History YMMV / TreehouseOfHorror

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The familiar ScareChord from the [=THOH=] [[https://youtu.be/I1MLQ2WlAKg promos on Fox]], which have been included in the promos since the [[https://youtu.be/XyZk-9d2Vao early]] [[https://youtu.be/LUGX_yJGKpo 90s.]]

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The familiar ScareChord from the [=THOH=] [[https://youtu.be/I1MLQ2WlAKg promos on Fox]], which have been included in the promos since the [[https://youtu.be/XyZk-9d2Vao early]] [[https://youtu.be/LUGX_yJGKpo 90s.]]

* NightmareFuel: Some of the shorts are '''really''' scary such as ''[[ImAHumanitarian Nightmare Cafeteria]]'' and ''[[BlackComedy There's No Business Like Moe's Business]]'' for starters.
** The Gremlin's first appearance in ''Treehouse of Horror IV'' "Nightmare at 5 1/2 Feet" with green fur, a wide SlasherSmile and WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises. The worst part is the ending, where [[spoiler: it reappears on the back of the ambulance carting Bart off to the insane asylum... then holds up ''Ned Flanders' torn-off head'', complete with dangling, gore-slick spinal column, which gurgles Ned's famous greeting to Bart]]. Cue end of the episode.
** ''Treehouse of Horror III'' to ''Treehouse of Horror X'' featured several ''disturbing'' CouchGag sequences, including: the Simpsons family appearing as skeletons[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror III, also used as official promotional artwork for Treehouse Of Horror II[[/note]]; erupting from the ground as zombies[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror IV[[/note]]; mismatched Frankenstein-esque monsters [[note]]Treehouse Of Horror V; this one serves as a SelfParody to another CouchGag where normal Simpson family members have mismatched body parts, but while in that one they correct the mistakes, in this one they screw it up even more[[/note]]; open-eyed hanging victims ([[RefugeInAudacity with Maggie still sucking her pacifier]])[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror VI; this one comes ''right after'' a HeadlessHorseman Krusty throws his own head at the screen, with the resulting blood splatter spelling out the title card[[/note]]; TheGrimReaper sitting on the couch, and the family members dropping dead one after another (and on each other) as they rush to the couch[[note]] Treehouse Of Horror VII; here, after this happens, the reaper [[RefugeInAudacity leans his feet on Homer's corpse]][[/note]]; the family getting electrocuted to death by an [[RefugeInAudacity "electric couch"]][[note]]Treehouse Of Horror VIII[[/note]]; the family ''actually never making it to the living room'' due to [[{{Deconstruction}} screwing up the timing of the opening]][[note]]Treehouse Of Horror IX; it could be argued that Marge and Maggie don't actually die, but even then, they would find [[BolivianArmyEnding Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees waiting for them.]][[/note]]; and a GrandFinale of sorts for the couch gags with a ContinuityCavalcade[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror X; said cavalcade consisting of Homer-in-the-box (THOH II), Alien-Maggie (THOH IX), Half-[[Film/TheFly1958 The Fly]] Bart and Witch-Marge (both from THOH VIII) where the Alien Maggie incinerates the OddOneOut, Lisa "as an axe victim", as soon as the latter [[FridgeLogic questions what aliens have to do with Halloween]][[/note]].
** The redone Gracie Films logo. While the pipe organ version of the logo's jingle actually sounds badass, the woman's scream that accompanies it is '''''bone-chilling'''''.

** There's also "Easy Bake Coven," which ends with the townspeople about the burn Lisa as a witch.

** Disney Princess Homer.

* CreatorsPet: Lisa. Granted, she doesn't get off the hook ALL the time, but you may have noticed that throughout all of the murders, mutations, and what have you that happens in ''Treehouse of Horror'', [[ImmuneToSlapstick Lisa tends to comes out unscathed]], or at the very least isn't affected as bad as the other characters (a prime example being the ''Treehouse of Horror XI'' intro where the family portrays ''Series/TheMunsters'' and whereas the rest of her family, including Bart, are all brutally slain, she walked away completely unharmed). Or "Bart Simpson's Dracula," where she is the only family member not turned into a vampire. Of course, the creators admitted that they like Lisa, so that figures.

* CreatorsPet: Lisa. Granted, she doesn't get off the hook ALL the time, but you may have noticed that throughout all of the murders, mutations, and what have you that happens in ''Treehouse of Horror'', [[ImmuneToSlapstick Lisa tends to comes out unscathed]], or at the very least isn't affected as bad as the other characters (a prime example being the ''Treehouse of Horror XI'' intro where the family portrays ''Series/TheMunsters'' and whereas the rest of her family, including Bart, are all brutally slain, she walked away completely unharmed). Of course, the creators admitted that they like Lisa, so that figures.
** And then "TOH XXXI" comes along, with a segment thats literally about Lisa dying over and over again, sometimes alone sometimes not.

** Some of the monsters such as Count Burns, Devil Flanders, and King Kong Homer. An unusual example is Krusty in vampire get-up from ''Treehouse of Horror IX'' who, despite not really playing a role in the segment, has been seen in ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' merchandise and media.

** In one episode, Snowball 2 is brought back to life with occult. In a later Franchise/ArchieComics miniseries, Afterlife With Archie, an attempt to bring back Hot Dog starts up the zombie apocalypse.

** All of Groundskeeper Willie's deaths in "Treehouse of Horror V".

** In “BFF R.I.P.”, this happens WAY more than twice, when Rachel kills Janey, Sherri and Terri, Milhouse, Lisa’s therapist, Snowball whatever number they’re on now, and Homer’s imaginary friend Sergeant Sausage. Of course, since Sergeant Sausage is an imaginary friend, he can’t actually die, but Homer eats his exploded body anyway.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Ned teaches one to Bart, Lisa, Milhouse and Nelson about the seven deadly sins in ''Treehouse of Horror XVIII''.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Creator/{{Fox}} has been generally unable to schedule these episodes within the week before Halloween since buying the exclusive rights to the [[UsefulNotes/{{Baseball}} World Series]] in 2001.
** This was even lampshaded in one special when the episode aired passed the Halloween holiday with Kang and Kodos stating it was near Christmas time.

** Some of the vampires in Burns lair in ''IV'', notable the one who pulls Bart off the slide (likely a homage to the brides from ''Film/BramStokersDracula'').

* UglyCute: The blue Gremlin at first... until the [[NightmareFuel ending.]]

* MostAnnoyingSound: You will NOT like that bloodcurdling scream used in the Gracie Films logos unique to these specials.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Some of the monsters such as Count Burns, Devil Flanders, and King Kong Homer. An unusual example is Krusty in vampire getup from ''Treehouse of Horror IX'' who, despite not really playing a role in the segment, has been seen in ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' merchandise and media.
** Then you have Kang and Kodos, the two space aliens from the very first Treehouse of Horror segment [[ToServeMan "Hungry Are The Damned"]]. They've appeared in every special since (or not, which they ''will'' unhappily acknowledge) and have even made the odd appearances in the regular episodes.

** ''Treehouse of Horror III'' to ''Treehouse of Horror X'' featured several ''disturbing'' CouchGag sequences, including: the Simpsons family appearing as skeletons[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror III, also used as official promotional artwork for Treehouse Of Horror II[[/note]]; erupting from the ground as zombies[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror IV[[/note]]; mismatched Frankenstein-esque monsters [[note]]Treehouse Of Horror V; this one serves as a SelfParody to another CouchGag where normal Simpson family members have mismatched body parts, but while in that one they correct the mistakes, in this one they screw it up even more[[/note]]; open-eyed hanging victims ([[RefugeInAudacity with Maggie still sucking her pacifier]])[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror VI; this one comes ''right after'' a HeadlessHorseman Krusty throws his own head at the screen, with the resulting blood splatter spelling out the title card[[/note]]; TheGrimReaper sitting on the couch, and the family members dropping dead one after another (and on each other) as they rush to the couch[[note]] Treehouse Of Horror VII; here, after this happens, the reaper [[RefugeInAudacity leans his feet on Homer's corpse]][[/note]]; the family getting electrocuted to death by an [[RefugeInAudacity "electric couch"]][[note]]Treehouse Of Horror VIII[[/note]]; the family ''actually never making it to the living room'' due to [[{{Deconstruction}} screwing up the timing of the opening]][[note]]Treehouse Of Horror IX; it could be argued that Marge and Maggie don't actually die, but even then, they would find [[BolivianArmyEnding Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhes waiting for them.]][[/note]]; and a GrandFinale of sorts for the couch gags with a ContinuityCavalcade[[note]]Treehouse Of Horror X; said cavalcade consisting of Homer-in-the-box (THOH II), Alien-Maggie (THOH IX), Half-[[Film/TheFly1958 The Fly]] Bart and Witch-Marge (both from THOH VIII) where the Alien Maggie incinerates the OddOneOut, Lisa "as an axe victim", as soon as the latter [[FridgeLogic questions what aliens have to do with Halloween]][[/note]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: in spades. The episodes {{invoke|dTrope}} this in order to trigger the murders in each segment. See IdiotBall in the main page.

* {{Anvilicious}}: The ending to "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid." It was originally going to be even more so, [[ViewersAreMorons with Kang outright comparing the situation to the Iraq War]].

* JustHereForGodzilla: Several writers, animators and guest stars have said that one of their biggest reasons for wanting to work on ''The Simpsons'' was getting to make up a 'scary name' for the credits.

* MostWonderfulSound: The familiar ScareChord from the [=THOH=] [[https://youtu.be/I1MLQ2WlAKg promos on Fox]], which have been included in the promos since the [[https://youtu.be/XyZk-9d2Vao early]] [[https://youtu.be/LUGX_yJGKpo 90s.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: ''Treehouse of Horror XIX'' features Homer killing celebrities for commercial rights, among which include Neil Armstrong and Prince. This is hard to watch, since ''both of them are now dead''. This is made all the worse with the ''Treehouse of Horror XXV'' intro for the latter where he appears again along with numerous other celebrities that are "Special Guests"... [[NauseaFuel as mutilated corpses spelling out the title card.]]