Summary
Role-playing games often contain a mixture of other genres within them, such as adventure, fantasy, and horror, meaning there is an RPG for every taste. But aspects of them can be welcomed by some and a nightmare for others, like the various horror aspects in these titles. Even the most seemingly innocent games, likeThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, can have some terrifying moments, a lot of which come in the form of enemies, monsters, and characters that players meet.
RPG monsters take many forms and can be terrifying for many different reasons. An accompanying score, or lack thereof, can make an incredible impact on the players' anxiety. There is also the lead-up to meeting the monster that builds up tension and draws out our fears. It just goes to show that some RPG monsters aren’t for thefaint of heart.
Updated on Jun 21, 2025, by Mark Ward:RPGs are often associated with whimsical magic users and turn-based combat. But in reality, they vary wildly in gameplay style and tone, with horror being one of the most interesting ideas that get explored. However, it’s not always the game’s main wheelhouse, with RPGs simply incorporating different frightening aspects varying in subtlety. One of the most effective ways it’s done is by featuring some incredibly terrifying monsters, with some horrific designs and gameplay quirks, that often affect the way players enjoy these games from moment to moment.
Diablo 4
What Makes This Monster Terrifying
Despite being one of the most common mobs inDiablo 4, Ghouls prove themselves to be a deceptively terrifying nuisance. This is especially true when they attack in a group, which they mostly do.
These nasty nuisances are usually just that. However, inDiablo 4, major encounters can lead to some deadly consequences. But when under-equipped players encounter a particularly huge swarm of various monsters, with a few dozen ghastly ghouls at the center, it can spell the end for them.
Sunless Sea
Sunless Seais full of terrifying sea monsters and also just carries an ominous and eerie aesthetic throughout the whole game. It is not necessarily a horror game, and that is quite a mercy for its players, but it’s still incredibly uneasy.
The scariest of the monsters in the game is a living mountain. It hangs out by the Chapel of Lights and has the largest health bar of anything in the game. Its attacks packa horrifying punch, with 45 damage at range and 80 when up close. On top of that, it will increase your Terror stat with each attack.
Bioshock
Bioshockis known as a horror shooter with light RPG elements, and it’s packed with a ton of scary moments, but its most common enemy, splicers, are actually the scariest. They are what remains of Rapture’s human population. They used too much ADAM and have basically lost their minds.
These enemies often jumpscare the player either by their sudden appearance or their terrifying screams as they make their quick attacks. On top of that, ADAM has given them a lot of horrifying conditions that range from tooth loss to spider veins, rashes, and tumors. So, they also can look pretty terrifying on top of their unpredictable behavior.
Dark Souls
TheDark Soulsseries is known for its many horrifyingbosses and creatures. The Gaping Dragon struck more fear into players than most, though. Its entire upper body is a giant mouth of sharp and disgusting teeth.
While it is not known to be more difficult than other bosses, it does show up a little early on and before the player really settles into how scaryDark Soulscreatures can actually get. Plus, it comes right before most players will experience the horror that is Blighttown.
The Witcher 3
WithThe Witcher 3’s protagonist being a monster-hunting mercenary for hire, players can get pretty comfortable with werewolves, lichens, and drowners. Sometimes, though, there are unforgettable meetings with some truly special monsters.
The crones are an example of such monsters. They’re three genuinely creepy witches with some skin-crawlingly nasty designs. One literally has a bag full of child limbs, and another has a beehive for an eye. They can also shapeshift into beautiful women, but that’s easy to forget once you see their true forms.
Bloodborne
Bloodborneis thesibling game ofDark Soulsand also has many monsters with terrifying designs. One of its optional bosses is a beast with long limbs, peeled-back skin, and an awfully frightening, blood-curdling scream.
It’s as gruesome to look at as it is to fight, and it makes trekking through Old Yarnham feel like a completely futile quest. It has a creepy combination of looking malnourished but still having an ungodly amount of primal energy.
Persona 5
Persona 5is a massive game, incorporating a procedural dungeon crawl dubbed Mementos toaccompany the main palaces. It’s easy to get lost in these dark railways, and taking too long on a floor will invoke The Reaper’s presence, made known by the sounds of chains rattling in the distance.
If The Reaper catches the player early on in their playthrough, it’s a guaranteed game over, as his attacks are often insta-kills. Like all of the game’s challenges, though, victory isn’t out of reach and will even earn the player a trophy or achievement for their trouble.
Darkest Dungeon
This Eldritch miniboss is one of the most difficult monsters to fight inDarkest Dungeon. Once it reaches the player, the party’s torchlight drops to zero, and the Lovecraftian awe ofthe spiraling cosmoscan be seen.
Fights with this beast are both terrifying and, at times, absolutely disheartening. Especially because there are strategies that can be leveraged to make the fight doable, but they vary wildly in their effectiveness.
Fallout 4
It is a no-brainer that Deathclawsare frightening foesin theFalloutseries. They are known to be the fastest and the strongest, and their designs are messed up, like if a werewolf and a dragon had a baby.
InFallout 4,there is a hidden quest in the Museum of Witchcraft in which the player meets a huge Deathclaw, unlike others they’ve met before. The main component that makes this Deathclaw more frightening than usual is the location. The museum is incredibly dark, full of Deathclaw victims, and the build-up to meeting the actual monster is full of little creepy ambient sounds.
Dark Souls Series
Players who have spent their lives opening chests inZeldaorThe Elder Scrollsknow the absolute joy of finding that super important key item to allow them to progress or get the edge in battle. Then Dark Souls popularized the Mimic, developing a deep distrust inside future treasure hunters.
It’s a simple, albeit infuriating enemy that masquerades as an innocent chest, but when opened, its long arms grab the player and pull them into its gaping mouth. Of course, there is a way of recognizing a mimic chest before opening it, but just like everything else in the game, it’s not explained in the slightest.
