by Chihiro, No-Face goes on a rampage through the bathhouse, eating its residents whole while vomiting profusely.
At his core, No-Face is just a lonely spirit, and eventually releases those he swallowed after Chihiro intervenes. While he may look relatively unassuming in his regular form however, it’s tough to forget just how grotesque and horrifying No-Face can be on a bad day.