Top 10 Nightmare Fuel Pokémon

What happens if someone mixes a grim reaper with a huge insect? This happens. Generation 1 introduced Scyther, a humanoid bug creature who fights with two massive scythes. The bug is capable of flying, because of course it is, and has three sharp claws on its feet. In the anime, the aggressive Pokémon tends to stick to its own kind, leading to trainers facing off against groups of Scythers. Pokémon Red's Pokédex explains that Scyther's speed is its greatest strength, allowing the bug to create clones of itself.

This one’s pretty tragic. Tochukaso is a rare type of toxic spore that latches to Paras Eggs, slowly sucking out the Pokémon's life-force. The fungus survives by ordering its host to scour the forest in search of nutrients, which only serves to strengthen the spore and weaken the host. Once Paras evolves into Parasect, the tochukaso gains complete control over the Pokémon's brain, turning the insect into nothing more than an empty husk. With its beady dead eyes, Parasect attacks with two deadly pincers and swarms can be found in a forest near you.

A demonic doll which was brought back to life in order to seek vengeance? Where have we heard that before? As a plush doll, Banette was thrown away like yesterday's spoiled milk, but a curse gave birth to this strange and unsettling creature. With a zipper for a mouth and slits for pupils, Banette is a Ghost-type Pokémon who uses its own body as a voodoo doll to curse its enemies. Mega Banette is – somehow – even creepier, as the Pokémon opens itself up to reveal the cursed purple body lurking within.

Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced the UIltra Beasts, extradimensional creatures that accidentally crossed over into Alola from Ultra Space. They are big, strong, and freaky looking. Among the eleven known types, Guzzlord ranks as the king of nightmares. Standing at over 18 feet, this walking building's defining feature is a large mouth right on its belly, which comes packed with fangs and tentacles. To paraphrase Sun and Moon's Pokédex entries, Guzzlord's hunger can never be sedated and the Ultra Beast has swallowed entire mountains and buildings whole.

The Sun and Moon series often gets criticized for being way too childish…but we’d like to point you in the direction of Guzma’s weapon of choice. Golisopod is…well, a giant isopod. And if you’re not familiar what one of those is, we encourage you to give it a quick google search – unless of course you want to sleep tonight. Despite being horrifying creatures, isopods are generally docile, which is something we certainly can’t say for this Pokemon given its massive set of claws. Just take one look in those dead eyes, and you’ll know the meaning of fear.

Dear lord is this thing even a pokemon? All we can confirm is that Eelektross is some kind of eel, leech, parasite, horror that looks like its straight out of a kaiju movie. If its electric type attacks were not shocking enough, Eelektross has been known to sneak on the ocean’s shore and pull unsuspecting victims into the deep. And what might it do with you while there? Why suck you up into their ghastly mouths of course.

Sometimes, not knowing is far worse than knowing. Mimikyu's true appearance is a mystery. In order to mask its real identity, the small Pokémon crafted and hides under a Pikachu-style rag coated with crayon markings. Suffering from loneliness, Mimikyu modeled the cover after the popular Pokémon to try and get closer to people. In rare instances when its costume is damaged, a shadowy mist seeps out, indicating that Mimikyu looks like a ghost. Rumors suggest that seeing Mimikyu's true form could lead to dire consequences, including death.

Even this Pokémon's name sounds painful. Pinsir is a Bug-type Pokémon defined by massive erect pincers on its head. These horns are also riddled with spikes. At around four feet, this Generation 1 creature towers over most children; and, after Mega Evolving, gains the ability to fly which makes things much, much worse. The most nightmarish part of Pinsir's design has to be its long mouth, which is accompanied by ten long and horizontal teeth. Going by Pokémon Red's Pokédex entry for Pinsir, anyone unfortunate enough to run into one is likely to be crushed to death.

How could we have a nightmare fuel list without including the living nightmare itself? Aside from Darkrai’s already imposing appearance, what truly makes this pokemon something to be feared is its penchant for entering the minds of sleeping victims and causing them to have perpetual nightmares. Though this isn’t entirely of its own accord, the fact that its recorded in the Pokedex suggests it has happened enough times to note…So you’ll certainly be lucky if you wake up in a cold sweat.

And you thought we were done with the most ‘child-friendly’ game in the franchise. When it comes to terrifying bug pokemon, this game certainly had a field day as it introduced us to this giant arachnid. How this thing left the design room without being flagged as too-scary, we’ll never know. Despite coming from its relatively goofy primary form, Dewpider, this guy is the stuff of nightmares as its watery-helmet is actually used to suck up and drown other pokemon. Yikes. One thing’s for certain, those of you with arachnophobia probably won’t add this one to your team.