Pokemonis a show made for kids, and most of thegames in the franchiseare rated E for everyone according to theESRB. This means that there shouldn’t be any Pokemon in the games or shows that are too scary for children to digest.
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Kanto was just the beginning.
However, the following Pokemon have some of the scariest designs that are sure to give nightmares to not just children but even adults.
These entries don’t take into account the creepy things the Pokedex adds about Pokemon, but ranks them based on their design alone.
Ice-type Pokemon
Introduced in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, Glalie is a floating sphere of frozen malice that embodies the frigid nature of its Ice type. Its design is simple yet unsettling—an icy, hockey-mask-like face that looks like it jumped straight off Jason from Friday the 13th, and red eyes that can make the player’s skin crawl.
Its Mega evolution in later games dials the scare factor up even further, with its jaw splitting open like something out of a horror flick. The fact that Glalie is an evolution of a cutesy Snorunt is something that will never make any sense.
Grass/dark-type Pokemon
Cacturne is another Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 3 that is too scary to be in a kid’s game, and looks like it walked straight out of a horror movie set in the desert. Resembling a humanoid scarecrow with spiky limbs and a sinister grin that’s made out entirely of holes in its skin, Cacturne’s design suggests it’s always watching and waiting in silence for someone unfortunate enough to come close to it.
In the Pokemon anime, Cacturne has been portrayed as a quiet and calculating Pokemon, often owned by trainers with a mischievous or dark personality.
Dark/Dragon Type Pokemon
Few Pokemon can rival the sheer grandeur of Giratina. First appearing in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and taking center stage in Pokemon Platinum, this massive Ghost/Dragon-type stands over 14 feet tall. Compared to its altered forme, the origin forme is scarier, with six shadowy wing-like appendages, a skeletal face, and a serpentine body evoking an ethereal terror befitting a creature exiled to the Distortion World.
Giratina’s role in the Giratina and the Sky Warrior movie elevated its status as a terrifying yet misunderstood force of nature.
7Tentacruel
Water/poison Type Pokemon
With its massive jellyfish-like body that has red orbs on it that look like glowing eyes, while its actual eyes are hidden beneath its upper body, and nearly 80 tentacles, Tentacruel is a creature ofnightmares for anyone with thalassophobia. A part of the Pokemon universe from the very games that started the franchise, Pokemon Red and Blue, Tentacruel has been often considered as one of the scariest Pokemon from the first generation. And the fact that it resides deep in the depths of the ocean furthers its spookiness.
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In the anime, Tentacruel’s most infamous moment came early on when a giant one attacked a coastal city, smashing buildings with its massive tentacles, only making people wonder how nerve-racking it would be to encounter this giant beast as a diver underwater in the Pokemon games.
Rock/psychic-type Pokemon
Modeled after a crescent moon, Lunatone’s design is deceptively simple yet deeply unnerving. Yet another Pokemon in this list that’s introduced in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, this pale, floating, moon-like creature with a hollowed-out cavity for eyes on each side of its face, within which resides a single glowing red eye, gives it an otherworldly presence.
Lunatone’s limited appearances in the anime focused on its mysterious nature, with the Pokemon often being found in desolate and eerie locations.
5Trevenant
Ghost/Grass-Type Pokemon
First appearing inPokemon X and Y, Trevenant is a gnarled tree brought to life, with a glowing red eye peering out of its knotted trunk. Involved from Phantump, which itself is a spooky Pokemon, Trevenant takes the idea of a ghost possessing a tree and runs away with it, giving way to its twisted branches, gnarly teeth, and an eerie, glowing red eye in the middle.
In the Pokemon anime, Trevenant has been depicted as both a protector of nature and a terrifying entity. One episode featured it kidnapping Ash and luring his friends in a forest, which further highlights its spooky demeanor, even if it just wanted Ash’s help to rescue his friends.
4Blacephalon
Fire/Ghost-Type Pokemon
Introduced as an Ultra Beast in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Blacephalon is as bizarre as it is unsettling. Its clown-like appearance, with a detachable, glowing head that it uses to create explosions, is a bit too much even for Pokemon. At 5 ‘11", Blacephalon’s lanky frame and misshapen resemblance to a humanoid figure evoke a surreal, almostalien kind of fear.
It’s no wonder many people name their Blacephalon “Pennywise”.
3Eternatus
Poison/Dragon-Type Pokemon
Towering at over a hundred meters in its Eternamax Form, the abstract shape of this massive serpentine Pokemon, which is actually an alien, makes it look like it jumped out of someone’s nightmare (or from Stranger Things). Introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Eternatus’ skeletal design and glowing core give it an almost apocalyptic vibe, which is fitting for this legendary Pokemon that came to earth in a meteorite 20,000 years ago.
In Pokemon Sword and Shield, Eternatus serves as the central antagonist in the climax of the story, where it threatens to plunge the Galar region into chaos by unleashing the devastating “Darkest Day.” Players must team up with Zacian and Zamazenta to subdue this titanic foe, turning the encounter into an epic showdown that further solidifies Eternatus as one of the most dangerous and ominous threats in the Pokemon franchise.
2Confagrius
Ghost-Type Pokemon
First landing in Pokemon Black and White on the Nintendo DS, Cofagrigus is a pure Ghost-type that immediately stands out as one of the spookiest designs in the series. Its body is literally a golden sarcophagus with sinister red eyes glaring from its carved visage. Evolving from Yamask, which is scary on its own, Confagrius takes things up to eleven. Four shadowy, clawed arms extend from inside its coffin-like body, hinting at a horrifying entity lurking within, something that should never be allowed to escape.
Cofagrigus’s design is the embodiment of ancient Egyptian mummies, curses, and supernatural horror, and is among the spookiest Pokemon, without even considering its lore and Pokedex entry.
Ghost/Fairy-Type Pokemon
Mimikyu’s design is just as tragic as it is creepy and unsettling. Introduced to the world in Pokemon Sun and Moon, Mimikyu’s true identity remains hidden beneath a misshapen and dilapidated old Pikachu doll. Unlike Trevenant, which is actually a haunted tree, Mimikyu is an unknown creature that felt it was so hideous it hid itself beneath this doll, just so nobody could see it. And the fact that this Pokemon’s actual identity is much more sinister than just a ghost makes it much scarier.
In the anime, Mimikyu’s vendetta against Pikachu and its eerie voice further elevates its spooky factor. Mimikyu’s story is about failure in self-acceptance, unfathomable power, and a longing to be loved as much as Pikachu is, after which its doll is designed.
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