Novels, Comics and Webcomics

Sometimes I write essays, but I'm mainly here to share my urban fantasy comics and novels. Check out my original works, 1000 Years of War and Shatterrealm.

7 Amazing Puppets that Blow My Freakin' Mind

COME TALK ABOUT THEM WITH ME

Hannah Rose Williams

Mar 06, 2026

I absolutely love puppets. Felt puppets, remote-control puppets, hoity-toity practical effect puppets, puppets you don’t even know are puppets. I dunno man, they’re just neat. Join me on this puppet journey.

8. The Terminator Torso

Only because they would consume this list and turn it into a Harryhausen appreciation post, I chose not to mention any stop-motion effects (like the original Terminator) today, but the crawling robot torso in Terminator: Salvation is one I took for granted when the movie came out. The only CGI implemented is that used to remove the performers. Here’s what the final version looked like: so good, you don’t think about it.

7. Dragon Dance Puppets

Dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC—220 AD), this puppet requires a whole team of dancers to operate, and in this tradition, the longer the dance, the better. I’m guessing black lights don’t go quite as far back as other Chinese New Year traditions, but who can deny the radness of those colors?

6. Bunraku

This style of puppetry from 16th-17th century Japan isn’t so much about creating an illusion as it is about the showmanship of multiple performers working together as one. Though the Chinese dragon requires the cooperation of more people, the fluidity and believability of this Japanese puppet’s movements are extremely impressive.

5. SkekGra the Heretic

The friend who suggested this character from Netflix’s Dark Crystal series says, “It’s really all about the performance with him.” What’s a puppet without a good puppeteer?

4. The Massive Attack Fetus

We tend to take for granted that, when this video came out in 1998, CGI looked like this, and that was in movies. Music videos have relatively modest budgets, even when we’re talking about A-list music. The fetus in Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” is not CGI. It’s a life-size animatronic made of latex. Look at it! Nobody ever talks about this thing!

3. Grogu

Nothing against the original Yoda and Jabba the Hutt, whom I also tend to think of as characters rather than effects, but those Grogu puppets (one for each of his emotions) really created a believable illusion. That’s high art, baby, and don’t tell me otherwise.

2. The Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park

Considering that it was 1993, the CGI in Jurassic Park ain’t bad at all. But there’s something about a life-size, believable dinosaur interacting with its environment and with the actors. The people who built and operated these things can’t get enough credit!

1. The Xenomorph Queen

I mean, obviously, obviously the xenomorph queen is my number one. Her battle mode is awesome enough, but look at this disgusting, egg-laying monster. It took several people working in sync, including operating hydraulic controls, to make her majesty look believable.

Honorable Mentions

Although they aren’t solely puppets, there are many great characters whose effects are achieved with a combination of costume, makeup, and animatronics: Big Bird and Snuffleuppagus from Sesame Street, The Faun and The Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth, and Sweetums from The Muppets, to name a few. Who are your picks?