tectactoe
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DOOM (enemies) Ranked

Somewhat subjective of course, but ranked mostly in according to how much of a pain in the ass they are in game. Only considering CLASSIC Doom enemies (i.e., enemies from DOOM and DOOM II only). Greatest game(s) of all time.
18Mortem (RUS)
Filicide

Imp [⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

A true “classic” DOOM enemy – the first non-humanoid to appear in the game (E1M1: Hangar, baby) and thus the player’s first real taste of the hellish creatures by which they’ll eventually be consumed. But, alas, a total pushover. Slow moving, so you’re never really in danger of getting ripped apart by them unless you’re totally not paying attention. Their ranged fireballs are equally slow and easy to dodge. Even in a room full o’ these brown baddies, you shouldn’t break a sweat – the shotgun or chaingun will make quick work of ‘em.
17Mortiferum
Disgorged from Psychotic Depths

Former Human (Zombieman) [⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

The first enemy a player will encounter in the game and thus not a particularly challenging one. These guys are DOOM’s Goomba, essentially, functioning more as inconvenient obstacles than threatening enemies. The only reason they rank (slightly) above the Imps is that their main attack (pistol) works via hitscan and thus is harder to dodge than the Imp’s languid fireball. (In fact it can’t be “dodged” at all, in the traditional sense—you must be moving the moment the pistol is fired.) Still, getting hit by the peashooter is hardly threatening, especially when you have armor.
16Incantation
The Infernal Storm

Demon (Pinky) [⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

Only a threat in large numbers and/or extremely close quarters. They move quicker and more sporadically than Imps, but their lack of any ranged attack means they’re only dangerous if they’re literally on top of you. Put any amount of space between you and them and they are totally neutralized. Harder to kill than Imps, too, but not menacingly so – three shotgun blasts (two if they’re both close) generally does the trick. But OGs know that the best way to handle Demons is with the chainsaw. Gotta preserve that ammo whenever you can, and the hitstun from the chainsaw often throws the Demon attack into a reset-loop that prevents any damage.
15Defeated Sanity
Psalms of the Moribund

Spectre [⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

A Demon, but (partially) invisible. More annoying than threatening, often because you’ll spend a few extra seconds looking for the bastard. Once you spot its contorted outline, though, it’s no different than handling a regular Demon. Chainsaw preferred, shotgun if you must. Just don’t get surrounded.
14Suffocation
Pierced From Within

Former Human Sergeant (Shotgunner) [⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

Easy to kill, much like the Former Humans, but eminently more dangerous because their shotgun blasts will do far more harm than a measly pistol. The fact that it also connects by hitscan is troublesome. It’s far too easy to underestimate these guys, then find yourself surrounded on all sides taking 15-20 damage from each round of shotgun blasts. In rooms full of various enemies, I tend to focus on killing these dudes first for that very reason.
13Cryptopsy
Blasphemy Made Flesh

Cacodemon [⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪▪]

Big, ugly, one-eyed tomato monster. These floating baddies used to frighten me as a kid but these days? Honestly, they’re one of the most “manageable” DOOM enemies. They’re slow and their energy balls are only moderately faster than the Imp’s fireballs, meaning you shouldn’t have much trouble dodging. They can claw/scratch (?) if they get close enough to you, too, but not letting them get close to you is generally simple. If you find yourself in a tight hallway, the chainsaw can be a godsend. Otherwise, plasma gun FTW, assuming you have enough cells. These dudes have healthy HP, so you can expend a lot of shotgun or chaingun ammo if the room has several.
12Broken Torso
The Ultimate Abhorrence

Lost Soul [⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪]

Maybe not totally deserving of a 4/10 rating, considering they are fairly easy to defeat—two shotgun blasts is all it takes, or a few rounds with the chaingun—but they earn +1 solely for how goddamn annoying they are and how quickly they can sneak up on you from literally across the map. Gets exponentially worse in large groups, for obvious reasons. If there are, like, 8+ Lost Souls on the screen, you can bet I’ll be reaching for the BFG just to avoid the hassle.
11Hell (USA)
Hell

Hell Knight [⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪▪]

Not exactly sure why DOOM II felt the need to introduce this neutered version of the Barons of Hell, but here we are. Can nevertheless be dangerous either in large groups or if one or two are sitting patiently behind a door waiting to claw your face off right away but otherwise can be taken down hastily with a quick stream of plasma gun cells. Basically, Imps on steroids.
10Mortal Decay
Forensic

Mancubus [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪]

Some respite knowing that these guys are morbidly obese and therefore also morbidly slow, so depending on the layout of the map, it’s advisable to use corners and walls to your advantage, dodging their plasma blasts and popping out periodically to fire at them. The super shotgun is extremely effective, generally taking four (sometimes even three, if close enough) blasts to turn them into a pile of mush. Can be a little more troublesome in wide open spaces (or in numbers) because their plasma blasts are quite fast and come in patterns of three consecutive shots.
9Urushiol
Pools of Green Fire

Baron of Hell [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪▪]

Crazy to think that DOOM’s first episode, “Knee Deep in the Dead”, thought two Barons of Hell would be enough for a final boss fight, especially considering in the very next episode (and every other one thereafter) they would start being used as “normal” enemies throughout the maps, often appearing in key traps, behind doors, or in larger numbers. (For example, whoever designed E4M1 should be fired.) Like most DOOM enemies – manageable out in the open but can be brutal if trapped in a small room. They have a healthy amount of HP so be sure to use something like the plasma gun or rocket launcher (if far enough away) to take ‘em down quickly. Don’t get clawed by them – it does a LOT of damage.
8Immolation
Close to a World Below

Chaingunner [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪]

Possible that I have these dudes a little too high, but they’re unique in that they’re one of the few DOOM enemies that’s actually far more dangerous in wide open space. And, if evaluating this list based solely on the hypothetical, “which enemy would I absolutely not want to face a horde of?”, they’d likely be even higher. The hitscan can be devastating with a chaingun, meaning if you get caught in their line of fire, be prepared to lose a bunch of armor and/or health.
7Morbid Angel
Altars of Madness

Revenant [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪▪]

Can be deadly if not dealt with briskly – they fire missiles (both homing and non-homing) that can be difficult to effectively dodge and will do massive damage if landed. They also have a physical attack in close quarter combat that is surprisingly powerful, and if you get disoriented while being surrounded by a few of these guys, you might be toast in mere seconds. Rocket launcher at a distance, plasma gun when in close, and BFG if massively outnumbered. Super shotgun can put ‘em down with two or three blasts, but they have relatively fast movement speed, so be sure your aim is on point to avoid wasting ammo.
6Entombed
Left Hand Path

Arachnotron [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪▪]

Another massively annoying enemy, but also potentially threatening if you’re unable to get into open space and strafe run freely. Arachnotrons are deceptively quick and will close in on you in a moment’s notice. (I’m thinking specifically of Map 7, “Dead Simple”, in DOOM II—after defeating the Mancubuses, the many Arachnotrons can rapidly become problematic if you don’t act fast.) The plasma blasts they shoot are very fast, so you’ll need a decent amount of space to strafe out of the way. Luckily, for such a “big” enemy, they have only 500 HP (i.e., 100 more than a Cacodemon, and half that of a Baron of Hell), and, in crowded maps, it’s easy to get these guys to in-fight with other enemies. Just don’t get caught slackin’.
5Atheist
Unquestionable Presence

Arch-vile [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪]

Nasty little buggers. They are fast—the fastest enemy in classic DOOM barring a charging Lost Soul—and their wall-of-fire attack can hit at any range. It’s not a projectile, so there is no reasonable way to dodge the attack once it is launched. (The only reprieve is that the Arch-vile’s animation as it charges up for the attack is relatively slow, making it easier to anticipate.) More frightening, however, is the Arch-vile’s ability to resurrect other dead enemies (excepting a few of the “bigger” dudes, like Cyberdemons or Spiderdemons), meaning you need to focus your attention on them first, otherwise you’ll risk wasting ammo killing other enemies multiple times. With 700 HP, they don’t go down particularly easy. And they are one of the few enemies in the game that cannot be attacked by other enemies. Ugh, no thanks.
4Pestilence
Consuming Impulse

Spiderdemon [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪▪]

Boss of both DOOM’s third and eventual fourth episodes, “Inferno” and “Thy Flesh Consumed”, respectively, you should never underestimate enemies with chainguns. Get caught in their line of sight with no places to take cover and you’ll be in for a bad time. Not only that, but the Spiderdemon’s chaingun is super-ized, and effectively fires three bullets with every shot at a rate of 7.8 shots per second. Once it begins firing, it will not stop until its target either moves out of view or dies. It’s immune to splash damage, meaning all your hits – even from rockets – need to be on target. The key is keeping your distance, if possible, because that chaingun will rip you apart at close (or even mid) range. BFG is preferred, plasma gun or rocket launcher in a pinch.
3Autopsy
Severed Survival

Pain Elemental [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪]

Not as “epic” or tough to kill or menacing as several of the enemies below it but immensely threatening and remarkably irritating if not taken care of immediately, as these grotesque floating meatballs spit out Lost Souls and will continue to do so until they’re dead, after which they explode and emit three more Lost Souls – just for good measure! Finding a lone Pain Elemental isn’t terribly concerning, but when playing on harder difficulties and toward DOOM II’s later levels, you’ll often stumble into rooms with 3, 4, or more of these damn things and can quickly become overwhelmed with Lost Souls. It’s important to note, too, that when a Pain Elemental spits out a Lost Soul, it instantly enters a headlong charge toward the player. Be careful you don’t fire a rocket at the same time and hurt yourself with splash damage.
2Dragged Into Sunlight
Hatred For Mankind

Icon of Sin [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠▪]

Settle down, pundits! I know this isn’t an “enemy”, per se, rather it’s a location (or a level). But it IS the final battle of DOOM II, after all, and one that deserves a place on this list for how quickly the fight can turn into an irrevocable massacre. Y’see, the Icon of Sin (as it is colloquially known) doesn’t have any attacks of its own. Rather, it shoots out “spawn cubes” that, upon solid contact, transform into a random enemy (except for “boss” enemies and former humans). What this does is essentially forces Nightmare difficulty on the player, as the demons keep coming (and they don’t stop coming) until the Icon of Sin’s “brain” is destroyed. The brain has very little HP but is hidden in a small alcove that can only be hit with the splash damage of a rocket fired from a special floating platform. A total nuisance and a level/boss that can become overbearing in no time.
1Demilich
Nespithe

Cyberdemon [⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠]

Ah yes, the ultimate DOOM baddie, and the demon that most certainly strikes the greatest amount of fear into my veins when I hear its gnarly growl. It is intimidating. It is fast (the only thing faster in original DOOM is the Lost Soul charge). It is girthy (4,000 HP, the most of any DOOM enemy). It is resilient (takes no splash damage, meaning even rockets need to hit it directly). It is relentless (shooting arrays of nonstop rockets that can quickly lay waste to players regardless of their health or armor). Admittedly, its presence as the final boss of DOOM’s second episode is less fearsome because of the wide-open arena and lack of other distractions aside from a handful of Lost Souls. But it appears as a “normal” enemy in several “Thy Flesh Consumed” and DOOM II maps. Better hope you have plenty of plasma cells and the BFG when coming across these abominations.
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