Wikipedia was launched in 2001 and has been growing at different rates ever since. As of October 2025, its English version has over 7,080,000 articles. However, not all of them are safe for work.
Last week, Reddit user Herequeerandgreat asked people to share the most disturbing entries they’ve stumbled upon in the online encyclopedia. Whether it’s due to the Halloween season or some internal human morbid curiosity, the discussion has caught on.
We went through thousands of comments and hand-picked the controversial ones, on the off-chance you're looking for a topic for your next rabbit-hole deep dive. Proceed at your own risk.
#21
The Byford Dolphin (incident). Goes into the description of the rig in the beginning. You’ll need to look at the incidents and accidents section for the disturbing part.
ReleaseExternal:
I’ve seen the footage of this incident. It happened so quickly. I can’t imagine being stuck in that situation, hoping for rescue that would never come. Absolutely heartbreaking and a disgraceful choice on the company's part.
ReleaseExternal:
I’ve seen the footage of this incident. It happened so quickly. I can’t imagine being stuck in that situation, hoping for rescue that would never come. Absolutely heartbreaking and a disgraceful choice on the company's part.
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11points
#22
The wiki page for Fred West always makes for a pretty disturbing and lengthy read.
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11points
#24
Paul Bernardo.
GEF110F14F15:
Here’s a terrifying fact for you; Paul Bernardo is allowed parole hearings. No one in their right mind would ever let that sick monster outside his cell ever again but the fact that the idea of him walking around in the outside world was even considered should scare anyone.
GEF110F14F15:
Here’s a terrifying fact for you; Paul Bernardo is allowed parole hearings. No one in their right mind would ever let that sick monster outside his cell ever again but the fact that the idea of him walking around in the outside world was even considered should scare anyone.
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10points
#25
Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris.
Odd_Environment_3001:
What Shirley Lynette Ledford went through is one of the worst things I've ever read. I sincerely hope she and the other victims are resting in utmost peace. Something about this case got me -- usually pretty good at keeping mental barriers up but reading about what happened to her has seriously haunted me for months.
Odd_Environment_3001:
What Shirley Lynette Ledford went through is one of the worst things I've ever read. I sincerely hope she and the other victims are resting in utmost peace. Something about this case got me -- usually pretty good at keeping mental barriers up but reading about what happened to her has seriously haunted me for months.
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10points
#26
Years ago I read the entire page for the Columbine. That was pretty upsetting.
10points
#29
Probably not the ‘most’, but I read the entry on Vlad the Impaler and think about it more often than I’d like to.
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9points
#30
Ted Bundy. Couldn’t sleep after that. Just shocking what humans are actually capable of, although I hardly consider him human, more of a demon from hell.
9points
#32
Fred & Rose West, followed by Jimmy Savile.
Truely horrendous things done.
Truely horrendous things done.
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9points
#34
Youngest mother, Lina Medina. I have no words for it. (edited for clarification, youngest mother covers it better than childbirth).
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8points
#38
The Hypothetical explanations for the paradox heading of the Fermi Paradox page always gives me a sense of existential dread with the sheer number of progressively more unhinged and desperate attempts at trying to explain it:
> * Extraterrestrial life is rare or non-existent
> * Extraterrestrial intelligence is rare or non-existent
> * Extraterrestrial intelligence is relatively new
> * Periodic extinction by natural events
> * Intelligent alien species have not developed advanced technologies
> * It is the nature of intelligent life to destroy itself
> * Only one intelligent species can exist in a given region of space
> * Civilizations only broadcast detectable signals for a brief period of time
> * Alien life may be too incomprehensible
> * Expansionism is not the cosmic norm
> * Alien species may have only settled part of the galaxy
> * Alien species may isolate themselves in virtual worlds
> * Artificial intelligence may not be aggressively expansionist
> * Lack of resources needed to physically spread throughout the galaxy
> * Information is cheaper to transmit than matter is to transfer
> * Other species' home planets cannot support industrial economies
> * Intelligent alien species have not developed advanced technologies
> * Developing practical spaceflight technology is very difficult or expensive
> * Humans are not listening properly - Radio signals cannot be straightforwardly detected at interstellar distances
> * Humans have not listened for long enough
> * Intelligent life may be too far away
> * Intelligent life exists buried below the surfaces of ice planets
> * Advanced civilizations may limit their search for life to technological signatures
> * Everyone is listening but no one is transmitting
> * Alien governments are choosing not to respond
> * Communication is dangerous
> * Earth is deliberately being avoided
> * Earth is deliberately being isolated
> * alien life is already here, unacknowledged and/or deliberately concealed.
> * Extraterrestrial life is rare or non-existent
> * Extraterrestrial intelligence is rare or non-existent
> * Extraterrestrial intelligence is relatively new
> * Periodic extinction by natural events
> * Intelligent alien species have not developed advanced technologies
> * It is the nature of intelligent life to destroy itself
> * Only one intelligent species can exist in a given region of space
> * Civilizations only broadcast detectable signals for a brief period of time
> * Alien life may be too incomprehensible
> * Expansionism is not the cosmic norm
> * Alien species may have only settled part of the galaxy
> * Alien species may isolate themselves in virtual worlds
> * Artificial intelligence may not be aggressively expansionist
> * Lack of resources needed to physically spread throughout the galaxy
> * Information is cheaper to transmit than matter is to transfer
> * Other species' home planets cannot support industrial economies
> * Intelligent alien species have not developed advanced technologies
> * Developing practical spaceflight technology is very difficult or expensive
> * Humans are not listening properly - Radio signals cannot be straightforwardly detected at interstellar distances
> * Humans have not listened for long enough
> * Intelligent life may be too far away
> * Intelligent life exists buried below the surfaces of ice planets
> * Advanced civilizations may limit their search for life to technological signatures
> * Everyone is listening but no one is transmitting
> * Alien governments are choosing not to respond
> * Communication is dangerous
> * Earth is deliberately being avoided
> * Earth is deliberately being isolated
> * alien life is already here, unacknowledged and/or deliberately concealed.
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6points
#39
The pages on child marriage laws.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_the_United_States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_the_United_States.
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6points
#40
Hisashi Ouchi (yes, an unfortunate last name) is pretty disturbing. He suffered from severe radioactivity poisoning and his body fell apart while doctors tried to keep him alive for 12 weeks.
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5points
