Horror authors have brought the scariest elements of just about every concept to the hearts and minds of audiences. There isn't a person, place, thing, or idea that can't find its place in a good scary story. Even the beloved household pet or barn house livestock can fit into the nightmare if they have the right voice.
Talking animals are common to just about every genre of fiction and common to stories as long as humans have records. As in any other genre, the rare talking animal of horror could pop up as the villain, the hero, or anywhere in between.
Scooby-Doo
Ask any rando on the street to name a talking dog, Scooby will be one of the first names to pass their lips. Luckily, he's also the face and name of one of the longest-running kid-friendly horror franchises of all time. Though the adventures of Scooby and his friends in the Mystery Machine lean toward comedy over horror most of the time, they're still tangling with just about every classic horror icon ever written. Some of Scooby's adventures over the years have been genuinely harrowing for the franchise's demographic, but he's unquestionably the go-to talking dog for the genre. Scooby-Doo is a big lovable hound who can speak a slightly off version of English for reasons that do not matter. The most popular talking dog who's even adjacent to the horror genre is the reluctant hero of his tale.
Black Phillip - The Witch
Robert Eggers' 2015 instant horror classic The Witch takes place in a hauntingly atmospheric 17th-century village. The film follows a young lady named Thomasin as she navigates life in the hostile New England environment. Much of the film is spent dealing with the mystical threat of a witch that means the family harm, but Thomasin finds herself on the wrong end of accusations. Among the town's concerns is the family's goat Black Phillip. By the film's end, Phil will drop the most iconic line of dialogue in its script. One of the most powerful pieces of spoken dialogue of the decade was delivered visually by a goat named Charlie. Phillip isn't intimidating on his own, but the dark mythos that surrounds him has audiences wondering what exactly he is throughout. When they have the answer, however, they understand why Black Phillip is a horror icon.
Thackery Binx - Hocus Pocus
Kenny Ortega's cult classic 1993 fantasy adventure might not be scary to anyone over the age of 10, but that doesn't make it any less valid. One of the scariest aspects of this beloved film is the fate of little Thackery Binx. Binx was a child, living in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts when he saw something he shouldn't have. He sees the Sanderson sisters, a trio of powerful witches, haul his little sister into the woods. He follows them in a desperate attempt to save his sibling, but he's unable to stop them. The Sandersons drain his sister's vitality, then turn Thackery into a cat to keep him quiet. To top it off, they curse Binx with immortality, leaving him to live eternally with the guilt of failing to save his sister's life. It's pretty heavy stuff for a kid's film. Luckily, Binx gets to join the film's heroes, letting a friendly talking cat be a main protagonist.
Salem - Sabrina: The Teenage Witch
From one black cat to another. Salem is Sabrina Spellman's familiar, and a crucial ally in the many trials she faces. The original comics portrayed the character as an orange cat who didn't speak, but the 80s sitcom gave him a voice. Salem was generally once a human witch but has been forced to live as a cat for a century as punishment for his crimes. His personality is acerbic, greedy, sarcastic, self-obsessed, and utterly unhelpful. The more adult-oriented Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series removed Salem's voice once again. Instead, he communicates with Sabrina telepathically without the need for words. In any case, Salem fits so many of the classic tropes of witches' familiars, with an added element of sharp-edged comedy.
The Raven - The Raven
The original talking horror animal may not be the first, it may not have any discernable personality, and it may only say one word, but it's easily the most important. Edgar Allan Poe's most iconic poem tells the strange tale of a man who receives grim news from an unhelpful corvid. It's one of the most important single pieces of verse in the genre. Though Poe was never popular in his day, The Raven is the flagship tale of his beloved and legendary catalog today. The Raven morbidly calling out "Nevermore" to all the protagonist's requests remains one of the most haunting images in history. There's hardly a talking animal in fiction that can claim the level of influence that The Raven managed in a single word.