I think epic fantasy was my first introduction to the scary ghouls and beasts that populate
the underworld. In fact, epic fantasy monster slaying is a
tradition that goes way back beyond the modern series of novels we so enjoy today.
Pre-Sanderson, pre-Brooks, pre-Tolkien, we had poets like Homer sending heroes on fantastical
quests in which a few heads needed to be chopped off.
And these heads did not always belong to man, no sir.
For the ancient practice of monster fighting to be consistently successful, writers needed
to come up with scarier monsters! And come up with scarier monsters, they did.
Some are massively influential, others are simply monumental, but in the end as long
as they’re causing problems and being wicked cool, I’m happy.
Hello horror heads, and welcome back to the scariest channel on YouTube: Top5ScaryVideos.
I’m your horror host, Keegan Hughes, and today we’re counting down the Top 5 Scariest
Monsters from Epic Fantasy! Grab your longsword, and find a wizened old
master of magic, because these things do not get taken down easily.
Before we begin, make sure you give this video a big thumbs up, and subscribe for more ancient
atrocities. Outstanding, let’s get started.
NUMBER FIVE: GHOLAM - ROBERT JORDAN’S WHEEL OF TIME SERIES
What’s the scariest profession? And I don’t mean the job you’re most scared
to work, I mean the career that makes someone a terrifying person.
Maybe a chef at a popular restaurant, or maybe a loan shark.
But the real answer, unless we’re considering the famous man-child Leon, would have to be
an assassin. A human assassin is already incredibly terrifying
for their ability to dispatch entire lives at the drop of a hat, but now consider this:
liquid demon assassin. Yeah, that’s a Gholam.
These assassins were literally created with the sole purpose of being extremely hard to
kill, and taking out channelers. During the War of Power, these monstrosities
were created to take down powerful folk with little trouble.
A bird must fly. A man must breathe. A Gholam must kill.
That’s just the way it is. Looking like regular people, a Gholam can
catch you off guard. Getting into a fight with one is a bad call,
which you’d find out soon enough. They’re super strong, and entirely boneless.
Having zero bones is a great benefit in combat, given that you become much more flexible and
shock-absorbent, and also when you’re sneaking around.
Gholam can make use of their rubbery bodies to sneak through cracks in doorways, and other
small entrances regular people would not have access to.
Imagine this. It’s 2AM. You’re a channeler, minding your own business in a locked room.
You’re turning the events of the day over in your head, and all of the sudden, you hear
a squishy noise. At first, nothing seems to be there, but soon
the icy shock of horror washes over your body: there’s a rubber person forcing their way
through the centimeter-wide crack beneath your door.
They’re going to tear your limbs off and drink your blood.
And then they’re gonna smile about it. You can’t attack them with conventional
weapons, and they’re immune to the One Power. That’s bone-chilling.
And don’t feel too safe if you’re a regular, non-channeling person.
They’ll still tear out your throat and imbibe in your fluids.
They need blood to live! Thankfully, only six were made, and most have
been lost to time. Still, though. Gumby never seemed to mind-shattering.
NUMBER FOUR: JACHYRA - TERRY BROOKS’ SHANNARA CHRONICLES
You don’t want to mess with Jachyra. These ancient beasts were sealed away for
a reason. Nobody wanted to deal with their bloodthirsty
insanity any more. But, as is the case with most dark forces,
they could not be kept down. The Mord Wraiths used their magic within the
Wolfsktaag to release our ruthless ravagers, and off the Jachyra went, to destroy and maim
and kill. Just the looks of these beasts is enough to
make your blood run cold. Man-shaped beasts with predatory faces and
blood-red skin. Thick, bristly fur about their loins.
A cry that sounds more like jubilant, unhinged laughter.
Filled with poison that damages both the body and soul.
These beasts relish pain, and feed on the lifeblood of their opponents.
The more insanity and agony they cause, the more they thrive.
It’s no wonder they were able to achieve the unspeakable by, well, I’m not gonna
spoil anything. But let’s just say a major player would
rather he never laid eyes upon these ferocious fiends.
NUMBER THREE: VOIDBRINGERS - BRANDON SANDERSON’S STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE
You know something’s bad news when you see a name like this.
Voidbringer! Has a wicked ring to it. It delivers empty space, terror, and uncertainty.
Where once stood life, now there is the void. These legendary creatures of the ancient Desolations
are the reason Shardblades are carried. Twenty foot horrors of rock and flame with
eyes burning full of hatred cannot be taken down by conventional weapons.
There are many theories as to how the Voidbringers came about.
Some say that they were formed in Damnation, created from hatred, the destined opposite
to the Almighty meant to keep balance. Others claim that they’re just stories meant
to scare children. Even more intriguing is the idea that they’re
related to, or even part of the Parshendi hordes.
That the singing, couple-fighting people on the plains might have monsters among them.
I won’t go any deeper than that, in the interest of remaining as spoiler free as I
can. But that also adds to the mystery and the
terror of voidbringers. If you can’t be sure what they are, how
do you fight against them? Are there really monolithic stone-and-fire
people out there, waiting to erase you from the waking world?
NUMBER TWO: THE CTHAEH - PATRICK ROTHFUSS’ KINGKILLER CHRONICLES
Another mysterious monster, lurking in the shadows, causing problems for as many people
as possible. The Cthaeh is seen by the Fae as the most
horrible and malicious being out there. People literally get killed for coming in
contact with it. Seriously, they’re so afraid of the chaos
and discord it can sow, that they pick people off with longbows for coming too close.
Then they leave the bodies to rot. And if anything else touches that body, they
kill it too. And if, by some miracle, somebody gets away,
they’ll track them down, kill all bystanders, and burn the surroundings to the ground.
If the Fae, a powerful, magical people, have such fear in their hearts related to the Cthaeh,
you have to assume that it’s the real deal. In layman’s terms, it’s basically Satan.
The serpent at the tree of knowledge. This seemingly invisible being dwells in the
branches of the Great Tree. Is it trapped? Forced to stay there? It’s
hard to say. But if anyone approaches, the Cthaeh will
speak with them. Through this conversation, it reveals a sort
of omniscience about the world, as well as the life of their visitor.
A good being with this kind of power, say a Mother Aughra type, would use this power
to help, right? Well, the Cthaeh is poisonous, hateful and
contagious, therefore using this future esight to choose the worst possible outcomes for
as many people as possible. It will reveal information that hurts and
traumatizes those who speak to it, like our poor sweet Kvothe.
It’s thought that this toxic treehugger has caused many of the greatest tragedies
in the history of Temerant. It spoke to Jax prior to him stealing the
moon, which was a major factor in the start if the Creation War.
It also influenced the great warrior Lanre before he betrayed Myr Tariniel, giving rise
to the Chandrian. Can I say that out loud? Am I gonna get my
throat slit on the roadside? To make matters even worse, the flowers on
The Great Tree are a sort of panacea, and will heal all wounds.
This attracts desperate folks, who then hear the terrible future that awaits them, causing
them to become more desperate than ever. In the end, if you want to know just how terrifying
this thing is, look at the reactions of friendly Fae.
Both Bast and Felurian were entirely taken aback at the tale of meeting the Ctheah, and
expressed their fear in unique but horrifying ways.
Forbidden knowledge is forbidden for a reason. NUMBER ONE: MORGOTH
The biggest bad in the most famous epic fantasy series out there.
Sauron pledged allegiance to this terror, if that tells you anything.
Morgoth, once known as Melkor, was the most powerful of the ancient Ainur.
He rebelled against his creator, and fell through jealousy, pride, and a hatred of others.
Able to take on any form he chose, Morgoth towered over lesser beings.
Throughout his reign, he was able to wage many wicked wars with beasts of his own creation.
Balrogs, dragons, wraiths, werewolves, vampires, orcs, all under his command.
The most terrifying beasts of Middle-earth were made by him, or chose to align with him.
Even the light-eating spider broodmother The Ungoliant teamed up with Morgoth.
He was that powerful. Morgoth was able to disperse most of his innate
power into the fabric of the world itself. This is the reason the world is full of pain,
suffering, and cruelty. He wanted to make the universe an extension
of himself, and was largely successful at this.
However, he also doomed himself by doing this. By spreading his power too wide, he became
trapped in his physical body. His legions still followed him, and protected
him, but his corporeal form was weak, and eventually this led to his downfall.
Had he reigned it in just a little, the world of Middle-earth would be much more terrifying.
Still though, he single-handedly introduced entire new concepts to a world, and his legacy
lived on through Sauron and his many followers. Brutal, and horrible.
Morgoth. OUTRO
Doesn’t that make you want to go and read entire series of books again?
Like just plow through thousands of pages in one sitting?
Maybe not that much all at once, but you get it.
What did you think of the list? Did I touch on enough beastly baddies?
Are there any monsters from fantasy you’d like to see on a list?
Make sure you let me know down in the comments. Speaking of comments, let’s take a look
at some of your more weaponized ones from TOP 5 SCARIEST HORROR MANGA YOU HAVE TO READ
- PART 3: I’m not even gonna read these out loud.
Let’s just appreciate the polar opposite reactions one comment apart. Ah, the duality
of man. The Art Kid asks “How did Gantz become a
movie? Cutting out all the other content?” Yes.
Arngeir says “Forget Boruto, if you want REAL horror, go for Azumanga Diaoh!”
AHGHHHHHHHHHHHHH Merrill King says “I am thinking about reading
Chainsaw Man” I love Chainsaw Man! But it’s too funny
and Shonen-y to make it on this list. Marthfador says “Scared of lolis and like
horror manga? Magical Girls of the Apocalype! Get on it!!!!!”
See, that’s where I draw the line. I’ve heard enough about that to be forever nervous
about starting it up. And that’s all the time we have for today!
Before I start my career as a rodeo clown, make sure you give this video a big thumbs
up, and subscribe for more epic creatures! Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next
time!