Top 10 Treehouse of Horror Segments

It’s not uncommon for Bart’s mischief to cause trouble for the residents of Springfield, but among his most troublesome moments is the time he accidentally resurrects the town’s dead. The show’s large cast of characters is played to hilarity here, as we see how various Springfield citizens react to the zombies, from Groundskeeper Willie’s apathy to Ned Flanders’ politeness. Kang and Kodos even make a cameo to laugh at the humans’ plight. It’s all about the characters in this segment – even the reanimated corpses of George Washington, Einstein, and Shakespeare. Wait, why would any of them even be buried in Springfield?

“The Simpsons” have been on the air since 1989, so the writers were bound to resort to an evil twin plot twist eventually. As it turns out, Bart was born with a conjoined twin, and Homer and Marge have been keeping him hidden in the attic all these years, subsisting on a diet of fish heads. Hugo’s actually one of the series’ best one-episode characters, thanks to some fine voice work by Nancy Cartwright. In fact, he even took the top spot on WatchMojo’s list of TV evil twins. Ultimately, this “Treehouse of Horror” segment comes to a close with a brilliant twist: turns out that Bart was the evil twin all along. Come to think of it, does that really surprise anyone?

Though it may look pretty dated now, the three-dimensional computer animation in this segment was revolutionary in 1995. In addition to the graphics, the premise of this segment is extremely memorable: it follows Homer as he stumbles upon the fabled third dimension behind his bookshelf. It’s filled with Easter eggs, including the library and pond from the video game “Myst” and a code that spells out “Frink rules.” The final moments, when Bart fails to save Homer and he ends up in our world, is one of the series’ few forays into live-action. But, it’s likely the cleverest.

Homer’s fatal flaw will always be his love of doughnuts. When he sells his soul for one, it’s up to the rest of the family to save him from the devil, who appears in the form of Ned. But just because Flanders is the prince of darkness doesn’t mean he’s any less charm-diddly-arming. “The Devil and Homer Simpson” is certainly one of the more horrific segments in the show’s history, but it actually has a surprisingly sweet ending in which Marge saves Homer with the power of love, sorta. He still pays a hefty – though delicious – price when his head transformed into a doughnut. But fun fact! That can be purchased as a costume in “The Simpsons: Hit and Run” video game.

Edgar Allan Poe is likely the most high-profile guest writer ever to have inadvertently written for “The Simpsons,” and it’s a testament to the show’s comic genius that it can make the work of this dark poet hilarious. With Bart taking on the role of the titular Raven and Homer as the unnamed protagonist, “The Simpsons”’ adaptation of “The Raven” takes a few artistic liberties while still being highly respectful of the source material. A fantastic guest spot from James Earl Jones completes the scene, which has since become a classic and helped get many students interested in poetry. Poe will be funnier than this nevermore.

This parody of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” sees Groundskeeper Willie donning Freddy Krueger’s iconic outfit and attacking the students of Springfield Elementary in their dreams. Willie vowed vengeance against the parents of Springfield after he was burned to a crisp during a PTA meeting on one cold day in Smarch. Pairing Lisa and Bart together always proves to be a recipe for a fun episode, and it doesn’t get more fun than watching them take down a hotheaded Scottish serial killer. But, of course, it’s Maggie who ultimately saves the day with her trusty pacifier, but not before Willie can get in one last... scare?

This segment taps into one of mankind’s most common fears: cursed frozen yogurt. Krusty gives Chucky a run for his money in the evil doll department when the killer Krusty doll comes to life and threatens to murder Homer. This one is full of memorable quotes, like Grandpa shouting that all of Bart’s presents are evil and Homer’s assertion that he’s being mocked by a small appliance. The segment’s resolution epitomizes the show’s brilliant, but simple humor, as the doll’s setting was set to “evil” instead of “good” all along. Hey, it’s a smarter ending than most modern horror movies.

Inspired by Ray Bradbury’s short story “A Sound of Thunder”, this segment isn’t the scariest of the series, but it’s filled to the brim with pop culture references and one-liners. Homer just can’t seem to get his hand out of the toaster, which causes him to travel to prehistoric times and alter the course of history, just as his father warned him not to on his wedding day. Once again, painting Flanders as an amiable villain is a dynamic choice, as are Homer’s various reactions to the altered realities. Tragically, he tragically misses out on a world where it rains doughnuts! James Earl Jones returns to cameo as Maggie, but beyond that, there’s just so much to love about this segment.

Political satire and Halloween come together perfectly in this smart examination of the 1996 election that still holds weight today. Kang and Kodos decide to take the places of then-president Bill Clinton and Presidential hopeful Bob Dole in the hopes of taking the highest office in the land. The greatest part of this is how easily the two aliens are able to woo voters with their nonsense, but is that really any different than real-life politics? It reaches the height of its satirical excellence when the pair is revealed to be aliens, but Kang is ultimately elected because it’s a two-party system. Seems like that may not have been the right choice, though.

Before we unveil our top spook, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Hungry are the Damned”
“Treehouse of Horror”

- “The Genesis Tub”
“Treehouse of Horror VII”

- “Fly vs. Fly”
“Treehouse of Horror VIII”

No, not “The Shining.” Do you want to get sued? “Treehouse of Horror” has always been one of the best sources of horror parody, and this segment exemplifies that. When the family is isolated in a remote mountain hotel without TV or beer, Homer sums up the situation best: “No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy.” The icing on the cake is the first in a series of gags that recur throughout the three segments of “Treehouse of Horror V,” where Willie tries to save the day but is axed in the back. A respectful homage to Stanley Kubrick’s work that’s almost as iconic as its source material, this is “The Simpsons” at its scariest – and smartest.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite segment from “Treehouse of Horror?” For more too-scary-for-children top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.