Types of Horror: Subgenres, Monsters and Terms

Apocalyptic FictionHorror narratives where global catastrophe serves as the backdrop for psychological unraveling and societal collapse... Body HorrorBody horror focuses on the visceral, grotesque transformation or violation of the physical form, triggering deep... Cosmic HorrorA mode of fiction where characters confront an indifferent, incomprehensible universe that renders human existence... Dark FantasyA narrative blending supernatural magic with grim, atmospheric dread where heroes face moral decay and monstrous... Eco HorrorEco horror uses terrifying natural forces to expose human hubris, showing how environmental neglect invites... Extreme HorrorExtreme horror pushes narrative boundaries by depicting graphic violence and taboo subjects with unflinching detail... Folk HorrorA horror subgenre where ancient pagan rituals and rural isolation collide with modern sensibilities, creating dread... Ghost StoryA narrative where spectral entities interact with the living, often blurring the line between psychological terror... Gothic HorrorGothic horror traps characters inside decaying, isolated settings where lingering ancestral secrets, psychological... GrimdarkA narrative mode where moral ambiguity reigns, protagonists commit atrocities for survival, and hope is scarce or illusory. Haunted House StoryA narrative where the setting itself actively resists or manipulates the inhabitants, blurring the line between... Horror ComedyA literary mode blending macabre terror with humor, where grotesque violence and supernatural dread are offset by... Psychological HorrorPsychological horror uses the instability of the human mind to generate dread, replacing external monsters with... Quiet HorrorQuiet horror builds dread through subtle psychological tension and atmospheric unease rather than explicit gore or... Slasher FictionA thriller subgenre focusing on a masked killer hunting teenagers, defined by suspenseful chases and graphic... Southern GothicA literary mode blending Gothic dread with the specific decay, racism, and poverty of the American South. SplatterpunkA hyper-violent horror subgenre that prioritizes graphic bodily destruction and shock value over traditional... Survival HorrorA narrative mode where characters face overwhelming, often supernatural threats with limited resources, emphasizing... Weird FictionWeird Fiction blends supernatural dread with cosmic indifference, focusing on psychological unease rather than...

AdletThe adlet are a race of fierce, fast-running creatures with human upper bodies and canine lower halves originating... AkhlutAn orca-like composite spirit from Inuit tradition that can transform into a giant wolf on land, hunting near icy... AswangRooted in traditional Philippine folklore, the aswang is a shape-shifting, monstrous creature of the night that... AzathothAzathoth is a monstrous cosmic entity from modern weird fiction, originating in the early 20th-century writings of... Baba YagaBaba Yaga is a fearsome, ambiguous crone of Slavic folklore, originating in ancient oral traditions across Eastern... BansheeA wailing spirit that warns of imminent death in Irish and Scottish tales, now adapted as a terrifying supernatural... BarghestThe barghest is a legendary monstrous black hound originating from English folklore, particularly associated with... Baron SamediBaron Samedi is a prominent loa of Haitian Vodou who rules over the dead, graveyard gates, and ancestral spirits,... BasiliskA legendary serpentine beast possessing a gaze and breath lethal to all living things, originating in ancient... Bean NigheThe bean nighe is a spectral washerwoman from Scottish Gaelic folklore who foretells death by washing the bloody... Beast of Bray RoadA large, bipedal canine cryptid that emerged from rural twentieth-century folklore in southeastern Wisconsin,... BhootA bhoot is a restless ghost or supernatural spirit originating in South Asian folklore, born from a person who... BigfootA legendary, large, hairy bipedal hominid that populates North American folklore and modern cryptozoological pop... Black AnnisBlack Annis is a fearsome, blue-faced hag and bogeyman figure originating from English folklore, traditionally said... Black ShuckBlack Shuck is a legendary phantom hound originating from English folklore, traditionally believed to haunt the... Bloody MaryBloody Mary is a vengeful folkloric spirit summoned by chanting her name before a mirror, originating from... BogeymanThe bogeyman is a mythical shapeless or grotesque entity originating from British and European folklore,... BoggartA malevolent household or landscape spirit from English folklore, known for tormenting families by spoiling food,... CadejoThe cadejo is a legendary mythical hound originating from Central American folklore that haunts travelers walking... CailleachThe Cailleach is a divine hag and weather deity from Scottish and Irish Gaelic mythology, embodying winter,... CarmillaCarmilla is a classic literary vampire and the titular aristocratic predator from Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872... CerberusCerberus is a monstrous multi-headed hound originating from ancient Greek mythology, famously guarding the gates of... ChangelingA supernatural infant swapped with a human child, growing up with hidden motives that slowly reveal their true,... ChupacabraThe chupacabra is a legendary cryptid originating from Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s, famous for allegedly attacking... CockatriceA legendary mythical beast combining the features of a rooster and a serpent, originating from European folklore and... CthulhuCthulhu is a colossal, tentacled cosmic entity originating from the pioneering weird fiction of American author H.... DagonDagon is an ancient Philistine agricultural and sea deity who was later reimagined in modern weird fiction as a... Deep OnesThe Deep Ones are immortal, amphibious humanoid creatures from H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos that dwell in the... DjinnOriginating in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and later integrated into Islamic theology, the djinn is a supernatural... DoppelgangerA physical double of a living person that appears in literature to signal impending doom, madness, or the fracturing... Dover DemonThe Dover Demon is a cryptid alleged to have been sighted in April 1977 across Dover and surrounding towns in Massachusetts. DraculaDracula is the legendary vampire archetype from Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic novel, drawing upon Eastern European... DraugrThe draugr is an undead creature originating from Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, known for guarding its... DullahanThe dullahan is a terrifying headless horseman from Irish folklore, renowned as a grim harbinger of sudden death and... Each-uisgeThe each-uisge is a malevolent water horse from Scottish Celtic folklore that haunts lochs and sea lochs, taking... El SilbónEl Silbón is a vengeful specter from Venezuelan and Colombian folklore who wanders the llanos carrying a sack of bones. Flatwoods MonsterThe Flatwoods Monster is a mysterious extraterrestrial-style humanoid entity reported by witnesses in rural Braxton... Frankenstein's MonsterFrankenstein's monster is an artificial humanoid creature assembled from corpses and brought to life through... Fresno NightcrawlerThe Fresno Nightcrawler is a surreal, bipedal cryptid resembling a pair of walking white legs that originated from... GashadokuroA giant skeleton spirit originating from Japanese folklore, formed from the amassed bones of people who died of... GhoulA flesh-eating fiend rooted in ancient Middle Eastern and Arabian folklore, traditionally associated with... GoblinGoblins are grotesque, mischievous, and often malevolent mythical humanoids originating from medieval European... GorgonA Gorgon is a legendary female monster from ancient Greek mythology whose terrifying visage and serpentine hair... GrootslangThe grootslang is a colossal, primordial serpent-elephant hybrid from South African folklore, said to dwell within... HarpyRooted in ancient Greco-Roman mythology, a harpy is a winged female monster known for violently abducting human... HasturHastur is an ancient cosmic entity and Great Old One originally created within Ambrose Bierce's short fiction before... Headless HorsemanThe headless horseman is a terrifying spectral rider originating from European folklore, most famously immortalized... HobgoblinA mischievous yet potentially malicious household sprite originating in English folklore and early modern European... HuldraThe huldra is a seductive, subterranean forest spirit originating from Scandinavian folklore, traditionally... IfritAn ifrit is a powerful, smoke-free supernatural entity of immense strength and cunning originating in pre-Islamic... ImpunduluThe impundulu is a malevolent, shape-shifting lightning bird from the traditional folklore of the Zulu and Xhosa... Jersey DevilThe Jersey Devil is a legendary bipedal creature with wings and a horse-like head that originates from the pine... JinnJinn are supernatural spirits from pre-Islamic Arabian folklore, later integrated into Islamic theology, known for... JorogumoThe jorogumo is a shape-shifting spider yokai originating from traditional Japanese folklore that beguiles... KapreThe kapre is a towering, tree-dwelling giant from Philippine folklore known for smoking large tobacco pipes and... KelpieA shape-shifting water spirit from Celtic folklore, particularly Scottish tradition, known for luring unsuspecting... King in YellowThe King in Yellow is a mysterious, eldritch entity and theatrical play originating in late nineteenth-century weird... KitsuneKitsune are shape-shifting fox spirits originating from Japanese folklore, deeply embedded in East Asian mythology... KoboldA kobold is a temperamental household, mine, or seafaring spirit from German folklore that rewards respect with good... KrakenThe kraken is a colossal legendary sea monster originating from Scandinavian folklore that terrorizes sailors in the... KrampusKrampus is a mythical, horned creature of Alpine folklore originating in Central Europe that punishes misbehaving... KrasueThe krasue is a nocturnal spirit from Southeast Asian folklore, most prominently in Thai, Lao, and Khmer traditions,... Kuchisake-OnnaKuchisake-Onna is a malicious urban legend originating from modern Japanese folklore concerning a disfigured female... La LloronaA weeping phantom woman from Mexican folklore who wanders near rivers and waterways mourning her drowned children,... LamiaThe lamia is a mythical female monster originating in ancient Greek folklore, traditionally depicted as a seductive... La PatasolaLa Patasola is a malevolent one-legged female phantom from Colombian folklore who preys on unfaithful men and... La SayonaLa Sayona is a legendary vengeful female spirit from Venezuelan folklore who haunts lonely roads to punish and... LeshyA shape-shifting guardian spirit of the deep woods originating from Slavic folklore, known for leading travelers... Lizard Man of Scape Ore SwampA reptilian cryptid born from modern American folklore, originating in the flooded swamplands of Lee County, South... Loveland FrogThe Loveland Frog is a legendary humanoid amphibian creature originating from local folklore in Loveland, Ohio,... Mae NakMae Nak is a tragic ghost from Thai folklore, originating from Bangkok folklore and dating back to the... ManananggalThe manananggal is a terrifying mythical vampire-like creature originating from traditional Philippine folklore that... ManticoreA legendary Persian beast with the body of a lion, human head, and venomous tail spines, originating from ancient... MedusaMedusa is a famous Gorgon of ancient Greek mythology whose terrifying visage and serpentine hair turn anyone who... Michigan DogmanA bipedal, canine-like cryptid originating from the deep timberlands and rural folklore of Michigan, particularly... MinotaurThe Minotaur is a monstrous hybrid possessing the body of a man and the head of a bull, originating from ancient... MothmanA winged humanoid cryptid originating from 1960s West Virginia folklore, known for its glowing red eyes and... NaginiDerived from South Asian mythology, a nagini is a female serpent entity or semi-divine shape-shifter traditionally... NahualA shapeshifting human sorcerer rooted in Mesoamerican folklore, capable of transforming into an animal counterpart... NixieA nixie is a shape-shifting water spirit originating from Germanic and Scandinavian folklore that typically lures... NokkenThe nokken is a malevolent, shape-shifting water spirit originating from Scandinavian folklore that lurks near deep... NuckelaveeThe nuckelavee is a malevolent, skinless horse-demon from Orcadian folklore that brings plague, crop failure, and... Nure-onnaThe nure-onna is a terrifying water-dwelling spirit from traditional Japanese folklore, known for possessing the... NyarlathotepNyarlathotep is a malignant cosmic entity originating in the early twentieth-century weird fiction of American... OgreAn ogre is a massive, monstrous humanoid from European folklore known for its brutal appetite for human flesh and... OniAn oni is a formidable demonic creature originating from Japanese folklore, traditionally portrayed as a horned ogre... OnryoAn onryo is a vengeful spirit originating from Japanese folklore, driven by deep malice and tragic suffering to... Ozark HowlerA legendary, bear-sized cryptid with shaggy black fur, glowing red eyes, and horns, originating from the folklore of... PenanggalanThe penanggalan is a gruesome vampire-like entity from Malay folklore consisting of a disembodied female head... Piasa BirdThe Piasa Bird is a legendary winged creature from Native American folklore, originating from Illiniwek oral... PoltergeistA restless spirit that interacts with the physical world through violent, unexplained disturbances like flying... PontianakThe pontianak is a malevolent female vampiric ghost from Malay folklore, originating in maritime Southeast Asia,... PookaA legendary shape-shifting trickster spirit hailing from Celtic folklore, known for inhabiting lonely rural... Pope Lick MonsterThe Pope Lick Monster is a legendary hybrid creature said to haunt the Norfolk Southern Railway trestle over Pope... PopobawaA shape-shifting nocturnal spirit from the folklore of the Zanzibar archipelago in Tanzania, known for terrifying... QalupalikThe qalupalik is a mythical human-like creature from Inuit folklore that originates from the Arctic regions and is... RakshasaThe rakshasa is a powerful, shape-shifting malevolent spirit or demon rooted in ancient Hindu and Buddhist... RedcapA murderous, blood-soaked goblin originating from the folklore of the Anglo-Scottish Borderlands, known for haunting... RevenantA revenant is a physically returned corpse that retains its consciousness and agency, driven by vengeance or duty to... RokurokubiThe rokurokubi is a traditional Japanese yōkai characterized by its uniquely elongating neck, deeply rooted in the... SelkieA mythological shapeshifting creature originating from Scottish and Orcadian folklore that can transform from a seal... ShoggothA colossal, amorphous mass of iridescent protoplasm originating from the Cthulhu Mythos created by American pulp... Sleep Paralysis DemonA malevolent shadow entity stemming from modern psychological interpretations of parasomnia combined with ancient... Slender ManA tall, faceless humanoid entity wearing a black suit who stalks and abducts victims, emerging from internet... StrigoiThe strigoi are troubled undead spirits or vampires originating from Romanian folklore, believed to rise from their... Teke TekeTeke teke is a vengeful urban legend of a bisected female ghost from modern Japanese folklore who stalks railway... TenguThe tengu are legendary avian-like spirits and mountain hermits originating from ancient Japanese folklore,... The MorriganThe Morrigan is a powerful phantom queen of battle, fate, and death originating from ancient Irish and Celtic... TikbalangThe tikbalang is a malicious, shape-shifting creature from Philippine folklore, traditionally described as having... Toire no Hanako-sanHanako-san is a famous Japanese urban legend and school ghost said to haunt third-floor girls' bathroom stalls,... TokolosheThe tokoloshe is a mischievous and malevolent dwarf-like spirit originating from Zulu and broader South African... TzitzimitlA skeletal celestial star demon originating from ancient Aztec mythology, said to wait in the darkness of the cosmos... UktenaA colossal, horned serpent from traditional Cherokee folklore, possessing blinding spiritual power and a fatal gaze,... UpirThe upir is a malevolent undead creature originating in Slavic folklore, traditionally believed to rise from the... VampireA reanimated corpse or supernatural entity that sustains its existence by consuming the life force or blood of the... VetalaA vetala is a malicious, corpse-possessing vampire-like spirit originating in ancient Hindu folklore and mythology,... VrykolakasA malevolent undead revenant originating from Greek folklore, known for rising from the grave to terrorize the... WechugeThe wechuge is a cannibalistic monster originating in the traditional folklore of Athabaskan-speaking First Nations... WendigoA starving spirit that possesses humans, turning them into gaunt cannibals driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh. WerewolfA werewolf is a mythological human who transforms into a wolf or hybrid beast, rooted in ancient Eurasian folklore... Will-o'-the-wispA mysterious atmospheric ghost light originating from European folklore, famously said to lure unsuspecting... WraithA wraith is a ghostly apparition or double of a living person, originating primarily in Scottish folklore and early... WyvernA legendary bipedal dragon possessing two wings and a barbed tail, originating in medieval European heraldry and... Yuki-onnaThe Yuki-onna is a malevolent snow spirit originating from traditional Japanese folklore, depicted as a pale woman... YūreiA traditional Japanese ghost rooted in classic folklore, the yūrei is an embittered spirit of the dead that returns... ZombieA reanimated corpse driven by primitive hunger or supernatural compulsion, originating in Afro-Caribbean folklore...

Cthulhu MythosA shared fictional universe of ancient gods and forbidden knowledge, originally created by H.P. Lovecraft to evoke... EldritchEldritch describes phenomena that are profoundly alien and unnatural, evoking deep dread through their violation of... ExorcismA ritualistic confrontation where an empowered agent attempts to forcibly evict a hostile supernatural entity from a... Final GirlThe sole survivor who outlasts the killer through wit and resilience, turning victimhood into active resistance... LovecraftianA subgenre emphasizing human insignificance against vast, indifferent cosmic entities that defy comprehension and... NecronomiconA fictional grimoire containing forbidden cosmic knowledge that drives readers to madness when they attempt to read... PossessionA narrative framework where an external entity, usually demonic or spiritual, takes control of a character's body... The UncannyThe uncanny describes the eerie discomfort when familiar things suddenly feel strange and threatening, blurring the...

Found FootageA narrative technique presenting events through discovered documents, logs, or transcripts to create an immersive... Gothic NovelA literary genre blending intense emotion with supernatural terror, using decaying settings and psychological dread... Penny DreadfulCheap, sensational serial novels from the Victorian era featuring lurid tales of crime and terror designed to thrill... Unreliable NarratorA storyteller whose credibility is compromised by bias, delusion, or deception, forcing you to question every fact...

Bunny Man BridgeThe Bunny Man is a persistent American urban legend featuring an axe-wielding figure in a rabbit costume,... Resurrection MaryResurrection Mary is a famous Chicago-area ghost story belonging to the traditional vanishing hitchhiker folklore... The Bell WitchThe Bell Witch is a famous legend from Southern United States folklore centered on a nineteenth-century family... The Hat ManThe Hat Man is a widely discussed shadow person, a popular subject in paranormal and supernatural circles that... The Lady in WhiteThe White Lady is a global female ghost legend associated with rural tragedy, accidental death, suicide, and unrequited love. Winchester Mystery HouseThe Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling mansion in San Jose, California, famous for its unique architecture and...

Ed GeinEdward Theodore Gein, notorious as the Butcher of Plainfield, was an American murderer and body snatcher whose 1957... Lizzie BordenLizzie Andrew Borden was an American woman who was tried and acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother... The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror is a September 1977 book by American author Jay Anson documenting paranormal claims by the... The Exorcist True StoryIn the late 1940s, Catholic priests performed a series of documented exorcisms on a fourteen-year-old American boy,... The Stanley HotelThe Stanley Hotel is a famous 140-room Georgian Revival hotel located in Estes Park, Colorado, featuring scenic... Vlad the Impaler and DraculaVlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula, was a 15th-century Voivode of Wallachia who resisted Ottoman expansion and whose...