Top 20 Lesser Known Movie Monsters

“Daimajin” franchise (1966-) Like a classic giant monster, a Daimajin, or “great demon god” is large, destructive, and arguably the hero of the film. This shogun-like, revenge-seeking spirit – or yokai – usually possesses a massive stone idol or statue wearing samurai armor as its body and responds to the pleas for help from women, children, and the poor. When it comes to life, it’ll defend those who’ve paid it the proper respect and kill those who haven’t through the typical rampaging as well as its mystical powers. Fast and virtually invincible, it won’t stop until all evil is vanquished – or a kind act is performed. It will then leave the statue and move onto where it’s needed next.

“Tremors” franchise (1990-) With the ability to sense any move you make, there’s no escaping a Graboid. Even if you learn to fly, it’ll eventually molt into a flying form that can fire flames. However, even in their most common form these giant sandworms have a complex and deadly physiology, allowing them to burrow through sand and attack from underneath. They have an “eat first, ask questions later” mentality. However, they’re also not as mindless as they look - and in fact, they’ve survived to make it into multiple films and a short-lived TV spin-off.

“Rawhead Rex” (1986) Born out of the creatively twisted mind of Clive Barker, Rawhead Rex looks like a gorilla combined with a particularly blood-starved ogre. This demigod might be at his creepiest best in the original short story and graphic novel, but the cinematic version still has quite a terrifying presence, courtesy of the film's clever use of perspective. Although some other creatures from the '80s have visually aged better than Rawhead, the monster still has plenty of B-movie charm to him. The "Rawhead Rex" movie and its monster have been somewhat forgotten, but they both provide enough thrills to be worth a watch.

#17: Sil

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Top 10 Lesser-Known Movie Monsters

“Species” (1995) What happens when alien and human DNA is combined? A really weird movie, that's what. "Species" centers around Sil, a human and alien crossbreed who ages rapidly up until a certain point, is driven by survival instinct, and can either look like a model or a monster designed by H.R. Giger. As an entity driven by a desire to reproduce, Sil stands out as an overtly sexual creature in a genre that typically reserves such themes for subtext. Along with being undoubtedly monstrous, Sil's alien form also works as a corrupted version of her human form's provocative appeal.

#16: The Crawling Eye

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“The Trollenberg Terror” [aka “The Crawling Eye”] (1958) There’s nothing unusual about clouds in the mountains. Now make that cloud radioactive and imagine tentacles coming out of it. The crawling eye is an alien species that generates its own mist to hide and run around in, and to take care of humans in, just because it can. Note that this one-eyed blob doesn’t have to move fast to kill because it can control the person standing across the room from you and force them to do its bidding. Your best hope is having a psychic on hand to track it as well as a lot of fire, especially in the form of Molotov cocktails.

“The Faculty” (1998) As keeping a low profile can be useful when trying to take over a planet, Marybeth presents herself as a normal teenager for the majority of "The Faculty." Armed with a terrible Southern accent and a girl next door vibe, Marybeth manages to seamlessly slip into Herrington High School's student body, but it's only a matter of time before the truth is revealed. Marybeth's monstrous form is the most alien thing ever, featuring plenty of tentacles and an aesthetic that just screams slimy. This Alien Queen might not necessarily be scary, but Marybeth leaves quite an impression.

#14: The Intelligence

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“Virus” (1999) Why settle for one form when the sky's the limit? In "Virus," The Intelligence is an extraterrestrial energy that takes over a spaceship and begins to create all sorts of mechanical monstrosities. Putting aside the quality of the film, "Virus" does feature solid special effects, allowing for The Intelligence's cyborgs and hi-tech creations to steal the show. The entity goes through multiple forms throughout the movie, but the most visually impressive and intimidating is the Goliath. A hulking amalgamation of wires and human spare parts, the Goliath is The Intelligence's masterpiece.

#13: The Stuff

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“The Stuff” (1985) To some, marketing is everything - just look at The Stuff. A white substance that looks like yogurt and tastes even better, The Stuff hits store shelves and becomes a commercial phenomenon. Readily available and even coming with its own commercial, this mind-altering parasite doesn't need to do anything to find victims, as people literally pay good money to unknowingly act as hosts for The Stuff. Naturally, yogurt does not make for a particularly scary monster, but The Stuff – both the movie and the monster – more than deliver when it comes to campy goodness.

#12: Animal

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“Animal” (2014) This modern creature feature strips the subgenre down to its most basic form, crafting a simple story about human versus beast survival. The titular Animal comes with no backstory or even a name; it’s nothing more than a monster that exists to terrorize this movie's characters. Removed from any mythology, this beast exists as a purely primal force, a ferocious and violent being that defies explanation. While the monster's design feels somewhat familiar, the Animal still looks pretty great, with its sharp teeth enhancing its status as the dominant predator of this universe.

#11: Giant Octopus

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“It Came from Beneath the Sea” (1955) Does anything good ever come from the bottom of the ocean? Believed to have been driven from the depths of the Pacific Ocean by a military sub testing H-bombs, this giant sea-beast begins to forage for a new feeding ground. Ship after ship begins to go missing as it wanders the ocean. Long before it’s seen, we get clues to its destructive power and hints to its size – but even so, the actual reveal is still surprising. And the fact that we now know similar giant tentacle monsters like this exist makes this gigantic, possibly radioactive cephalopod even more disturbing.

“Cloverfield” (2008) While its popularity is arguable, when it comes to this giant monster, you get no warning or explanation - just destruction. Thanks to some found footage from a camcorder, we get to watch as New York City is suddenly shaken by explosions, with an unknown creature at the center of the mayhem. Due to the filmmaking style used in “Cloverfield” and the many close-ups, we only really see glimpses of Clover throughout the first half, which makes it all the more terrifying. In fact, it’s temporarily covered with parasites that have a taste for human blood. By the time the creature is fully shown, the military has become fully involved, and that’s when we get to see how truly unstoppable it is.

“The Burrowers” (2008) An atmospheric western with elements of horror, "The Burrowers" holds back on its eponymous monsters for quite a while, opting to develop its realistic characters instead. Once the Burrowers show up, they are truly nightmarish in both appearance and hunting practices. The Burrowers drug and bury their victims, leaving them stewing for days until the monsters are ready to feast. Ultimately, the Burrowers are just one component in a complex tale that the film tries to tell, and these monsters are not the only threat touched upon by the western.

“The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” (1953) Reviving a dinosaur has been a dream of scientists for a long time. It’s too bad that it always seems to go so wrong in the movies. When nuclear testing accidentally awakens and frees a dinosaur from the Arctic Circle, the confused beast finds its way to the coast of North America and begins terrorizing New York City. Things only get worse as they find the dinosaur isn’t the only thing revived. Its blood carries an ancient virus that begins infecting people after the beast is harmed, which means the military has to get creative...

#7: Mutant Creature of the Leviathan

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“Leviathan” (1989) Sometimes man is the true monster - literally. In this Italian-American sci-fi horror flick, an unfortunate group of undersea miners finds a scuttled Soviet ship. Taking some souvenirs back aboard their own sub, including vodka, members of the crew soon begin to feel ill and start dying. The bodies then start to change and merge into a grotesque husk. The result of a mutagen produced by experiments from the former crew of the Leviathan, this monstrosity can continue to mutate and absorb more material to grow into a truly disgusting sight even after the death of the host - or when its limbs are cut off – resolving the mystery surrounding the Leviathan’s deliberate shipwreck.

#6: Blade

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“Puppet Master” franchise (1989-) As a ridiculous number of "Puppet Master" films have been created, the series has naturally spawned a diverse army of deadly tiny terrors. While Torch, Tank, and Leech Woman all have their moments, the crown jewel of the franchise's puppets is Blade. A prolific killer that comes pre-armed with weapons for hands, Blade looks about as menacing as a puppet can be, has a pretty interesting backstory that links him to the Gestapo, and even starred in a solo outing in 2020. The "Puppet Master" movies are bizarre, cheesy, and fun, especially the first three entries, and Blade is a big reason why the series has lasted for so long.

“The Relic” (1997) This is why you shouldn't just drink any random soup. A museum ends up the home to an incredible discovery, albeit one that is slightly more alive than the usual specimen. A monster that combines a few very different animals, the Kothoga is a pretty awesome-looking hybrid creature that also has a fascinating history. "The Relic'' keeps the chimera in the dark for the majority of its scenes, only providing flashes of the beast and a few spine-tingling close-ups. The Kothoga is such a brilliant monster, it’s a shame it only appears in one movie.

“Brain Damage” (1988) A refined voice can make anything seem reliable. "Brain Damage" is all about the sweet relationship that forms between the human Brian and the alien parasite Aylmer. While Aylmer keeps Brian hooked up on some addictive extraterrestrial juice, the human acts as a host so that the alien can enjoy some prime brains. Aylmer might not look especially intimidating, but the manipulative worm-like monster has the charm and means to twist humans so they do his bidding. Frank Henenlotter's movies are nothing if not unique, and there is no other movie monster quite like Aylmer.

“Basket Case” franchise (1982-91) A mass of flesh with teeth and eyes, Belial is unsettling, creepy, and strangely funny. "Basket Case" follows two formerly conjoined twins, Duane and Belial, who are looking to take out the doctors responsible for separating them. Through the use of stop motion and an unapologetically disgusting design, Belial terrorizes a hotel room, New York, and eventually the whole world. The "Basket Case" trilogy gets more insane and campy as it goes along, with the third entry even introducing babies and a mech suit; however, Belial is genuinely terrifying in the original film.

“The Descent” franchise (2006-09) There are plenty of psychological thrillers about the fragility of human sanity and morality. Combine that with the claustrophobia of being stuck in a cave and the panic of being trapped, and you’d think that’d be enough. But, nope: in “The Descent,” they toss in some feral man-eating creatures too. The crawlers are a subterranean cousin to humanity. Using echolocation, they are perfectly adapted to the dark, and extremely territorial. They don’t kill for fun; to them, this is a battle for survival, and so they aren’t pulling any punches. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Radu Molasar, “The Keep” (1983) Because This Monster Looks Like He Could Tear a Tank In Two Octalus, “Deep Rising” (1998) Because This Is What Happens When a Monster Has All the Tentacles Cat Woman, “Cat People” (1942) Because This Panther Is Powerful, Passionate & Possessive

“Gamera” franchise (1965-) A truly forgotten classic, Gamera was one of the original Japanese movie monsters. First conceived as a prehistoric tortoise, this large creature fed on fire that somehow gave it the power to breathe flames - and fly. Despite all the destruction it causes in the original ‘60s flick, the daikaiju still saved a child. Its popularity helped spawn multiple sequels, as well as a ‘90s franchise reboot in which the monster was modified to be a bio-engineered Guardian of the Universe created by Atlantis. While it may seem beneficial to have a giant Guardian with powers, one of the downfalls is that in the process of saving your town, it might also destroy it.