Top 10 Scariest People of All Time

These are people whose gruesome deeds and chilling exploits have haunted the nightmares of countless generations. The names on this list represent chapters of human history where normality was overshadowed by the macabre, where the unspeakable became reality.

Some may be notorious killers, their names synonymous with the sheer terror they've instilled in the hearts of many. Others might be dictators, their lust for power and control manifesting in horrendous acts of violence and oppression against entire populations.

1. Jeffrey Dahmer

   

   Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismembered seventeen males between 1978 and 1991.

   He was very open about his fantasies and espoused his twisted thoughts without reservation. When interviewed, he made it seem that he was as much a victim of mental illness as his victims were. What he was, however, was a self-centered serial killer. Evil. Nothing more.

   To be honest, this case fascinated me the most. This was the first one I looked up, and what he did was sick. How does someone do that?

   He is pure evil. He killed people, and then he ate them.

2. Albert Fish

   

   Albert Fish, also known as the Gray Man, the Werewolf of Wysteria, the Brooklyn Vampire, the Moon Maniac, and the Boogey Man, was an American murderer and suspected serial killer. He committed at least three child murders from July 1924 to June 1928. Fish also claimed responsibility for other unsolved crimes, although not all of these claims were verified.

   Someone should make the list: Top Ten People Who Murder Children. And put this guy at number 1.

   A child rapist, murderer, and eater! You heard me correctly. He ate poor children!

   Oh geez, I've heard of this guy. He would rape children, then kill them, then cannibalize them, and then write letters to the children's parents describing what their child tasted like. You have to be really screwed up if that isn't the most disturbing thing you've ever heard.

3. Jack the Ripper

   

   Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. The case is widely regarded as one of the most famous unsolved murder cases in British history. It remains a subject of ongoing study and speculation.

   He is incredibly scary not only for killing people. He also got away with it.

   A mysterious killer whose identity is unknown!

   I'm quite interested, actually.

4. Adolf Hitler

   

   Adolf Hitler was a German politician and leader of the Nazi Party who rose to power as Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and later as Führer in 1934. He ruled Germany during World War II until his death in 1945.

   If you are a Jew or one of those considered "sub-humans" at the time, he is the scariest guy that you can think of, besides the Devil.

   Much more terrifying than people like Jack the Ripper.

   Nasty, evil bastard. Germany is different now, thank God.

5. Ted Bundy

   

   Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered dozens of young women and girls during the 1970s and possibly earlier. After more than a decade of denials, he confessed to 30 murders committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978.

   When you think you trust a guy... But then that guy is actually a rapist and serial killer.

   I feel bad for the people who trusted him.

6. John Wayne Gacy

   

   John Wayne Gacy, also known as the Killer Clown, was an American serial killer and sex offender. His crimes were committed in the Chicago area from 1972 to 1978, and authorities eventually uncovered 29 victims buried in the crawl space of his home in Norwood Park Township, Illinois. Gacy was convicted of murdering 33 young men and was executed in 1994.

   He killed 30 people and hid their dismembered bodies in his crawl space.

   Named after John Wayne, a legendary actor.

   An actual killer clown... That's creepy!

7. Ed Gein

   

   Edward Theodore Gein, also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes were committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin.

   He cut off people's skin and wore it because he wanted a woman suit. John Wayne Gacy looked scary as hell, and Jeffrey Dahmer committed disgusting acts, but Ed Gein was uniquely horrible.

   Terrifying. Sick man. Can't believe he did that.

   The man who used body parts for costumes.

8. The Zodiac Killer

   

   The Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of an unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. The case has been described as the most famous unsolved murder case in American history.

   An unknown murderer who played tricks with the police using Zodiac codes!

   Man, no words for this guy. Just pure evil.

9. Osama Bin Laden

   

   Osama bin Laden was a terrorist and the founder of al Qaeda who killed thousands of innocent men, women, and children before his death in 2011. He was responsible for many deadly acts of terrorism, including the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

10. Vlad the Impaler

    

    Vlad III, or Vlad the Impaler as he is widely known, was a prince of Wallachia, which is now part of Romania. His harsh and brutal methods of punishing enemies gained notoriety in 15th century Europe. Some believe that Bram Stoker's Dracula character may have been loosely inspired by Vlad.

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13. Charles Manson

    

    Charles Manson was an American criminal and cult leader who formed what became known as the Manson Family. His followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. Manson himself spent over four decades in prison before his death in 2017.

    You ordered the death of Sharon Tate. She was gorgeous. And she was pregnant. So you also killed her baby.

14. Leonard Lake

    

    Leonard Lake was an American serial killer who used a secluded cabin in Wilseyville, California, to commit his crimes with accomplice Charles Ng. They are believed to have murdered between eleven and twenty-five people during their crime spree from June 1983 until their arrest in June 1985.

    A man who tortured and raped his victims in cabins and recorded their final moments.

15. Donald Trump

    

    Donald Trump is an American businessman and television personality who served as the 45th president of the United States from January 2017 to January 2021. Before his presidency, he was known for his real estate businesses and his role on NBC's reality show "The Apprentice."

    The only cause for terror is if he gets elected.

16. Joachim Kroll

    

    Joachim Kroll was a German serial killer and cannibal who murdered at least fourteen people between 1955 and 1976. Known as "The Ruhr Cannibal" (Ruhrkannibale) and "The Duisburg Man-Eater" (Duisburger Menschenfresser), he was arrested in July 1976 when police discovered body parts blocking the pipes of his apartment building.

    He killed his victims, molested their bodies, then ate them. Pretty messed up stuff!

    Murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism.

17. Per "Dead" Ohlin

    

    Per "Dead" Ohlin was a Swedish metal musician, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. He was a popular figure in the Norwegian black metal scene, and his legacy continues to influence the genre. Tragically, Ohlin died by suicide in April 1991 at the age of 22.

18. Joseph Stalin

    

    Joseph Stalin served as the secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1953. He implemented policies that transformed the USSR into a global superpower, but his regime was also marked by repression and millions of lives lost. Stalin's influence on world history remains significant.

    If you think about it, his iron-fisted rule extended over the largest country ever in history (excluding certain empires) for nearly 30 years. He ordered the deaths of 20 million Soviets during purges like the aptly named Red Terror. He even has a terrifying mustache to go with it. Personally, I would say this man is in the top 5 for most terrifying humans to ever live.

    We never learned about this freak in school...he's like Russian Hitler.

19. Ariel Castro

    

    Ariel Castro was an American kidnapper and rapist who held three women captive in his Cleveland home for more than a decade, from 2002 to 2013: Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus. The women were subjected to physical abuse and sexual assault during their captivity until they were rescued.

20. Bill Cosby

    

    Bill Cosby is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. He faced numerous sexual assault allegations beginning in 2014, and in 2018 he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault. His conviction was overturned in 2021, and he was released from prison, though civil lawsuits and public scrutiny have continued.

    He is a great actor, and pretty funny in my opinion.

    But those eyes.

21. Richard Chase

    

    Richard Chase, also known as the "Vampire Killer of Sacramento," was an American serial killer, cannibal, and necrophile who killed six people in 1977 and 1978. He was known for his brutal crimes, which included drinking his victims' blood and cannibalizing their remains. Chase's horrific acts continue to shock and disturb to this day.

    Yes, Richard Chase drank people's blood. His nickname was "The Vampire of Sacramento."

    He reminds me of Dracula. He was a sick, sick man.

    The man who drank his victims' blood!

22. Belle Gunness

    

    Belle Sorenson Gunness was a Norwegian-American serial killer who lured men to her Indiana farm with the promise of marriage and then murdered them for financial gain She is suspected of killing at least 14 people, though some sources speculate the number could be as high as 40 Gunness seemingly died... read more

23. Genghis Khan

    

    Genghis Khan was a Mongol ruler who united various Mongol tribes and founded the Mongol Empire, which later became the largest contiguous land empire in history. Known for his military prowess and strategic genius, Khan's conquests extended across Europe, China, and Asia. His impact on history is profound, with his legacy still evident in modern Mongolia and beyond.

    You are right. He is a bloodthirsty villain. He always conquers.

    Genghis, you are a bloodthirsty villain. And I am Asian-European.

24. Josef Mengele

    

    Josef Mengele was a Nazi doctor at Auschwitz extermination camp during World War II. He selected prisoners for execution in the gas chambers and conducted medical experiments on inmates in pseudoscientific racial studies. After the war, he escaped internment and went underground, ultimately settling in South America. Mengele's actions during the Holocaust remain a chilling reminder of human cruelty.

    He did come up with the Holocaust and got Hitler to abide by it. Also, he is the focus of "Angel of Death" by Slayer.

    Did unimaginable things to Jewish children.

25. Josef Fritzl

    

    Josef Fritzl is an Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter, Elisabeth Fritzl, in a concealed basement dungeon beneath his family home in Amstetten, Austria, for 24 years. During this time, Fritzl repeatedly raped and sexually abused his daughter, resulting in the birth of seven children. He was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

    This guy was just straight-up evil.

26. Idi Amin

    

    Idi Amin was a military officer and president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. His regime was noted for its brutality, earning him the nickname The Butcher of Uganda. Amin came to power following a coup and was eventually forced out of office. His rule left a lasting scar on Uganda's history.

    He's scary. He was six feet five inches tall and he was a cannibal who ate people after he had them killed and kept their body parts in his fridge. Idi Amin, you are scary!

27. Kim Jong-Un

    

    Kim Jong-Un is a North Korean political official who succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il, as leader of North Korea in 2011. His regime has been marked by ruthless consolidation of power and a sharp acceleration of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Despite international criticism and sanctions, Kim Jong-Un remains a powerful figure on the global stage.

    His country still practices public executions. Nothing can be scarier than that.

    If you read Camp 14 and Every Falling Star, you'll know how brutal this dictator is.

    He's the scariest person around today. I can't believe he wasn't on here.