History NightmareFuel / AreYouAfraidOfTheDark

** As a kid, the idea that Zeebo was just the carny pulling a trick might come as a relief. [[AdultFear As an adult, it comes off far worse.]]

--->'''Mr. Tophat:''' Sssssssh....[[CatchPhrase it's all. part. of. the. ''show.'']]

* The show's intro, infamous for its reputation of striking fear into many a '90s kid's heart. Everything is awash with [[UnnaturallyBlueLighting a chilling blue]], and the genuinely eerie theme song accentuates unnerving imagery like [[AbandonedPlayground abandoned swings]], an abandoned canoe, and a [[CreepyDoll scary-looking doll]]. Not outright scary, per se, but creepy to a T.

* The show's intro. Everything is awash with [[UnnaturallyBlueLighting a chilling blue]], and the genuinely eerie theme song accentuates unnerving imagery like [[AbandonedPlayground abandoned swings]], an abandoned canoe, and a [[CreepyDoll scary-looking doll]]. Not outright scary, per se, but creepy to a T.

-->--'''WebVideo/JonTron''', talking about the same monster depicted in the page image

* The Phantom Light hinting the audience that [[PlotTwistEnding "Connor" may not be who he is]]...

* The opening title of the mini-series, showing a montage of the Shadowman's shadow tendrils creeping in and snuffing out every light source they find, as though [[TheCorruption the darkness]] is taking over the show itself. If the show's theme isn't safe from the Shadowman, [[FourthWallWillNotProtectYou are we]]?

* The opening title of the mini-series, showing a montage of the Shadowman's shadow tendrils creeping in and snuffing out every light source they find, as though taking over the show itself. If the show's theme isn't safe from the Shadowman, [[FourthWallCantProtectYou are we]]?

* The opening title of the mini-series, showing a montage of the Shadowman's shadow tendrils creeping in and snuffing out every light source they find, as though taking over the show itself. If the show's theme isn't safe from the Shadowman, [[FourthWallCannotProtectYou are we]]?

* The opening title of the mini-series, showing a montage of the Shadowman's shadow tendrils creeping in and snuffing out every light source they find, as though taking over the show itself. If the show's theme isn't safe from the Shadowman, [[TheFourthWallCannotProtectYou are we]]?

* Zoe's backstory. She was one of the last kids to ever be claimed by the Shadow Man. When Sardo tells the legend of the Shadow Man, Zoe is used as an example of what happens to those who dare enter the haunted woods after sunset. It started with small moments of seeing shadowy shapes in the darkness, and gradually escalated to points where even the tiniest moments of twilight summoned the hungry shadows. On the final night, the storm took out the lights and rendered poor Zoe helpless. And the scariest thing was, nobody believed her, or could help her until it was too late...

* Jay's realizing that despite their belief that they could visit the haunted woods as long as it was light out. But that's not true: the curse affects those who are in the woods ''after sunset''. According to his research, twilight is a time when there's still light out, but the sun's already set. In other words, they were already cursed before they even knew it.

* Jay's realizing that despite their belief that they could visit the haunted woods as long as it was light out. But that's not true: the curse affects those who are in the woods ''after sunset''. According to his research, twilight is a time when there's still light out, but the sun's already set. In other words:

* Jay realizing his comic ("Night Fright") has mysteriously become a future-seeing item when it shows him sleepily sitting in his bed ''like he's doing right then''. Some of illustrations are uncannily accurate, like Jay standing at the top of his basement door, while shadow tendrils are ominously poised to claim him.

-->'''Jay:''' [[OhCrap I was wrong]]!

* The Missing Persons Posters. When we first see Adam's poster, Mr. Tophat uses his dark magic to make the print ominously melt off, as though effectively [[{{Unperson}} wiping him away]].

* Jay realizing his comic ("Night Fright") has mysteriously become a future-seeing item when it shows him sleepily sitting in his bed ''like he's doing right then''. Some of illustrations are uncannily accurate, like Jay standing at the top of his basement door, while shadow tendrils are ominously poised to claim him.

** At one point Luke and the others see a memory of the Shadowman's origin, only for it to notice and take after them ''inside the memory itself''. Think you're safe if you see it in a dream or memory? Think again!

** The episode devoted to this tale opens with a scene from an unfinished story by Eric, in which an unnamed boy lies awake in the middle of the night to see an ethereal mist seep into his bedroom, followed by a black-cloaked, hooded, faceless apparition which [[EvilSoundsDeep groans unnervingly]], and drifts over to the bed. Next morning, the boy wakes up, glad to be free of his recurring nightmare, only to look up and find ''the bloody thing is still there'', groaning away. While Eric's admission to not knowing what happens next renders it something of a BigLippedAlligatorMoment, the casual invasion of a bedroom by such an inscrutable entity is chilling.

** In the cabin, Dr Vink, with his exotic specimens and jovial insistence on riddles for use of his telephone, is decidedly unsettling. On Denny's failure to solve a riddle, Dr Vink offers use of the phone in exchange for... a specimen. He then holds up a jar in which floats ''a severed human hand''.

* The Shadowman in "The Tale of the Haunted Woods" is downright terrifying in just the first episode as it is. With skin resembling tree bark in texture, long sharp fingers and a skull face, its appearance alone is enough to land it on this list, but then there's its modus operandi. Whoever steps into the woods after dark becomes cursed to be hunted by the Shadowman, until it captures its prey to drag them with it into the darkness. Only able to come after its victims at night and in the dark, they're only safe as long as there is light... except that it grows stronger with every day that passes, up until it has the power to sabotage sources of light, making it just a matter of time before its victims can avoid it no longer. The way the episode utilizes shadows, camera angles and silhouettes to display the Shadowman stalking and coming after its prey are downright nerve-inducing, and just the sight of the Shadowman standing there glaring at its would-be victims with empty eye-sockets leaves quite an impression.

* In "The Tale of the Dream Girl", Johnny hears Donna calling for him. He walks around the bowling alley to find her, but she disappears. As he's leaving, we cut to a bowling ball rolling, and the sound of it becomes very loud, like an approaching train. The ball hits the pins, and suddenly Johnny hears a girl screaming. He covers his ears and turns back to see a female bowler screamed because she made a strike. We learn that both Johnny and Donna were run over by a train.
** A quick FreezeFrameBonus of the newspaper detailing the incident mentions the aftermath of the crash. Apparently, the collision badly mangled Donna's and Johnny's bodies to the point of leaving their ''severed limbs strewn around for 1/2 a mile and the teens needing closed casket funerals.'' FridgeHorror and Tearjerker when you realize that both their families which included Johnny's sister would've have had to look at and identify those bodies.

** At one point Luke and the others see a memory of the Shadowman's origin, only for it to notice and take after them ''inside the memory itself''. Think you're safe if you see it in a dream or memory (even if it's during the day in the real world)? Think again!

** At one point Luke and the others see a memory of the Shadowman's origin, only for it to notice and take after them ''inside the memory itself''. Think you're safe if you see it in a dream or memory? Think again!

* The Shadowman in "The Tale of the Haunted Woods" is downright terrifying in just the first episode as it is. With skin resembling tree bark in texture, long sharp fingers and a skull face, its appearance alone is enough to land it on this list, but then there's its modus operandi. Whoever steps into the woods after dark becomes cursed to be hunted by the Shadowman, until it captures its prey to drag them with it into the darkness. Only able to come after its victims at night and in the dark, they're only safe as long as there is light... except that it grows stronger with every day that passes, up until it has the power to sabotage sources of light, making it just a matter of time before its victims can avoid it no longer. The way the episode utilizes shadows, camera angles and silhouettes to display the Shadowman stalking and coming after its prey are downright nerve-inducing, and just the sight of the Shadowman standing there glaring at its would-be victims with empty eye-sockets leaves quite an impression.

** "The Tale of the Crimson Clown": That god damn Crimson Clown that won't go away until the younger brother vows to be good. It first appears as a [[CreepyDoll lurid doll]] in a slightly creepy ornament shop. On learning younger brother Sam to have stolen the money with which Mike planned to buy their mother a birthday present, Mike warns that misbehaviour may incur the vengeance of the Crimson Clown. Sam scoffs - and sees the doll's eyes flash blue. At home, he finds it to have [[OffscreenTeleportation instantaneously appeared]] by his bed, only to suddenly vanish again.

* "The Tale of the Dead Man's Float". Just like Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise, this episode ''will'' make you afraid of shower drains, not to mention swimming in the deep end of the public pool. It's considered one of the scariest episodes of the series.

* In "The Tale of Station 109.1," Chris's fascination with death leads him to visit the inside of a vacant hearse, whose radio suddenly receives a broadcast offering aid to lost souls. He finds and visits the station's address, where funeral wear-attired people await admittance to a huge set of cherub-engraved doors. These open to reveal a glowing blue void, into which two [[TheGrimReaper towering, black-cloaked and hooded]] wardens fling a horrified client. It's implied that [[NothingIsScarier whatever lies beyond]] will [[SelfInflictedHell parallel this man's earthly deeds]].

!!Mini-Series

* The eponymous objects give their owner the ability to see really creepy shadow people that no one else can, even when they put the same glasses on.
** Disturbed by having twice seen such an apparition of veiled woman, Mary Beth throws the Specs in a bin, only to later find them back in her bag. She then pushes them through the letterbox of Sardo's Magic Mansion, and returns to her empty house to find them in her bag again. Both fearful and curious, she puts them on, and sees a previously absent steaming kettle, which her hand passes seamlessly through, and in the previously clear fireplace, a blazing fire. Upstairs in her parents' bedroom, she once again sees the Dark Lady, and two more shadow people. In [[DaylightHorror broad daylight]],previously absent domestic furnishings, faceless silhouetted apparitions, and Mary Beth's perplexed, despairing dread, make for one of the most unnerving scenes in the whole series.

* "The Tale of the Super Specs". The eponymous objects give their owner the ability to see really creepy shadow people that no one else can, even when they put the same glasses on. During the climax, while the protagonists Weeds and Marybeth work frantically with Dr. Sardo to keep the shadow people from crossing over into their world, we get [[http://areyouafraidofthedark.wikia.com/wiki/File:Thespecs4.png this]] ''terrifying'' shot of the lead shadow woman's eyes hovering over them. And scariest of all? [[TheBadGuyWins The episode ends]] with Marybeth, Weeds, and Sardo trapped forever inside the Lady in Black's crystal ball and the implication that the shadow people have taken over our dimension. ''Yikes''.

* The clowns and general aesthetic of the funhouse in "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark" remind us how eerie carnivals and boardwalks really can be. Not to mention, for a kid, the idea of being stalked to your home by a clown ghost is terrifying.