Video Game Enemies That Can’t Damage You But Are Still Annoying

One of the marks of a great video game is its ability to keep you engaged with nuanced challenges that evolve as the adventure unfolds. Take enemies, for example… while most aim to damage you directly, others serve different roles, such as draining your resources, alerting stronger foes to your location, or immobilizing you.

On their own, these enemies might not seem like a major threat. However, as challenges escalate, these seemingly insignificant foes can quickly become your undoing.

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Specimen 1

Spooky’s Jumpscare Mansion

In Spooky’s Jumpscare Mansion, you explore a haunted mansion with 1,000 rooms, each more unsettling than the last. As you delve deeper, the jumpscares grow increasingly sinister and disturbing. Early on, however, you encounter Specimen 1: harmless, cardboard cutouts that spring out to startle you.

According to Spooky’s Jumpscare Mansion lore, four people have died of heart attacks due to Speciment 1.

While Specimen 1 cannot harm you directly, their sudden appearances can create obstacles during chases or cause momentary pauses from surprise. This brief distraction can give hostile specimens the opportunity to close the distance, adding an extra layer of tension to your exploration.

8

Takkuri

The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Takkuri are recurring bird-like enemies in The Legend of Zelda series, infamous for their thieving tendencies. In Majora’s Mask, they pose a direct threat by both stealing valuable items and dealing damage. However, in The Minish Cap, their role shifts slightly; these red crow-like creatures don’t harm Link physically but still create havoc with their penchant for theft.

You encounter Takkuri in the eerie Royal Valley, where their primary annoyance comes from their tendency to steal your Rupees when you touch them. The true extent of their mischief is revealed during a key story event: after Link secures the Graveyard Key from Dampé, a Takkuri swoops in to steal it, sending Link into a frantic chase. Armed with the Pegasus Boots, Link must track down the bird and reclaim the key to progress.

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Yorps

Commander Keen In Invasion Of The Vorticons, Episode One: Marooned on Mars

Billy Blaze is no ordinary eight-year-old… he has an IQ of 314 and a knack for saving the galaxy. When danger looms, he dons his older brother’s football helmet and becomes Commander Keen! In his debut adventure, Keen uncovers a sinister Vorticon plot to invade Earth while exploring Mars. To stop the invasion, he must platform his way across three games, spanning from Mars to the Vorticon homeworld.

Keen brings home a pet Yorp named Spot, which lives in his backyard.

Along the way, Keen encounters a variety of enemies, but also stumbles upon the Yorps, a cute, one-eyed race of Martians with squat bodies and an eye perched on a single tentacle. Once enslaved by the Gargs, the Yorps were freed by a Viking probe. While harmless, their clingy nature can be a challenge. When they see Keen, they rush toward him, inadvertently pushing him around. While usually manageable, their overzealous affection can become a hazard near cliffs or other enemies.

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Water Ball

Crypt Of The NecroDancer

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a unique dungeon-crawling rhythm game where you and your enemies must move and attack to the beat of the music. Each dungeon is filled with a variety of monsters, obstacles, and environmental hazards. One notable enemy is the Water Ball, which serves as both a monster and an environmental challenge.

Water Balls have a 1/51 chance of spawning a Shock Monkey, drastically increasing the monkey’s damage.

Found in Zone 5, Water Balls are exactly what their name suggests: animated balls of water. When they spot you, they immediately lunge toward you, sacrificing themselves upon impact. While they don’t deal damage directly, their death leaves behind a water tile that immobilizes you for a beat, leaving you vulnerable to other threats. However, if you can outmaneuver and preemptively kill a Water Ball, it will drop gold as a reward.

5

Bunny Children

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

Epic Mickey follows Mickey Mouse as he journeys through the Wastelands, a realm inhabited by forgotten Disney characters. In his quest to save this world, Mickey faces numerous challenges, including swarms of mischievous Bunny Children, the pint-sized offspring of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Ortensia the Cat.

Mickey first encounters the Bunny Children in The Heaps area of Mickeyjunk Mountain. These tiny troublemakers will swarm Mickey on sight, hindering his movements and slowing him down. If a group of five or more Bunny Children gathers, they can overpower him, picking him up and tossing him into inconvenient hazards like cliffs or Thinner rivers.

You can distract the Bunny Children for a time by painting a TV.

4

Bonnie

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Into The Pit

Into The Pit is a retelling of the Fazbear Frights short story of the same name. In this game, Oswald stumbles upon a time-traveling ball pit that leads to a chilling discovery: his father has been replaced by a serial killer wearing a yellow rabbit animatronic suit. To make matters worse, Oswald is the only one who can see the killer’s true form. Now, it’s up to him to navigate the past, confront his fears, and use the ball pit to rescue his father.

While traveling through the past, Oswald faces numerous threats, including a menacing blue bunny named Bonnie. When first encountered, Bonnie is a formidable foe who can end the game by following you into the vents. After this initial encounter, however, his behavior changes: he lurks under tables, waiting for an opportunity to grab you if you stray too close, leaving you helpless against the pursuing serial killer.

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Ukiki

Super Mario 64 DS

Ukikis, a mischievous species of monkey in Super Mario 64 DS, are known for causing chaos and mayhem. Their favorite pastime? Stealing Mario’s hat. This seemingly playful act has serious consequences, as Mario’s hat grants him special abilities like flight, invisibility, and transforming into Metal Mario. Without it, Mario also becomes more vulnerable, taking increased damage.

To reclaim his cap, Mario must chase down the crafty Ukiki, which can be quite a challenge. When they’re not swiping headwear, Ukikis enjoy following Mario, performing acrobatic handstands, and showing off their playful jumps.

Yoshi can grab the Ukiki, prompting it to plead for release. If Yoshi lets Ukiki go, the grateful monkey will lead him to a nearby cage containing a Power Star.

2

Chupacabras

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow

Lords of Shadow rebooted the Castlevania series, following Gabriel Belmont on his quest for revenge after his wife is murdered. Along the way, Gabriel encounters numerous enemies and mythological creatures, including the Chupacabra.

Chupacabra, unlike its namesake, is an immortal dwarf. He sets himself up as a shopkeeper in Lord of Shadows 2.

After defeating a monstrous cave troll, Gabriel encounters the seemingly harmless Chupacabra, who takes a liking to his magical runes and artifacts… and promptly steals them. This sets off a game of hide-and-seek through a dangerous castle. To make matters worse, the Chupacabra taunts Gabriel by giving cryptic ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ hints as he searches for the stolen items.

1

Shifty Looking Cow

Mass Effect

In Mass Effect, Commander Shepard embarks on a galaxy-spanning mission to stop Saren Arterius, a rogue Spectre, from unleashing chaos. Along the way, Shepard explores various planets, including Ontarom in the Newton system. This hot yet habitable world is notable for hosting one peculiar resident: the Shifty Looking Cow.

Despite its name, the Shifty Looking Cow resembles a deer with Velociraptor-like arms and an elongated snout. It seems unassuming at first, wandering the area aimlessly. However, when it notices Shepard, it begins tailing the Commander. As it edges closer, it quietly pilfers credits from Shepard’s account, stopping only when Shepard turns to confront the creature.