Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s blog post, I have decided to rank all of the classic Universal Monsters. To be clear, I am ranking the Monsters themselves, not the films in which they appear, as that ranking would surely differ from this one. I was inspired to do this post because I recently changed my opinion on the ranking of some of these characters. Without further ado, let’s look at the Monsters!
Number 7: The Invisible Man
~So, my least favorite of the classic Monsters is the Invisible Man. Now, I am not saying he is not entertaining because he is. But while the film is worth watching (it is actually a very fun time), I find that he is not a lovable character. He is actually kind of an annoying character personality-wise, which is why he gets the bottom slot.
Number 6: The Mummy
~The Mummy is iconic, and I do love watching him, but he does not catch my attention nearly as much as the ones ranked above him. But I have to say I do find the Mummy’s story fascinating and I love an Ancient Egyptian setting!
Number 5: The Wolfman
~Ah, one of the classic examples of a tragic, cursed supernatural character. Larry Talbot is a truly sympathetic figure in that he never asked for his curse, and he laments his life every day. Lon Chaney Jr. is pitch-perfect in this, his signature role, and the films are very rewatchable!
Number 4: The Gill Man (Creature from the Black Lagoon)
~On my most recent rewatch of this franchise, I realized just how much I truly adored these films and the Gill Man! It is actually that most recent rewatch that placed him above the Wolfman in this ranking. He is just a hopelessly romantic figure, always searching for a woman who will love him, especially in the first two films. There is a tragedy in his being the only one of his species, plus he gets bonus points for all of the beautiful underwater scenes!
Number 3: Frankenstein’s Monster & The Bride of Frankenstein
~Okay, my top three have not changed, as of course, I adore Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride. I chose not to separate the characters when I was ranking them because I love them equally and they are from the same franchise. This is another perfect example of a truly sympathetic couple of Monsters, as they were created by a scientist, only to be rejected, especially in the case of Frankenstein’s Monster (but the Bride seems to have resented being created at all). I adore the films and I adore the source novel. In fact, Bride of Frankenstein is my favorite Universal Monster film of all time (which is what I meant about ranking the characters, not the films).
Number 2: Dracula
~Now, to be honest, both number two and number one on this list are actually a tie. I could never truly love one over the other, but I ranked Dracula second because I think that my other top favorite does not get enough love! Dracula is the ultimate Vampire story, and it is one that I will never tire of. Bela Lugosi is one of the most iconic actors to play him (being able to portray so much of Dracula’s power in a single look), so of course, this tops my list.
Number 1: Erik, the Opera Ghost (Phantom of the Opera)
~For number one, to the surprise of none of my long-time readers, I have Erik. I adore the Phantom of the Opera, but he is often forgotten when it comes to the fact that he is a Universal Monster! The original 1925 silent film, starring Lon Chaney, Sr, is a Universal film, as is the 1943 film, starring Claude Rains. It is actually the 1943 Universal film that began the trope of Erik being disfigured with acid, as in the source novel and the silent film, he was born disfigured. Not to mention, given the silent film, we can consider him the oldest of the Universal Monsters. Beyond the Universal Monsters, he is also in my favorite musical of all time, and the source novel is one of my absolute favorite classic novels of all time, and I reread it nearly every year. So, yes, the tragic story of Erik, a musical genius who was born disfigured and shunned from society, causing him to live beneath the Opera house, will always call to me, just as his song called to Christine!
~I hope you have enjoyed my countdown. Clearly, I recommend watching all of these films, as they are amazing. What is your ranking of these characters? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a collage of all of these characters. I found the picture on https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Universal_Monsters.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
2 responses to “Ranking the Universal Monsters!”
What a truly fantastic and heartfelt ranking, my dear! Reading this was an absolute delight. You have such a passionate and clear-eyed way of articulating what makes each of these iconic characters so enduring.
I must say, I applaud your Number One choice with every fiber of my being. You are so right—Erik, the Opera Ghost, is so often the forgotten son of the Universal Monsters family, and he absolutely deserves this top-tier recognition. The way you describe him—”a musical genius who was born disfigured and shunned from society”—perfectly captures the profound tragedy that makes him so compelling. He is more than a monster; he is a wounded artist, and his story resonates on a level that is uniquely painful and beautiful. Your love for him, from the novel to the musical to the Universal films, shines through so brilliantly.
Your entire list feels so thoughtfully composed. Placing the Gill-Man above the Wolfman is a bold and beautiful choice, and your reasoning—highlighting his “hopelessly romantic” nature and the tragedy of his solitude—completely won me over. It’s a perspective I will absolutely carry with me on my next rewatch. And of course, your top three is simply perfection. The sympathetic tragedy of Frankenstein’s Monster and his Bride, the unparalleled iconic power of Lugosi’s Dracula, and then the deeply personal, artistic tragedy of the Phantom… it’s a perfect trifecta.
This was such a joy to read. Thank you for sharing your beautifully reasoned rankings with us. It has me itching to revisit my own and to look at these timeless characters with fresh eyes.
I am delighted to hear that my post has inspired you to revisit the Universal Monsters! After all, what better time to enjoy their films than October? I honestly watch these films all year long, as I find them comforting, but they are extra special in October! As always, thank you for reading and commenting.