The Simpsons: Every Treehouse of Horror From Seasons 1-10 Ranked

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Halloween is a fantastic time to be a fan of *The Simpsons*, and it’s perfect for revisiting some of the show’s most memorable episodes. Starting with the second season, each year *The Simpsons* has released a special Halloween episode that isn’t part of the show’s regular storyline. These episodes are extra spooky – characters can actually die, scary things happen constantly, they playfully poke fun at popular movies, and, of course, they’re filled with hilarious moments from this beloved, quirky family.

Starting in its second season, *The Simpsons* began a yearly tradition of releasing new Halloween specials. These early episodes, originally called “The Simpsons Halloween Special” before becoming known as *Treehouse of Horror*, are considered some of the show’s best holiday offerings. Ranking them is difficult because the quality varies between segments within each episode, but here are our picks for the strongest episodes from the first ten seasons of *Treehouse of Horror*.

9). Treehouse of Horror IX

The ninth Treehouse of Horror, which aired during the show’s tenth season, marked a turning point for *The Simpsons*. While still a solid installment, with “Hell Toupee” offering a hilarious and violent take on Homer and “The Terror of Tiny Toon” cleverly placing Bart and Lisa in the world of Itchy & Scratchy, “Starship Poopers” hinted at a shift away from traditional horror. Though it had some funny moments—like the running gag about Maggie’s legs—the segment’s heavy reliance on a Jerry Springer cameo and extended tribute unfortunately makes it feel dated compared to other memorable Treehouse of Horror episodes.

While not as scary as some of the other ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episodes, the ninth installment unfortunately ranks last on this list. However, it’s still a good episode and definitely holds its own against the competition.

8). Treehouse of Horror VII

This year’s Treehouse of Horror has some amusing character-based jokes, especially in segments like ‘The Thing and I,’ where we meet Bart’s twin, Hugo, and ‘The Genesis Tub,’ where Lisa builds a miniature world. Honestly, these stories aren’t quite as clever or memorable as ‘Citizen Kang,’ so the whole special really relies on those standout moments. The biggest issue, though, is that truly great Treehouse of Horror episodes stick with you for years, and I’m not sure this one will have that lasting power.

I really love how “Citizen Kang” feels like it could be relevant forever with its concept of aliens running for president! It’s such a clever idea. But honestly, a lot of the humor relies on knowing Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, which definitely dates it to the ’90s. While the jokes are still funny, they don’t have the same lasting punch as some other classic Simpsons specials that are hilarious no matter when you watch them.

7). Treehouse of Horror II

The second Halloween special of *The Simpsons* continued the show’s experimentation with storytelling, making it stand out from the rest. This episode follows Lisa, Bart, and Homer as they each have strange nightmares after overindulging in candy. Lisa dreams about a cursed monkey’s paw, Bart experiences a reality-bending adventure similar to *The Twilight Zone*, and Homer transforms into a robot. Although the segments aren’t particularly frightening compared to the first special or later episodes, this installment feels a bit lacking in energy and excitement.

I’m still discovering so many surprising jokes in this classic – things like “He’s got a board with a nail in it” really get me! What’s amazing is how relevant the themes still are. However, looking back, it feels a little toned down. The scares aren’t quite as intense as earlier stuff, or even what came later, and that makes the pacing feel a bit slow overall. It’s still great, but it doesn’t quite push the boundaries like it used to.

6). Treehouse of Horror VIII

Treehouse of Horror VIII immediately grabs your attention with a bold opening – a darkly humorous scene where a TV censor is shown being ‘killed’ on screen, poking fun at the show’s often-censored violent content. The episode continues with three segments: “The Homega Man,” a comedic take on the film *The Omega Man*, featuring Homer as the sole survivor after a nuclear blast; “Fly vs. Fly,” where Bart hilariously merges with a fly; and “Easy-Bake Coven,” which transforms Marge into a witch. Overall, this installment is full of spooky visuals, iconic moments, and plenty of laughs.

The episode contains classic moments like the teleporter gag from “Fly vs. Fly,” Homer’s initial shock at the apocalypse mirroring his baseball strikeout in “The Homega Man,” and the origin of the first caramel in “Easy-Bake Coven.” Remarkably, these jokes still land even if you’re not familiar with the original sources – they’re all genuinely great bits.

5). Treehouse of Horror III

Treehouse of Horror III, like the first few Halloween episodes, cleverly connects its different stories with a single, overarching theme – a Halloween party gone awry. The episode is visually fun, showcasing all the characters’ costumes, and these costumes actually help set up the plots of each segment. The first story, “Clown Without Pity,” reveals the surprisingly dark origin of Homer’s catchphrase, “That’s Good!” and establishes a pattern for the episode, featuring quirky visual gags – like hearts! – and a slightly different, more comedic tone compared to previous Halloween specials.

The episode “King Homer” is essentially a parody of *King Kong*, but it’s surprisingly effective because it doesn’t hesitate to eliminate beloved characters for comedic effect. However, it’s “Dial Z for Zombies” that truly shines. This short is worth watching the entire show for, and it’s arguably one of the best horror shorts *The Simpsons* has ever produced. It’s packed with laugh-out-loud moments (“He was a zombie?” “John Smith, 1882?”) and genuinely scary scenes, with a high body count before the story concludes.

4). Treehouse of Horror VI

Looking back at the Treehouse of Horror VI segments, I think “Homer³” is the most memorable, even if it’s a bit of a surprising pick. While “Attack of the 50 Foot Eyesores” had some great gags – I always loved Paul Anka’s appearance! – and “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” was genuinely creepy with that image of Groundskeeper Willie’s skeleton, “Homer³” stands out because it was the first time *The Simpsons* experimented with 3D animation. It really left an impression, and I think it’s what people remember most from that episode.

I still remember being absolutely blown away by this segment! It was clearly inspired by *The Twilight Zone* episode “Little Girl Lost,” and it threw Homer into this incredible, fully-animated world. It really introduced a lot of us to CG animation, which was still pretty new back then. Honestly, it felt like a *big deal* for *The Simpsons* – a special event that was totally different from the usual episodes. Some people might not think the animation holds up today, but at the time, it was revolutionary!

3). Treehouse of Horror IV

Man, Treehouse of Horror IV is just fantastic! It really nails both the scary and funny parts. “The Devil and Homer Simpson” is a classic – who wouldn’t love seeing Ned Flanders as the devil, and that trip to Hell is just packed with crazy, hilarious visuals? Then “Terror at 5 1/2 Feet” gives us that shockingly funny Ned beheading, and “Bart Simpson’s Dracula”? That one is just everything you could want in a Treehouse of Horror episode. It’s a perfect Halloween special!

I absolutely love how this show doesn’t rely on you knowing other movies or shows to be funny – each segment is hilarious on its own! But if you *do* get the references, it’s even better. What really grabs you is the constant sense of danger; everyone feels like they’re on the brink of disaster. And ‘Bart Simpson’s Dracula’? It’s a joke *machine*! Seriously, you can watch just a minute of it and find so many laughs packed in. It’s non-stop!

2). Treehouse of Horror

Even now, the very first Halloween special of *The Simpsons* is still considered one of its best. It cleverly spoofs classic horror and sci-fi, but it also feels fresh and doesn’t suffer from the dated feeling some older episodes have. The special is bursting with creativity, presenting three genuinely scary stories as Bart and Lisa share spooky tales in their treehouse.

“Bad Dream House” was a take on classic haunted house movies, “Hungry are the Damned” adapted the well-known sci-fi story “To Serve Man,” and “The Raven” was a complete reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, featuring James Earl Jones throughout and culminating in a dramatic performance of the poem itself. This special holds up remarkably well over time, and actually helps viewers of all ages connect with Poe’s work. It was so successful that it started a beloved annual tradition.

1). Treehouse of Horror V

Despite a lot of competition from other Halloween specials, Treehouse of Horror V remains the best of the first ten seasons. It’s memorable thanks to its stories, and it successfully combines a movie parody, a science fiction tale, and a truly frightening segment into a consistently strong episode. It gets off to a fantastic start with “The Shinning,” a hilarious parody of Stephen King’s *The Shining*, delivering joke after joke as soon as Homer begins to lose his sanity (“No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy”).

The episode continues with running gags from earlier seasons, like the confusion over donuts. However, it then takes a surprisingly dark turn in “Nightmare Cafeteria,” featuring shockingly violent scenes involving the show’s child characters. This year’s special seems to have intentionally amplified those darker elements, resulting in some truly disturbing and unsettling imagery – in a good, classic horror way. The episode culminates with the family dog looking at Bart’s exposed intestine, making it a perfect example of the earlier, more outrageous Simpsons Halloween specials.

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2025-10-06 03:15