What started out as a series of children’s horror novels turned into a 90s television show spanning four seasons onFOX.Goosebumpswas an anthology series that told terrifying stand-alone tales in each episode and starred some memorable - and horrifying - monsters.
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From classics like mummies and scarecrows to lawn gnomes that terrified every millennial watching to one of thecreepiest dolls in horror history,Goosebumpswas chock full of some of the scariest characters in children’s television.
The Mummy (‘Return Of The Mummy’)
Season 1 episode “Return of the Mummy” followed a young boy and his archeologist uncle who discovered the tomb of a mummified prince. When they disturb the prince’s rest and his mummy comes to life, he seeks revenge on those who woke him.
This mummy took on a zombified face and a body wrapped in linen when he reveals himself by hobbling after those who disturbed him. While he may not be the scariest of theGoosebumpsclan, there will always be something scary about a mummy making its way toward you.
The Pumpkin Heads (‘Attack Of The Jack-O’-Lanterns')
Despite general being orange and smiley, there’s always something eerie about a jack-o-lantern, andR.L. Stinehopped on the trend with Season 2 episode “Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns,” which followed a group of friends playing a Halloween night prank on their bullies.
The Pumpkin Heads - also named Shane and Shana - aren’t exactly monstrous, but the two kids do double as people-eating aliens. While their lobster claws for hands aren’t too intimidating, their giant jack-o-lantern heads with the grimacing faces would scare away any bully.
Mr. Mortman (‘The Girl Who Cried Monster’)
Mr. Mortman appeared in one of the show’s first episodes titled “The Girl Who Cried Monster," about a young girl who enjoys telling made-up monster stories until she stumbles upon a real-life monster and no one believes her.
Mr. Mortman was a librarian by day and a creepy alien by night, with big, buggy eyes and scaly skin and an appetite for tarantulas. While he doesn’t appear as much of a threat in the episode, the mask used for this character’s scary appearance is impressive for the mid-90s.
Rip The Cat (‘Cry Of The Cat’)
“Cry of the Cat” was a two-part episode of Season 4 that aired on Halloween 1998 and brought a meta take to the series when a teen actress stars in the film adaption of the Cry of the Cat book. But things take a turn when she accidentally hits a cat with her bike and learns this cat indeed has nine lives when he seeks his revenge.
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Rip is a black cat with sharp claws and fangs who eventually morphs into a hideous monster that resembles something out ofAlienwhen sets his sights on the girl who killed him with plans of getting one of his nine lives back.
The Piano Lessons Ghost (‘Piano Lessons Can Be Murder’)
“Piano Lessons Can Be Murder” is a Season 1 episode all about aboy who discovers an old piano in his new house and not only receives lessons from a strange piano teacher, but is visited by a ghost with an eerie warning.
While the piano teacher Dr. Sheek is the main antagonist of the episode, it’s the ghost who continuously warns the boy about his teacher that remains the scariest part of the episode for appearing as a green, corpse-like girl with a ghostly aura.
The Lawn Gnomes (‘Revenge Of The Lawn Gnomes’)
There’s nothing scarier than an inanimate object coming to life, especially when it has evil intentions, and Season 2 episode “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” forever terrified millennials of lawn gnomes when a family’s lawn ornaments come to life at night.
These lawn gnomes named Chip and Hap are not only scary for coming to life, but for turning into life-sized gnomes with scowling faces who attack their owner’s property at night.
The Haunted Mask (‘The Haunted Mask’)
“The Haunted Mask” acted as the two-part series premiere ofGoosebumpsjust in time for Halloween in 1995. Thiscreepy start to the seriesfollowed a girl who winds up in the possession of a scary Halloween mask that eventually takes over her.
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While simply a mask you could find at any old Spirit Halloween, this villain terrifying takes over a child’s head and morphs onto her skin, subsequently changing her voice and her personality from an innocent, young girl to a violent monster.
The Scarecrows (‘Scarecrow Walks At Midnight’)
Scarecrows will never not be a scary addition to horrors, and in the Season 2 episode “Scarecrow Walks At Midnight,” this terror tactic is proved yet again when the scarecrows come to life on a farm owned by grandparents.
The scarecrows in this episode are as to be expected, with straw arms, burlap sacks over their heads, and dark, chilling faces when they awaken, even attacking a young girl in a frightening dream sequence.
The Horrors (‘One Day At HorrorLand’)
“One Day at HorrorLand” was a two-episode event from Season 3 that followed a family’s trip to an amusement park that takes a turn when they wind up in a place called HorrorLand, forced to take part in a game show hosted by a group of monsters.
The Horrors run the terrifying amusement park and appear as scary beasts dressed in carnival-like attire. These monsters enjoy torturing the humans who visit their park with their eerie rides and threats of death.
Slappy The Dummy (‘Night Of The Living Dummy II’)
Of all the characters in theGoosebumpsseries, the scariest will forever be Slappy the Dummy, who stars in the Season 1 episode “Night of the Living Dummy II,” about a girl who embarks on learning ventriloquism with her new dummy that winds up framing her for antics around the house.
Slappy the Dummy is the most remembered villain of the franchise due to becoming its mascot, earning himself his own book series. Slappy’s evil intentions and creepy stare make him the most feared amongtheGoosebumpsmonsters.
