Unlike live-action films, which are limited to the sets, effects, and props that are available during their production, animated films are only limited by the time, talent, and imagination of their creators. Outside of concepts based in reality, live-action films have a hard time experimenting with unrealistic ideas. While creatures like dragons and werewolves have been successfully utilized outside animated content, anything beyond familiar fantasy tropes often struggles to be taken seriously.

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Animated content, however, is much freer to experiment with ideas. The rules of physics are much more flexible; animated characters often already have exaggerated proportions and features. As a result, animated movies have created some of the most interesting fictional creatures seen on screen.

10 Stitch Is Both Frightening And Lovable

Stitch smiling menacingly from Lilo and Stitch

Not only is Lilo & Stitch one of Disney's best animated films, but its main character, Stitch, is one of animation's most beloved aliens. Created by the alien scientist Jumba Jookiba, Stitch – also known as Experiment 626 – is as deadly as he is adorable.

Throughout Lilo & Stitch, Stitch reveals various abilities and features. He possesses six limbs, antennae, and several spines along his back. Stitch can lift "3,000 times his own weight" and is seen catching lasers with his bare hands. Despite his small size and inability to swim, Stitch is a powerful creature that, if it hadn't been for Lilo, could have easily become even more dangerous.

9 The Red Bluster Is A Unique Take On Traditional Sea Monster Folklore

The Sea Beast 2022

The creatures from the Netflix original film The Sea Beast put a unique twist on the traditional definition of sea monsters. In a world where such creatures are pursued by crews of monster hunters, the sea beasts are dangerous and violent. Yet they are also intelligent, even capable of bonding with humans like Maisie and Jacob.

The beasts of The Sea Beast range in size, color, and shape, though all of them are monstrous in nature. The film's most notable beast, the Red Bluster, resembles a red plesiosaurus but with a horn and the ability to walk on land. Yet it is capable of empathy, and with the help of Maisie and Jacob, is able to demand a better future for the relationship between humans and beasts.

8 Pitch's Nightmares Are Some Of The Coolest Animated Antagonists

Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians

Rise of the Guardians is a charming film with a unique premise: Earth's guardians – North, Tooth, Sandy, Bunnymund, and Jack Frost — must work together to defeat Pitch Black from plaguing the world with nightmares. While several unique creatures are introduced in the film, the antagonist's Nightmares are some of the most interesting.

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Pitch, after defeating and stealing the abilities of the Sandman, conjures these creatures to plague the dreams of children across the world. They possess the ability to change into their victim's worst fears, but are mostly seen as black horses. In a dark twist, these creatures eventually turn on Pitch himself and prey on the antagonist's own fears during the final showdown.

7 Alebrijes Are Fictional Companions Inspired By Real Life Folk Art

Coco Pepita

The alebrijes from Disney's Coco are a whimsical adaptation of Mexican folk art. The real-life alebrijes are colorful sculptures, often made of paper or wood, that are believed to protect a home from evil spirits. Their designs are usually of cartoonish animals, usually with surrealist proportions and features.

In Coco, the alebrijes are referred to as "spirit guides." They take the form of various animals — such as Dante the Xolo dog and Pepita the chimera-like cat — and serve as guides and protectors in the Land of the Dead. Pepita, in particular, is powerful enough to locate Miguel and defend the Rivera family from Ernesto de la Cruz during the film.

6 Ursula The Sea Witch Is One Of Disney's Best Villains

Ursula, Flotsam, And Jetsam In The Little Mermaid

It's more than just Pat Carroll's fantastic performance that makes the sea witch Ursula memorable. The antagonist from Disney's The Little Mermaid became a fan favorite for her unique design and strong presence throughout the film.

Ursula is a sea witch, an octopus-like creature with six tentacles. It's her magical abilities that set The Little Mermaid's plot into action, allowing Ariel to trade her voice for a pair of legs. Ursula is as frightening as she is charismatic, manipulating not only Ariel but countless other merfolk into making deals with her throughout the film.

5 Of All Dragons, Night Furies Are The Most Interesting

Toothless smiles

Dragons are a staple of the fantasy genre, but the How to Train Your Dragon franchise introduces an entire encyclopedia of dragon types and species. Of these dragons – which include Deadly Nadders, Gronkles, and Monstrous Nightmares – the rarest and most interesting are thought to be the legendary Night Furies.

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Night Furies, according to How to Train Your Dragon, are stealthy and cunning. Their black scales blend in with the night sky, making them almost invisible, and they're capable of shooting short bursts of flame from their mouths. Toothless, the franchise's most prominent Night Fury, is even powerful enough to challenge an alpha dragon and succeed.

4 Unicorns Are Powerful Enough To Stand Against A Fire Elemental

Image from The Last Unicorn.

There are many interpretations of unicorns throughout media, some more powerful than others. Most consider unicorns to resemble white horses with horns and have varying amounts of magical abilities. The unicorns from The Last Unicorn film are some of the most interesting, possessing both powerful magic and dark lore.

The Last Unicorn's protagonist is ageless and immortal. She possesses the ability to heal and resurrect people from the dead, and alongside the other missing unicorns, is able to defeat a powerful fire elemental and destroy a castle. Her appearance is both beautiful and strange, making her and her species incredibly unique.

3 The Moon Beast Is A Frightening Villain With A Fantastic Design

Raiden The Moon Beast From Kubo

Set in the feudal era of Japan, Kubo and the Two Strings contains some breathtaking visuals. The film's climax, however, reveals its most interesting character and creature, the Moon Beast, during Kubo's epic battle with Raiden the Moon King.

The Moon Beast is a frightening and powerful creature. It resembles a monstrous Dunkleosteus that glows with a blue luminescent hue. During Kubo and theTwo Strings, it attacks Kubo, nearly defeating him and destroying much of his home village. It is only defeated by Kubo and his family's magic, transforming the Moon King into a mortal with no memories of his past.

2 The Machine's Bizarre Creations Are Straight Out Of A Horror Movie

The Catbeast from 9 (2009)

The sci-fi genre tends to adapt darker and more mature themes by default, but the 2009 animated film 9 is more graphic and intense than most animated films dare to be. The main characters, called "Stitchpunks," are unique in their own right, but the coolest creatures in the film are the antagonist and its beast-like creations.

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The Fabrication Machine, according to the scientist in 9, is a hyper-intelligent entity that lacks a human soul. As it hunts the Stitchpunks during the film, it creates various scrap metal machines, combining metal, animal bones, and human garbage. The resulting machines are terrifying and powerful, capturing more than half of the Stitchpunks before it's finally defeated.

1 Mor'du The Demon Bear Is Not Just A Wild Animal

Mor'du as a bear roaring

Most of the concepts from Disney's Brave are inspired by Celtic and European folklore. Set in medieval Scotland, the film revolves around Merida and her mother, Elinor, who is unintentionally turned into a bear by her daughter. The film's most interesting creature, however, is a legendary demon bear named Mor'du, that's revealed to have once been human.

During Brave's climax, Mor'du's full appearance and power are revealed. He is covered in scars and wounds, with broken shafts of arrows and spears stuck in his back. Mor'du possesses ridiculous strength, enough to stand against Scotland's greatest warriors, and a thick hide that deflects swords and arrows, making him a frightening and formidable antagonist.

NEXT: 10 Best Battles In Disney Animated Movies