15 of the most interesting female monsters in fiction
3. The succubus
What if a monster doesn’t feel especially bad about being one? So far, we’ve encountered plenty of monsters that are inherently tragic. They are uniquely sad about their situations and often ostentatiously so. Some of them practically wallow in their misfortune, if we are to be brutally honest.
A few are simply monstrous. That is, they are who they are. Being a monster is part of their existence and has always been. They may be so alien that it doesn’t occur to them that they are strange or threatening to others. In Species, Sil is only following her own biological programming. So is Irena from Cat People, though she’s certainly more aware of what’s happening. Is either of them really to blame if we can’t handle their unique ways?
But then, there are female monsters that are well aware of their monstrousness. It’s just that they don’t care. Ursula is a good example here, though she’s frankly a gentle introduction to the concept. If you’re ready to take it up to another level, then prepare yourself for Jennifer’s Body.
What happened to Jennifer?
The original Jennifer at the beginning of this 2009 movie doesn’t last very long. She’s a popular cheerleader who is kidnapped and murdered in a dark ritual. Who did it? An indie rock band seeking greater popularity through black magic.
Only those rockers aren’t very good at spellcasting. They inadvertently allow a demon to inhabit Jennifer’s body. Said demon then goes to town on all of the unsuspecting teens. Jennifer’s friend, Anita “Needy” Lesnicki, hits the books and learns that her friend’s form is now the host of a succubus. This particular demon needs to feed in bloody fashion to stay strong and look more or less human.
Being a succubus, the current tenant of Jennifer’s body doesn’t feel the need to apologize. She is simply doing what she is meant to do. Given how terrible some of the supporting characters are, you can’t help but feel a little satisfied when they cross paths with real evil.