10 Greatest Movie Monsters of the Last 100 Years, Ranked

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King Kong tearing a plane apart in the poster for the 1933 movie

Published Jan 27, 2026, 6:06 PM EST

Daniel is a 27-year-old List Writer for Collider living in the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. As an avid film buff, he watches and analyzes many films and TV shows, especially in the horror genre, and regularly attends movie screenings.

The last 100 years in the entertainment world have seen the biggest box office hits, the most exciting cinematic achievements, and truly the greatest movie monster in history. Monsters are an essential part of our pop culture these days, as the movies they have appeared in have been incredibly successful and hailed as some of the most rewatchable of all time. Even now, we can't get enough of monsters in the media as they've smashed box office numbers and remained popular in the public eye.

From vampires and other supernatural entities to creatures from beyond the stars and scientific monstrosities, plenty of iconic and unique monsters have appeared throughout the last ten decades. The following are the best in cinema for their epic abilities to scare, for creating massive amounts of damage, and for remaining timelessly popular with audiences. They're the monsters that will live on throughout cinema history and continue to wow and scare us.

10 The Predator - 'Predator' (1987)

The Predator, in the jungle at night, ready for battle in Predator (1987)

With 1987's Predator, John McTiernan thrilled the action community with one of the most explosive, pulse-pounding action horrors ever. A film that defines the exciting movie-watching experience of the '80s, it's a classic that's given us endless thrills, highly quotable one-liners, and, of course, one of the best cinematic villains in the form of the alien hunter, The Predator (Kevin Peter Hall).

Later referred to as a Yautja in the expanded comics and sequels, the Predator in this film is arguably the scariest. Before the later installments further delved into the creature's backstory, here, it's portrayed as a mysterious, brutal killer, an extraterrestrial poacher on safari in the jungles of Central America. There's nothing more terrifying than watching a monster killing people for the thrill of the hunt, and that's what makes this first Predator the most vicious and fascinating interpretation of this legendary monster.

9 The Zombies - 'The Romero Dead Trilogy' (1968-1985)

The zombies attack in an elevator in 'Dawn of the Dead'

The great George A. Romero redefined the word "zombie" with his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, which turned these semi-obscure creatures of Haitian folklore into a pop-cultural sensation. Today, zombies are everywhere, from comics, novels, video games, and especially other movies, all thanks to Romero's revolutionary depiction of these undead flesh-eaters.

He would recreate the magic of Night of the Living Dead again with 1978's Dawn of the Dead and the conclusion of the trilogy, 1985's Day of the Dead. Each of these three masterpieces is nearly perfect, delivering intense zombie horror and thought-provoking social commentary. The zombies featured are a classic version now, slow-moving but dangerous in hordes and have a single goal: to consume the living. Though other versions exist in cinema, Romero's version of zombies stands as the definitive and most influential.

8 The Wolf Man - 'The Wolf Man' (1941)

Appearing in folklore in many different cultures across the globe, werewolves have always been an iconic monster to feature in storytelling. But in cinema, it really wasn't until Universal's 1941 horror classic The Wolf Man that audiences got to know the most iconic interpretation of these fascinating creatures. This movie popularized many of the tropes that werewolves feature today, like the curse being transmitted through bites, a full moon triggering the transformation, and silver being their weakness.

The titular Wolf Man, aka Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), is arguably the most legendary depiction of a werewolf in cinema history. From artist Jack Pierce's legendary make-up design to Chaney's brilliant performance as the deeply tragic Talbot and the animalistic Wolf Man, this monster has become a pop culture icon, one that'll surely keep inspiring many different werewolf movies for years to come.

7 Frankenstein's Monster - 'Frankenstein' (1931)

Boris Karloff looking intently in Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's legendary 1818 gothic sci-fi novel Frankenstein has been adapted many incredible times throughout cinema, most recently with Guillermo Del Toro's Best Picture-nominated 2025 version. However, it is widely considered that James Whale's 1931 Universal Classic version has the most recognizable interpretation of The Monster, even though the design deviates heavily from the book.

The great English actor Boris Karloff gave an Oscar-worthy performance as this classic monster, playing him with so much depth and physicality, and creating a portrayal that would be a timeless icon of the horror genre. The Monster here is eerie in appearance, but greatly misunderstood, as he's scared, angry, and all alone, as not even his creator, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive), accepts him. He's a deeply tragic and compelling creature that cinemagoers continue to love.

6 King Kong - 'King Kong' (1933)

King Kong atop a skyscraper takes down a helicopter in King Kong (1933)

The 1933 classic King Kong is a benchmark in cinema history with an enduring legacy as one of the most inspirational adventure horror movies ever. Though its effects have shown their age in the years since its release, there's no denying how groundbreaking this film was for the time. Particularly, the way it brought its creatures and the titular Kong to life is certainly a milestone for stop-motion animation. Kong himself, meanwhile, is a legendary figure of pop culture, whose story constantly gets retold through remakes and spinoffs.

The '33 film has arguably the definitive version of Kong, as his status in horror history is unwavering. Sir Peter Jackson came close with a more sympathetic version of the character, played by Andi Serkis, in his 2005 remake, which is commendable. However, the '33 Kong is much more like an unpredictable, rampaging animal, which seems far scarier and more realistic. Sure, Serkis' King Kong makes you feel for the creature, but the '33 Kong is far more menacing and harder to understand, making him much more like what he is: a monster.

5 The Shark - 'Jaws' (1975)

The shark rests on the deck of a sinking ship in 'Jaws'.

Chopping its way into horror movie royalty, Steven Spielberg's grand adventure classic Jaws has become a pop culture sensation for decades, ever since its release in 1975. With nonstop thrills, intense scares, and some of the most quotable characters in cinema, it's an absolute blast of fun that everyone should see. Especially since it gave horror one of its finest villains with the great white shark depicted, sometimes referred to as Bruce by the filmmakers.

The shark is a terrifying and formidable antagonist, one that's unlike any other shark shown in movies. Its presence looms throughout the film, even though it's only shown on-screen for a few minutes. Traditional shark-catching tactics won't work on it, and it even possesses almost supernatural strength, as it can tear large boats to shreds. Yes, the design of this shark looks noticeably fake and rubbery now, but it has created a frightening legacy throughout history, and it continues to scare viewers out of even wanting to set foot in the ocean.

4 Count Dracula - 'Dracula' (1931)

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula peering out behind a wall in Dracula

Another classic literary monster that was constantly shown throughout cinema was the Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula. Appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, this legendary bloodsucker has appeared everywhere in many different interpretations that range in quality. However, it's mostly considered that Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula holds the most classic depiction of the Count.

Played by Hungarian-born stage actor Bela Lugosi, this depiction of Dracula is the most influential, as the portrayal has been copied, parodied, and cited constantly in other films and TV shows. It's not the most book-accurate portrayal, but it's the most pop-culturally significant and beloved. Lugosi plays Dracula with so much eerie, hypnotic charm and subtle menace, making an already timeless character even more unsettling.

3 Xenomorph - 'Alien' (1979)

The xenomorph coming out of the smoke in Alien.

Sir Ridley Scott delivered one of the most flawlessly made and visually spectacular horror movies of all time with 1979's Alien. A nightmarish and claustrophobic tale of a slasher in space, it's become an essential part of horror for its creative premise and stellar creature designs. The titular alien that appears here, the Xenomorph, is truly a legendary and horrifying monster that is still so eerily fascinating today.

The late artist H. R. Giger created the iconic design for this creature, earning him an Academy Award in the process. It looks, acts, and sounds completely out of this world, even its origins are a disturbing mystery as the story never explains where it came from or what its true nature is all about. The Xenomorph exemplifies all our worst fears of venturing into outer space, and its appearance and the horrific murders it commits throughout the film are the stuff of nightmares.

2 The Thing - 'The Thing' (1982)

Horror legend John Carpenter created the ultimate alien terror with his 1982 masterpiece The Thing. Based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, it tells of an American research base in Antarctica that's under attack by a shape-shifting extra-terrestrial that disguises itself as several of the group's members. The alien shown, only referred to as The Thing, is one of the most mysterious and formidable antagonists in movie history.

What exactly is this Thing, where did it come from, and what does it really want to do on Earth? These questions were left brilliantly unanswered to make this alien truly a fascinating and unpredictable villain, one who constantly becomes the subject of debate throughout the years. It's also nearly unkillable as it can split off into different parts, infect any person, and soon develop incredible survival skills.

1 Godzilla - 'Gojira' (1954)

The giant Godzilla standing while holding a plane in Godzilla

Taking the number one spot goes to the King of Monsters, Godzilla. Truly, what better place to put this kaiju icon than at the top? With his towering size, indestructible skin, and devastating atomic breath, Godzilla has been a symbol of monster movies everywhere ever since he stomped his way into history in the 1954 Japanese horror classic Gojira.

In his first outing, he was a force of nature, an unstoppable beast that laid waste to Tokyo, Japan, leaving destruction in his wake. It's well known these days that he's depicted more here as a metaphor for the nuclear devastation in post-WWII Japan and the destructive power of atomic energy, since, after all, it was A-bomb testing that woke him up from his sleep at the bottom of the ocean. Godzilla is overall a recognizable figure who deserves his status as the greatest movie monster of the last 100 years.

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