The Daleks - Doctor Who

You look at the Daleks and you think: letterboxes, they're just gliding letterboxes.

But then you hear that voice, that evil, electronic, staccato shrill that apparently belongs to Nicholas Briggs before it's filtered through what sounds like the devil's voice modulator, and it transforms the letterboxes into the metallic menaces we all know and fear.

That they are always barking fascistic slogans such as, say, their wish to exterminate "all inferior creatures," doesn't exactly take the edge off. - Harry Bennett

Mr Blobby - Noel's House Party

Looking back, I cannot comprehend the outpouring of affection for Mr Blobby in the early '90s.

The pink, bumbling blob was apparently designed to look like a generic children's TV character for a series of pranks on unsuspecting celebrities in Noel's House Party.

But to me, Mr Blobby always resembled an ailing Barney whose rictus grin, spinning green eyes and demonic voice don't spell unconditional love but sadism.

"Blobby blobby blobby," he says. Translation: "I will eat you and your children." - HB

The Crack Fox - The Mighty Boosh

Decked out in rubbish with syringes for fingers, tittering and wittering inanities - the crack fox is a typically whimsical creation for The Mighty Boosh.

The sob story goes that it was his hard partying lifestyle that landed him in the pile of bin bags behind the Nabootique and begging for cheese around Dalston.

But whenever Vince's back is turned, his voice drops an octave as he mutters "I'm gonna hurt you real bad," and any mirth or pity you feel gives way to downright dread. - HB

Bob - Twin Peaks

Don't be fooled by the throwaway name. Bob, the malignant, possessing spirit who tormented the townies of Twin Peaks, has given us some of the most terrifying moments in TV history.

Especially that creepy crawl over the sofa and closer and closer to the lens as if the frame, let alone the room, couldn't contain his evil.

His origin story is also laughably haphazard, as the actor who played the part was Frank Silva, a set decorator who just happened to have accidentally locked himself in Laura Palmer's bedroom.

Only David Lynch and his dark, intuitive genius could witness such a happy accident and have it spark an image that haunts your dreams. - HB

Paul Ellis - Luther

This two minute scene from Luther is easily one of SCARIEST things you'll ever see…
#Luther#Halloween pic.twitter.com/qhyJ5BiMZ3

— BBC Luther (@bbcluther) October 31, 2018

What set Luther apart from most UK detective dramas was its willingness to embrace true horror, largely by creating such a horrific series of serial killers.

Choosing just one is tough, but none were as bone-chilling as series three's Paul Ellis.

What made his killing scenes so scary, beyond the ominous presence conjured long before he rears his ugly head, was the fact that he prayed on a universal fear: this time there is a monster under the bed, and it's a twisted fetishist. - HB

Vecna - Stranger Things

A young Henry Creel used his psychokinetic abilities to psychologically torture his family, before eventually killing his mother and sister. 

This led to him being the first ever test subject of Hawkins lab, which is where he was overpowered by Eleven and sent to the Upside Down.

Transforming into a form which was no longer human - ‘Vecna’ - he created a monstrous spider-like entity known as the Mind Flayer, which helped expand his abilities and possess multiple creatures and beings. 

In a bid to destroy humanity, Vecna began forming powerful psychic connections with humans in the real world, psychologically torturing them with disturbing visions before mentally breaking them. 

His deep bellowing voice is enough to give you nightmares and haunt your every waking moment. - Imani Cottrell

Hannibal Lecter - Hannibal

Mads Mikkelsen plays the slick and brilliant psychiatrist who leads a double life as a cannibalistic serial killer known as The Chesapeake Ripper. 

From the outside, Hannibal is the picture of class, sophistication and charm, but dig a little deeper and you discover a calculating sadist and psychopathic master of manipulation. 

With a taste for gourmet cuisine, he uses the body parts and organs of those he murders in elaborate and refined dishes for himself and the guests of his elaborate dinner parties.

A lover of fine food, art, literature and music, Hannibal despises rudeness and views his victims not as people but as no better than pigs, often displaying their dead bodies in theatrical positions. - IC

The Weeping Angels - Doctor Who

The Darleks aren’t the only nightmarish creatures from the Doctor Who universe to make the list.

As old as the universe itself, no one knows where the ancient alien killers known as the Lonely Assassins came from. 

So dangerous even the Doctor fears them, the number one rule when it comes to the Weeping Angels is to never look away. 

They can only move when no living creature looks at them, and even in the blink of an eye an Angel can move large distances very quickly.

If an Angel touches you, they can send their victim back through time, consuming the potential life energy from the lives their victims would have led.

The Angels can also feed on other types of energy like radiation and if they have enough energy, they can sneak up behind their victims and snap their necks.

If a victim looks at one in the eyes, it can infect their visual centres and take over the victim’s mind, eventually killing them by escaping the victim’s body. - IC

Twisty the Clown - American Horror Story

For many people, clowns are scary. Even harmless circus clowns, which are meant to make you laugh, cause people to sweat in fear. 

Twisty was initially a beloved carnival clown who shot off his own jaw after a false rumour that he was a child molester tore his life apart. 

With a dirty clown suit and a terrifying grinning mask, Twisty kidnaps children in a bid to “save” them from their candy-denying parents and make them love him again.

Twisty kills anyone who gets in the way of him “saving” his chosen children and is oblivious to the fear and horror he creates within the children he tries to entertain. - IC  

The Gentlemen - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy has faced plenty of adversaries during her time as the vampire slayer in Sunnydale, California. 

However, the Gentleman will go down as one of the creepiest characters Buffy and the Scooby Gang fight back against. 

The Gentleman dressed in matching black suits, with bald, pale heads, but their most terrifying feature was their permanent grin, complete with metallic teeth and red lips.

Eerily silent, the Gentleman couldn’t make any sound and stole the voices of people so they could cut out their hearts to stay alive.

The lullaby about the demonic minions goes, “can’t even shout, can’t even cry, you’re going to die screaming, but you won’t be heard.” - IC