How to Create a Glitch/Cybernetic Creepypasta OC

How to Create a Glitch/Cybernetic Creepypasta OC

Bonjourno! It’s been a while since I did one of these pasta guide things, which only means it’s high time I got my butt in gear and made another. In this one I’ll be talking about a type of OC which a lot of people don’t like, but which I do firmly believe can be done well: the “glitch” OC. I’ll be covering the “cybernetic” OC type as well, because this is a really cool kind of character that I’m surprised isn’t more popular. If you’ve never heard of that character, think a person who is partially mechanical whether by accident or design, i.e. a cyborg. Of course, it would also be fine to make your cybernetic OC 100% robotic and automated.

Essentially, both cybernetic and glitch characters are a variety of creepypasta OC which rely on technology (most often computers) to accomplish their vile deeds. The most popular glitch character of all time is, without question, Jadusable’s “Ben Drowned”, a.k.a. BEN. If you haven’t seen the videos which go along with the original creepypasta he’s from I would highly recommend them. Even if you don’t pick up any ideas from them, they’re entertaining as Hell. As for famous cybernetic OCs…well, there aren’t any. But who knows; you might be the one to change that!

First and foremost though, you’re probably wondering what the difference between a glitch and a cybernetic OC is. Basically, it might be easiest to think of it this way: if they have a physical body, and they can actually touch and interact with material objects, they’re a cybernetic type. Although it isn’t creepypasta, the haunted animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy’s are very good examples of horror characters which are cybernetic. On the flipside, if the character exists as a string of computer code and have limited or no interactive abilities outside of the virtual world, they are a glitch OC. Of course, it could be a very interesting idea to have an OC which combines elements of both types. For instance, maybe after hacking and possessing a set number of technological devices in an area they can take on a physical shape to torment their prey and seal their doom.

The great thing about these types of characters is that you get to combine horror with technology. This isn’t anything new in the horror genre: stuff like ghosts being picked up on old black and white cameras, or using sound recording equipment to listen for messages from the other side are both well-established. For a more recent example, check out the cursed videotape idea from The Ring (both the Japanese and American versions are excellent, although I actually prefer the American remake because it has a more involved storyline).

The main question you should ask yourself when making such an OC is if you want them to be purely technological, which is fine, or if you want to add a supernatural element in too. Keeping them “plain vanilla” is a better idea if you just want them to be a self-aware virus in the case of a glitch or a character with lots of cool high-tech gadgets in the case of a cybernetic OC. Making a glitch have supernatural elements would work best if they were once a human or the like and became a glitch due to a curse or accident (Ben Drowned, for instance). A cybernetic OC with a supernatural backstory would also be really cool.

To avoid making your OC seem OP, give them a weakness if you think they’re too powerful. High Voltage (an OC I’ll get to later) actually needs to be recharged frequently, and her wires can be overloaded or fried. (EMP grenade, anyone?) Of course, your own OC might take their power from electricity, but thinking outside the box can keep them from becoming unfairly imbalanced. Other weaknesses could include bugs in their programming, defective parts, or a need for maintenance (whether in the sense of a file scan for a glitch or a literal tune-up for a cybernetic OC).

Now then, we should also talk about two common pitfalls that many creators fall into when designing these types of characters. Bad glitch characters are notorious for being overly sexualized. Making a sexualized glitch character is not only a sign of a likely Mary Sue candidate, it also makes no sense. Remember, they don’t even have a body, so it’s very unlikely they’d feel anything like sexual desire! The same is true of cybernetic OCs, albeit for a different reason. Being partially or entirely robotic, especially in the case of your mentality, would do wonders to temper your libido. Remember, a robot wouldn’t have a sex drive unless it was deliberately programmed that way. And if you’re thinking of making your creepypasta OC a sex-bot…I think you better just keep moving, because this fandom clearly isn’t for you. That idea wouldn’t possibly be scary; after all, it’s very hard to feel horny and scared at the same time.

Ahem. As for the other customary trap for beginners, remember to make your OCs connection to technology more than just being a virus if they are a glitch and more than just having a row of blinking lights on their arm if they are cybernetic. If they’re a glitch, maybe make them able to copy themselves like a standard computer program or virus can. Or if they’re cybernetic maybe they can see in spectrums other than standard RGB colour; ultraviolet and infrared, for instance.

Lastly, I’d hate to leave you empty handed, so here’s some handy-dandy OCs that I think you can take inspiration from. For a reference of a glitch OC I feel is well-done, check out ’s Happy.exe. While technically not a creepypasta OC, they are still useful as a point of reference for what such a character should be. And for examples of well-done cybernetic OCs, I’d recommend checking out ’s High Voltage or my very own .code//PAN!C. Links are in the description below!