Hey, ghoul!

Monster High is a fashion doll and multimedia franchise originally created by Garrett Sander for Mattel in 2010. The characters are inspired by popular fantasy/scifi monsters and cultural mythological creatures - Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc. The characters attend Monster High, a high school for monsters and creatures in the fictional New Salem, Oregon. Monster High as a school is unique because it allows monsters of all origins to attend, whereas other schools in the universe are typically reserved for only one kind of monster (an all-vampire school, for example). The dolls were originally designed to display subculture-inspired teen fashion in the early 2010s, when subcultures like emo and scene and stores such as Hot Topic and Spencer's were at their peak popularity. The original doll line featured darker palettes with bright accents, with each doll having their own unique scheme. Colors like black, grey, white, and some muted earth tones were often paired with electric blue, mint green, neon purple, hot pink, cherry red, and so on. Many of the clothing items used more "preppy" styles like plaid, collared shirts, and pleated skirts, but utilized the darker color palettes and more "edgy" accessories that were very reminiscent of the scemo style from the early 2010s.

The Monster High franchise has cycled through multiple generations, each with their own design and lore changes. Generation 1 (Gen1/G1) is the original release from 2010 and multiple subsequent releases leading up to 2016. Generation 2 (Gen2/G2) is often referred to as a reboot, since the line was changed so drastically from the source material in an attempt to appeal to a younger audience. This reboot was a failure and sales were poor, so the line was discontinued after only two years. Generation 3 (Gen3/G3) was released in 2022, and this release came with the most changes to the original lore.

The main character of the franchise is Frankie Stein, child of Frankenstein's monster and his bride. NOTE: as of G3, Frankie is now nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. This works well for their character as they are a simulacrum like their parents, meaning they are made of body parts from different sources rather than being created and birthed "naturally". Frankie's character has always challenged boundaries, but they were introduced in 2010 as a girl using she/her pronouns. I will always refer to Frankie as nonbinary they/them, but if I add some quotes to this page or refer back to original lore where she/her pronouns are used, I will try to add a note marking Frankie's correct gender and pronouns. Their original color palette includes black, white, grey, mint green, and minor accents of teal and yellow.

One of the most popular characters is Draculaura, daughter of the vampire Dracula. Drac is vegeterian and cannot stand the sight of blood. She dates Clawd, a werewolf. Her color palette, backstory, and general demeanor make her very popular with MH's IRL goth audience. Her color palette uses mostly black and pink, with small additions of white occasionally.

Another very popular character is Clawdeen Wolf, daughter of a werewolf and Clawd's younger sister. Clawdeen and Draculaura are childhood friends. Clawdeen has a Brooklyn accent and is one of the only characters of color from the original series. She is outgoing and friendly and fiercely loyal, but has a bit of a temper. She loves fashion and has been indirectly confirmed to be a lesbian by creator Garrett Sander. Her color palette includes black, purple, gold, and minor accents of white.

Finally, another popular character is Cleo de Nile, daughter of the mummified Egyptian pharaoh Ramses de Nile. Cleo is one of the most popular ghouls at Monster High because she is technically a princess, and she is captain of the fearleeding squad. Cleo must have her mummy bandages/wrapping on at all times as they keep her undead. She dates Deuce Gorgon. Her color palette is tan, gold, brown, and small additions of aquamarine and teal throughout.

There are many other recurring characters, and I didn't even include the entire main cast, but some characters have been lost in the mix of more popular monsters/plot lines or criticized for being poorly written.