Fear drives emotion in several video games.  The Resident Evil and Dead Space franchises, among others, have built themselves around the survival horror theme, with zombies and monsters and the like designed to mandate pants-changings in between levels.  But often, characters give off a creepy vibe even when the games they star in aren't the horror type.  These are the Top Ten Most Terrifying Characters in Video Games.

10. GLaDOS (Portal)

In the first Portal game, GLaDOS is a mysterious, chilling voice that is ever present in the halls of Aperture Science.  Her occasional messages make you wonder exactly what purpose her tests serve, and her personal agenda is shaky.  You can only assume she's out to get you, but you want to keep going because you want to find out the truth behind the computerized voice.   Your assumptions are well realized when she straight up tries to murder you.

I may be a simple country hyper-chicken, but I know when we're finger-licked.

During your final showdown, GLaDOS, still trying to kill you, callously references the time she flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin (which is the backstory of the Ratman).  She tries to do the same to you, and in the end, you manage to turn her own rocket turrets against her.

Now, a mechanized, disembodied voice threatening you and trying to kill you then entire time is pretty creepy in and of itself, but it gets even creepier after a discovery that basically likens GLaDOS to a bound and gagged woman.

 You think this is messed up, this image is on the first page when you image search 'GLaDOS'.

In the director commentary, Valve admitted they wanted to go for a "Botticelli's Venus, but upside-down", and they ended up going with something more feminine, and certainly more terrifying.

9. Big Daddy (Bioshock)

Bioshock garnered attention for its characters, most notably the city of Rapture itself.  In the dark corners of Rapture lurk the diver-clad, drill-wielding Big Daddies, sworn to protect the ADAM-carrying Little Sisters.  If that alone doesn't make them creepy, their first appearance in Rapture should.

These behemoths are powerful, mysterious, and not to mention terrifying.  The only thing more terrifying than encountering one in Rapture would probably be encountering one in real life.

Umm...sit boy?

The last thing I want to see when fighting snail-paced, dumb as nails zombies are lightning fast, super scary dogs that want to kill me.  The last thing I want to hear before dying is the introduction the reanimated Rovers get in Zombie Mode.

So THAT'S where they come from!

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7. The Scarecrow (Batman: Arkham Asylum)

In Batman's rogue's gallery, the Scarecrow is debatably the scariest villain among them.

Making people see their worst fears could do that.

This translated to 2009's Arkham Asylum.  Basically whenever he shows up, Batman starts hallucinating like mad, opening up a body bag and talking to his dead parents, and also reliving the night his parents were slain.

Scarecrow's design also adds to the creepy factor.  He has a glove made of syringes, for crying out loud!  And a noose!  That's straight up creepy right there.

Zombies?  Meh.  Zombies in space?  Now we're talking!

Apologies to all, but the next entry on this list is, once again, zombies.

Nothing bad ever came from grabbing strange swords...right?

The Redeads then pile on Link by the handful, and make the aforementioned attempts at digesting your brain.  And in every other Legend of Zelda game, the Redeads do the same thing.  But due to the way the Redeads look and moan at you in Ocarina of Time makes them the third most terrifying character in video games.

2. Giygas (Earthbound)

Much like how GLaDOS was terrifying because of the bondage thing, Giygas is terrifying because, well, this picture I found can do a better job explaining it than me.

Yeah.  Giygas is a fetus when you go back in time.  Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi even admitted that the creation of Giygas was based on a traumatic event that happened due to seeing the wrong movie as a child. 

Good luck playing Earthbound ever again.

1. Cougars (Red Dead Redemption)

This is the face of pure terror.

Cougars in Red Dead Redemption are quick, stealthy, and they can kill with only two attacks.  They hunt in numbers, and they'll attack without warning.  General treks into the Tall Trees area of North America more than not spell death for anyone foolish enough to NOT check every angle of the camera at every second. 

This video details how fast and dangerous cougars are.  Note: there's some swearing, but it's to be expected when you're ambushed by rabid, dangerous man-eating cougars.

Hunting treks are dangerous alone, but when all you can hear is the feral cry of a cougar and you have no idea where it's coming from, it's the most terrifying experience in video games.

Hope you've enjoyed the latest installment of my Top 10 series.  Leave a comment below as to whether you laughed, cried, or were downright offended by my comments, placement, choices, or anything else that needs to be flamed/trolled.