Deadly Rainbow? Scary Unicorn Facts That Show The Mystical Creaturs Has Evil Parts

“I want something with a unicorn!” my little girl screamed, ready to turn into terror if I didn’t provide her with her daily dose of unicorns. The truth is, as a father of two, I’m used to it. Our house looks like a unicorn museum, dammit, and it’s impossible to walk on it without hitting some unicorn. At almost any given moment, at least one of the girls will be wearing clothes featuring the mythical creature they love so much, sometimes even several items at once. We have about twenty unicorn dolls at home, including one bigger than my daughter, covering most of her bed. Writing implements, games, toys, decorations, and countless other products feature unicorns, usually in pink or various rainbow colors. And to think that it’s all based on a creature that doesn’t even exist in our reality, no matter how much my little girl would claim that her favorite animal is a freaking unicorn.

As a father who loves horror movies, I accept this unicorn craze with humility because not every mythical creature, seemingly, has to be scary and star in the monster movies I love (although that happens occasionally). But then I remember that unicorns are not as innocent as we have made them out to be in leisure culture, or more precisely, in the consumer world. Beyond the fact that their horn metaphorically stabs the bank account of every father of children, mythological unicorns may have been much scarier than their cute image today. It is certainly possible to find facts about unicorns that are strange, even disturbing.

Dreaming of unicorns coming to your children in their dreams? As part of our horror mythology articles, ou are welcome to read and understand that perhaps, in another world, they could appear in our nightmares.

What Does A Unicorn Look Like?

If you haven’t lived in our world in the last decade, or you have managed to isolate yourself from the world of children (especially girls), we will first explain what is a unicorn and how the unicorn myth began to unfold. Unicorns are mythological creatures with a very unique and distinct appearance.

Classic unicorns resemble a goat or a white horse, depending on their origin. As you can deduce, the most essential feature is a single horn on its forehead. This horn is not only very impressive visually, but according to the myth, it has magical properties. According to the myths and in contrast to some drawings or prints on children’s products, unicorns do not have wings. So, if you have encountered a flying mythological creature, it is probably something else (for example, the flying horse Pegasus from Greek mythology).

Are Unicorns Real?

Today, as you know and should tell your children if you don’t want them to ask you to see unicorns with them, unicorns do not exist. But were unicorn real in the past? we stick to the real world, it is possible that the unicorn myth began as a misidentification. Legend states that European explorers first visited remote areas, such as Africa or India. They noticed creatures with one horn that they did not recognize. Some researchers believe these “new” creatures were rhinoceroses, uncommon in Europe then, or even rams (with two horns, but from certain angles, they may look like a single horn).

In any case, these people “adopted” the unicorn as a new animal and even attributed some of the magical properties of rhinoceroses to it in various cultures. One famous myth is about the magic of the horn, which connects in the Far East – believe it or not – to strengthening male potency, maybe because the horn is a phallic symbol or for other reasons. In the Middle Ages, many believed that unicorn horns could cure diseases and wounds, and even pharmacies sold powdered horns from tiny unicorns (or other creatures that were more readily available, like rhinos).

The Origin Of Unicorns May Be Prehistoric

Today, unicorns are mainly associated with rainbows, glitter, and everything innocent in the world of children. It wasn’t exactly like that in the past. There were depictions of unicorns in ancient times, mainly on cave walls, which gave rise to the idea that unicorns are based on an animal that once lived on Earth.

One of the main “suspects” in this context is Elasmotherium, an enormous prehistoric rhinoceros that, according to findings, was close to the size of a mammoth and had a thick horn on its forehead, which it used, among other things, for courtship (“Is that your horn, or are you happy to see me?”), defense, digging, shoveling snow, and more. Elasmotherium was indeed a vegetarian, but its impressive dimensions and certain resemblance to a horse (especially in its gait) may have helped establish it as a fearsome creature.

Why Girls Love Unicorns So Much?

Many girls seem to connect with unicorns because of their noble image, which aligns with the princess stories that girls love. The unicorn’s white color and silver horn blend perfectly with their character, as a magical animal that has never harmed anyone, animal or plant. According to mythology, unicorns eat the morning dew and do not pose a danger to the entire living creature population.

The Connection Between Unicorns And Virgins

The legend says that unicorns can teach us about women’s sex lives, or at least something like that. Once, people believed only virgins could approach unicorns, who like to live in the tangled environment of forests, so it would be easier to hide. According to the stories, some hunters took advantage of the unicorns’ fondness for virgins to hunt them. They would send maidens into the forest to seduce the magical creatures and then chase the unicorns to obtain their famous horn.

They Were Also (Kind Of) Evil Unicorns

According to various ancient myths, unicorns – whoever they were – also managed to survive because they knew how to be cruel when necessary. In ancient Indian writings, for example, unicorns were described as colorful animals (white body, red hair, blue eyes, and a colorful horn), fast and very difficult to kill. There are depictions of “unicorns” as cruel and bloodthirsty, for example, by impaling hunters on their horns or by harming horses that helped humans hunt them.

In some versions of the creation story, unicorns are presented as a warning, as demons with awe-inspiring strength that could devour humans. According to these depictions, using a virgin as a fertility symbol is not only a hunting tool but also a way to protect against a cruel creature. The connection to the virgin has led to unicorn mythology sometimes being linked to the story of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Christian stories made unicorns even more ferocious. Some saw them as a parable of death’s inevitability and a metaphor for final death. Over time, unicorns began to get “new” qualities. Some legends say that under their horns, there was a secret substance that allowed them to identify women who falsely claimed to be virgins but were, in fact, having sex. The unicorns would brutally kill them.

The Unicorn Is The National Animal Of Scotland

If you are a trivia fan, you may know that the unicorn is the national animal among the Scots. But why choose an animal that does not exist as a “national animal”? And what does this say about the Scots?

To their credit, the first fact is that the Scots chose the unicorn to be their national animal sometime in the 14th century when it was not yet clear that unicorns only existed in legends and mythology. A unicorn symbolizes purity, innocence, and power, perhaps what a nation wants to appropriate for itself.

Another interpretation is that the Scots were aware of the possibility that unicorns did not exist but adopted the image anyway because it suited their struggle against England. The choice reflected the Scots’ desire to emphasize their independence and distinction from England, especially given the tensions and conflicts between the countries at that time. According to some beliefs, the unicorn is considered the greatest enemy of the lion, which is, of course, considered the symbol of the United Kingdom.

In the symbol of the United Kingdom, created after the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the lion and the unicorn appear together. This fact symbolizes the union between England and Scotland and their historical tension. In the symbol of the United Kingdom (which includes Scotland), the animals supporting the sign are a lion (symbolizing England) and a unicorn (symbolizing Scotland). The symbol suggests that the lion has the upper hand because it has a crown on its head and is bound with a gold chain. The choice of the unicorn as the national animal of Scotland may be an attempt to counter this image.

How Did Unicorns Become A Symbol Of Pride?

As is known, unicorns are now considered one of the most prominent symbols of the LGBT movement worldwide. They are a symbol of bisexuality and are proudly embraced (literally) by members of the community, among other things, as a defiance against biphobia (i.e., the fear, discrimination, and oppression of bisexuals). In other words, people with a sexual identity that is often met with (false) claims that it does not exist choose a legendary creature that does not exist in reality but expresses magic and freedom.

Of course, the fact that the pride flag is the colorful rainbow flag, which expresses the broad spectrum of human tendencies and genders, further strengthens the connection to unicorns since we identify them with the rainbow.

In the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, talented Israeli singer Noa Kirel reached third place with the song “Unicorn.” Although many Israelis see the song as a reflection of Israel’s national story and its strength as a country, it seems that the real story in the song and the video is actually to present diversity – including LGBT people, of course. It’s unusual that the Eurovision would appear on our horror-focused website, but here’s the famous video for the song. Besides, everyone wanna see Noa Kirel dance and turn into a unicorn.

When Is International Unicorn Day?

Every year, many celebrate International Unicorn Day. It happens on April 9, a date that, as far as we know, was chosen arbitrarily and is not directly related to the myth of unicorns and their development throughout history.

On the happy International Unicorn Day, you will find countless commercial offers, including unicorn products. Some people who celebrate the date choose to hold an event or party inspired by unicorns, watch a movie starring unicorns, and so on. Of course, cynics will argue that, like many other special days, the decision to dedicate a special day to unicorns is primarily economic and designed to promote various products, such as:

🦄Unicorn Costumes, including different types of scary unicorn costume

🦄Unicorn fashion items, targeted mainly for girls: shirts, dresses, pants, socks, and more

🦄Unicorn Dolls of all kinds and companies, like plush toys

🦄Unicorn Toys

🦄Unicorn Party Supplies and Decorations – perfect for birthdays and parties

The Meaning Of The Word Unicorn In Different Areas

You may have heard of the word “unicorn” in different variations and contexts, such as religion, economics, and philosophy. Here are just some of the most prominent examples:

🦄 The Invisible Pink Unicorn (IPU) – The invisible pink unicorn is a fictional character of a goddess of parody religion to criticize the religious establishment within the framework of atheistic belief. In a way that is somewhat reminiscent of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the argument here is that just as humans cannot prove or disprove God’s existence, so too can those who cannot see a pink unicorn.

🦄 In the world of philosophy, a unicorn is a prime example of an entity that does not exist in reality but does exist in the human mind.

🦄 In economics, a “unicorn describes a startup company that has reached an impressive market value of more than a billion dollars but has not yet made an exit or IPO, so the founders or private investors do not own it

🦄 “Pink unicorn” is a term that describes, quite critically or ironically, an evil person who pretends to be innocent.

🦄 Have you ever met a woman looking for a relationship with a partner and not a single person? According to the polyamory theory, we can define her as a “unicorn.” Maybe because it’s rare to find women like that, damn it.

The Art Of Drawing Unicorns For Kids

All over the world, people draw unicorns, primarily children. To get a clue, it’s enough to understand the search data related to unicorns on Google. In the list of the most disguised keywords related to unicorns, you will find many terms related to drawings, paintings, and such. Many variations of searches that teach ways to bring a unicorn to life – say, “how to draw a unicorn” or “how to draw a cute unicorn” – are the most disguised in terms of unicorns in many languages. A few years ago, Google announced that “how to draw a unicorn” reached the top ten “how to” terms that year. I didn’t see the extended list, but it’s very possible that other terms related to the magical animal, like “how to do unicorn makeup” or “how to make a unicorn cake,” were in relatively high places.

Here is a very popular video, with about 32 million views (!), showing how to draw a cute unicorn step by step:

Unfortunately, I didn’t find many tutorials online explaining how to draw a scary unicorn (what’s wrong with people these days?). One of the closest tutorials I found is the following cute video, which shows how to draw a zombie unicorn.

With a quick search online, you can find countless unicorn coloring pages. And that’s without mentioning the numerous possibilities that artificial intelligence (AI) provides us, including unique drawings and coloring pages that no one else has. You can create your perfect unicorn with some creativity and patience.

Animated Movies About Unicorns

Unicorns have appeared in countless cultural texts, mainly (but not only) from fantasy worlds. We’ve seen unicorns in children’s series for decades (the first generations of “My Little Pony,” which featured unicorn-like ponies, or the 2018 animated series “Go Away, Unicorn!”). There have, of course, been several animated films about unicorns, such as:

🦄 “Thelma the Unicorn” (2024), Netflix’s favorite, is about a pony who dreams of becoming a star singer. One day, she becomes a famous unicorn but discovers that fame can also have problematic sides for unicorns.

🦄 “The Last Unicorn” from 1982, based on a book of the same name, is a Japanese-American-British animated film about the last unicorn in the world who tries to discover what happened to its breed. This film has many vital messages and allegories, some of which only adults will understand.

🦄 “Unicorn Wars” (2022), a French-Spanish animated film for adults, presents a confrontation between teddy bears and unicorns in an enchanted forest, where two bear relatives arrive.

Adult Unicorns Movies (But Not What You Think!)

Unicorns also appear in the adult world, and not only in animated films. We have seen the magical creature, among other things, in classic adventure films (such as “Legend” with Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Carrey, who played Pennywise in his previous representation) and in science fiction films. In the director’s version of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece “Blade Runner,” we see the apparition of a unicorn in the dream of Rick, the film’s protagonist. Without spoilers, this revelation hints at the famous twist at the film’s end.

Of course, some of these texts, as well as many others in which unicorns have appeared, are based on books (“The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Stardust,” and more). Netflix, known for its strange selection of films, can also be relied upon to exploit the unicorn myth. We saw this in the very mediocre “Unicorn Store,“ directed by and starring Oscar Winner Brie Larson (“Room,” “Captain Marvel”), about a young artist who becomes obsessed with unicorns until someone offers her the opportunity to adopt a real unicorn.

Harry Potter Unicorn Scenes (And Blood)

It is impossible to talk about mythological creatures in the context of books that have become movies and forget Harry Potter. Unicorns are mentioned in the plot several times, emphasizing the contrast between their innocent appearance and their dangerous side. Unicorns have distinct magical properties, which you can tell by the fact that wizards’ wands, for example, incorporate unicorn tail hairs.

Because it is both a magical and pure creature, in the world of Harry Potter, unicorn blood will grant those who drink its mystical properties, but also a curse, which turns them into a kind of shadow living in a world between life and death. Unicorns in J.K. Rowling’s world are innovative, so they avoid the company of blood relatives. The books describe that girls can approach unicorns if they hold a sugar cube, which connects to unicorns’ innocent and sweet side. It may also be a bizarre metaphor for the sexual state of those girls if we return to the mythological story according to which unicorns are “attracted“ to virgins.

The unicorn appears the first time Harry Potter sees Lord Voldemort in the forest, in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” when the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Screw it, it is Lord Voldemort. I am going to say your name since I am not afraid of you after the last book, Bitch!) does a terrible thing that shows that he is not human.

Shazam Unicorn Skittles Scene

Speaking of sugar, the entertaining “Shahzam“ presented an interesting interpretation of the myth of unicorns and rainbows. It turns out that all it takes to fight the monsters is a pack of unicorns, who come to “taste the rainbow,“ or in the consumerist interpretation of that – Skittles candies in all colors. This scene may be strange, even too commercial, but it has some amusing aspects.

Scary Unicorns In Horror Movies

Are you looking for some scary unicorns that differ from your children’s drawings or multiple unicorn products you may have? Horror movies, as always, have the solution for you.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

As in the articles about other mythological creatures, the good news is that we can count on horror movies to show us the scary sides of unicorns.

One of the brief but effective representations is in the excellent “Cabin in the Woods,” which we already included in our review of horror movies that take place in spooky forests. As we recall, the film is very reflexive and connects us to the world of horror movies, with an ingenious twist that we won’t reveal because someone may haven’t seen the film yet. In any case, the unicorn appears here as part of the deadly creatures’ attack, perhaps corresponding with its previous murderous image of one that could impale a person with its sharp horn—no spoilers, of course.

Killer Unicorn (2018)

Unsurprisingly, a few low-budget films have tried to ride on the unicorn myth. 2018’s “Killer Unicorn“ is a pretty less-known film, as can be deduced from the fact that in about seven years, only a few hundred users on IMDB have seen and rated it. The film, which currently holds an unflattering but not very surprising score of 3.2 out of ten, is described as “American Pyscho, Party Monster, and DJ Steve Aoki all combine for Killer Unicorn!” or something along those lines, which this time has to do with LGBT culture.

From the poster, the trailer, and the few reviews, this is a movie you can miss, especially considering that the villain here is someone in a bad unicorn mask. I missed this film, but the general idea seems nice for those who like their horror films, cheap and bad, hopefully in a good way.

CarousHELL (2016)

As parents, you probably know when your kids get on an innocent carousel of unicorns or horses at an amusement park, and you imagine a horror scenario where the unicorns come out of the device and turn into deadly creatures. Don’t you? Well, it could be my overdeveloped imagination. Damn, I have to stop with these horror movies.

That’s the general idea of ​​a trilogy (!) of pretty insignificant films under the “CarousHELL” franchise. The film’s hero here is Duke, a unicorn from a carousel who somehow manages to break free and starts taking revenge on humanity or something like that. From the trailer, the film looks super silly and very low-budget, but it could be that it’s actually in a good way this time. Relatively.

Death Of A Unicorn (2025)

Recently, we heard about a very intriguing horror film starring a deadly unicorn – this film is one of the primary triggers for writing this article. “Death of a Unicorn” is about a father and his daughter (Paul Rudd and horror star Jenna Ortega), who one innocent day run over a creature that turns out to be a unicorn. Some bad people hear about the unicorn’s virtues, which include, for example, curing terminal illnesses, and think of using it to their advantage. Soon, starts a revenge journey with what looks like another unicorn.

The film, from A24, is set to hit theaters worldwide in just a few months. Here is the “Death of a Unicorn” trailer:

So, will the world discover that unicorns can be less innocent than we think, whether in ancient mythologies or contemporary horror films? Not sure. Until that happens, the writer of these lines and many other parents will likely continue to fund the unicorn myth out of their pockets and let them take over our children’s world while painting it pink and the various colors of the rainbow. And the truth? If the children are happy about it, who am I to object?

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