Horror games always seem to be exploring new ways to scare players, whether through the tension of gameplay or the soundtrack. Just as essential is the character design. Hulking monsters and grotesque creatures are common fare, but there isn't a singular mold for which horror game villains fit. They come in all shapes and sizes.
Thanks to experimentation and creativity, some select horror games have performed a 180 with character designs and made a few enemies much more preposterous than gamers might expect. Whether designed silly intentionally or not, these goofy designs are not always indicative of smooth sailing the rest of the game.
10 Jester
Clowns might be cliché, but jesters are a new frontier in the realm of face-painted demons. Devil May Cry 3 is a trippy journey through a colossal demonic tower filled with strange otherworldly beasts. None odder than the Jester who taunts Dante while also seemingly providing aid to him. His annoying antics are innocent enough and his stupid costume is pretty unintimidating, but all is not what it seems and his special boss fights can be just as frustrating as he is.
9 Plant 42
Giant plants are more of a retro horror movie villain than a zombie game boss, but Resident Evil is known for getting out there with their enemy designs. Plant 42 is the giant mutant monster-flower that Jill or Chris must eliminate in the dormitory part of the mansion in the first game. Despite the rather silly appearance of a giant root swinging plant, the boss can be tricky, although there is a way to kill it via a special puzzle and thus avoid the fight altogether.
8 Floatstinger
Of all the gruesome and devilish creatures that Silent Hill has conjured up, a giant moth is not one of the more terrifying. In the first game, Harry must face off against this goliath monster that looks like something more out of a kaiju film than a survival horror game.
Despite its unimposing demeanor, the boss fight with Floatstinger can be grueling if players don't have enough ammo on hand, as close-quarters combat is extra difficult.
7 Exploder
Shooting the brightest color spot on an enemy's body is almost a given in video games at this point. Dead Space makes this no secret with the Necromorph known as the Exploder, an alien mutant with an enlarged bright yellow bulb for an arm. While this dead giveaway is obvious, the creature makes full use of its ability to explode when close to Isaac by sneaking up behind him and attacking in packs.
6 The Deerhaunter
While not necessarily a horror game, the haunted mansion in Timesplitters: Future Perfect carries its own set of terrors. A clever parody of the first Resident Evil, the haunted mansion is littered with zombies and ghosts that the time-jumping Sgt. Cortez must vanquish. The decrepit mansion is also host to one of the strangest boss fights ever — a zombified mounted deer head. This hulking creature looks pretty dopey, but that doesn't mean it isn't fast and capable of dealing some serious damage. This joke boss is also a playable character in the game's multiplayer, keeping in line with the goofy nature of the game series.
5 Bruiser
When it comes to demons in video games, they have countless different looks and features that make them unique. A television screen for a face is one of the weirder designs for a demon, but Doom is known for going the distance when it comes to weird enemy designs. The sub-boss known as the Bruiser from Doom 3's expansion, Resurrection of Evil, is essentially a Hell Knight with robotic features, namely a giant screen that shows either an image of an eyeball or a mouth. While this cybernetic beast may look like something from an eccentric anime, they can actually be tough to beat thanks to their fireball cannons and large amounts of health.
4 The Monkeys
An often overlooked Rockstar title, Manhunt is the black sheep of the family thanks to the game's graphic depictions of violence and murder, which are brutal even for Rockstar. One of the roving gangs of killers in this stealth game is the Monkeys, a delusional group of monkey costume-wearing maniacs who imitate monkey sounds and roam the city zoo looking for victims. Needless to say, these goons are one of the most ridiculous gangs in video game history, but their sawn-off shotguns and machetes make them formidable foes.
3 Bandersnatch
Resident Evil character designers are experts at coming up with some truly bizarre monsters. In Code Veronica, Claire and Chris face off against a number of these mutants, recognizable from the other zombies due to an oversized elongated arm. While absurd in a cartoonish way, this foe should not be underestimated as they will make full use of their arm to pull themselves closer to the player as well as take swings at them from a distance. Players should use a long-range weapon or something overpowered when coming into contact with one of these creatures.
2 Cyborg Midwife
Space is home to many terrifying video game villains, from blood-sucking aliens to undead demons. But a cyborg midwife sounds like something from a cheesy sci-fi show as opposed to a survival horror game. System Shock 2 is a classic PC survival horror game set on a starship doomed by a parasitic outbreak.
On board with the player are a whole bunch of dangerous enemies, including the haywire cyborg midwives who will stop at nothing to protect their alien "children." The deadly lasers from these enemies can be lethally surprising for players expecting a harmless cyborg nurse.
1 Ramon Salazar
Of all the bad guys and monsters Resident Evil's Leon has had to face off against, a seemingly old man with the stature and clothing of an 18th-century child has to be the most outrageous. Despite his unusual appearance, Ramon Salazar, the castellan of the fourth game's castle, claims to be only twenty years old. This oddball of a villain isn't afraid to exchange witty banter with Leon throughout the game, but his true danger comes from his final boss fight in which he turns into a hulking tentacle swinging monster. Appearances can be deceiving in horror games.