Teen Wolf has been about more than werewolves for quite some time. While the first season dealt mostly with werewolf mythology, the series quickly opened up after that leading to all manner of strange and disturbing creatures. There have been some misses but they are a rarity. There are much more hits, and even home runs, than misses. Not all monster, even the good ones, are created equal. Looking at the design, powers and mythology we ranked 13 of the best Teen Wolf monsters.
#13 Werecoyotes
When Malia was first introduced as a werecoyote, Teen Wolf pretended as if that was something new and exciting. Maila, might have been one of the best new characters ever added to Teen Wolf but the same cannot be said of werecoyote mythology. There is literally nothing that separates werecoyotes from werewolves making the whole decision to introduce them very bizarre.
#12 Hellhound
When it was revealed that Parrish was a Hellhound he became more than Lydia’s bland and inappropriate love interest. He was Lydia’s bland and inappropriate love interest who also happened to be a supernatural creature. The idea and execution of Parrish being a Hellhound is interesting. The Hellhound is by far the laziest monster design ever on the show though. It’s just a half-naked to naked guy covering in ash and occasionally there’s fire.
#11 Werejaguars
Kate Argent might not done much when she returned from the “dead” as a werejaguar. Teen Wolf didn’t nearly explore enough of the werejaguar mythology and how it differed from werewolf but the one thing that can be said, is the werejaguar looks infinitely cooler than werewolves. Granted, they are just a bluish looking werewolf but considering how underwhelming werecoyotes are at least werejaguars look slightly different.
#10 The Beast of Geuvadan
The Beast of season 5 looks very impressive and cannot be defeated or attacked by conventional means. The Beast is also fascinatingly creepy when in his human form Sebastian Valet. Sadly the Beast being a creation almost totally of CGI looks a little too fake to be actually scary or remotely creepy.
#9 Dread Doctors
The Dread Doctors are, without question, the weakest central villain yet on Teen Wolf. They nearly ruined season 5 by being too mysterious, too powerful and overall way too boring. This is not about the Dread Doctor’s merits as a villain though but as a monster. As much as I hate them, I have to admit that the Dread Doctors, Lovecraftian though they are, are some of the most creative-looking Teen Wolf creatures. The Dread Doctors are striking and unnerving looking. They are memorable in a way that few Teen Wolf creatures have been, they just look inherently scary, not to mention their halting and clicking way of speaking.
#8 Skinwalkers
So little is known about the Skinwalkers but it is definitely a case of less being more. There is just something about their desert setting and in unison speech pattern that makes them unforgettable. The Skinwalkers are also a lot more morally ambiguous than a lot of the creatures on this list. They are helpful but their help comes at a steep price.
#7 Banshees
Teen Wolf is one of the most interesting looking shows on TV. No monster better facilitates Teen Wolf beautiful nightmarish style like the banshees. While the banshees are the most normal looking supernatural creatures on Teen Wolf, the series has made their seer-like powers into one of its most powerful tools. Lydia’s visions have created some of Teen Wolf’s most memorable sequences. Banshees have existed in pop culture and horror stories for years but Teen Wolf has added a whole other layer to a long history.
#6 Werewolves
If werewolves weren’t on this list Teen Wolf wouldn’t be doing its job. Werewolves have always been the figurative red-headed stepchild of vampires. They are usually depicted as the thuggish and stupid adversary to the much cooler and sophisticated vampire. Teen Wolf turned all that around. While their design is pretty mundane there is so much history and depth added to werewolves on the show. Teen Wolf is drawing a lot of fictional and real history in creating their werewolves but the creatures also manage to feel unique and exciting on the show.
#5 Berserkers
It is true that berserkers are really just glorified thugs on Teen Wolf. There’s not a whole lot of backstory or complicated mythology to be explored here. They are machines of war more than men but they just look so damn impressive. The hulking beasts of berserkers are terrifying to even look at and even more alarming when they are bearing down on their prey terminator style.
#4 Darach
Hands down the Darach was one of Teen Wolf’s best make-up jobs. The Darach was so creepy and decayed that it was almost hard to look at at times. The Darach was scary in a way few monsters have been on Teen Wolf. It made you uncomfortable and unsettled just by its appearance and that’s not the mention it’s impressive dark magical powers. Teen Wolf showed glimpses of Jennifer Blake’s true face and the moderation made all the difference.
#3 Kitsune
Kitsune have a long history in Japanese culture and are not just a Teen Wolf creation. That being said, the show has definitely popularized and enhanced a centuries old myth. Kitsune might just be the most powerful creature ever shown on Teen Wolf. Kira’s struggle with his monstrous inner self have hit a cord that not even Scott’s taming of his werewolf nature managed in season 1. There is a fear every time Kira taps into power that something terrible and irrevocable is going to happen.
#2 Oni
I really wanted to put both the Nogistune and the Oni on this list. However when I really thought about it, the Nogistune is not that great of a monster. It is one of the best villains for the way it infected and corrupted Stiles but really it was just a person with a mouth and ratty looking rags for a head. The Oni on the other hand were genuinely terrifying. The sneering mask, the ability to disappear into smoke and the killer efficiency made the Oni a presence that stuck with you long after they were gone on screen. It would be pretty easy to argue that the Nogistune would have been far less threatening if it didn’t have the Oni as demonic minions.
#1 Kanima
The Darach is an impressive make-up job but it pales in comparison to the kanima. The kanima taps into a primal fear of lizards, snakes and all kinds of reptiles are dials it but to 11. They’re fast, nimble and deadly. The kanima is a showcase of the benefits of practical effects. The fact that you can clearly tell there is man under all those scales and ferocity makes it so much believable and terrifying. The kanima was so strong in season 2 of Teen Wolf that mere mentions of it seasons later are still effective.
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
