Universal Studios made a name for itself in the 1930s to 1950s with its franchise of classic monster movies. Though the monster movies weren’t originally intended to be a franchise, the movies’ popularity and success led Universal to categorize them under the very marketable “Universal Studios Monsters.” This includes signature characters in the horror genre like Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man, all of which have gone on to become pop culture icons both within and outside of the horror genre.

With 41 movies under its belt in various monster movie collections, Universal’s classic monsters have been terrorizing the big screen for decades, and continue on today. With originals, spin-offs and even cinematic universe cross-overs like 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, there is no shortage of classic monster movies to enjoy. Some classic monsters stand out more than others. For example, people are probably more familiar with Dracula than with The Invisible Man. Here are all eight of the Universal Studios Monsters, ranked.

8 The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Ben Chapman as The Gillman in Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Universal Pictures

The Creature from the Black Lagoon is an amphibious humanoid found in the waters of the Amazon and is otherwise known as "the creature" or "the Gill-man." The monster first made his appearance in the black-and-white, 3D horror film in 1954, Creature from the Black Lagoon. The Creature made other appearances in the sequels Revenge of the Creature in 1955 and The Creature Walks Among Us in 1956. Creature from the Black Lagoon also served as inspiration for Guillermo del Toro's 2017 hit Shape of Water. Unfortunately, with several failed remakes under its belt, the Gill-man hasn't seen the same attention as some of the other classic monsters.

7 The Phantom of the Opera

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Universal Pictures

The Phantom of the Opera first came to the big screen in 1925 as a silent horror starring Lon Chaney as the deformed Phantom, haunting the Paris Opera House. The Phantom wreaks havoc upon the venue in an effort to make the singer he loves, Christine, a star. The movie is an adaptation of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel of the same name. Following its success, The Phantom of the Opera was re-released in 1930 with sound and laid the framework for Universal to move forward with other classic horror films like Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy.

In later years, the Phantom would become more of a romantic character in musicals rather than a horror character. He made a re-imagined appearance in 1943, starring Claude Rains in the lead. From then on, it was recreated again in 2004 with Gerard Butler as the Phantom, and has also been made into a wildly successful Broadway production. However, despite The Phantom of the Opera's popularity, it's likely that few people realize the character got his start as a Universal monster, which had led to a lot of upset among classic monster movie fans as they feel later renditions have eliminated the Phantom's horror factor, focusing more on the musical aspect.

6 The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man
Universal Pictures Corp.

The Invisible Man (Claude Rains) is a chemist who is memorably seen covered in bandages, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses, as a result of a secret experiment that makes him invisible. The film The Invisible Man premiered in 1933 and met great praise — which it still receives to this day.

The Invisible Man spawned several sequels and even a remake in 2020 by acclaimed horror writer/director Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious). The remake fully re-imagines the character of The Invisible Man and the general plot, and this idea was met with some backlash when the trailer for the movie debuted. However, Whannell's remake was met with great praise — sitting at a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes — as it breathed new life into The Invisible Man and modernized his story.

Related: These Actors Should Play Universal Monsters in Reboots of the Films

5 The Mummy

A mummy's hand wrapped around a man's neck
Universal Studios

Following the success of Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931, The Mummy premiered in 1932. The Mummy tells the classic tell of an Ancient Egyptian mummy being accidentally brought back to life. All things considered, The Mummy is a good pre-Code horror film that uses its atmosphere to up the scare level and was a decent success at the box office. However, in terms of cultural impact, The Mummy pales in comparison to that of Dracula, Frankenstein and even the Wolf Man.

Since the original in 1932, The Mummy has served as the inspiration for an incredible number of sequels, remakes, and spin-offs over the years. The theme of mummies and exploring ancient tombs is one that really sticks out in modern media. So even though The Mummy may not be the most popular Halloween costume when compared to other classic monsters, the wrapped-up monster holds a solid place among the ranks of Universal's other classics.

4 Bride of Frankenstein

James Whale's 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein
Universal Pictures

There aren't many female monsters in pop culture, but The Bride of Frankenstein is one that really stands out. She first appeared on-screen in 1935. The movie picks up where 1931's Frankenstein left off. The scientist Henry Frankenstein wants to abandon his experiments creating life, coercing him into creating a mate for the monster (Frankenstein). In terms of sequels, The Bride of Frankenstein is perfect. It carries on with the story in a way that makes sense, and adds to the original plot, and, most notably, introduces Elsa Lanchester into the world of Universal Monsters as the title character.

Frankenstein has been rebooted in a variety of ways since the original in 1931, but The Bride of Frankenstein has been left untouched. The closest remake to the movie is 1985's The Bride, but that's it. There have been several attempts to reanimate The Bride of Frankenstein, but for one reason or another they end up canceled or postponed. In all honesty, though, Lanchester's portrayal of the Bride is iconic and a tough act to follow.

3 The Wolf Man

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Universal Pictures

The Wolf Man is one of the most well-known monsters and made his first appearance in the film The Wolf Man in 1941. It was Universal's second werewolf film, following the less successful Werewolf of London, and dramatically impacted the depiction of werewolf legends in Hollywood. Lon Chaney Jr. brought The Wolf Man to life and played the monster in all his subsequent film appearances in the 1940s, allowing him to fully embody the character.

The Wolf Man became quite popular following its release and led to a whirlwind of werewolf media to follow in the years since its premiere. Most notably, The Wolf Man has been praised for its excellent make-up work on Chaney, creating an almost unrecognizable transformation from man to wolf. Though Chaney is the actor that comes to mind when thinking about Hollywood werewolves, it was announced in 2020 that Blumhouse is working on a remake with Ryan Gosling in the lead role.

Related: The Most Underrated Werewolf Movies, Ranked

2 Frankenstein's Monster

Frankenstein
Universal Pictures

Based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, Frankenstein premiered in 1931 with Boris Karloff in the lead role. Most everyone knows the story of Frankenstein, about Henry Frankenstein, a scientist experimenting with creating life who creates Frankenstein's monster, commonly just called Frankenstein. Frankenstein was incredibly influential and successful. The semi-gentle giant found himself reappearing in movies throughout the '30s and '40s, often crossing over with other monsters in films like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and House of Dracula. Frankenstein also served as inspiration for other hit films like Young Frankenstein and even The Munsters TV show.

There have been some reboots of the Frankenstein story, like 2015's Frankenstein and Victor Frankenstein; however, neither has the same appeal as the original because they aren't billed as standard monster movies, holding the charm most know and love of the genre. However, in 2020 it was announced that James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) was reportedly working on a remake of the Frankenstein film series, though there aren't any further details on that, like who will be playing the titular monster.

1 Dracula

Bela Lugosi as Dracula
Universal Pictures

Few Universal monsters have had a cultural impact as massive as Dracula's. When you think of Universal Classic Monsters, it's likely Dracula is the first to come to mind. With over 40 Dracula adaptations out there, it's no doubt this blood-sucking bat is the stand-out among all the classic monsters. Dracula first premiered in 1931 with Bela Lugosi playing the Count, based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel of the same name. Dracula was obviously a major success, both critically and at the box office, thus resulting in numerous sequels, spin-offs and remakes over the years.

Lugosi's portrayal of the monster became a cultural icon and served as the archetype for future Dracula media in movies, TV, books, and even Halloween costumes. And although Drac's appearance and mannerisms have been known to change from film to film, it's hard to top the OG.