Horror is known for its tropes—from masked slashers to evil clowns to the final girl. Another cliché is evil or creepy children, whether they’re the protagonist, antagonist or some other secondary character. Horror is chock full of them and many of us were given nightmares from these murderous minors. Take a look at 15 of the creepiest youngsters in all of horror in the gallery below, then let us know your favorite scary kid from this list in the comments section on social media.
Esther—”Orphan” (2009)
Although she may not have been a kid in the end, she was very convincing and terrifying.
Rhoda—”The Bad Seed” (1956)
Rhoda is the OG evil horror movie kid and she deserves props for that.
Regan—”The Exorcist” (1973)
Poor Regan, she messed with the wrong ouija board.
Damien—”The Omen” (1976)
Let’s just say that after seeing this movie, I’m not having kids any time soon.
Michael—”Halloween” (1978)
While most of us know Michael as an adult, he was pretty frightening as a sister-murdering kiddo.
Grady Twins—”The Shining” (1980)
Now, we know these twins haunted your nightmares for years.
Carol Anne—”Poltergeist” (1982)
Even though Carol Anne was the victim in this film, she always creeped me out.
Isaac—”Children of the Corn” (1984)
This kid in basically the personification of the word “NOPE.”
Gage—”Pet Sematary” (1989)
That’s why you don’t bring kids back from the dead.
Henry—”The Good Son” (1993)
After portraying the lovable Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2,” Macaulay Culkin flipped the switch by playing a devilish child.
Cole and Kyra—”The Sixth Sense” (1999)
Now most of you guys would probably say that Cole was the creepiest kid in “The Sixth Sense,” I’d argue that he’s a close second to Mischa Barton’s Kyra.
Samara—”The Ring” (2002)
Although Samara is very misunderstood, that doesn’t make her any less scary.
Toshio—”The Grudge” (2004)
Again, can we keep the creepy ghost kids to a minimum?
