What is a fantasy story without monsters? This category of creatures is extensive and includes everything from manifestations of human fears and avarice to an example of not judging a book by its cover if they turn out to be friendly. Whether good or evil, monsters offer fantasy writers a chance to go wild and create the most fantastical thing that pops into their mind.
Animation is a fantastic medium to see monsters come to life, since it is not constrained by reality like live-action is. Many are the movie’s antagonists, but some are the protagonists, and all of them have the ability to delight and entertain audiences over the generations.
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The Red Bull — ‘The Last Unicorn’ (1982)
The melancholic King Haggard somehow has control over a demonic creature known as the Red Bull. He used the bull to collect the world’s unicorns—the only thing that ever gave him joy in life—and herd them into the sea beneath his castle so that Haggard would be the only one who could enjoy their beauty. However, one unicorn evaded the bull, and when it learns of this, the bull becomes single-minded in its attempts to finish the hunt.
The Red Bull is a fascinating creature, and its connection to Haggard means that it can represent many different things. Destruction and fear are at the forefront, but it also represents obsession in its single-minded pursuit of its target, and doesn’t care who or what gets in its way. It also just looks awesome: a demonic flaming bull is the perfect contrast to the beauty of a unicorn, and is one of the many elements that elevates The Last Unicorn to a fantasy masterpiece.
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The Beldam — ‘Coraline’ (2009)
Also known as the Other Mother, the Beldam is a spider-like creature who dwells in a parallel world to our own. She uses magic dolls to spy on children who are miserable with their lives and offers them an ideal reality where their every whim is catered to, on the condition that they allow her to sew black buttons over their eyes. Once this is done, the children become trapped in the Beldam’s world until they die, and their souls can only watch as the cycle continues.
The Beldam is a terrifying monster that perfectly represents the old saying “all that glitters is not gold.” She lures the kids in with the promise of a life better than the one they live, and if they try to escape her, she has no problem taking their loved ones until they willingly come back into her world. As her victims fight back, the world gradually reveals its true colors as the inhabitants become warped and monstrous, because the Beldam doesn’t understand true love or compassion, she can only copy what she observes.
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No Face — ‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
The spirit world is full of all kinds of mysterious entities, such as the enigmatic figure called No Face. Appearing like a shadow with a simple mask for a face, No Face hovers around the bathhouse owned by the witch Yubaba until he is let inside by her newest worker, a human named Chihiro. Unfortunately, the negative emotions of the greedy employees corrupt No Face, and he begins devouring spirits and transforms into a monster.
No Face is one of the most iconic characters to come from Studio Ghibli, and one of the best in a thematic sense. He is, at his core, a representation of people who seek out self-worth and validation from others, and in doing so, often become consumed by vices. The more he tries to indulge in these vices, the more miserable and grotesque he becomes, until he can be separated from them.
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Toothless — ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)
Of all the dragons who threaten the Vikings of Berk, none are more feared than the Night Fury, a fast, near invisible species that fires blasts of plasma. A young Viking named Hiccup manages to shoot one down, but rather than kill the Night Fury, he lets the dragon live and studies his behavior. Hiccup eventually wins the dragon’s trust, names him Toothless, and builds a prosthetic tail-fin to allow the Night Fury to fly again with his help.
Toothless is one of cinema’s most iconic dragons and a major factor in the success of the How to Train Your Dragon movies. His design is sleek and stylistic, with lots of cat-like movements that allow for a wide range of emotions just from body movements. Then there is his friendship with Hiccup, which helps convey the franchise’s themes of overcoming prejudices and the power of unity and cooperation.
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Mike & Sully — ‘Monsters Inc.’ (2001)
James P. Sullivan and Michael Wazowski are two best friends who live in a world of monsters that harvest human screams for power. Sully is a scarer who goes into the human world via magic closet doors to frighten a child, while Mike acts as his handler, swapping out doors and filling up scream canisters. The two are on their way to breaking their company’s scare record, but the arrival of a human child in their world gets them involved in a major conspiracy.
Mike and Sully are among the best animated duos thanks to their contrasting personalities and simple but effective designs. Mike is the short, loud, fast-talking worrywart of the group, while Sully is large, powerful, and more laid back. These contrasting personalities make for hilarious back and forth, and helps to emphasize their close friendship.
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Jack Skellington — ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
As the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington is the guy in charge of all the spooks and scares unleashed on Halloween. Unfortunately, centuries of the same old thing have left him bored, and he longs to find something new that can reinvigorate his creative spirit. He gets his wish when he falls through a door that takes him to Christmas Town and decides that he should take over both holidays.
Jack Skellington’s arc is the universal story of looking for fulfillment in one’s life, even if your attempts to do so lead to failure. Chris Sarandon’s performance really helps to emphasize this; every line is spoken with wide-eyed wonder and excitement, especially when inspiration hits him. The fact that he is a skeleton adds some great contrast to this, with the most lively and energetic character in the movie being the most universally recognized symbol of death.
4
Maleficent — ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959)
Known as the Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent is a dark fairy based at the Forbidden Mountain who delights in spreading misery and woe wherever she goes. This includes cursing the baby princess Aurora to die on her 16th birthday for not being invited to her Christening, and doing whatever she can to ensure the curse is fulfilled. Even after the good fairy Merrywether changes the curse to a deathless sleep, Maleficent kidnaps Aurora’s beloved, Prince Phillip, to prevent the curse from being broken, and when the good fairies free him, transforms into a ferocious dragon.
Maleficent consistently ranks among the best Disney villains thanks to her elegance and grace, contrasting her wicked heart, and Eleanor Audley’s iconic performance. She only spends a few minutes as a dragon during the climax, but it’s by far the most iconic part of Sleeping Beauty thanks to her fierce design, striking contrast of green fire with black and purple scales, and the sound effects of her flames coming from a real flamethrower. Her duel with Phillip is a beautifully animated representation of good vs evil and demonstrates how fairy tales can be a great way to show people, especially children, that seemingly insurmountable monsters can be slain.
3
Chernabog — ‘Fantasia’ (1940)
When night descends upon Bald Mountain, the great demon, Chernabog, unfurls his wings and holds his infernal court. He summons demons and the spirits of the dead to him and forces them to dance to his whim when he isn’t destroying them for no reason other than he can. However, he is not all power, and the coming of the dawn and the ringing of the church bells send him back to his dark realm.
Chernabog serves as the climactic segment to the 1940 masterpiece, Fantasia, and is by far the most iconic character from the film. He is by far the greatest representation of pure evil in animation thanks to his simple but effective design and the joy he draws from his wicked actions. All of this comes forth thanks to the masterful animation by Bill Tytla, which succeeds at making Chernabog feel like a truly larger-than-life monster who’s every move is dictated by malice and cruelty.
2
The Beast — ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
Originally born a human prince, the Beast was transformed after he refused to let an enchantress—disguised as an old woman—shelter in his castle during a storm. His only hope of becoming human again is to learn how to love and be loved in return, but if he can’t do this before his 21st birthday, the curse will become permanent. This causes the Beast to sink into a pit of despair, but hope appears when he imprisons an inventor named Maurice, prompting his daughter, Belle, to take his place.
Visually, the Beast is fantastic, combining elements of numerous animals like lions and bison, into a design that looks savage, especially when angered, but also elicits sympathy and compassion from the audience. This is thanks to a combination of Glen Keen’s stellar facial animation and Robby Benson’s performance, which captures the monstrous side of the Beast and the gentle heart that lies beneath. This, ironically, makes him one of the most human characters Disney has ever created, which makes his romance with Belle and character growth from monster to hero, all the more inspiring and beloved.
1
Shrek — ‘Shrek’ (2001)
Deep in the swamps on the borders of Duloc lives an ogre named Shrek, who spends his time scaring off angry mobs who periodically come onto his land. When numerous fairy tale creatures are relocated to his swamp, he teams up with a talking Donkey to rescue Princess Fiona in exchange for their removal. However, Shrek and Fiona end up falling in love, marrying, and starting a family, all while challenging numerous fairy tale clichés along the way.
Shrek’s success spawned a major franchise and changed the course of fantasy movies, and a big reason for this is because of the titular character himself. Shrek is, at his core, an outcast who believes it is better to remove himself from society because people are quick to judge him as a monster. Yet, beneath his grotesque exterior, he is a kind and empathetic person who proves time and time again that he is as heroic as any knight.
Shrek
- Release Date
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May 18, 2001
- Runtime
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90 minutes
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Shrek / Blind Mouse (voice)
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Eddie Murphy
Donkey (voice)