9. Captain Howdy (The Exorcist)
Despite that rather cuddly-sounding name, there is precious little evidence you could find that could describe Howdy as 'friendly'. For he is better known as Pazuzu, a lion/eagle/scorpion hybrid, the 'king of the demons of the wind' and the reason some people haven't set foot in a cinema since 1973. Yes, he's the evil spirit that possesses Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) in The Exorcist. At the start of the film - when Regan is yet to become the profane, projectile-vomiting face of screamer YouTube videos the world over- she finds an Ouija board in her closet and, somewhat unwisely, indulges her mother (Ellen Burstyn) in that most traditional of wholesome family board games: talking to the spirit world. Although the excitement is short-lived, it does lead to this particularly uncomfortable exchange:
Chris: You really don't want me to play, huh? Regan: No, I do. Captain howdy said no. Chris: Captain who? Regan: Captain Howdy. Chris: Who's Captain Howdy? Regan: I make the questions, and he does the answers.
As the film progresses, you can't help but wonder how differently things might have been for poor Regan had she opted for a more conventional friend and asked for a bunny instead.