5 of the best black cats in Halloween cinema

While black cats are fun to watch all year round, some movies and TV shows depict black cats in a positive light while also having spooky or witchy themes. Read below for five of the best black kitty characters.

1. Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Salem Saberhagen

Animated series and live action movies, 1996; Second animated series, 2013; live action spin-off series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, 2018

No Sabrina story would be complete without her faithful companion Salem the black cat. Throughout the comic series, animated series, movies, and multiple pre-2018 live action series, Salem has been a resourceful and chatty friend with a penchant for sarcasm.

The classic Salem from the pre-2018 series and movies is actually a witch who was turned into a cat as punishment for trying to take over the world. His provocative personality shines through in comments like: “Having a bad fur day. I couldn’t sleep last night. I tried reading the most boring thing I could find, but not even your diary could do the trick.” He also teases Sabrina about her crush. However, Salem has his heroic moments, such as when he saves Sabrina from being turned into a cat by providing evidence to the witch court that clears Sabrina of criminal charges. No matter how mischievous, Salem’s antics charmed viewers. The Salem character from the 1996 series won the Kid’s Choice Awards for Favorite Animal Star in 1999.By contrast, Salem’s origins are very different in the 2018 live action Netflix series. In that storyline, Salem is a goblin who voluntarily took on cat form when he made a pact with Sabrina to be equal partners who protect each other. Sabrina describes Salem’s powers this way: “He protects and comforts me wherever I am. He’s very clever. In goblin form, there isn’t a crack he can’t squeeze through.” Salem can also temporarily return to goblin form to physically attack human-sized enemies. The Netflix version of Salem doesn’t speak, but Sabrina and other witches seem to understand what he’s saying when he meows, growls, and purrs. We’ll never know the full extent of their conversations, however. If he is telling jokes, the cast doesn’t comment on them.

2. Kiki’s Delivery Service – JijiAnimated film, 1989Live action film, 2014

A talking feline familiar of a thirteen-year-old witch named Kiki, Jiji is a long-time fan favorite. In the original Japanese, Jiji’s dialogue is rather demure, but his lines in the English version are quite sarcastic. According to the film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, for Kiki, Jiji “represents an immature part of her.” While Jiji does not appear to possess any magic powers beyond being able to talk to Kiki, he proves his faithfulness by aiding her when she tries to fix her mistakes. One example is when he pretends to be a toy cat while Kiki searches for the misplaced real toy.

Although Jiji plays a much less prominent role in the live action version of Kiki’s Delivery Service, he still follows Kiki on her adventures every step of the way and provides comfort when she feels down.

3. Coraline - “The Cat,” the unnamed black catStop-motion animated film, 2009

With no official name, the black cat in Coraline helps a young girl return home from her time in a dark fantasy world. He can traverse both the real world and the “Other World,” going from a seemingly normal cat, albeit with the ability to understand human language, to a magical being. His powers in the Other World include not only speaking but also mysteriously hiding himself and Coraline from danger with extraordinary illusions. The cat’s snarky personality reminds us of Salem and Jiji, discussed above, but a key difference is that the black cat in Coraline displays immense wisdom and intelligence.

4. Hocus Pocus - Thackery Binx Live action film, 1993

Like Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Thackery in Hocus Pocus is a human turned into an immortal black cat by witches. Three hundred years ago at age 16, Thackery attempted to save his sister from the clutches of evil witches, only to be cursed by them to take the form of a cat. He is very protective of others, guarding a magical candle in hopes of preventing witches from ever hurting anyone else. Hundreds of years later in modern times, children light the candle and Thackery courageously accompanies them on their mission to defeat the resurrected witches

5. Hocus Pocus 2 - Cobweb

Live action film, 2022

In the second Hocus Pocus movie, witches mistake the black cat Cobweb for Thackery from the first film. A shopkeeper’s pet, Cobweb is in fact an ordinary but beloved cat. While he doesn’t play a large role in the movie, his presence is a reminder that black cats are loyal companions, magical or not.

Do you wish more black cats would appear in your favorite movies? Well, it turns out the internet has a solution for you. Owl Kitty is a famous YouTube cat whose acting skills have been added to movie clips of almost every genre. Her digitally-added presence in movies from Godzilla and Paranormal Activity to Barbie and Titanic provide humorous and adorable content. If you’d like to see a loveable black cat added to many of your favorite films, check out Owl Kitty’s videos at https://www.youtube.com/@OwlKitty.