Video game enemies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are monstrous and chill gamers to the core. Some are adorable and cute leaving gamers wanting to give more hugs than stabs in the back. But what happens when seemingly cute enemies turn out to be eldritch demonic horrors we need to beware of? Because yes, even family-friendly games like Mario or Minecraft have their share of horrors.
Some games revel in tricking gamers into loving a seemingly cute antagonist. There are so many characters we so desperately want to hug, but due to lore or their secret in-game identities maybe are best left alone. These are the creatures that will haunt gamers into their sleep.
*Spoilers ahead for Doki Doki Literature Club, Spooky's House of Jumpscares, and Undertale*
8 Poes Are Horror in Multiple Variations- Legend of Zelda
Depending on the version of Legend of Zelda, Poes vary from the cutest thing to the most terrifying one. In Ocarina of Time, they're cute huggable creatures. In Twilight Princess, they want to eat gamer's souls. Lore has it that these creatures are ghosts of dead people who hold still hold hatred to the world.
At least in most of the games, these ghosts only attack when disturbed at their graves. Most of the games that is...
7 Boos Eat People- Super Mario Series
Nintendo has no shortage of cute, albeit horrifying ghosts it seems. Boos are one of the mainstay enemies in the Mario series for good reason. Look at them, they are adorable. Cute smiles. They cover their eyes all the time. Soft as a cloud... literally. However, they have two things going against them. One, they are ghosts.
Furthermore, in Super Mario Galaxy, Captain Toad indirectly hints to Luigi that Boo's eat people. Which is a little bit more sinister than one would expect from such a family-friendly game.
6 Flowey Cannot Be Trusted- Undertale
This adorable sunflower in the massively popular Undertale is anything but to be trusted. Albeit one of the first characters players meet, Flowey is undoubtedly one of the best secret antagonists (and creepiest) in any game. They teach players one of the first lessons of Undertale "Kill or Be Killed" after throwing an onslaught of "friendliness pellets" at them.
Depending on the player's chosen route or ending, they could end up destroying people's souls. Furthermore, they are totally aware of all player's actions across playthroughs. Quit the game and reset it and Flowey will mock the player for their actions, even so much as calling them out for their genocidal ways.
5 Endermen Are SCP's - Minecraft
Endermen are adorable. However, any player who has attempted to approach said Enderman knows that Enderman are easily some of the most terrifying creatures. They scream eldritch-like noises and will teleport relentlessly to attack the player until they are dead.
However, not many gamers realize they are also an official SCP. The SCP Foundation is a secret organization that keeps dangerous anomalies secured, contained and protected. Endermen happened to be filed under SCP-4335-1.
4 Friendly Ghost Girl Just Wants To Give Players A House Tour - Spooky's House Of Jumpscares
Spooky is the adorable mascot character of the jumpscare-filled game "Spooky's House of Jumpscares." While initially appearing "cute", Spooky is sure to make you regret believing that. Getting the good ending sees Spooky taking your ghostly soul to fight in an army to "teach people that ghosts aren't cute."
In the bad ending, she drags your lifeless body with the intention of making you into one of the specimens within the house. She appears cute, but is secretly the mastermind behind countless untold horrors and has every intention of seeing you dead.
3 Monika Lures You Into A False Sense Of Security - Doki Doki Literature Club
Monika is everything gamers could want from a character. She's smart, witty, and fiercely competitive. Unfortunately, that comes out in rather tragic ways.
Her nice demeanor quickly shifts into a world-altering and computer manipulating horror. Her character really embodies the deceptively cute nature of the game.
2 Monokuma Hides Sadistic Urges Behind A Cute Exterior - Danganronpa Series
At first, Monokuma seems like one of the cutest antagonists. In fact, it becomes a reoccurring bit about how people want Monokuma merchandise and how cute he is. However, don't let that fool anyone. Monokuma is a raving madman who traps teens in a detective death game to kill one another.
His laughter quickly becomes spine-chilling as more and more bodies rack up. It eventually comes to the point where players cannot stand for him to show up, knowing that death is coming each time. That plushie was cute at least.
1 All Of The Animatronics Could Easily Be Cute During The Day- FNAF Series
Though terrifying, the animatronics from the FNAF series are cute in their own way. They do work at a pizza parlor for children after all. They have to have some form of cuteness. However, any gamer and dedicated lore enthusiast know there's plenty of horror hiding behind those playful children's songs.
From discarded bodily remains, mutilated children, and so much more untold horror, there is no lack of terror to be found from the animatronics. At least they're cute when they perform.