The police procedural Grimm aired on NBC between 2011 and 2017, presenting six seasons worth of terrifying monsters to marvel at. Every season of Grimm seemed to up the ante, bringing new demons and more powerful creatures designed to send shivers down spines. The series mixed crime drama with supernatural horror and fantasy, recalling popular TV shows like The X-Files and Supernatural. However, uniquely, Grimm is inspired by the Brothers Grimm and their Northern European fairy tales. These folk stories provided ample inspiration for Grimm’s varied and creative monsters.
Grimm is one of the modern procedural TV shows that redefined the genre, adding a fresh twist to an old concept. Although Grimm got mixed reviews throughout its long tenure on the air, looking back on the show reveals some favorable elements. Despite getting canceled ahead of season 7 due to declining ratings, Grimm was able to reinvent a huge number of fantasy monsters. This helped to form the basis of other fantasy and horror shows in its stead, with Grimm’s monsters ranging in skills and techniques.
10
Aswang
Season 3, Episode 14
This horrible creature with a ghoulish face first appeared in Grimm season 3 and targeted pregnant women. The Aswang is based on Filipino mythology and takes delight in draining amniotic fluid from pregnant women and consuming their babies. Visually horrifying, the Aswang made for one of the scariest episodes on the show.
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The Aswang is one of the ugliest and most fearsome creatures in Grimm, as well as one of the most powerful. They have forked tongues that do most of their cruel work. More to the point, the Aswang are fast and agile – they are not easy to catch, kill, or damage. Like other Wesen, these creatures can take human form, hiding their purposes from most until they know they can attack.
9
Spinnetod
Season 1, Episode 11
The Black Widows are horribly powerful Wesen with bizarre abilities. Known as the Spinnetod, these beings make acid so that they can dissolve their victims from the inside out. The Spinnetod eat their victims’ organs and this keeps them young, demonstrating a vampiric process that is repulsive and toxic from every angle. These powerful beings are one of the worst Wesen to run into.
Grimm was created by Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf, and David Greenwalt.
The Spinnetod have to feed on their victims’ insides and youth in order to resist rapid aging. This harsh process makes the Spinnetod vulnerable to damage, danger, and deformity in the absence of human internal organs to consume. Like vampires, they have to attack people for their own safety – their power is motivated by constant self-interest. This makes them incredibly dangerous.
8
Jinnamuru Xunte
Season 2, Episode 15
The Jinnamuru Xunte are one of the most-feared Wesen of the Wesen world. Like the Spinnetod, these beings feed on the body parts of their human victims. They may appear human, at first, but their transformation reveals them as the horrific fly creatures that they are. These Wesen put parasites into their victims’ eyes to make them cry and then feed on the tears, satisfying their hunger.
After the victims start crying, their eyes become rapidly consumed by the parasites, and they go blind. Following this process, the Jinnamuru Xunte proceeded to kill the blind humans, finishing off a slow and painful death. This powerful and vile beast recalls giant insects, ensuring viewers understand what it would be like to live in a world where bugs had the power instead of people.
7
Musasat Alsh-Shabab
Season 5, Episode 15
Musasat Alsh-Shabab is a powerful season 5 Wesen with grotesque pincers coming out of its face post-transformation. Like all Wesen in Grimm, this creature is inspired by animals of the real world. Musasat Alsh-Shabab is a beetle-like Wesen, and focuses on youth, much like the Spinnetod. It plants its mandibles into its victim’s face and sucks the youth out, leaving them to age prematurely and die in a few days.
The lore of Grimm grew season by season, and the Musasat Alsh-Shabab was an impressive addition.
The power of this creature is also amplified by its production of Yanube, which is addictive and can be easily abused. The lore of Grimm grew season by season and the Musasat Alsh-Shabab was an impressive addition. By season 5, with so many powerful Wesen, this beastly demon represented a rise in the stakes and manifested a very real new threat for Nick and his team.
6
Blutbad
Season 1, Episode 1
Grimm’s classic Blutbad will remain one of its best and most powerful Wesen, despite the list of scary monsters on the show growing year over year. As one of Grimm’s main characters, Monroe was Nick’s partner and right-hand man. Without Monroe, played by Silas Weir Mitchell, Nick would have been in serious trouble. This Wesen is a wolf-like monster that helps to connect Nick to the Wesen community, possessing superhuman strength.
Blutbaden are agile, strong, and fast, embodying many of the traits of the majestic wolf. Blutbaden woge (transform) under the light of a full moon, bringing to mind the werewolves of horror and fantasy tradition. These beings have sensitive hearing and smell that enables tracking of others. They also have sharp teeth that can tear through human muscles easily. This is one Wesen not to anger and to befriend instead.
5
Mauvais Dentes
Season 2, Episode 1
Mauvais Dentes has a saber-tooth tiger streak, making it one of the most deadly Wesen in Grimm. One Mauvais Dentes easily killed three men at once, proving the terrible power of this big cat Wesen. Drawing out all the strongest features of the saber-tooth tiger, Mauvais Dentes has teeth that can leave deep puncture wounds in human flesh and superhuman strength.
Season 2 saw how the Mauvais Dentes played with its victims, leaving dismembered bodies strewn around. An unscrupulous Mauvais Dentes was a Wesen best left alone. Incorporating the attitude of a cat as well as the skills, Marnassier exhibited some incredibly disturbing behavior on board a cargo ship. This French assassin proved the truly awful power of this feline Wesen.
4
Skalenzahne
Season 1, Episode 12
The Skalenzahne was a lizard-like Wesen, taking on crocodile characteristics and therefore having the potential for extreme violence. These beings were shown to often live peacefully alongside human beings in Grimm. However, when provoked, they would react with aggression. For the Skalenzahne, provocation would entail a taste of human or Wesen flesh. In this instance, these Wesen would attack mindlessly.
Capable of killing even their friends in such a state, the Skalenzahne would be reacting to their innate instincts to devour meat barbarically. When in carnivore mode, this Wesen’s true power is revealed – they can tear through flesh at an alarming rate. This Wesen can also heal quicker than humans and take far greater damage, making them incredibly resilient.
3
Koschie
Season 3, Episode 9
Based on Russian folklore, this evil-looking Wesen has alarming power. With super strength and excellent reflexes, the Koschie can inflict deadly radiation poisoning, which may make them the scariest being on the show. With creepy undertones of atomic warfare, the Koschie are just as symbolic as they are thrilling on Grimm. Not only can they attack, but their defense is nearly immaculate.
Grigori Rasputin was a Koschie and survived multiple assassination attempts.
This supremely powerful Wesen has vast power to heal. On Grimm, Grigori Rasputin was a Koschie and survived multiple assassination attempts from poison to gunshots. Koschie Boris also survived after being stabbed with scissors and spiked with lethal poison, proving that this Wesen is close to immortal. This radioactive skeleton is undoubtedly one of the most powerful monsters on the show.
2
Cracher Mortel
Season 2, Episode 21
The Cracher Mortel may not look as serious as the Koschie but has a deathly power all its own. Providing a dark testament to the creativity of the Grimm showrunners, this Wesen takes inspiration from the pufferfish and the often lethal poisons of sea creatures. This Wesen spits a toxin at people that can induce petrifying states of paralysis, making them totally vulnerable.
Once its victims have been put into a paralytic state, the Cracher Mortel can then reawaken them. This results in a zombie that the Cracher Mortel can control. This horrifying power means that this Wesen can create entire zombie armies if it pleases, making it one of the most potent creatures in the TV series. This creature provided a strong climax to Grimm season 2.
1
Hexenbeist & Zauberbiest
Season 1, Episode 1
Grimm’s classic Hexenbeist likely remains its most powerful Wesen. Appearing along with the Blutbad in the very first episode of the show, this frightening beast exemplified how dangerous life was going to get for Nick very quickly. The Hexenbeist’s decaying face and sharp teeth give it an appearance that lies somewhere between a mummy, a corpse, a zombie, and a ghost.
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The Hexenbeist has a number of magical powers including telekinesis and pyrokinesis. That means that this Wesen can move objects with its mind and control fire. These witches are joined by the Zauberbiest, the male of the species. Explored in the opening arc of Grimm, this formidable Wesen was allowed to shine from the start and only grew in stature throughout Grimm.
Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he’s a Grimm, a guardian tasked with keeping the balance between humanity and mythological creatures. As he navigates his new role, he battles dangerous Wesen while uncovering secrets about his ancestors. With the help of allies, Nick confronts dark forces threatening both worlds.
- Release Date
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October 28, 2011
- Finale Year
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November 30, 2016
- Cast
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David Giuntoli
, Russell Hornsby
, Silas Weir Mitchell
, Sasha Roiz
, Reggie Lee
, Elizabeth Tulloch
, Bree Turner - Seasons
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6