The 25 Best Simpsons "Treehouse Of Horror" Stories

After 23 seasons and over 480 episodes, The Simpsons has been going strong ever since the first Bush administration. Throughout the years, the show has played host to dozens of guest-stars and controversial topics, and one of creator Matt Groening's most beloved creations is the annual Halloween special, Treehouse of Horror.

These horror-themed episodes are split up into three eight-minute-long segments that are meant to bring a bit of terror to the otherwise zany world of The Simpsons. Along the way, these Treehouse of Horror episodes have parodied classic movies, TV shows, and novels in an attempt to shock and disturb their loyal audience. In the process, the various Treehouse segments have provided some of the most memorable moments in the show's long history.

Despite the show’s noticeable drop in quality over the past few seasons, the Treehouse of Horror specials have never been anything less than hilarious during the 21 years since the original one first aired. And to celebrate the debut of Treehouse of Horror XXII, which airs tonight at 8pm EST, we’re taking a look back at The 25 Best Simpsons "Treehouse Of Horror" Stories.

RELATED: The 20 Best Simpsons Quotes You Can Use

Based on H.G. Wells' timeless novel The Island Of Dr. Moreau, this Simpsons tale places the family on a mysterious resort island run by Dr. Hibbert. At first the family doesn't find anything wrong with the strange humanoid-looking animals roaming around the terrain, but that quickly changes after Marge is transformed into a furry blue feline by Dr. Hibbert, who has an island full of animal/human hybrids working for him. True to character, Homer doesn't realize a thing until after he is mauled by her following some raucous inter-species sex.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau is the perfect source material for this Halloween special as it allows for every member of the expansive cast to play a great role, no matter how brief it may be. This episode aired during the show's fourteenth season, which is notable for featuring some of the series' worst batch of episodes; however, The Island of Dr. Hibbert remains a rare reminder of the show's glory days during an otherwise disappointing creative rut.

After Mr. Burns harvests Homer's brain in order to power his hulking robot, he quickly finds out that his latest creation is nothing but a lazy slob. Instead of being the hardworking machine that Burns envisioned, this robotic Homer spends his time sleeping and using his X-ray vision to locate hidden donuts.

Eventually Homer’s brain is returned to his body, and the episode climaxes when Burns is crushed by his own machine rendering him paralyzed from the neck down. In one of the show's more gruesome moments, Homer wakes up one morning only to realize that Burns’ head had been sewed on to his body in order to preserve his life. .

In this segment, the Springfield Elementary School detention room has become dangerously overcrowded, while the cafeteria budget has been slashed to the point where "Grade F" meat is actually a luxury. So to solve their mutual problem, Principal Skinner presents a fiendish idea to Lunchlady Doris. Soon, Bart, Lisa, and Millhouse are eating “Sloppy Jimbos” and enjoying a heaping helping of “Üterbraten” at lunch, while their friends Jimbo and Üter have mysteriously gone missing after being placed in detention.

This is one of the more twisted Halloween specials that the show has ever come up with. Between the copious amount of bloodshed and the mere thought of a cannibalistic student body, it can be argued that 'Nightmare Cafeteria" is as close to true horror as the Simpsons has ever gotten.

"House Of Whacks" might be the best thing that Pierce Brosnon has been involved in since Goldeneye. Here, he plays a technologically advanced "Ultrahouse" that can perform any task that the Simpson family thinks of. But the house soon falls in love with Marge and attempts to get Homer out of the picture by any means necessary.

This whole segment is a yellow-tinted parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey and its homicidal computer unit, HAL 9000. The Ultrahouse is easily defeated after Homer removes its "British Charm Unit", which causes it to start speaking like a rude New Yorker. It then lives out the rest of its life with Marge's gruesome sisters, Patty and Selma. This is a pretty over-the-top segment, but its homages to classic Kubrick and Brosnon's surprisingly solid voicework make it stand out amongst the rest.

After Marge inadvertently kills Ned Flanders with her car, the family attempts to cover up the murder by fooling the town into thinking he had a heart attack. Soon enough, the family begins getting messages from someone claiming they know what really happened to Flanders. The I Know What You Did Last Summer movies haven't exactly been stellar, but at least we got a pretty good Treehouse Of Horror parody out of them.

Usually, topical parodies of terrible movies don’t age well, but "I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did" borrows enough good stuff from the horror genre to make sure that it will always feel fresh. This isn't one of those segments where seeing the original movie makes it any funnier; the episode relies on its own brand of humor to deliver the laughs, as opposed to depending on the source material.

When Homer accidentally kills Krusty the Clown for upsetting Maggie, he's approached by a businessman who informs him that the likenesses of dead celebrities are worth a lot of money for advertisers. Homer quickly agrees to become a hit man that specializes in taking out some of tinseltown’s finest.

Along the way, Homer takes out Prince, George Clooney, and Neil Armstrong in a murderous montage set to The Talking Head’s "Psycho Killer," the episode's highlight. And in a nice bit of detail, there's also a stylish opening sequence for this short that directly parodies Mad Men.

As one of the most successful Treehouse Of Horror stories not to be directly based off of a previous book, movie, or TV show, "The Thing And I" is a testament to the brilliance of The Simpsons during its peak. The plot deals with Bart discovering that he has an evil twin named Hugo who Homer and Marge have kept locked up in the attic since his birth.

Between Hugo’s “Pigeon-rat” and Homer attempting justify the need to only feed him a bucket fish heads once a week, "The Thing And I" is a hilarious story that succeeds without resorting to parody.

Once Homer steals a gigantic plastic donut from the Lard Lad Donuts statue, the mountainous advertisement comes to life and goes to the Simpson’s house to reclaim it. Soon, the entire town is run amok by living advertisements that are getting revenge on the townspeople who have abused them throughout the years.

Not only is this story absolutely hilarious (especially when Homer convinces the Lard Land statue to smash Flanders’ home) but it also comments on the overbearing advertising in our world. But even if that sort of societal critique doesn’t excite you, there is still plenty to like about Attack of the 50 Foot Eyesores.

In this send-off of the classic Billy Mumy-starring Twilight Zone episode "It’s A Good Life," Bart is gifted with omnipotent powers that basically give him complete control over Springfield. Bart forces Krusty the Clown to be on TV for 346 straight hours, and when people don’t smile for him, he transforms them into hideous creatures. This is expertly illustrated when Homer refuses to turn off the football game he's watching and Bart transforms him into the ball itself as it sails into the field goal uprights.

The episode’s most memorable moment takes place when Bart turns Homer into a giant jack-in-the-the-box after Homer tries to put an end to his reign of terror.

This story often gets overlooked because it was included in an otherwise dreadful Treehouse Of Horror episode, but it's actually one of the better segments to ever be produced. While the other tale in this eleventh Treehouse installment features a mind-numbing story that has the Simpson family transformed into Grimm’s Fairy Tales characters, "Night Of The Dolphin" thankfully gets back to the horror roots of these episodes, complete with pervasive gore and a heaping helping of death.

After Lisa frees a show dolphin, named Snorky, from an amusement park called Marine World, it gathers up hundreds of other dolphins in order to take revenge on Springfield. The segment soon devolves into a hilarious battle between humans and the dolphins in the streets of downtown Springfield. If seeing Groundskeeper Willie get impaled by the snout of a bottlenose dolphin doesn't excite you, then you need to get your pulse checked.

After the citizens of Springfield are fooled by Orson Welles’ infamous War Of The Worlds broadcast, the aliens Kang and Kodos discover that it's the perfect time to actually invade Earth. And if an alien invasion isn't enough to pique you interest, this episode also features Maurice LaMarche’s near-perfect impression of Welles, which is so dead-on it's as if the producers of the show reanimated the bloated actor's corpse.

Even though the episode packs in some laughs, the most memorable aspect of this segment is the fact that it becomes clear by the end that this story is actually a commentary on the Iraq War. The satire may be a little too obvious at times, but the combination of old Hollywood in-jokes and political allusions is enough to make this one of the most successful segments from the more recent Treehouse Of Horror episodes.

Taking most of its inspiration from other haunted house classics like Poltergeist and The Shining, "Bad Dream House" features a lot of jokes, sure, but the ominous tone and atmosphere is a stark departure from the show’s usual flavor.

The story deals with the family moving into a brand new house that, unbeknownst to them, was built on an Indian burial ground. The house itself soon tries to convince the family to kill each other in an attempt to be left alone. The best moment comes when Marge pleads with the house to let them live together in peace, but the house instead decides to destroy itself rather than live with the family. As the family stares at their destroyed home, Lisa quietly states, “It chose to destroy itself rather than live with us. You can't help but feel a little rejected.”

In a rare bit of topical satire, "Citizen Kang" is a direct spoof of the 1996 Presidential election between President Clinton and Republican candidate Bob Dole, who Homer refers to as "Mumbly Joe". After the aliens, Kang and Kodos, impersonate Dole and Clinton in order to ensure one of them becomes President, Homer attempts to free the real candidates and stop the imposters. Before long, Homer inadvertently kills both Dole and Clinton, and Kang and Kodos run for President unopposed (as long as you’re not counting Ross Perot.)

"Citizen Kang" is full of great one-liners, with the best being Kang's disgruntled, “We've reached the limits of what rectal probing can teach us," after Homer pulls down his pants for him. This segment's sharp wit and subtle approach easily trumps the heavy-handed political satire the show has been attempting in recent years.

As the first of many Twilight Zone parodies that The Simpsons ever attempted, "Hungry Are The Damned" is a take-off of the classic Zone episode "To Serve Man." It also marks the first appearance of the aliens Kang and Kodos, who have gone on to become two of the series' most popular characters.

In a bit of social commentary, "Hungry Are The Damned" isn’t shy about turning the spotlight on man’s own gluttonous and mistrusting nature. But the episode might be best remembered for the scene in which Lisa reveals that she found a cookbook titled How To Cook Humans, which turns out to actually be titled How To Cook For Humans. It is a signature joke that falls perfectly in line with The Simpsons' brand of off-beat humor.

In what can be seen as a precursor to all of the CGI animated films that grace theaters now, Homer3 blends traditional 2D and advanced 3D animation in the most experimental Simpsons episode ever. After Homer gets stuck in a mysterious portal while trying to hide from his sisters-in-law, he's transported into a 3D dimension that's unlike anything Springfield could ever hope to be. What follows is a somewhat serene, almost beautiful, few minutes of Homer interacting with this mysterious world.

The CGI animation was stunning for the time it was produced. It may not be in line with the scary Halloween theme of the other Treehouse episodes, but this segment is incredibly rich in detail and full of fantastic imagery. And while bringing Homer into the 3D realm was unique enough, the story ended with him being dropped into a dumpster next to an erotic cake shop in our real world, which is just hilarious in and of itself.

In this parody of Ray Bradbury’s novel,A Sound Of Thunder, Homer inadvertently creates a time machine after attempting to fix a toaster. When he is sent back to the Jurassic period, he realizes that anything he touches or disrupts will change the future in horrifying ways. Naturally, he wastes no time accidentally killing numerous dinosaurs, insects, and fish during his brief stint in the past.

This leads to a series of hilarious alternate realities, including one disturbing future where Maggie is a homicidal maniac who sounds just like James Earl Jones. This segment is one of the best Simpsons episodes during a time when the show was at its creative peak.

Again, the Simpsons writers have taken-on a classic tale and added their own unique twist to it; this time it’s the classic W.W. Jacobs story, The Monkey’s Paw. The segment deals with Homer coming into possession of the enchanted paw, which grants the user any wish he wants, but at a terrible price. The family soon learns this the hard way when they accidentally turn the whole planet against them. Of course, Homer doesn't believe in the curse until the turkey sandwich he wishes for turns out to be dry.

This Treehouse Of Horror installment not only parodies a timeless story, but the writers also manage to poke a little fun at the show's own success in the process. This segment has since become the template for most of the Treehouse Of Horror stories that followed.

The debut installment of Treehouse Of Horror was surprisingly dark compared to the later versions, but nothing tops this unsettling rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem,The Raven. Narrated by James Earl Jones, this segment is one of Treehouse series' most atmospheric and creative ventures.

Not only did this story retain the classic Simpsons humor, but it also respected the original poem as well. It’s haunting, somber, and never sacrifices the quality of the story for cheap humor. Unfortunately, these Treehouse Of Horror episodes have since strayed from the original Halloween roots a bit, but The Raven still stands as perhaps the best example of how these early stories combined horror and humor so effectively.

This parody of Steven Vincent Benet’s short story The Devil And Daniel Webster starts with big laughs and doesn’t’ relent until the closing moments. In this world, Ned Flanders is actually Satan in disguise and he has tricked Homer into selling his soul in exchange for a donut; however, Homer quickly realizes he can bypass this deal as long as he doesn’t finish the delicious baked good.Of course, he eats the whole thing within a matter of minutes, and Satan quickly sets up a trial to prove that he is the rightful owner of Homer's soul.

Everything about this segment works. It may only be eight minutes long, but it packs so much story and so many jokes into it that you won't feel shortchanged. It also includes one of the series' most famous gags when Homer is strapped to a chair and pumped full of donuts in Hell's "Ironic Punishment Room." There's no way that anyone can claim to be a Simpsons fan without seeing this segment.

Over the years, The Simpsons has perfected the movie parody, and in its twisted take on Nightmare on Elm Street, the show delivers one of its finest ones. In this story, Groundkeeper Willie is killed by the adults in Springfield and vows to get revenge on them in the afterlife by attacking their children in their dreams, a la Freddy Krueger. This leads to a whole heap of dead children, including Martin, whose corpse succeeds in traumatizing a class full of kindergarteners.

Treehouse Of Horror VI is overall one of the best of the series, and Nightmare On Evergreen Terrace is the best segment of that bunch. But it's also so twisted and bizarre that is makes you wonder what kind of sociopaths have worked on this show over the years. Any horror fan should check this segment out as it is filled with loving homages to the trite cliches of the genre.

From endorsing a home pregnancy test that causes birth defects, to putting his name on a lady mustache trimmer that can take off a layer of skin, Krusty the Clown is the king of shoddy merchandise. But his murderous talking doll from Clown Without Pity might be the most memorable. As a send-off of the famous Twilight Zone episode "The Living Doll," as well as the Child’s Play films, this segment has it all: a knife wielding plastic doll, a hilarious Gremlins parody, and, of course, gratuitous hand-drawn nudity.

This story also features one of the best endings in the show’s history after a repairman discovers that the reason that the Krusty doll has been trying to kill Homer is because someone simply flipped the switch on the doll to “evil,” as opposed to “good”.

Before the recent zombie renaissance, The Simpsons kept the undead alive in this short story from the show’s fourth season. After attempting to revive the family’s cat, Bat and Lisa inadvertently raise the dead with the help of a spell from a black magic book. Along the way, the family runs afoul of the zombies of George Washington and William Shakespeare, which makes absolutely no sense, but we love it.

The highlight of the episode comes when Homer mows down the zombie Ned Flanders with a shotgun, leading Bart to say, “Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!” to which Homer vacantly replied, “He was a zombie?” This segment simply transcended the Halloween theme of the episode and has since become one of the best moments in the show's long-running history.

Like most successful Treehouse Of Horror segments, "Bart Simpson's Dracula" takes its inspiration from a mega-popular blockbuster film (in this case, it's Bram Stoker's Dracula). However, the show doesn't just shoehorn this parody into the episode; instead, it serves as a mere backdrop against a tapestry of classic Simpsons humor. There are little touches along the way that make this story truly echo the film, such as the production design and the costumes, but they never take away from the overall story.

Besides the very random Peanuts parody at the end of the episode, "Bart Simpson's Dracula" is a near-perfect Treehouse Of Horror segment that often gets overlooked by fans of the show. It's a sharply written tale that isn't afraid to throw a few gross-out jokes in for good measure, especially when Homer gulps down a big glass of blood just because it's free. Plus, any time we can see Homer plunge a stake into Mr. Burns' crotch we're usually pretty happy.

"King Homer" is one of the first Treehouse Of Horror segments to move away from the horror theme that these specials originally set to establish, but it's so damn funny that it doesn't really matter. As a direct parody of King Kong, this story is a loving homage to classic Hollywood, complete with black-and-white animation and a damsel in distress.

There are some great moments in this episode, such as Homer swallowing Shirley Temple in mid-song and the bizarre inter-species marriage at the end. But the show's most memorable scene comes when King Homer is about to make his great ascension up the Empire State Building, only to tumble off a mere one story from the ground due to exhaustion.

Part of this segment's success comes from the writers of the show knowing what material would make for a great parody, and King Kong proved to be the perfect launching pad for this story.

Not only is this Treehouse Of Horror segment the best of the bunch, but it also might be one of the best Simpsons episodes ever. Taking its cues from Stanley Kubrick’s classic horror flick, "The Shining," this story places the Simpson family in the middle of an abandoned hotel as Homer begins to lose his sanity and attempt to murder his family.

Featuring cameos by Mr. Burns, Moe, and an elevator full of blood, "The Shinning" is eight minutes of pure Simpsons humor without any dead-weight bogging it down. Between Homer's psychotic rants and Groundskeeper Willie getting mowed down while doing his best Scatman Crothers impression, "The Shinning" stands tall amongst the pantheon of great Simpsons moments.

"The Shinning" is unquestionably the most complete blend of parody and comedy in any of the Treehouse of Horror specials; in fact, it's easy to argue that this segment is one of the best movie parodies to be produced in any medium.