Aboleth 22
Adult/Ancient Chromatic (Evil) Dragon 22
Adult/Ancient Metallic (Good) Dragon 17
Androsphinx 8
Beholder 26
Death Tyrant 21
Demilich 21
Dracolich 21
Elder Brain 22
Empyrean 6
Gynosphinx 13
Ki-Rin 9
Kraken 23
Lich 25
Mummy Lord 19
Storm Giant Quintessent 10
Tarrasque 17
Unicorn 14
Vampire 21
I love the Beholder.
I started playing AD&D when I was 10 or 11. By then, as much as I loved creatures like dragons, mummies, and vampires, I already knew about them. It was cool seeing them in a game like this, but still.
Then, after having played for almost a year, we delved into the den of a beholder. I didn't know what that was. Then my brother, being the DM, described it. It really set my imagination running, and then he showed us the picture from the Monstrous Manual. I thought it was the coolest looking monster I'd ever seen. So different from everything else, so alien, so terrifying.
And we fought it, and nearly died. This is the most nostalgic event in my entire 20 year history of playing D&D. We were accompanied by an powerful NPC wizard that had been propped up as the sort of all knowing all powerful DM PC that many people hate. But I was 11, so this didn't really bother me, especially being the youngest of three brothers, I was already used to having bigger, stronger, smarter people around me.
And then the beholder disintegrated him. While this isn't a bizarre or exceptional example, it is such a cornerstone moment for me when it comes to D&D, and I owe to the the beholder.
So, the beholder, for the sake of nostalgia and coolness will continue to get my vote.
