These 5 Studio Ghibli Monsters Creep Me Out Even as an Adult
If you've ever watched a Studio Ghibli movie, then you know how smart and scary their antagonists can be. These are my top 5 monsters that have traumatized me for life.
Studio Ghibli has built its reputation by creating visually stunning, family-friendly animations. But don't be too fooled by the color palette and cute character design. The studio has created some of the most genuinely unsettling antagonists out there. And somehow these 5 monsters have become even more disturbing with age.
1. Demon Nago
Movie: Princess Mononoke.
The opening scene of Princess Mononoke is not exactly a gentle introduction to Studio Ghibli's darker side. When we first meet Nago, he has already been corrupted by hatred and pain. He has been transformed from a boar god into a twisted mass that's honestly hard to look at.
2. No-Face (Kaonashi)
Movie: Spirited Away.
No-Face is a quiet and unassuming character who slowly reveals himself to be one of the creepiest entities in the Ghibli universe. He starts as a shy, mysterious spirit and evolves into a gluttonous monster who consumes others. The part where he goes on an eating rampage still makes me uncomfortable.
3. The Ohmu
Movie: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Giant insects are already high on my “nope” list, but the Ohmu take it to another level. The Ohmu's hive mind behavior is what makes them truly terrifying. When angered, their eyes glow red and they rush together in a unified mass. The fact that they're peaceful most of the time makes their rage state even more scary.
4. Lord Cob
Movie: Tales from Earthsea.
Lord Cob is a wizard seeking eternal life. His deterioration throughout the film is enough to make him terrifying. By the end, he has transformed into an evil monstrosity that still haunts me. His face changing as he loses his humanity is an incredibly effective horror trick that worked on me.
5. The Kashira
Movie: Spirited Away.
At first, these bouncing heads hanging around Yubaba seemed comical, but they became more and more unsettling over time. They don't speak. They just make strange noises and hop around. Their empty stares and constant bouncing create an uncanny valley effect that creeps me out the longer I watch.
