Why Are Dolls So Creepy?
It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized that dolls could be incredibly unnerving. Horror films have done an excellent job at making dolls more creepy than they actually are, but it's the real-life stories that are truly terrifying.
Buckle up, because these are seven of the world's most haunted dolls.
Annabelle
Horrifyingly, the Annabelle doll from The Conjuring franchise is based on a true story. However, she doesn't look anything like the doll Hollywood cooked up. The real Annabelle is actually a classic "Raggedy Anne" doll. But I wouldn't go near her with a 10-foot pole.
New Line Cinema, The Conjuring (2013)
Annabelle
In 1970, Anabelle belonged to a nurse, who received the doll as a gift. But this gift was more like a curse. Disturbing things began happening.
Annabelle
Allegedly, Anabelle would mysteriously move positions and even track blood. The worst claim of all was that the doll left behind handwritten notes reading, "help us" and "help me."
Annabelle
Paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren explained that the nurse had uncovered the truth about Annabelle. Apparently, the nurse's apartment was where a seven-year-old girl named Annabelle Higgins had passed away. It was believed that Annabelle's spirit possessed the Raggedy Anne doll.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Annabelle
Believing that the doll posed a serious danger to people, Ed and Lorraine Warren decided to lock up Annabelle for good. They displayed her at The Warrens' Occult Museum until its closing—but even there, she managed to wreak havoc.
Annabelle
Reportedly, one visitor met a twisted fate after poking fun at Annabelle. After he left the museum, he lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident.
Robert
From afar, Robert the doll seems quite harmless, but the closer you get to him, the more unnerving his appearance becomes. Dressed in a sailor suit and with jet-black eyes, his gaze is chillingly empty.
It may not come as a surprise that Robert has a dark backstory.
Cayobo f, CC BY 1.0, Wikimedia Commons
Robert
Robert originally belonged to Robert Eugene Otto. The doll came from Germany—gifted to Otto by his grandfather. But odd things began to happen around the funny sailor doll.
Florida Keys History Center, Flickr
Robert
Beginning with Otto, whoever possessed Robert the doll experienced supernatural occurrences. Reportedly, his facial expressions would mysteriously change. The doll could move on his own, sometimes appearing in windows or even giggling.
Robert
Today, Robert can be found at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida—and even visitors have been thoroughly creeped out by their experiences with the doll. Some even say "failing to respect Robert" has resulted in personal adversities or mishaps.
Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Robert
Even the celebrity Ozzy Osbourne is convinced that Robert is haunted. He once purchased a souvenir of the doll from the museum and later experienced health problems. And who did he blame? Well, Robert, of course.
Okiku
Okiku is a Japanese doll with a shocking reputation. However, her story begins back in 1918. The doll initially belonged to a young girl named Okiku, who tragically passed from a deadly flu.
Reggaeman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Okiku
Following Okiku's death, her family decided to honor her by preserving her doll in a shrine. But as time passed, they began to notice something deeply unsettling...
Okiku
Okiku the doll was changing. Her hair was growing. It was now much longer than the short bob she once sported. Even when she had a haircut, the growing hair persisted.
Terumasa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
Okiku
Okiku's family was undoubtedly disturbed by this, believing that their daughter's spirit possessed the doll.
YOS RICKI YANUAR, Shutterstock
Okiku
Okiku the doll's final resting place was Mannenji temple, and she's been there since 1938. People are still visiting her today.
Terumasa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons
Renesmee
In the popular Twilight series, Renesmee is the daughter of the two lead characters, Bella and Edward. In the 2011 film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, the production team provided a prop to stand in for the character—a very strange animatronic doll...
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
Renesmee
While fans got to see Renesmee in all her unsettling CGI glory, the actors had to act alongside one of the creepiest dolls imaginable. Even better? This doll is reportedly haunted.
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Renesmee
The Renesmee doll has been put on display at Forever Twilight in Forks, Washington. But employees have made some disturbing observations.
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Renesmee
In 2020, Lissy Andros shared with Jezebel, “One day she might be standing up straight and the next when you come in on another day, she’s in a weird position. It’s like, is she moving around in there? We don’t know. But we tell everybody that the cover is on her for their protection.”
But the horror doesn't end there.
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Renesmee
The creepy cherry on top is that Renesmee is slowly breaking down. This means that she looks even more demented than she originally did. Made of delicate materials, the doll wasn't made to stand the test of time.
So thankfully, if she really is haunted, her days are surely numbered.
Summit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)
Mandy
Oh, Mandy. Mandy is terrifying to look at. She's an antique baby doll dressed in a pretty innocent white dress... only her face has sustained some unsightly cracks and she has an unnerving thousand-yard stare. So, what's her story?
Mandy
Mandy was originally a gift—one given to a woman named Lisa Sorensen. However, Lisa had a strange feeling about Mandy and decided to wash her hands of her, ultimately giving the creepy doll to the Quesnel and District Museum, located in British Columbia.
Mandy
In her new home at the museum, Mandy is still scaring people. Employees claim that Mandy's eyes follow their movements. Even weirder?
Those who have tried to record Mandy have had their equipment strangely malfunction.
The Island Of The Dolls
So, this is not just one haunted doll, but rather, a whole island of them. La Isla de las Muñecas, or The Island of the Dolls, is located in Mexico—and its history is pure nightmare fuel.
Amrith Raj, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Island Of The Dolls
As the story goes, the island's caretaker, Don Julian Santana Barrera, made a disturbing discovery: He found the body of a little girl in the canals. But that was only the beginning.
The Island Of The Dolls
Barrera later found something else in the canal: a doll. He assumed it had belonged to the young girl. In her honor, he decided to string the doll up in a tree. However, he didn't stop there.
The Island Of The Dolls
Barrera continued to add more dolls to the island's landscape, so much so that dolls now cover the island. In a chilling twist, Barrera reportedly drowned in the same location as the little girl in 2001.
The Island Of The Dolls
The Island of the Dolls has become a popular tourist destination, and visitors claim that it's haunted. Some have supposedly witnessed the dolls moving their limbs and eyes. Others have said they've even heard the dolls quietly whispering.
Wa17gs, CC BY-SA 4.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
Letta
Letta is short for "Letta-Me-Out," which is already a red flag in my opinion. This 200-year-old doll is allegedly an ancient marionette from Eastern Europe. However, she was found beneath an abandoned house in New South Wales, Australia.
Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons
Letta
Kerry Walton is the owner of Letta, and he has openly shared the strange things that have happened because of the doll. According to him, animals behave strangely around Letta. As well, objects have a tendency to shift positions.
Letta
Walton has also explained that every time he tried to sell Letta, he'd be overcome with an uneasy feeling. He could never bring himself to get rid of her.
Letta
However, there are other rumors that revolve around Letta. Apparently, she can make it rain if she's brought outside, and she can reposition herself on her own.
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