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milesonthenet · 1 year ago

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Ranking all Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Villains

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now

Welcome to the House of Milesverse - during the spooky season! I look forward to talking to you guys on why THIS is one of my favorite posts. Scooby Doo is one of the franchises closest to my heart, alongside Transformers, and DC Comics.

There are a lot of franchises close to my heart, okay?

The original Scooby-Doo was one of my favorite shows to watch all the time.

Anyways, today we are going to be ranking some of the most dastardly, dubious, and most DANGEROUS caper masterminds. Today, we rank; Scooby Doo, Where Are You's SCARIEST villains.

Here are the rules:

I am doing this solely from my perspective, on which villains I found scary either upon first seeing it or on rewatch.

I am doing this specifically based on the first iteration of the series. Anything from Scrappy, or beyond, is not in my interest for now.

Last but not least? Just have fun reading this. I mean, if you were not having fun, why would you read it?

Let's get started.

No. 27-25: Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts

Naturally these three wind up dead less, just from appearance alone. I mean, they are basically the Universal monsters but not with any of the things that make them legitimately scary. There's no panache, it's all just boring.

These THREE monsters and a gypsy disguise were used by Big Bob Oakley. Known as 'The Actor', he is a master of disguises. He is also a wanted man in seven states. I am very curious what he was wanted for.

I just think that there are more interesting versions of these monsters that you can see. At least for the Wolfman (Werewolf), and Dracula (Other... Dracula? Gramps the Vamp) monsters. Scooby Doo has never shied away from creating somewhat interesting threats.

For what it's worth? Franken Castle makes for a delightful-looking design. I think Scooby Doo always rocks the castle aesthetic when it comes to investigation. Although, I would certainly hope there are more fun-looking castles in the franchise.

No. 24: The Witch Doctor, Decoy for a Dognapper

I really - really have no idea what to say about this one. So the guy is a witch doctor, and that is actually what he is dressed like. There really does not feel like there is enough to say about this guy. He kidnaps dogs for his dog smuggling operation.

For what it's worth? His transmitted projection of Geronimo was pretty cool as a gimmick. It was also very, very dated. He has a scheme that I would argue is different from most Scooby-Doo villains. That's kind of all I can say about him.

Oh, also? He's Buck Masters, an apparent dognapping victim who used his tactics to dognap show dogs. Which included his own as well, Big Red. He also employed a henchman named Mike, who was not very smart.

If you don't listen to him, he'll shake his maracas at you.

No. 23: Ghost of Zen Tuo, Mystery Mask Mix-Up

The Ghost of Zen Tuo is one of the weirdest Scooby Doo villains I can think of. There's a lot that you can pick out when it comes to this guy. He's actually A. Fong, an oriental art dealer. Who, funnily enough, owns a smuggling ring.

He spends his time using his henchmen to do his bidding, much like the villain above. The Scare Pair, weirdly enough, makes for more time than their boss. Zen Tuo takes a backseat to his threat.

Ghost of Zen Tuo, and his minions, are basically ancient chinese demons. There's a lot to unpack, and none of it comes off as interesting. This, and the two Witch Doctors are great examples of how dated the series is. This is not to say the series is racist or anything, but that it is from a completely different time.

Also, that mask is atrocious.

No. 22: Witch Doctor, A Tiki Scare is No Fair

Alright, this is the last one for "Scooby Doo episodes that didn't age well" hopefully. This is the SECOND Witch Doctor of the series. He shows up haunting the island grounds, which belong to a hawaiian god named Mano Tiki Tia. That name is weird, but okay.

Witch Doctor here is actually John Simms, a professor/tourist guide who was scaring people away ferom an ancient village in Hawaii. The plan? Why, it was to use the Ancient Village as the grounds for his underwater pearl poaching operation!

Witch Doctor's plan does not seem that bad, to be honest. I like to call it one of the typical 'Scooby Doo' plots, because numerous others work similarly to it. His actual entrance as a villain is pretty cool, to be honest. The sky turns red as his warning scares the natives, and our two cowardly buttheads, Shaggy & Scooby Doo.

It is interesting to note, the two indian witch doctors in this series are both white criminals.

Lastly, that design is goofy, but I think that might be the point.

No. 21: The Werewolf, Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf

Honestly? Kudos to the Werewolf for a more unique design. This is a werewolf is the disguise of an unnamed sheep rustler. He tried to stop intruders from intruding on his sheep smuggling ring. Which he was using in an old abandoned mill and harbor deep into the forests.

There is not a whole lot that I can say about him, to be honest. To me, he comes from one of the less memorable episodes of the series. As you can guess from a werewolf, he smashes things and snarls a lot. He likes to pose and wave his arms around while he snarls too.

No. 20: The Caveman, Scooby's Night With A Frozen Fright

Who ever heard of a frozen Caveman? Scooby-Doo apparently, because he is the main threat of this episode. As you can guess, Scooby-Doo and the gang deal with a thawed-out caveman.

The Caveman is actually a criminal by the name of Professor Wayne. His plan was to steal an invention from his close friend, Ingstrm. This device would enable him to interact with aquatic life. I am confused about why he chose to dress up as a Caveman specifically for it instead of say, aly but hey, whatever.

The Frozen Caveman does not bother me. There was nothing about him that I thought was scary as a kid. I admit, I thought it was a little absurd to think of that. However, in hindsight, lots of Scooby-Doo villains are abnormal, in more ways than just being ghosts.

Fun fact? This episode apparently features the FIRST time that a villain refers to the gang as 'meddling kids'.

No. 19-18: The Witch and The Zombie, Which Witch is Which?

Which Witch is Which? I'm asking the same question. This episode features the witch, alongside her backup muscle. Said 'muscle' is her undead pal, The Zombie.

Much like the universal monsters above, I chose to group these two into one slot. They debut in the same episode and generally, that just feels better. Plus, it saves me more time than making separate goals.

The Witch is a malevolent entity, who shows up six months prior to the episode. The Witch used her voodoo magic to bring the Zombie alive as her minion. The both of them then began terrorizing the swamp.

Yeah, no,

The Witch is actually Zeb Perkins, joined by the Zombie, who is his partner Zeke. The two scared off the other town residents in their search for riches. Those 'riches' were an armored bank truck they crashed into the swamp at an earlier point.

I love the fake magic that the witch employs to intimidate her enemies. The trap floor, for example, was an interesting item. The Zombie himself makes for an intimidating physical threat when it comes to the chase. Plus, this episode does well with a swamp aesthetic.

No. 17: The Ape-Man, Never Ape an Ape-Man

Honestly, why WOULD you ape an Ape-Man? That thing could literally rip you apart if it wanted to.

Meet the titular threat of this hilariously named episode. The Ape-Man does his best to sabotage a movie that Daphne's uncle is shooting. He is one of the many cases where I can think that the gang was actually in danger.

The Ape-Man was actually Carl, the stunt performer. Wow, who would have guessed that? Probably the audience if they were paying attention to the film. Poor Carl's talents were never acknowledged by by Daphne's uncle. His entire reason for doing this was because he couldn't play the lead role.

I am guessing Carl just was not feeling very inspired, either. Because his entire suit is taken from the film, in the exact same role he was playing. Hell, the entire Ape-Man mythos was inspired by an old legend of an ape burning down a mansion. This was all said by the locals, which I am not sure we EVER see at any time in this era.

Regardless, the Ape-Man makes for an interesting antagonist in my opinion. He's one of the more bizarre ones in terms of Scooby-Doo villains. I think that is what he does well because he IS bizarre. He spends most of the episode eerily creeping around the area.

Also? He has one whole bit where he messes with Scooby Doo using a Scooby Doo mask. It is hilarious.

No. 16: Wax Phantom, Don't Fool With A Phantom

Our next guest comes from the last episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Prior to it's rebranding, at least.

The Wax Phantom is actually quite an interesting monster to look at. His design really does wonders to sell the haunting 'wax' idea that he is. I admit, his design is certainly where Scooby Doo's interest comes from. Although, I believe it also is one of the less-memorable ones.

Anyway, this guy is the antagonist behind the episode. He haunts Johnny Sands' Dance Game Show. The gang believes him to be a wax creation brought to life. Who created him? Grisby of course, a strange wax-figure-making weirdo who was cancelled by the show.

In reality, he's Roger Stevens, the TV manager of KLMN (aka the company that this entire game show is under). Roger Stevens used Grisby as an alibi for his secret embezzling schemes. He was stealing money from the TV station...

The one question I have during this; how did Shaggy and Scooby survive being encased in wax? I swear, those two are the most superhuman cowards I have ever heard of. This is not even their most impossible feat, they literally painted a door into existence so that the Wax Phantom could crash through it.

No. 15: Phantom, Hassle in The Castle

Okay, now we get to The Phantom, who I actually kind of adore. He's got a great laugh, which also sounds weird. Weird works for Scooby Doo, as you can probably guess.

I have never really been a fan of his design to be honest. I mean, the effects are great, but it is just a simple bedsheet look. I guess that is the point of the episode. Plus, simplicity can work sometimes.

Anyways, meet Bluestone the Great, a former magician. He disguised as the Phantom to haunt Vasquez Castle. This was done for the purpose of scaring people away from the castle, so that he could claim the Vasquez Treasure.

Bluestone here makes for a great magician. I mean, guess that does not pay well since he decided to do the usual route. You know, haunt a mansion or landmark, and search for secret treasure. I swear dozens of scooby doo villains do it.

No. 14: Captain Cutler, a Clue for Scooby Doo

Alright then, we have reached the top fifteen. Now we are getting into the classics, and that is going to be fun. I consider these to be the best of the Scooby Doo villains.

Which is funny, because I start with what I figured was the weakest. Our friend Captain Cutler is an eerie man dressed in a green scuba suit. I'd say he's one of the more iconic Scooby-Doo villains due to his design.

Yet, honestly, I feel like Captain Cutler is not that interesting. Aside from his haunting groans, he does not have a lot going for him. It is no wonder that he falls on this slot of the list.

If it helps? His mystery was also a nice red herring. The group expected it to be Ebeneeezr Shark. This is funny because it was actually Captain Cutler himself, who faked his death. His goal was to steal yachts so that he could sell them for money.

No. 13: Miner 49er, Mine Your Own Business

I honestly wish that we all Mined our own business sometimes. This ominous spook could learn a thing or two from that. Miner 49er is actually Hank, the owner of a guest hotel in the desert town Gold City. Hank was haunting the place for the purpose of collecting oil and driving his boss out of business.

As a villain, Miner 49er is actually a threat that I think works. He has a pretty ominous presence throughout the episode. Most of it concerns scaring Scooby and Shaggy at different points.

I feel like his design is seemingly mundane. Then again, Scooby-Doo villains go as a multitude of other things. It is not surprising to find that Hank just decided to wear his normal clothes with a few modifications.

I just want to say that I think the name 'Miner 49er' is hilarious and also very clever.

No. 12: Snow Ghost, That's Snow Ghost

Okay, this is our thirteenth ghost, and he is a killer. Which is funny because he literally tried to murder the gang. Like, three different times at least, too. I think this guy's definitely one of the more crazy antagonists.

The Snow Ghost is actually Mr. Greenway, the owner of the ski lodge the team is at. He decides that he wants to dress up as a monster (a story he got from a hiker named Fu Lan Chi) to scare people away from the abandoned sawmill. Which is where he hosted his illegal operations.

Which is bizarre, because the gang was literally nowhere near the sawmill. Mr. Greenway must really love trolling people for some reason. Or he just really loves scaring the heck out of a bunch of teenagers for no good reason.

Snow Ghost here has an intimidating design for a yeti villain. Like I said, he was content with trying to kill the gang. Like trying to saw Velma Dinkley in half. Or hurling dynamite at her and Scooby to blow them up.

The Snow Ghost's sheer ruthlessness makes for an interesting competitor against the gang's antics. I actually love him for this, to be honest. He was the first monster of the week who attempted to inflict bodily harm. That's scary enough.

No. 11: Redbeard's Ghost, Go Away Ghost Ship

Okay, that is one RED beard, I mean look at that thing.

Redbeard's Ghost is our favorite pirate of the franchise. Well, besides Skunkbeard, he's just too cool. Redbeard was a persona adopted by C.L. Magnus to steal cargo from his ships. The only reason he wanted to do this was for insurance. Whoop-de-do.

At first glance, Redbeard's Ghost might just be one of the most outlandish villains in the series. Just look at him, he's one of the more human-like faux monsters the gang fights. I mean, why would the gang have reason to believe that a pirate was not only around, but was a ghost?

I like Redbeard because of these reasons. His weirdness feels natural to the Scooby Doo series. Plus? Redbeard REALLY loves to get in the act. He has the pirate attire, the pirate laugh, and the ghost ship. I can appreciate a villain who gets into the theme.

Redbeard himself also gets up to some unuusally comedic antics. Scooby and Shaggy are spared by him, only because Shaggy told him he was a good cook. The two proceed to make an indigestible stew for the pirates. Redbeard then makes them eat the stew, which leads them to escaping.

By the way? Redbeard himself is actually a real person too. He was a pirate known as the terror of the Seven Seas. C.L. Magnus' ancestors defeated him, and he swore that he would return. The irony is not lost on anyone here, and I love that.

No. 10: Spooky Space-Kook, Spooky Space-Kook

Let's just pause to point out that this guy has one of the best laughs. The Spooky Space-Kook's laugh is spine-tingling in a way that I cannot describe. As a child, it was creepy to look at. As an adult, I find that I'd probably laugh alongside him.

The Spooky Space-Kook is actually Henry Bascomb, the neighbor of a farmer who warned the gang about the monster. He was dressed up as the Spooky Space-Kook because he wanted to scare people away from the Air Force base nearby. His plan was to buy the land for himself.

As a design, the Spooky Space-Kook's sci-fi aesthetic works well for him. I love the astronaut skull helmet that he possesses. It helps make him ominous in a way.

No. 9: The Black Knight, What a Night for a Knight

Guess you could say "Right in the round tables!" because here's our next guest. The Black Knight was the identity of Mr. Wickles. He used the armored suit to scare people away from his art forgery schemes within the museum.

The Black Knight spends most of the episode creeping around the gang. Aside from angry grunts, he really does not say anything here. His general silence and lurking tendencies are what put him in the list.

His position within the franchise is what also pushes him here. Although he's not the scariest, he is the first villain shown in the franchise. Much like other iconic threats, he's had some notable iterations spun off from him.

No. 8: The Mummy of Anka, Scooby-Doo, and a Mummy Too

"Coin, Coin!"

The Mummy of Anka is the main antagonist of this Scooby Doo episode. He also is a fairly threatening one in the series due to the darkening atmosphere. The Mummy's real identity is Dr. Najib, an Egyptian researcher and aide to the professor. Najib is after an ancient Egyptian coin.

The Mummy is short-tempered and violent in the episode. He is basically a brute who scares the group into giving him the coin. The Mummy does not speak any word other than 'coin'. Which is said in a groaning, angry voice throughout the episode.

One part that I love about this episode is the stone element. The professor is one of the mummy's victims, believed to be turned to stone. In reality, he was simply captured offscreen. Najib also made a stone replica of himself to scare the gang.

No. 7: Charlie the Robot, Foul-Play in Funland

Get ready for a funtime in Funland, because Charlie graces the eighth spot on our list. Charlie's one of the more unique Scooby-Doo villains. Because he is not malevolent, he is simply a robot. Although he is prone to malfunctioning, Charlie's intentions aren't always terrible.

He was the creation of Mr. Jenkins, to help run Funland when he was busy. Mrs. Jenkins, for some reason, had the bright idea to sabotage him. Because she did not want robots running an amusement park meant for children.

To be honest? Her scheme confuses me the most, because there is no alter ego here. She could have just talked to him about it, but she decided not to. This would have saved the gang, and Jenkins some trouble.

No. 6: The Headless Specter, Haunted House Hang-Up

Speaking of unique villains? The Headless Specter is yet another unique villain in the franchise. Penrod Stillwall's a good guy here, he just has weird methods of proving it. He's the antagonist, but he's not the criminal here. He just decided to chase a bunch of kids around to stop them from finding his family's fortune.

This episode has one of my favorite haunted mansion setups of the series. The Scooby Gang are mostly alone, with only the Headless Specter with them. Also, he's after them and proves to be pretty dang malicious at times.

The overall atmosphere is done perfectly, and it gives you a good tingly feeling. This also has one of my favorite chase scenes of the episode, complete with groovy music.

Asha Shanks is the actual villain, by the way. He decided to run around with a bed sheet over his face. He also wanted to steal the Stillwall treasure, which doesn't work out for him. He's defeated which, once again, creates another neat subversion in the Scooby Gang series.

No. 5: Ghost of Elias Kingston, What The Hex Is Going On?

The Ghost of Elias Kingston was actually scary to me as a kid. He had a more ominous and foreboding appearance. His warning would generally follow with cursing the Wetherby Family. Ironically, he is a Wetherby, Stuart, who wanted to steal the fortune from his relatives.

Things get chilling when Stuart is afflicted by the ghost's 'curse'. At first, he is aged into being an old man. The last we see of him before the reveal is his skeleton. We also see that he's captured Sharon, which gets even worse considering who he is.

The Ghost of Elias Kington is always felt, even when he is not in the scene. This, combined with his iconic design and his warnings makes him dangerous. It also is what makes him number six on the list.

Also, the way the gang turns his own gimmicks back on him? Is hilarious.

No. 4: Ghost of Mr. Hyde, Nowhere To Hyde

What's lean, green, and mean? Why, the Ghost of Mr. Hyde, of course. This ghoulish goon was the main antagonist of an episode I thought was pretty scary.

Our main antagonist is blessed with a jarring green appearance that used to scare me. That is not the only thing he has going for him, though. He is fast on his feet, too, and he almost tries to croak Shaggy.

These green jokes are just fine for me to say. Other than that, he's actually the disguise of - you guessed it, Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll was trying to "hyde" his jewel thefts, by pretending that he created a formula. Something went wrong with the formula, however, and it would turn him into a monster, named the ghost of Mr. Hyde.

Hyde does not have any other neat gimmicks, aside from scaling walls with neat suction cups. Other than that, he is pretty easily bested by the gang. The gang all take turns scaring Hyde before they wrap him in a mattress.

Our bad guy, by the way? He's the first villain to ever hide in the Mystery Machine.

No. 4: The Ghost Clown, Bedlam in The Big Top

Okay, there is creepy, and then there is this guy. Meet the main antagonist of Bedlam in the Big Top. He's a menacing ghost clown who haunts your every eye. The Ghost Clown is actually Harry the Hypnotist, who wanted revenge against the circus featured in the episode.

The Ghost Clown makes for a terrifying opponent to face off against. He uses his talents to mind-control the gang into some pretty hilarious events. However, the terror from what he's done can still be seen.

Clowns in general have a neutral connotation in fiction. However, I find that most people tend to see them as villains. I think this is due to how offputting it can be to make a clown evil. After all, they are a symbol of joy and laughter now distorted into something positively murderous.

No. 3: The Puppet Master, A Backstage Rage

Congrats, we are going from creepy to worse. You have made it to the top three, the three scooby doo villains who made younger me say "zoinks!" and hide behind the TV.

Meet the Puppet Master, the disguise of Pietro, who works at Strand Theatre. In reality, Pietro is secretly hosting a counterfeiting operation beneath the theatre. He uses his disguise to scare people away from his secret operations.

The Puppet Master is quite the creepy threat, even for a Scooby Doo villain. His ominous unblinking eyes are very strange. There are multiple moments where you can see how scary the Puppet Master is. From attempting to drop a sandbog on the group. All the way to creepily standing still, while he and Shaggy wear the same outfit.

The Puppet Master is absolutely devious in almost every way. He's one of the more unnerving villains for me as a kid. However, he's nothing compared to numbers two or one.

The way he laughs as he vanishes down the Prompeter's Box? Eugh. Still sticks with me.

No. 2: The Phantom Shadows, A Night of Fright is No Delight

Our giggling green ghosts are only the SECOND scariest antagonists of the original. They really help accomplish what the episode title set out to do. Their appearances are scary, and offer a chilling laugh.

These two are Cosgood Creeps and Cuthbert Crawls. Yeah, it's funny how almost everyone else on this list have completely normal names. Meanwhile, these two at least try to advertise what they are all about. Their goal was to scare away the heirs to Colonel Beauregard Sanders' fortune.

These two try their best to sabotage Scooby and scare him away. This is because Scooby Doo was another heir to Sanders' fortune. Naturally, our plucky hound gives in, but he never quits. Thanks to the gang, they manage to unmask Creeps and Crawls.

The Phantom Shadows have a neat gimmick where they create dummies based on the heirs. All of which are sealed inside of coffins to make them look like victims. It is appropriately creepy for the kind of episode that they have.

In a later episode, we do see the Phantom Shadows recolored into three different ice-cream themed phantoms. I just think that's funny, though.

No. 1: The Creeper, Jeeper's It's The Creeper

This next villain was the scariest one for me, no joke. As a child, I convinced my mother to put on the Scooby Doo shows. She put on this episode, and it stuck with me.

As a child, I grew afraid of the episode because of The Creeper. The way he talked and moved scared me as a kid. Eventually, I think I got over my fear of him.

As a villain, The Creeper is actually the bank owner, Mr. Carswell. He was using The Creeper as an excuse to rob the bank, claiming that it could walk through 'walls'. Unfortunately? He was caught by a camera, and one slip of paper would be enough to destroy his reputation...

How does The Creeper rectify this? By tracking down the guard, distracting him with a log, and then attacking him. His violent temper left the guard unconscious and also destroyed his car. The Creeper beat down a guard for having photographic evidence, what do you think he'd do to some kids?

Honestly, that's not the only part I find 'scary'. The gang LEFT the security guard in the hands of Carswell. They unknowingly left him to be imprisoned by the same man who attacked him.

The Creeper's design does not truly feel very 'phantom' ish to me. However, that's just me being picky, and nothing else. His overall design is based on Rondo Hatton's Creeper, apparently. if anything else.

This is another episode where the Scooby Gang is working with a pretty dark atmosphere. They are trapped in the farmland, with a snarling, raging monster after them. All of this conflict stems from a paper that would automatically incriminate the monster of the week. The foreboding music that plays as he advances toward them is pretty freaky.

Honestly, the lonely hermit is a confusing element of this episode, but one that I am willing to look past. I thought he was like, another disguise of the creeper, but no. He's just some guy hanging out in the forests.

This episode also features one of the funniest chase theme songs.

Consensus: Everyone has a favorite!

This is just my ranking of the Scooby Doo villains based off of the original series. I think all of them are cool in some way or another. Some are just cooler than others, and that is okay.

If you've got a favorite ranking, then feel free to share it. I would love to see how you guys rank some of the villains. I'm sure that it would be very different.

The fun behind Scooby Doo is how bizarre most of the villains are. It is not a bad kind of 'bizarre' though. It just shows how wonderfully weird the scooby doo world is. The monsters and villains here are all so colorful.

Yet, I think making them dress up as monsters is a great way to educate children. It is better to show the monsters as ghoulish creatures than as real people. It might be easier for people to process, especially since the monsters are always unmasked after each episode.

Scooby Doo really is such a landmark franchise though. These groovy kids have been doing it since '69, and they have kept going. In spite of dark ages and bad installments, they always rise up. I have a lot of love for Scooby Doo, for helping shape my interest in mystery and suspense.

Other than that? This might not be the last Halloween post that I'll make. I hope you guys enjoyed this one because I will be readying something else up. If you guys enjoyed it, then feel free to give it a like!

#scooby doo #milesverse #tv shows #monsters

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