Killer Hug: Huggy Wuggy Dolls Are A Controversial Hit Among Children

“Dad, who is this?” my daughter asked me one day. We were in a toy store, and it was hard to ignore a big blue doll with a crooked mouth and sharp teeth. “Oh, it’s just a doll,” I said in a worried voice, looking at another child in the store who was in the middle of a panic attack because of that doll, another girl lying on the floor of the store screaming something about the scary doll from her nightmares is here and going to kill her, or something else that children imagine for no reason. “But her name is Huggy Wuggy,” I added knowingly, trying to use my soft voice. “Like its name, this doll is supposed to hug us, and then all sorts of good and child-friendly things will happen. Because we love hugs and dolls, right, honey?”

In recent years, we’ve heard too much about a character named Huggy Wuggy, who came from a video game aimed mainly at adults. This character has become a hit with children, at least those who aren’t scared to death of her.

We’ve usually heard of Huggy Wuggy in negative contexts in recent years, namely the possible impact on children, but is it THAT bad? And in general, how much should we limit our exposure to it?

What Is Huggy Wuggy?

Huggy Wuggy was born as a character in a computer game, and some might say even a horror game, intended primarily for teenagers and older, but not children. “Poppy Playtime” was developed by the independent studio MOB Games and launched in October 2021 for various platforms, including PC, smartphones, PlayStation, and more.

“Poppy Playtime” is a survival game in an abandoned toy factory called “Playtime Co.” The player steps into the shoes of a former employee of the abandoned factory. One day, he receives a note inviting him to the abandoned to investigate the company’s staff’s disappearance in the empty, creepy-looking factory. You play the game in first person, with our protagonist navigating the factory, solving puzzles, and most importantly – trying to avoid scary monsters, among them, the Huggy Wuggy. I haven’t had the chance to play the game yet, but it looks fun for fans of escape games full of jump scares.

Huggy Wuggy Songs: Parts Of The Horror

If we stick to the game’s plot, Huggy Wuggy is the leading and most memorable “villain” from the “Poppy Playtime.” It is a popular toy produced in the factory, but he becomes a monstrous creature after mysterious experiments.

We must mention at this point the Huggy Wuggy song, which includes the following charming lyrics:

“His name is Huggy, Huggy Wuggy

When he hugs you, he’ll never stop

Your friend Huggy, Huggy Wuggy

He’ll squeeze you until you pop“

There is also a song that talks about “Free Hugs” but raises the question of their price (“Cause I could just hug you here, forever forever, ’til you breathe your last breath…”). There are also some claims about some Huggy Wuggy song about killing parents, but as far as I understood, this is pretty much fake news. At least, I hope so.

This contrast, between a toy that is supposed to make children happy and one that kills them, or between an “innocent” stuffed animal and one that comes with highly sharp teeth like the worst monsters, largely accounts for the appeal of the Huggy Wuggy doll, but of course also for the criticism it receives.

Why Is Huggy Wuggy So Scary?

First of all, the Huggy Wuggy doll is scary to look at. On the one hand, it has “cute” elements, such as brightly colored fur (mainly blue). On the other hand, ignoring the fact that it includes many threatening elements is difficult. The proportions of the Huggy Wuggy are exaggerated and unrealistic – as realistic as a monster can be, of course – and include incredibly long arms and legs, a large head, and super big eyes. The main distinguishing feature of the character, which also explains why it raises the level of fear in so many children, is the sharp teeth.

Of course, the games also taught us that Huggy Wuggy is evil, and evil means creepy, especially for children. Besides the doll’s menacing physical appearance, which quickly puts it in our reviews of scary dolls, Huggy Wuggy has a relatively stiff but quite flexible gait. Huggy Wuggy’s speed is high, and it can reach impressive speed thanks to its long limbs. At the same time, it can bend, crawl, change positions, or contort its body according to environmental conditions, making escaping from it in the game complex. Unsurprisingly, the giant figure is also strong.

Is Huggy Wuggy For Kids?

Huggy Wuggy appears alongside several other scary characters from the game, including its pink female version, named “Kissy Missy.” There is also a purple monster cat named “Catnap,” which is very popular among children.

The bottom line is that these characters if we move the ball to the theoretical playing field, show that children may be exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age. To paraphrase Neil Postman’s “The Disappearance of Childhood” theory from the 1980s, which refers to the fact that television causes children to be exposed to adult content “too early” in their lives, in contrast to the more innocent and educational childhood of books and print. Although Postman was not referring to computers, the Internet, or phones, of course, there is no doubt that this exposure is more pronounced and probably earlier in the age of smartphones and social media.

The case of Huggy Wuggy is even more complex because of the blurring between adult content and content intended for children. After all, a doll, by its very definition, is a toy marketed primarily to children (at least the dolls we know. There are other dolls that are intended… um… for adults only).

In our case, the content surrounding the doll and its story is more suitable for an adult audience. This fact may further increase the confusion among young children, who already encounter content on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms that is not appropriate for them. Moreover, the Huggy Wuggy character also appeared uninitiated, for example, through videos or advertisements that children see unintentionally while playing another game or watching an innocent video on YouTube.

The element of fear in some products based on the Huggy Wuggy stems from expecting something familiar (in this case, a children’s doll) but getting something completely different. Freud referred to the concept of “The Uncanny,” a situation in which there is something that may be familiar but at the same time is also foreign to us or contrary to our perception, which causes us unpleasant feelings of strangeness. Characters like Huggy Wuggy create an attraction that you can define as complex and dramatically affects children; most are attracted to anything strange or intriguing – for example, a doll that is the complete opposite of “cute.”

Can Huggy Wuggy Raise Anxiety On Children?

Whatever the theoretical reason, many parents are concerned – and rightly so, to some extent – about the negative impact of Huggy Wuggy and similar dolls on their children.

The articles surrounding this scary doll in recent years, especially in 2021-2022 when it began to take over the world of children, referred to the development of anxieties in children. We have heard reports from parents about nightmares, fears, and difficulty sleeping in children who got exposed to the character or content related to it. Some parents have said that any visit to an innocent-looking toy or game store could trigger anxiety symptoms in their children. Parents claimed their child was afraid to go to school because one of their classmates brought (for some reason) a Huggy Wuggy doll. Other parents have reported nightmares in their children centered on the Huggy Wuggy doll or about children who have trouble sleeping because they supposedly see Huggy Wuggy’s glowing eyes in the dark.

In one of the viral posts published in 2022, when the Huggy Wuggy craze was starting to reach across the globe, the mother of a seven-year-old boy described the doll’s effect on him. “I saw how in a second his face turned pale,” she wrote. “This doll was created by someone delusional to scare children. Videos of it pop up when playing on a tablet or on YouTube. In the videos, this doll waits for children, hugs them until their bones break, or slits their throats with a knife until they die. And that’s what our children see – the whole process.”

A study conducted in India showed that scary content may remain in the minds of children exposed to it for a long time after exposure, which can reach up to three months. This fact has a more significant impact on both emotions and behavior.

Another concern is behavioral changes in children exposed to content related to Huggy Wuggy. There is no doubt that the character’s behavior in the game is violent, and children may imitate the behavior in their interactions with other kids or even family members and educators. There is a whole discussion here about the possible effects of media, and the claim that a doll or game may turn children into violent people may be far-fetched.

Suppose we stick to another media theory of Uses and Gratifications. In that case, we can argue that children who are already violent will seek out violent content – or, in this case, products – to satisfy their urges, but this theory doesn’t hold much water either, in the case of Huggy Wuggy dolls.

Should The Authorities Do Something?

It is important to note that as a website dedicated to horror and which also contains, among other things, descriptions of films, products, or places that are sometimes intended for “adults only,” we are not strictly objective.

Personally, my children have not yet been exposed to the character beyond random visits to toy stores, as far as I know, and they certainly did not ask to buy it. Moreover, the older girl described that some seemingly “innocent” games that many children are addicted to, such as Roblox or Brawl Stars, have some scary characters that she doesn’t want to play with. I didn’t check whether this character is the Huggy Wuggy that exists in some of these games.

Authorities in various countries worldwide have thought about how to deal with the phenomenon. In my opinion, the arguments we should ban scary dolls from our world are a bit far-fetched. The solution may be in the middle, as many education officials suggest. There have been many statements and guidelines about all the buzz. They seem aware of the issue, but mainly that the dolls do not pose a significant threat.

We must not forget that naturally, exposure to scary characters and dolls is an integral part of the growth and maturation processes, as the National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Internet notes. This is, for example, their way of moving into the adult world, removing the image of the “little child” and proving – both to themselves and their environment – that they are ready to move on to the next stage. It is clear, however, that this exposure should be age-appropriate and in reasonable doses, and this is where you, the parents, come into the picture.

We advise that every parent monitor their child’s content and pay attention to behavioral changes that may connect to the game or the character. Talking to children about safe behavior online is always a good idea, especially now.

What Huggy Wuggy Products Are There?

Huggy Wuggy Dolls

Huggy Wuggy dolls, not surprisingly, are the most popular product in the category. You can find a wide range of sizes, from tiny vinyl dolls to dolls that reach about two meters (and may actually “choke” children, as in that strange song).

From our experience, the Huggy Wuggy dolls are pleasant to the touch, thanks to the soft fur, and many children buy them as “cuddles” even during sleep. On the other hand, these dolls also present the frightening sides of the character, with an emphasis on the smile full of sharp teeth and eyes.

Today, you can also find advanced Huggy Wuggy dolls with several features that can bring the character to life: an ability to move, sounds, lights in the eyes, and so on.

Huggy Wuggy Costumes

In one of the articles dealing with the Huggy Wuggy phenomenon, one mother described her astonishment when her child demanded one bright day to develop into a Huggy Wuggy doll. If we stick to the guidelines of recent years that seek to reduce the use of scary costumes among children during these sensitive times, we can understand why the Huggy Wuggy costume will not necessarily be the first choice of some parents. However, on Halloween, the writer of these lines saw more than one costume of the scary monster. Sales figures and even Google searches show it is still a popular costume.

Huggy Wuggy costumes come in several variations. They can fit perfectly for adults or children, boys or girls: some make the distinction between a blue Huggy Wuggy costume for boys or a pink Huggy Wuggy costume (actually, Kissy Missy) for girls, but in 2025, you don’t have to stick to these general definitions.

The Huggy Wuggy costume mainly includes a jumpsuit with attached shoe covers, matching gloves, and a mask covering the entire face. The mask can, of course, also be purchased separately.

Huggy Wuggy Funko Pops

Collectibles are popular with horror fans because they offer various characters from popular culture, movies, TV series, computer games, and more. Funko, the company responsible for the Funko Pops!, is one of the biggest hits among collectors.

Several types of Huggy Wuggy Funko Pop exist, including some special editions.

We found an equally fabulous Huggy Wuggy figure in the YouTooz series.

Huggy Wuggy Action Figures

Action figures are collectibles that allow you to resurrect Huggy Wuggy. The principle is that the figures have different articulation points, some with sound and other effects.

Many action figures come with accessories or interchangeable parts for the users to choose from. At Walmart, for example, we found an officially licensed action figure of the brand as part of the Poppy Playtime collection. This figure stands approximately 12.5 cm (5 inches) tall, has seven points of articulation, and comes with accessories: a small doll figure of a girl.

Time will tell if Huggy Wuggy dolls continue to hypnotize many children but scare some of them. It can be an excellent time for a horror movie about Huggy Wuggy.

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