Children are typically seen as a symbol of innocence and purity, but that is not always the case in the world of fiction. In fact, some of the most terrifying villains, and even the toughest heroes, are pint-sized and barely out of their adolescent years but have proven themselves capable of things that give grown-ups the willies. Let’s take a look back at some notable movies and TV shows that introduced the world to kids we would want to treat with the utmost respect, out of fear for our lives.
Problem Child (Junior Healy)
It is no wonder why seven-year-old Junior (Michael Oliver) was returned to his orphanage 30 times before Ben (John Ritter) and Flo Healy (Amy Yasbeck) adopted him in 1990’s Problem Child. “Menace” does not even begin to describe the pain and destruction this boy causes in the comedy and its 1991 sequel, from driving a bulldozer over a trailer to causing his neighbor’s barbecue pit to explode into a glorious inferno right in his face.
Drake & Josh (Megan Parker)
Following her breakout role in School of Rock, Miranda starred on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh as pre-teen Megan, the younger sister of Drake Bell and Josh Peck’s titular duo. She would torment them with pranks and schemes that started off, somewhat, deviously cute but, over time, her plans and methods become dangerously sophisticated.
Dennis The Menace (Dennis Mitchell)
To be fair, the title character of the hit comic strip, Dennis the Menace – which was later made into a ’50 sitcom and a great ’90s movie, is never actually looking for trouble and most of the issues he causes his elderly neighbor, Mr. Wilson, are by accident. However, that is precisely why we would prefer to keep our distance from Dennis.
The Bad Seed (Rhoda Penmark)
William March’s 1954 novel, The Bad Seed, has been adapted into multiple films – the earliest being a 1956 thriller starring Patty McCormack as Rhoda Penmark. She is a seemingly innocent 8-year-old girl who proves to be anything but and has no qualms about getting she what wants by deadly means.
Let The Right One In (Eli)
What makes Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel Let the Right One In one of the best vampire movies of all time is its unique relationship between a lonely mortal boy, Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), and the immortal, nocturnal Eli (Lina Leandersson). While normally a kindly vampire, particularly to Oskar, if she does not have your loyalty or she is in desperate need of blood, she will not show mercy.
The Omen (Damien Thorn)
In one of the all-time best horror movies, 1976’s The Omen, there initially does not seem to be anything concerning young Damien, who was secretly adopted as an infant in Rome by American ambassador Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck). That is until he turns five years old and Robert and his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick), discover alarming evidence that their son is the Antichrist.
Family Guy (Stewie Griffin)
Voiced by creator Seth MacFarlane, the Griffins’ youngest child, Stewie, may be an infant, but he is capable of some truly bizarre and dangerous things. Not to mention, many of the funniest episodes of Family Guy involve his attempts to kill his mother, Lois (Alex Borstein) for really no reason at all, so imagine what he would do if you gave him a reason.
Bob’s Burgers (Louise Belcher)
The most consistently hilarious element of the best Bob’s Burgers episodes is Kristen Schaal as Louise, but not at all for her sweet disposition. The youngest Belcher child preys on the misfortune of others, but has also been known to use her devious skills for her family’s benefit.
The Simpsons (Bart Simpson)
Each episode of one of the all-time best animated TV shows, The Simpsons, wastes no time reminding you why you can’t spell Bart without “brat,” showing him writing his latest punishable offense on the classroom chalkboard. Yet, the only things we fear more than his intentional schemes are his pranks that do not go well, such as when he destroys his house with a Duff can shaken way too much.
Home Alone (Kevin McCallister)
One of the few heroic characters on our list is Macaulay Culkin‘s accidentally abandoned 8-year-old, Kevin, from 1990’s Home Alone, whose handiwork defending his house from Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marve (Daniel Stern) impresses us ceaselessly. However, we cannot deny we also have some sympathy for the Wet Bandits, considering the traumatic pain they endure from his traps.
South Park (Eric Cartman)
As seen in many of the most outrageous episodes of South Park, Eric Cartman is more than just an irritating, bullish menace, but a seed of absolute chaos. If we were citizens of the snowy town, we would not hesitate for a second to respect his “authoritah.”
Game Of Thrones (Joffrey Baratheon)
Is there a single character from HBO’s Game of Thrones cast more despicable than Joffrey Baratheon, played by Jack Gleeson? Crowned king at just 12 years old, he goes on to abuse his power in horrifically sadistic ways, such as ordering the death of infant children.
GoodnIght Mommy (Elisa And Lukas)
Initially, we could not help but fear for twin brothers Elias (Elias Schwarz) and Lukas (Lukas Schwarz) after their mother (Susanne Wuest) returned from a cosmetic surgery acting out of character from their perspective. However, while we still feel bad for everyone involved in this increasingly distressing situation, by the shocking end of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s Danish thriller, Goodnight Mommy, it becomes clear that we should have been in fear of the boys the whole time.
Trick ‘R Treat (Sam)
We are actually not sure how old Sam really is, but he looks like a cute 8-year-old as long as his burlap mask is on in the 2007 horror-anthology movie favorite, Trick ‘r Treat. When it is taken off, the mischievous trick-or-treater (to put it lightly) appears to be some bizarre human/pumpkin hybrid who will not hurt anyone as long as the traditions of Halloween are followed properly.
Malcolm In The Middle (Reese)
The only thing that could get in the way of Reese’s persistent misbehavior is his own fierce disciplinarian mother, Lois (Jane Kaczmarek). Otherwise, if you cross paths with Malcolm in the Middle cast member Justin Berfield’s otherwise dim-witted character, you are on your own.
Children Of The Corn (Isaac)
Imagine finding yourself in a small town without a single adult in sight, because all the minors have slaughtered them to appease an evil deity. This unsettling scenario is the work of young Isaac, whose portrayal by John Franklin as the ruthless leader of a fanatical cult of murderous adolescents is, arguably, the best thing about the 1984 adaptation of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn.
That’s So Raven (Cory Baxter)
On Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven, the bane of Raven-Symoné’s title character’s existence was her younger brother Cory (Christopher Massey). While highly intelligent for his age, but would normally channel his expertise into more troubling things that make him a force to be reckoned with.
Even Stevens (Louis Stevens)
At the end of the day, Shia LaBeouf‘s breakthrough role on the Disney Channel hit, Even Stevens, never really had any ill intentions behind his many pranks and schemes. However, we imagine that, if he really wanted to put someone through a harmful and traumatic situation, Louis Stevens would be more than capable.
The Good Son (Henry Evans)
Imagine if Home Alone‘s Kevin McCallister was not an inherently innocent child and tormented people purely for his own amusement. You would basically have Macaulay Culkin’s character in 1993’s The Good Son, which also stars Elijah Wood as his cousin, Mark, who is one of the first to notice his sociopathic tendencies.
Case 39 (Lillith Sullivan)
Including Jodelle Ferland as Lillith Sullivan from 2010’s Case 39 on this list might be a bit of a stretch, to be honest. Renée Zellweger’s social worker protagonist, Emily, comes to realize that she is not a little girl after all, but a fear-feeding demon very convincingly disguised as one.
Key & Peele (Liam)
In a Key & Peele sketch that should have convinced us of Jordan Pelel’s horror auteur destiny, he plays a terminally ill boy named Liam who is asked what he would like as a gift from the Make-A-Wish foundation. The raspy-voiced child’s requests include drowning a man, stealing a dying man’s last breath, and binding the hospital’s prosthetic limbs together with dried, dead flesh. His real wish, as we learn right before his death, was to force Dr. Gupta (Keegan-Michael Key) to reconsider the “essential goodness of children.”
Phil Of The Future (Pim Diffy)
On Disney Channel’s Phil of the Future, the black sheep of the typically positive Diffy Family – 22nd Century residents trapped in the mid-2000s – was the title character’s younger sister, Pim (Amy Bruckner). While only a teenager, Pim’s aspirations to talk over the world are not something to take lightly.
Alice, Sweet Alice (Alice Spages)
In one of the best ’70s horror movies you might not have heard of, Alice, Sweet Alice, Paula E. Sheppard stars as the titular Catholic girl who becomes suspected of killing her sister, Karen, played by Brooke Shields. While the true murderer is a woman named Mrs. Tredoni, the film ends with the strong implication that the 12-year-old girl is destined to continue her blood trail.
Everybody Hates Chris (Tonya Rock)
Played by Imani Hakim, Tonya from Everybody Hates Chris is a textbook example of a horribly misbehaved sitcom kid. As a result of being constantly spoiled by her father, Julius (Terry Crews), the Rock Family’s youngest was a devious, manipulative, and unmerciful girl, with Tyler James Williams’ title character getting the worst of her wrath.
The Pit (Jamie)
In the mostly forgotten ’80s movie, 1981’s The Pit, Sammy Snyders plays the badly bullied Jamie, who only has his teddy bear to call a friend. When he discovers a mysterious hole in a nearby forest, he begins hearing what seems to be his stuffed animal telling him to lure people to it, where they become a meal for the horrifying creature below.
iCarly (Sam Puckett)
Before this child actor walked away from Hollywood, Jennette McCurdy was best known for starring on Nickelodeon’s iCarly as Sam Puckett – who certainly had enough admirable and redeeming qualities to become best friends with Miranda Cosgrove’s title character. However, Sam Puckett was still, without question, a bully and a very intimidating one at that, as evident by her very first scene in the pilot when she nearly beats a kid up for calling her “aggressive.”
Spider Baby, Or The Maddest Story Ever Told (Virginia)
The 1967 thriller Spider Baby, or the Maddest Story Ever Told notably stars horror movie icon Lon Chaney Jr. in the lead, but the real MVP is easily Jill Banner as Virginia. Due to a psychologically regressive disorder that affects both her and her siblings, the orphaned teen likens herself to a spider and enjoys luring people into her “web” and killing them like an arachnid would prey on a fly.
Pet Sematary (Gage Creed)
Dr. Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) should have listened to Jud Crandall’s (Fred Gwynne) warning that “Sometimes, dead is better” and not buried his tragically killed son, Gage (Miko Hughes) in a mystical Native American burial ground in the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Otherwise, the toddler son would not have come back as a soulless “zombie” who murders his own mother, Rachel (Denise Crosby), and brutally attacks him.
Kiss Of The Tarantula (Susan Bradley)
Anyone who has seen 1975’s Kiss of the Tarantula knows that young Susan Bradley (played as a 10-year-old girl by Susan Eddins) is not the one you should be worried about. You should be worried about her pet spider, whom she uses to punish her enemies with its deadly bite.
Bless The Child (Cody O’Connor)
Cody O’Connor (Holliston Coleman) from 2000’s Bless the Child, is an example of a powerful movie kid (with telekinetic abilities in this case) who is actually not the threat. She is being threatened by a satanic cult who abducts her, believing she is the second coming. While it turns out that they were right about who she is, they were dead wrong to kidnap her.
Mikey (Michael Holt)
Remember how, in Problem Child, little Junior is returned from one foster home after another just for being ill-behaved? Well, what if he was actually killing his foster families in cold blood instead? That is basically what happens in 1992’s Mikey, starring Brian Bonsall in the title role of a 9-year-old whose innocent looks allow him to keep getting away with murder over and over again.
The New Daughter (Louisa James)
Ivana Baquero is best known for starring in 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth as a young girl embarking on a dangerous quest after making a strange discovery in the woods. However, in the 2009 horror movie The New Daughter, she plays young Louisa, whose strange discovery in the woods mysteriously turns her into a danger for her newly single father (played by Kevin Costner) and younger brother (Gattlin Griffith).
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