We have learned from some of the best fantasy movies and TV shows, many of the best sci-fi movies and TV shows, and most of the best horror movies and TV shows that we should beware of the things that go bump in the night. However, we have also seen quite a few exceptions to that rule, including in some of the funniest creature features of all time. So, for the time being, let’s forget about all the scary movie monsters that gave you nightmares and remember the aliens, ghosts, and other kinds of odd creatures who proved to be the kind of friends you could only dream of.
Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — the story of a young boy (played by Henry Thomas) who befriends a lost, lonely “spaceman” — changed everything we thought we knew about alien invasion movies. In fact, some claim that the lighthearted take on the subject — the highest-grossing movie of 1982, and ever at the time — is what turned off audiences from seeing John Carpenter’s The Thing, which is most definitely not about a friendly creature.
Gizmo (Gremlins)
In 1984’s Gremlins, the one member of a rare species known as the Mogwai who, thankfully, does not transform into a green, grim troublemaker is Gizmo (voiced by Howie Mandel). In fact, in 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch, he finds the courage to help defend his human friends against them.
ALF (ALF)
The title character of the hit sitcom ALF (shorthand for “alien life form”) was not exactly a saint, with his sarcastic attitude and insatiable appetite for cats. However, out of all the extra-terrestrials to come out of the ‘80s, he is one of the few who would create the least problems in your house.
Casper (Casper)
Everything you need to know about Casper is in the Harvey Comics’ character’s classic theme song, which describes him as a friendly ghost. He is one of the few earthbound spirits you probably would not mind being haunted by, especially when compared to his three wicked uncles.
Bub (Day Of The Dead)
Zombie movies never gave audiences an undead character to root for before they met the unusually intelligent and surprisingly compassionate “Bub,” played by Sherman Howard in George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead. In fact, you could call the endearing reanimated corpse the real hero of this ’80s movie for the way he avenges the senseless murder of his handler and assists the compound’s remaining survivors.
Melvin Junko (The Toxic Avenger)
In Troma’s cult-favorite 1984 superhero movie, The Toxic Avenger, Melvin Junko (Mark Torgl) used to be a 98-lb. gym custodian, until he fell into a vat of toxic waste. The accident transformed him into “a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength” (then played by Mitch Cohen) who uses his powers to protect the city of Tromaville.
The Amphibian Man (The Shape Of Water)
One of Doug Jones’ most acclaimed Guillermo del Toro movie roles is a bizarre, aquatic being known as the Amphibian Man, who longs for friendship but finds something deeper with the also non-speaking Elisa (Sally Hawkins). The characters’ interspecies romance in the beautiful Best Picture Oscar winner, 2017’s The Shape of Water, serves as an uplifting and thought-provoking metaphor for universal acceptance.
Ewoks (Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi)
While there are more than enough creatures from the Star Wars franchise we would rather avoid, there are also plenty who walk on the light side of the Force. Among the most endearing — not to mention cuddliest — are the Ewoks, who tend to get a bad rap among some fans, but that does not change the fact that they played a pivotal role in the Empire’s defeat at the end of Return of the Jedi.
Marceline (Adventure Time)
A nocturnal bloodsucker who truly deserves to be called “friendly” is rare, but one essential example of the like is Marceline from Adventure Time. Voiced by Olivia Olson, the Land of Ooo’s centuries-old “Vampire Queen” actually starts off as an enemy to Finn (Jeremy Shada) and Jake (John DiMaggio) when she throws them out of their own home but becomes one of the duo’s most trusted allies.
Toothless (How To Train Your Dragon)
DreamWorks Animation’s 2012 hit How to Train Your Dragon is set in a time when humans and dragons are natural enemies. However, that dynamic is changed forever when aspiring hunter Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) finds an injured dragon that he comes accept as a friend and gives the name “Toothless.”
Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)
In Disney’s animated 2002 favorite, Lilo & Stitch, we meet Experiment-626 (voiced by director Chris Sanders), a small, blue extra-terrestrial who was designed by Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers) to be an unstoppable seed of destruction. Yet, his personality would take a full 180 when he landed on Earth — specifically in Hawaii — and met a girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase), who adopted him into her “ohana” and named him Stitch.
Billy Butcherson (Hocus Pocus)
In 1993’s Hocus Pocus, Winifred Sanderson (Bette Midler) revives Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) in hopes he will be a minion to her and her sisters, Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker). Unfortunately for her, the reanimated corpse’s hatred toward the witchy trio led him to help the group of kids trying to destroy them.
Dobby (The Harry Potter Movies)
In the Harry Potter books and the films they inspired, Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones) is a house elf who is indentured to a group of Dark Wizards who treat him terribly. However, he defies his masters’ orders to, instead, be of service to the Boy Who Lived (played by Daniel Radcliffe).
R (Warm Bodies)
By fusing Shakespearean themes of forbidden romance with a reinvention of lore pioneered by George A. Romero, author Isaac Morton crafted an intriguing romantic-zombie-comedy in Warm Bodies. In the film adaptation, Nicholas Hoult plays a walking corpse called “R,” who is discovered to have some humanity left in him when he becomes the potential suitor and protector of a young woman named Julie (Teresa Palmer).
Falkor (The NeverEnding Story)
There is a pretty balanced amount of good and evil creatures in the 1984 adaptation of Michael Ende’s The NeverEnding Story, with the most iconic of the former, arguably, being Falkor. Voiced by Alan Oppenheimer, the last of the luck dragons provides Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) and Bastian (Barret Oliver) with the wisdom, optimism, and transportation they need to complete their quests.
Genie (Aladdin)
Most stories about wish-granting creatures go by the “Be careful what you wish for” mantra and portray them as selfish tricksters, but that is not the case for Genie from Aladdin. Robin Williams’ iconic role from Disney’s 1992 animated classic treats his master (voiced by Scott Weinger) as a true friend, making him one of the best sidekicks in pop culture history.
Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
One of the most iconic Studio Ghibli movies is My Neighbor Totoro, which could have won the best-animated feature Oscar had it existed in 1988. It tells the story of two siblings who cross paths with the unique titular creature (whose name translates from Japanese to “troll”), who takes them on wondrous adventures.
Groot (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
Any Guardians of the Galaxy fan will tell you that the heart and soul of James Gunn’s cosmic MCU trilogy is Groot. Voiced by Vin Diesel, the living humanoid tree — who can be a relentless fighter under the right circumstances — taught us that the only thing you need to say to show your appreciation for your loved ones is, “I am Groot.”
Harold (Under Wraps)
In fantasy lore, Egyptian mummies are depicted as vengeful beings who, upon reanimation, take out their rage on anybody who awakens them from their slumber. However, “Harold” — played by Bill Fagerbakke in the 1997 Disney Channel Original Movie, Under Wraps — must have had a really pleasant slumber because he gets along great with the preteens who wake him up and later try to help return him to his sarcophagus.
Willie (V)
Obviously, Robert Englund’s most iconic role is A Nightmare on Elm Street‘s homicidal dreamweaver, Freddy Krueger, but another corner of his fanbase knows him as a much gentler character. In fact, in the V franchise, Willie is noted for helping the human race defend itself against his own lizard-like extraterrestrial race.
The Smurfs (The Smurfs)
Original based on a Belgian comic book before launching their own TV series and movie franchise, the Smurfs are a peaceful group of little blue creatures who inhabit a woodland colony of mushroom-shaped houses. However, they are not without their enemies, especially Gargamel, who switches back and forth between wanting to destroy them, eat them, or even turn them into gold.
Monster (A Monster Calls)
One of the best monster movies of its time is not about a creature who means to destroy, but one who offers effective emotional support. Based on the novel by Patrick Ness, director J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls stars Liam Neeson as the voice of an unnamed ancient tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) who meets a 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) just when he needs a friend the most.
Sabrina Spellman (Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina)
In both fiction and reality alike, witchcraft is widely frowned upon, unless it is practiced by Sabrina Spellman, who originated from the Archie comics. Arguably the most recognizable onscreen depiction of the young magic wielder is portrayed by Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but we felt like highlighting Kiernan Shipka’s iteration from Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina because the enemies she faces are much less friendly.
Paul (Paul)
Director Greg Mottola’s 2011 sci-fi comedy, Paul, posits the idea that almost all pop culture involving extra-terrestrials from the past several decades was inspired by one actual extra-terrestrial. Said extra-terrestrial is the title character (voiced by Seth Rogen), who bumps into two British sci-fi nerds (played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who also co-wrote the film) who help him avoid detection from Area 51.
Tommy Dawkins (Big Wolf On Campus)
High schooler Tommy Dawkins (Brandon Quinn) had the perfect life, but everything changed in the first episode of Big Wolf on Campus when he was bit by a werewolf. Now a werewolf himself, he uses his abilities to protect his hometown from things that are even stranger supernatural phenomena in the hilarious, underrated Canadian series.
Allen Strange (The Journey Of Allen Strange)
One of Nickelodeon’s most criminally underrated, much-forgotten TV shows is The Journey of Allen Strange — essentially a teen-dramedy reimagining of E.T. that aired from 1997 to 2000. It starred Arjay Smith in the title role of a lost alien who takes human form and struggles to fit in with help from his friends Robbie (Erin J. Dean) and Josh Stevenson (Shane Sweet) while trying to figure out a way back to his planet.
Goliath (Gargoyles)
One of the best-animated TV shows of the ‘90s was Gargoyles, in which the eponymous gothic creatures reside in Manhattan, where they pledge to protect its human inhabitants from evil. The leader of these nightly defenders is Goliath (voiced by Keith David), who even finds love with his clan’s only human member, Det. Elisa Maza (Salli Richardson Whitfield).
The Monsters Of Midian (Nightbreed)
Not all of the bizarre creatures in Clive Barker’s mind are ruthless sadomasochistic demons (in reference to the Cenobites). The writer and filmmaker’s 1990 cult favorite, Nightbreed — based on his 1988 novella Cabal — follows a group of peaceful mutants forced to hide from society in a village beneath a cemetery known as Midian.
CJ7 (CJ7)
The 2008 Chinese sci-fi family comedy CJ7 stars co-writer and director Stephen Chow as a financially struggling single father who gives his son a “toy” he finds at a junkyard that turns out to be an adorable little alien visitor. The eponymous creature later became the star of its own animated series and spawned an animated sequel, CJ7: Super Q Team, which sees him join forces with other cute otherwordly creatures to fight evil.
Maurice (Little Monsters)
If there was ever a reason a child did not fear the idea of a monster living under their bed, it might be because they wanted to meet Maurice — Howie Mandel’s role from the cult favorite 1989 fantasy-comedy, Little Monsters. He becomes friends with 11-year-old Brian (Fred Savage), whom he introduces to the bizarre realm hidden underneath every bed in the world and helps protect against the more troublesome members of his kind.
Crusoe (The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep)
The 2007 adaptation of Dick King-Smith’s novel, The Water Horse, offers some imaginative explanations for the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. It is a genderless creature that a boy named Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel) discovers on the shore of the famous Scottish lake and names Crusoe, after adventure hero Robinson Crusoe.
Billy (Martin Mystery)
On Martin Mystery — an animated series inspired by an Italian comic book — one of the titular supernatural investigators’ most trusted allies is a plucky, pint-sized little green man named Billy (voiced by Sam Vincent). However, in the series’ second season, it is discovered that he was once a much larger, vicious warrior until he changed his ways before arriving on Earth during the famous Roswell incident of 1947.
As these creatures from pop culture have shown us, not everything that goes bump in the night is worth bumping back at.
