With a post like Fear of Pokémon Go already well into existence, it’s only natural we take a deep-dive into examining which of those over 800 Pocket Monsters are the scariest. If you are not a fan of Pokémon and have no idea what I’m talking about, I would recommend spending the next 4-87 weeks educating yourself on the topic. Once that is complete, you can return here to really understand what we’re exploring with this one. Yes, there are definitely some cute, adorable, wish-they-were-my-pet Pokémon. However, there are also dozens of creepy, horrifying, disturbing creatures as well. Hence the reason for this Top 10 Scariest Pokémon list. Let’s go!

While we could examine this list from the perspective of Pokémon who resembles everyday Fears like Sharpedo who is a somehow more menacing-looking shark or Klefki who is a set of keys, we’re going to focus on their backstories instead. These are based on the actual descriptions the game and anime provide for the Pokémon.

10. Mimikyu – Even the casual Pokémon fan knows all about Pikachu. It is essentially the mascot for the entire franchise. So it’s no wonder this little guy tries its best to disguise itself as a Pikachu rather than reveal its true identity. It wears the disguise in an effort to hide its broken neck. Rumours say anyone who has seen this creature without its cloak on has later died a sudden and violent death.

9. Absol – This one is interesting. It is rumoured that Absol knows when disaster is approaching and seeing one is a warning sign. However, many people blame Absol for being an omen of disaster rather than a warning. Kind of like spotting a black cat as you’re walking underneath a ladder after breaking a mirror. So if you see an Absol, it means something bad is about to happen.

8. Parasect – You know that affliction called ‘graft versus host’? It’s where your body basically fights with something foreign that was meant to help you but instead kills you. Like you get a new arm and it keeps trying to slap your face. Something like that. Anyway, so Parasect was once a cute little mushroom bug but then the mushroom grew so large it killed the Pokémon. Now the mushroom reigns supreme and forces the zombified-Pokémon to do its bidding.

7. Gengar – Ah Gengar, the not-so-friendly ghost. Everyone’s favourite human who died and turned into a Pokémon and is now desperately looking to kill another person to have a companion. Between the beady, red eyes and the sinister grin, this little fella will have you wishing ghosts weren’t real.

6. Frosslass – So a woman dies alone on a cold, snowy mountain. She then becomes a ghost who hunts for people. She can kill by freezing people to death and then keeps them as trophies. It’s sort of romantic if you ignore the whole killing a frozen hostage part.

5. Yamask – This Pokémon is literally just a ghost that retains the spirits of people who died while holding a mask of a human face. I don’t know how much more I can say about that. Oh, it also looks at the mask and cries. I guess I could include that detail too. And to think, we’re only about halfway done this Top 10 Scariest Pokémon list…

4. Hypno – Hypno will do one of two things to you. It will hypnotize you by slowly swinging a pendulum until it can put you to sleep and feast on your dreams. Or it is known to lure children away after hypnotizing them. Or it could do both to you. Either way, Pokémon is supposed to be a children’s game, right?

3. Yveltal – Literal death. That’s all this guy does. Just sort of flies around and brings death with it. It sucks the life out of everything it comes in contact with. Its counterpart, Xerneas, is the bringer of life. Think of Yveltal as a Dementor from Harry Potter but worse. And there ain’t nothin’ worse than a Dementor.

2. Banette – As children grow older, they have a tendency to throw away old, unwanted toys. Usually, those toys don’t fill up with raw hatred, come to life, and hunt down their former owner trying to kill them. Banette does though. It’s like throwing an unexpected boomerang but when it comes back to you it tries to destroy your soul.

1. Drifloon / Phantump – We’ve got a twofer on this one. Drifloon, the seemingly harmless purple balloon with a face, is said to capture children and lead them to death. The actual Dex entry essentially says children who hold onto one end up going missing. Now there are even more reasons to have a Fear of Balloons. Phantump doesn’t help this story much either. This weird little tree stump is said to be haunted by the spirits of children who have gone missing in forests. I don’t want to start a conspiracy theory over here, but this sounds like general Pokémon cahooting. Either way, hide yo kids. As they say. Like 10 years ago.

Well, now you know what I think when it comes to the Top 10 Scariest Pokémon. But what did YOU think? Comment, send an email, or let me know on Facebook! I wouldn’t ask if it didn’t help. So please help spread the word! I did say please.