The 15 Most Deadly Dinosaurs In The Franchise
The dangerous dinosaurs are a draw when it comes to Jurassic Park and World. Here are 15 of the absolute deadliest that have ever shown up on screen.
The Jurassic Park franchise started out with Steven Spielberg's desire to bring the popular Michael Crichton novel to the big screen, and with it, a collection of amazing and awe-inspiring dinosaurs to both tantalize and frighten audiences. Some of the deadliest of the bunch just happen to be the coolest also, which is probably why so many children are enthralled by them.
With Jurassic World: Dominion right around the corner with a 2022 release, audiences have a chance to go back and revisit the key dinosaurs that made the franchise so popular. These are the dinos that keep audiences screaming in delight as they caused mayhem and chaos wherever they go.
Updated on December 31st, 2021 by Derek Draven: It's time to take a look at a few more deadly dinosaurs that have contributed to the overall body count of the Jurassic Park/World franchise. Some of these dinos are terrifying instinctual predators, while others are relatively passive — unless provoked. Whether herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore, these dinosaurs can do immense damage to anyone who crosses their path.
Throughout the entirety of the film franchise, these creatures have enthralled children and adults alike, and it remains to be seen how many of them will make a return in 2022's Jurassic World: Dominion, presumably the last in the series.
Stygimoloch
Though not typically aggressive, the Stygimoloch is quite a dangerous dinosaur when riled up. With a hard cranium used primarily for ramming, this little dino can cause a lot of damage when it charges at full speed. Owen Grady manages to manipulate one into ramming through a cell door in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, allowing him and Claire to escape.
The Stygimoloch might be a close relative of the Pachycephalosaurus, first introduced in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. In the film franchise, both use their hard heads to charge and attack, though many paleontologists and scientists have questioned the probability of this theory as it relates to the real world dinosaurs.
Compsognathus
At first glance, Compsognathus don't look like the most dangerous dinosaur of the bunch. In fact, they're slightly adorable in many ways, mostly due to their diminutive size, and overall chipper demeanor. Alas, it's all a smokescreen for their true intentions. Compys hunt in packs, and although one isn't much of a threat, a horde is capable of taking down very large prey.
This was demonstrated with horrific effect in The Lost World when a full-grown man was easily overwhelmed by a pack of relentless Compys who tear him apart, off-camera. It's a startling example of why any creature from millions of years ago should not be underestimated.
Dilophosaurus
Large lizards with sharp teeth should be an immediate red flag to stay away. This includes the Dilophosaurus, a dinosaur slightly larger than a big dog that possesses a few terrifying evolutionary hunting abilities. The full horror of this creature was unleashed in the first film when one crossed paths with Dennis Nedry in one of the grisliest death scenes of the Jurassic Park franchise.
At first, the creature seemed curious, but when it identified Nedry as prey, it flared its hood with aggression, and spit venom at his eyes to blind him. Left to its own devices, this poison was also capable of paralyzing prey, allowing the Dilophosaur to devour a warm meal.
Pteranodon
Jurassic Park III first introduced terror from above when it debuted the Pteranodon, a fearsome winged predator of immense size that was capable of grabbing humans like featherweights and carrying them off to be devoured. The survivors of Isla Sorna barely made it out alive, after entering their pen.
This creature is a flying terror straight out of a child's worst nightmare, and not something anyone would want to cross paths with. One amazing, yet abandoned Jurassic Park/World scene would have featured these flying creatures in a large-scale battle at the end of the film.
Triceratops
Though presumed to be relatively benign, and definitely not one of the scariest dinosaurs in the franchise, the Triceratops can become fiercely aggressive if provoked. Its danger quotient lies in a combination of its immense size and weight, plus a hard head carapace consisting of multiple horns that can impale both rivals and predators.
In the franchise, the Triceratops don't see a lot of action, though the first film does use one to create one of its best and most memorable scenes. As it stands, audiences have yet to see this particular dino gets its due against the more vicious predators in the Jurassic Park/World franchise.
Dimorphodon
Similar to the Pteranodon, this winged flying dinosaur is quite a vicious predator. However, the Dimorphodon is much smaller in relation to its larger peer, making them less dangerous overall. In Jurassic World, a pack of these creatures descends on the hapless park tourists, killing many in the process.
The Dimorphodon seen in the Jurassic World film was genetically engineered to have a longer wingspan, and more stamina to allow for longer flight. Presumably, this was to jazz up the original dinosaur for the tourists, which ended up being their undoing.
Carnotaurus
The Carnotaurus resembles a distant cousin of the T-Rex, with two horns on its head, and even smaller arms. Though it didn't get much screen time, it did show up in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom during a key scene where it attacks Owen, Claire, and Franklin in the middle of the volcanic eruption.
The film version is much larger than the real dinosaur was, but fairly on par with theories regarding its appearance. Though widely regarded as an opportunistic predator, the Carnotaurus may have evolved with extremely poor hearing, which would have been a downside in nature.
Baryonyx
This predator is one of the lesser-known, but more vicious dinos in the Jurassic Park/World franchise. It's smaller than others in its class, like the T-Rex or the Carnotaurus, allowing it to slip into cramped crevices, and other areas to search for prey.
In Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, one of these monstrosities attacks Claire and Franklin, who barely make it out with their lives. The Baryonyx is swift, agile, and powerful, making for one relentless predator who will pull out all the stops for a meal.
Allosaurus
The Allosaurus is sometimes confused with the Tyrannosaurus Rex, due to its relatively similar size and shape. However, the two dinosaurs are quite different. The creature was probably a scavenger, though real-life evidence shows that it tussled routinely with dangerous dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus, leading to grave wounds.
In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the Allosaurus shows up briefly during the volcano eruption scene when it chases Claire and Franklin in their Orb transport, right before getting struck and killed by a large falling rock. Given its aggressive tendencies, it might make another appearance in the next Jurassic World film.
Velociraptors
As one of the scariest dinosaurs in the franchise, Velociraptors have terrorized audiences for decades at this point, and they feature prominently in some of the best scenes in the Jurassic Park/World franchise. They're large, nimble, and highly intelligent, but the cherry on top is a pair of razor-sharp toe claws that can shred prey to ribbons. Raptors usually hunt in packs and are clever enough to use flanking techniques to take down prey.
They continue to remain one of the most iconic dinosaurs in the franchise, even if they aren't technically Velociraptors. In fact, the creature shown in the films is actually a Deinonychus, but Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton changed its name to sound more threatening and dramatic, much to the chagrin of dino experts (as per Smithsonian Mag).
Indoraptor
Like the Indominus Rex that preceded it, the Indoraptor was a byproduct of Jurassic World's geneticists mucking about with things better left untouched. The result was a hybridized killing machine bred specifically for use as a biological weapon. Its DNA is comprised of the Indominus, and the Velociraptor, creating one very deadly mutt.
The Indoraptor was developed to hone in on prey via specific targeting technologies and go for the kill. Outside of its parameters, however, it was no less lethal all on its own. It took the most terrifying hunter aspects of the Indominus Rex and blended it with the Raptor's penchant for stealth and problem-solving. It definitely wasn't going to win awards for cinematic scientific accuracy, but it did make for one terrifying creature.
Tyrannosaurus Rex
No matter how fearsome the dinosaurs get, Jurassic Park's original T-Rex is still one of the best. This iconic dinosaur is the stuff that inspired generations of kids to get into paleontology, and it's hard to argue its coolness factor, even among bigger, and sleeker peers on the food chain.
The T-Rex is terrifying in every way. It's a mechanical killing machine that hunts with specific criteria, making it seem more like a robot, rather than a life form. Its destructive power and voracious appetite are matched only by its intimidation factor. Try as they might, filmmakers won't be able to top it.
Spinosaurus
The Spinosaurus was introduced in Jurassic Park III in an attempt to shake up the established formula while giving audiences something else to scream at besides the T-Rex. It's a fearsome dinosaur that looks leaner and meaner than its competitor, and it's even more deadly.
The T-Rex might still rule the cool crowd, but the Spinosaurus is a heavyweight all on its own. While a T-Rex is capable of killing a Spinosaurus, Jurassic Park III showed the original Spino snapping the neck of a T-Rex like a twig. Originally, this battle was supposed to go on longer; one of the many interesting facts about Jurassic Park III.
Mosasaurus
The only reason the Mosasaurus isn't the king of the ancient world is due to the fact that it spends all of its time in the water. If this were a land-based creature, it wouldn't be a contest. This is, without a doubt, one of the most fearsome and dangerous dinosaurs the franchise has ever showcased, rivaling even the iconic Jaws for the deep sea killer crown.
The sheer size of the Mosasaurus is incredible, and its killer jaws can make mincemeat out of even larger prey. What's truly frightening is the realization that it doesn't actually need to chew, but simply swallow its prey whole. If one of these creatures evolved limbs and made it onto land, it's doubtful humans would be around to tell the tale.
Indominus Rex
The most dangerous dinosaur in the Jurassic Park/World franchise is undoubtedly the Indominus Rex. It's an unholy bastardization of genetic manipulation, created solely for the purpose of thrilling new patrons, and earning their cash. This not only makes it immoral and unethical, but it's grossly irresponsible at the same time.
The Indominus blends DNA from multiple dinosaurs to create what is almost the perfect killing machine. It's large, fast, and extremely strong. It also has an aggression threshold unseen in other species. It kills on sight for no rhyme or reason and takes great delight in the hunt. It can even camouflage itself within its surroundings to fool not just the eye, but also advanced technologies like thermal sensors. Something this destructive would never evolve naturally, which is good news for humans.
