List of Ghostbusters characters

The Ghostbusters franchise spans numerous films, animated series, novelizations, comic books, and video games. Beginning with the 1984 live-action film Ghostbusters written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, the premise and storyline have inspired sequels, spinoffs, and reboots. These entries into the franchise include an ever expanding list of both recurring and original characters.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Human characters

Peter Venkman

Peter Venkman is the leader of the Ghostbusters. He is portrayed by Bill Murray in both live action films, and is voiced in the animated series first by Lorenzo Music, followed by Dave Coulier. Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology on the team; he also holds a PhD in psychology. In the movies, he is characterized by his blunt persona, his laid-back approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". In the first movie he is shown to have romantic feelings for Dana.

Raymond Stantz

Raymond "Ray" Stantz, another member of the Ghostbusters, is played by Dan Aykroyd in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and is voiced by Frank Welker in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team. Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his outspoken acceptance of paranormal activity.

Egon Spengler

Egon Spengler is the brains of the Ghostbusters who serves as Peter Venkman's second-in-command, and the creator of the Ghostbusters' equipment along with Raymond Stantz. Lacking much of a personality other than his focus on all things scientific, he is often shown as lacking social skills when dealing with people. Egon was portrayed by Harold Ramis in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and voiced by Maurice LaMarche in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. LaMarche was the only voice actor to remain for the entirety of both series. Before the movie was released, American Cinematographer described Egon as "maniacal" based on reading the script. Ramis credited the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been a director and writer.

Winston Zeddemore

Winston Zeddemore is played by Ernie Hudson in both movies and the 2009 video game, and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first season of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters. Hudson reportedly auditioned to reprise the role of Winston for the animated series, but he was rejected in favor of Hall. Unlike the other members of the team, Winston is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal; the novelization says that he was in the Marines. He is hired when the Ghostbusters' business begins to pick up. Despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as the everyman of the team, acting as a voice of reason and displaying more common sense than the others. In the 2009 video game, Winston claims to have spent time in the Egypt exhibit of the museum while in college, suggesting experience in anthropology or a related science.

Dana Barrett

Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver in the first and second movie, Dana Barrett was a single cellist living at 550 Central Park West (55 Central Park West), a sinister apartment building which would become the gateway for the apocalyptic deity, Gozer the Gozerian. Dana is singled out early for unwelcome paranormal attention by Gozer's minions, and seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after seeing their advertisement on television. She is possessed by the demon Zuul, Gatekeeper of Gozer; who along with Keymaster Vinz Clortho opens the interdimensional gate to summon Gozer to Earth in the first film. She promptly attracts the romantic attention of Venkman, whose flippant behavior causes her to doubt her decision to seek aid from the Ghostbusters. In the sequel five years later, Dana is a divorced mother of an eight-month-old boy named Oscar; Venkman is neither her former husband nor Oscar's father. Dana was then working as a restorationist for the fictitious Manhattan Museum of Art. It is here that she (and later Baby Oscar) comes to the attention of the evil Prince Vigo the Carpathian, whose malign spirit inhabits his massive self portrait. When Dana and Baby Oscar becomes the target of Vigo's plot, the Ghostbusters re-enter her life to save her, Baby Oscar, and the world once more. She was also a neighbor of Louis Tully at 550 Central Park West in the first movie. The two remained acquainted, then became friends. Louis and Janine Melnitz baby-sat Oscar (and became a romantic item) during the second film. Weaver confirmed in June 2019 that she will reprise her role as Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020). Dana is the only character that didn't in The Real Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

Janine Melnitz

Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters's secretary, is played by Annie Potts in both movies, and is voiced by Laura Summer and Kath Soucie in The Real Ghostbusters and Pat Musick in Extreme Ghostbusters. Janine has occasionally worn the Ghostbusters uniform and used ghost-catching equipment in the animated series. During the first film, Janine often flirted with Egon but none of her advances were returned in kind. She later dated Louis Tully in the sequel.

Louis Tully

Louis Tully is a nerdy accountant and a neighbor of Dana Barrett, played by Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and voiced by Rodger Bumpass in the Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters animated series. He is possessed by the demon Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster who, along with Zuul, opens the interdimensional gate to bring Gozer to Earth in the first film. In Ghostbusters II, he is revealed to have earned a law degree at night school, representing the Ghostbusters at their trial and taking up permanent employment with them when they reestablish their business. In addition, he seeks to become the fifth Ghostbuster. He later borrows a Ghostbuster jumpsuit and proton pack to attempt to help defeat Vigo the Carpathian. After the release of Ghostbusters II, Louis became a semi-regular character on Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters as the Ghostbusters' legal and financial adviser. Ghostbusters, like many films on which Moranis has worked, had him improvising some of his lines. He appears as a non-playable character in Lego Dimensions voiced by Mick Wingert. In his sidequest on the Ghostbusters Adventure World, he requires the player's help to get more guests for his party.

Ghosts

Slimer

Slimer is a translucent green blob creature, with two skinny arms, no feet, and several chins. In the first movie, Slimer was voiced by director Reitman, while Welker voiced the green ghost in The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer originally was a priest that led the circumcisions in the Anglican Methodist church when killed by one of his patients he vowed to haunt New York forever. In the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, Robin Shelby performed Slimer and Reitman again voiced Slimer but most of the footage shot was not used. In the late 1990s cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters, Slimer's voice was provided by Billy West. Troy Baker voices Slimer in the 2009 video game, though with the sound effects used in the first movie. Aykroyd reportedly referred to Slimer as "The Ghost of John Belushi".

In the script for Ghostbusters, Slimer is never called by any name, but is described as a "focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm or a class 5 full roaming vapor". The creature's original title was "The Onionhead Ghost", which the film crew dubbed him for the horrible odor he used to scare a couple in a scene cut from the original movie. Slimer's personality is one of tremendous gluttony, and he is referred to as a "disgusting blob". In the movies, he is not named and makes short appearances. In the cartoon, he is known as Slimer, is able to speak, and demonstrates a child's intelligence and intense loyalty to Peter and the Ghostbusters with the personality of a dog. His role in the series is explained in the episode "Citizen Ghost", which primarily consists of a flashback to the immediate aftermath of the movie, where Slimer returned to the firehouse as the Ghostbusters were the first people to show any interest in him, the team 'adopting' him as a means of testing ghosts and an ally after he helped them defeat ectoplasmic manifestations of themselves that had manifested from their old uniforms after the uniforms were exposed to ghostly energies from the containment unit. In the Marvel UK comics of the Real Ghostbusters, Slimer had his own half-page sketch, in which Slimer's past life was covered; he was originally called King Remils ("Slimer" spelled backwards), a greedy, obese monarch who had died of heart failure.

Slimer's popularity soared from the subsequent spin-off animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a one-hour format. SLIMER! was briefly published by NOW Comics, a defunct Chicago firm. Artists included Mitch O'Connell and Mark Braun. Writers included Larry Parr who also wrote for the animated series. Slimer also appeared as a representative of The Real Ghostbusters in the animated anti-drug television special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. Slimer was also the mascot for the Hi-C flavor "Ecto Cooler", which came out shortly after The Real Ghostbusters, and was colored green. Slimer remained on the box well after the Real Ghostbusters was cancelled; but in 1997 the drink was renamed "Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen", and Slimer was removed. Slimer also had a toothpaste named after him. A more monstrous and "evil-looking" incarnation of Slimer appears in the 2016 reboot, as voiced by Adam Ray: it appears in the ghost havoc scenes, as it ravages a hot dog cart, but, as the Ghostbusters near to investigate, he steals the Ecto-1 and starts joyriding with other ghosts (including a Lady Slimer) around Manhattan, but the Ghostbusters decide not to shoot him, as the car contains a nuclear reactor. Later, they actually do shoot at the car to use the reactor to reverse the effects of the ghost portal, with Slimer and Lady Slimer sharing a kiss before falling inside it.

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, mascot for the fictional company Stay Puft Marshmallows, becomes the chosen form of Gozer after Stantz thinks about something he says is harmless. Stay Puft also makes appearances in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters as a friendly ghost, and returns as a boss in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. He also appears briefly in 2016 film when is controlled by ghosts released from the ghost dimension by Rowan, when the Marshmallow Man attempts to squash them, but is destroyed by Erin using the Swiss knife. Stay Puft was inspired by Peter O'Boyle, a security guard at Columbia Pictures whom director Reitman met filming his previous movie, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone. According to Sam Delaney of The Guardian, "Stay Puft's familiar mascot combined elements of real life brand ambassadors Bibendum (aka the Michelin tire man) and the Pillsbury Dough Boy." The costume was created by Bill Bryan using miniatures, optical compositing and Bryan himself in a latex suit.

Gozer the Gozerian

Gozer the Gozerian, also known as "Gozer the Destructor", "Volguus Zildrohar" and "the Traveler", is a sadistic, shapeshifting, apocalyptic entity (worshipped as a god by the Hittite, Mesopotamian and Sumerian cultures) who appears in the first film as a main antagonist. As briefly mentioned in the film and fully covered by the game sequel, cults worshipping Gozer and his minions arose around 6000 BC before being banished from this dimension by the Babylonian goddess Tiamat following a protracted conflict between their followers. Entering into any given dimension, Gozer uses the thoughts of those who witness his arrival to assume a fixed form within that plane of existence. Gozer's arrival is set in motion in the 1920s by the actions of Ivo Shandor and comes to fruition in 1984, when his minions Zuul and Vinz Clortho open the portal for their master to enter on top of the building Shandor designed. Though originally in the form of an androgynous humanoid woman, Gozer uses Ray's accidental thought to assume the form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man before being conquered. Gozer was played by Yugoslav model Slavitza Jovan and the demonic voice of Gozer was provided by Paddi Edwards.

Gozer reappears in the 2009 game, taking on the form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man again before being defeated once more. The skull of Gozer's humanoid form appears at the end in the possession of Ivo Shandor, who has taken over the mayor's body, contemptuously discarding it. Gozer is best known for his/her phrases and quotes such as "Are you a god? [Ray: "No"]. Then... DIE!!! [blasts the Ghostbusters with lightning]" or its disembodied voice saying "THE TRAVELER HAS COME!" and "CHOOSE AND PERISH!"

Zuul is mentioned at the end of the 2016 Ghostbusters, when Patty Tolan hears strange words in recording machine and asks the team "Who is Zuul?"

Zuul and Vinz Clortho

The most powerful of demonic creatures known as Terror Dogs, Zuul and Vinz Clortho are the primary servants and harbingers of Gozer the Gozerian. Worshipped as demigods, they are known respectively as the Gatekeeper and the Keymaster. Their goal is to possess a mortal man and woman to perform a sexual ritual; combining their powers opens a gateway to allow the Destructor entry into that world. After the ritual and opening of the portal, they take their places as guardians of Gozer's temple and cosmic pyramid. Zuul and Vinz Clortho are similar in appearance: horned (Vinz Clortho had longer horns than Zuul), dog-like, demonic, quadruped monsters resembling gargoyles with blazing red eyes and powerful dark-colored bodies.

Grey Lady

Dr. Eleanor Twitty a.k.a. the Grey Lady or "the Library Ghost" is the first ghost encountered by the original three Ghostbusters (Ray, Egon, and Peter) while they are investigating paranormal activity at the New York Public Library. When they attempt to touch her, she transforms into a much larger and more frightening form, and causes the trio to flee the library in terror. Though they do not catch her, they get a scan of her and use the information to construct their containment grid and ghost catching equipment, allowing the creation of their ghost-catching business.

She returns in the 2009 video game, where much of her history is revealed, and the Ghostbusters uncover the tragic story of her death. She was once Dr. Eleanor Twitty, the head librarian of the NYC Public Library in the 1920s, and overseer of its collection of ancient artifacts, stone tablets, long-forgotten tomes, and rare books. In March 1924, she goes missing, and the police are unable to find her. They discover that she has been murdered by philologist Edmund Hoover, The Collector, who seduces her to get to the rare books in her care, specifically the Gozerian Codex. In the video game, the Ghostbusters discover her reading the Codex before capturing her. Due to the ease of the capture, they state that she must have wanted them to recover the Codex to aid them in defeating the Collector.

Ivo Shandor

Ivo Shandor, an insane physician and an architect of some renown during the early 20th century with a penchant for performing macabre and unnecessary surgeries, is mentioned in the first film and features in the 2009 video game. The aftermath of the first World War convinced Shandor that humanity is beyond saving. He set up a cult of Gozer worshippers with over a thousand followers, in the 1920s with his ancestral island home on the Hudson River as the center of it. Using his connections to International Steel's chairman and other corrupt company owners, Shandor designed 550 Central Park West (55 Central Park West) as a means to summon Gozer to bring about the end of the world. Shandor also developed a mandala across the city, with the New York Public Library, the Museum of Natural History, the Sedgewick Hotel, and Shandor Island (before it sank) as key nodes protected by his most loyal followers: Azetlor the Collector, the Museum chairman, the Spider Witch, and a captured, otherworldly sloar that generates a steady stream of black slime used to power the Mandala system and Shandor's island lab.

Shandor's original scheme comes to fruition during the events of the first film in the 1980s, when the sufficient energy collected causes Gozer's minions to physically manifest in preparation for their master's coming. The Ghostbusters foil Gozer's entry and neutralize it. As revealed in the video game, Shandor is also responsible for the events of Ghostbusters II, as the slime produced on his island finds its way into an abandoned city subway line, causing a wave of ghosts to surface and strengthening the spirit of Vigo the Carpathian. Shandor finally makes an appearance in Ghostbusters: The Video Game as a main antagonist of the game. By 1991, Shandor possesses the body of Mayor Jack Mulligan and makes Peck head of PCOC to hinder the Ghostbusters while he uses his only living descendant, Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn, to invoke the nodes of his mandala and revive Gozer. After once again being defeated by the Ghostbusters and failing to capture Ilyssa, Shandor becomes further disillusioned of Gozer, and decides to use the mandala to merge the ghost world with the real world in order to become a god himself, taking on a form similar to a massive demon covered in molten rock. The Ghostbusters defeat Shandor once and for all by crossing the streams after following him into the ghost world.

The Ghostbusters script lists the spelling of the surname as Sandor, which is pronounced "shandor" and in fact is spelled Šandor as a moderately common Croatian surname.

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Human Characters

Oscar Barrett

Oscar Barrett (played by William T. Deutschendorf and Hank J. Deutschendorf II) is Dana Barrett's baby boy. He is almost sacrificed to serve as the new incarnation of Vigo the Carpathian but this is stopped by the Ghostbusters.

Janosz Poha

Dr. Janosz Poha (played by Peter MacNicol) is Dana Barrett's boss at the fictional Manhattan Museum of Art. He is somewhat nerdy and harbours a hopeless love interest in her. Dr. Poha is later enslaved by Vigo the Carpathian to bring Dana's baby Oscar to serve as a new vessel for Vigo's evil spirit. However, Vigo's plan for reanimation is stopped by the Ghostbusters, who also manage to free Dr. Poha from Vigo's spell.

Ghosts

Vigo the Carpathian

Vigo the Carpathian (full name: "Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf") (Wilhelm von Homburg) appears in the second film as the main antagonist. Vigo was a sadistic, cruel, sinister and power-hungry tyrant of Carpathia, self-described as the "Scourge of Carpathia" and "the Sorrow of Moldavia". Born in 1505, Vigo was an expert in sorcery and black magic. He enjoyed an unnaturally long life (fueled by black magic to give him immortality) which comes to an equally unnatural end when in the year 1610 he is "poisoned, stabbed, shot, hanged, stretched, disemboweled, drawn and quartered" by his own people before being beheaded. Even this does not kill him instantly – as Stanz notes that "just before his head died" he vowed to return saying "death is but a door, time is but a window, I'll be back".

Vigo's spirit is eventually transferred into a life size portrait which makes its way to the restoration department of the Manhattan Museum of Art in 1989, the setting for the Ghostbusters II movie. Using the psychomagnetheric mood slime to become active, Vigo manipulates the art gallery's curator, Dr. Janosz Poha (Peter MacNicol), into finding him a child (Dana's son Oscar) whose body he can inhabit. His plan is ultimately foiled by the Ghostbusters' use of the positive mood slime.

In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the portrait of Vigo is stored in the Ghostbusters' firehouse. Though no longer a threat, Vigo enjoys insulting and taunting anybody who approaches him. He also makes cryptic predictions based on real-world history, as the game's release post-dates the time period of the game by nearly two decades.

Scoleri brothers

Nunzio and Tony Scoleri were convicted murderers sentenced to death by electric chair by Judge Stephen "The Hammer" Wrexler. They later return as ghosts when Judge Wrexler was trying the Ghostbusters in court.

Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)

Eduardo Rivera

Eduardo Rivera (voiced by Rino Romano) was first introduced as one of the next generation of Ghostbusters in Extreme Ghostbusters. He seemingly a lazy, sarcastic and somewhat clueless character, Eduardo nevertheless makes himself an integral part of the team by being determined and reliable. Eduardo, along with Garrett, resembles original Ghostbuster Peter Venkman in that, like Venkman, Eduardo is sarcastic, has a penchant for pursuing attractive women, and is generally unscientific and constantly spouts pop culture references. He also reads "J.N. Kline" young-adult horror novels. Eduardo has a long-running subplot dealing with a love/hate relationship between him and Kylie, although it is very much revealed "In Your Dreams" that he has intimate feelings and dreams about her. These feelings are further enforced in that he is usually the one to rescue Kylie from dangerous situations, and vice versa, in several episodes. He once said to Kylie herself that nothing was going to happen to her "while [he's] around". In fact, in the episode "Darkness at Noon" he outright admitted to Kylie, who was possessed by a ghost at the time, that he felt an attraction of sorts when he saw her for the first time and even showed the intention of kissing her when Kylie asked him to. In "The Unseen" he takes the rap for Kylie's mistake, not wanting "the worst day of her life to get any worse". In "Rage", Eduardo reveals to have an older brother, Carlos "Carl" Rivera, an NYPD officer who is angry with Eduardo for not being a police officer like the rest of their family, and thinks the Ghostbuster are a scam, which is why Eduardo kept his job a secret. In the same episode it is also implied that his father is dead (or at least retired) as he and Carlos refer to him in the past tense during a heated argument. In "Fear Itself", it's revealed that Eduardo has a fear of death (specifically his own). He has a vicious rivalry with Slimer, but has ended up working with the ghost, and volunteered to save him in "Slimer's Sacrifice". He also has an on the surface rivalry with Garrett with the two often mocking each other and attempting to one up the other. In spite of this as the series goes on the two seem to have the closest thing to a friendship even though Garrett's enthusiastic personality completely contrasts Eduardo's cynical attitude. (The official website claimed he slacks off due to fear of failure.) Despite all his cynicism and slacking he demonstrates a reasonably high level of intelligence as in the episode "Eyes of a Dragon" he states how the proton aspect of light works to Kylie and later on how to defeat the ghost of that episode. Eduardo was also the one to smash a cursed orb, causing the eye-stealing ghost to disintegrate in the episode "The Unseen" and also continued the incantation that destroyed the demon of an alternate dimension in which he, Roland and Kylie were imprisoned in the episode "Casting the Runes". Eduardo has also exhibited bouts of jealousy whenever Kylie seemingly flirts with other men and in "Till Death Do Us Start" he showed signs of sheepish nervousness when asked if he and Kylie were together.

Kylie Griffin

Kylie Griffin (voiced by Tara Strong, credited at the time as Tara Charendoff) was first introduced as one of the next generation of Ghostbusters in Extreme Ghostbusters. She is the unofficial leader of her group and carries the ghost trap on her back. She becomes involved with the Ghostbusters after enrolling in Egon Spengler's course at City College of New York. Kylie shares certain traits with Egon, such as knowledge of the supernatural. Both are eccentric and socially awkward and they both had encounters with supernatural beings from their childhood (Egon met the Boogeyman and Kylie's friend was taken by the Grundel). As part of Extreme Ghostbusters, Kylie is featured in the video games Extreme Ghostbusters for the Game Boy Color, Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 for Game Boy Advance and Extreme Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Invasion for the PlayStation. She was also the basis of several action figures from Trendmasters. Kylie is widely regarded as the fan favorite of Extreme Ghostbusters.

Kylie reappears as a supporting character in IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters comic. She first appears in issue 5 in 2012 as the manager of Ray Stantz's occult book shop. In November 2012, it was announced that Kylie would be made an official Ghostbuster in issues beginning in February 2013.

Roland Jackson

Roland Jackson (voiced by Alfonso Ribeiro) was first introduced as one of the next generation of Ghostbusters in Extreme Ghostbusters. He the mechanic of the group. Roland is the most level-headed and mechanically-gifted of the new Ghostbusters, helping Egon repair and improve the Proton Packs and Ecto-1; his reason for joining Egon's class was seeing the Ecto-1 at an auto show. Roland approaches the paranormal from a practical point-of-view, and in the episode "Fear Itself" reveals that his only fear is the dangerous breakdown of his equipment. In "The Infernal Machine", he became disgruntled that his technological efforts were being taken for granted. Roland's strongest wish is to get into the Ivy League and become a doctor. He's a very staid, square personality, slow to anger, though he came close to striking one of the racists in "The True Face of the Monster"; it's implied he's had to deal with racist attitudes before. Roland has twice come under the mental control of villains, the Siren in "Sonic Youth" and Luko in "The Infernal Machine". "Grease" reveals Roland is the oldest in a lower-middle-class family and volunteers for the Little League and helps the homeless; in "Grundelesque" we meet his very mischievous younger brother whom Roland (at first) refuses to believe is a troublemaker. Like Winston, Roland is the only African American member of the team, yet he has a talent with machines like Ray.

Garrett Miller

Garrett Miller (voiced by Jason Marsden) was first introduced as one of the next generation of Ghostbusters in Extreme Ghostbusters. Garrett is a lifelong wheelchair user, has a very 'jock'-like attitude and is a huge fan of extreme sports and attempting mad stunts. In the episode "Grease", it's revealed that Garrett was born with the inability to walk and studying to be a physical therapist, and throughout the series he only refers to his condition to mock it (and in "Be Careful What You Wish For", uses it as an excuse to dump some work on Eduardo). He is the most headstrong and enthusiastic of the new Ghostbusters, often claiming that he's in it only for the adrenaline rush; he was left bitterly disappointed in "Ghost Apocalyptic Future" to learn he was the only Ghostbuster not remembered in the future dystopia. While he studies to be a physical therapist to help other disabled people, his secret dream is to be an NBA star. In "Fear Itself", it's revealed that Garrett is claustrophobic (though he never admits it to anyone), and has a deep disdain towards the FBI ever since the incident where two agents arrested them under the belief they were causing the sabotages and released a gremlin they recently captured while they were on a plane. He has a rivalry with Eduardo, the two of them constantly bantering and trying to one-up each other. In "Deadliners", we find out Garrett wrote a (bad) horror story starring himself (the other Ghostbusters died on the first page, to their annoyance). Like Ray, Garrett is the most enthusiastic. Garrett is the only Ghostbuster in the history of the franchise never to be made as a toy (all other Ghostbusters received at least two toys, including Louis and Janine), presumably due to the implausibility of having the wheelchair as a separate assembling piece. Though a prototype figure was made. Bob Higgins has said that during a focus group of young children, the creators found Garrett was the most popular character: "when we asked... which of these characters would you want to be and they all wanted to be Garrett, they all wanted to be the guy that does the crazy things. They all wanted to be the guy that was the leader and they all kind of saw him as the leader of this group [even though he wasn't]".

Ghostbusters (2016)

Human characters

Erin Gilbert

Dr. Erin Gilbert in the 2016 film, played by Kristen Wiig, is Abby Yates' second-in-command. She is introduced as an assistant physics professor at Columbia University, but her bid for tenure fails after her previous research into the paranormal with Abby comes to light. She has long since dismissed her belief in ghosts, but regains it after being slimed by Gertrude Aldridge during a face-to-face encounter.

In the novelization, she is depicted as having grown up near Battle Creek, Michigan; she met Abby in her senior year of high school, and spent much of her time at the University of Michigan researching ghosts with Abby. She did postgraduate work at Princeton University, and got her doctorate at MIT. She shares traits with Peter Venkman as both kept getting slimed, they are also team leaders with a sense of humor and attraction to the opposite gender.

Abby Yates

Dr. Abigail L. "Abby" Yates is portrayed by Melissa McCarthy in the 2016 film, and is the Ghostbusters' de facto leader.

In the novelization, she transferred to Erin's high school after moving from Indiana in her senior year. The two became fast friends, and spent their college years at the University of Michigan researching ghosts. They collaborated on a book about their findings, but Erin backed out of a planned interview after her graduate advisor at Princeton panned the project. Undaunted, she moved to New York City to continue her research.

In the film, she rereleases her book without Erin's consent, threatening her bid for tenure. When Erin demands to have the book taken down, Abby complies, in exchange for her participation at a ghost investigation with Holtzmann at the Aldridge Mansion Museum. She shares traits to Ray Stantz for both are sometimes get possessed, and they both have the same enthusiasm and talent for invention.

Jillian Holtzmann

Dr. Jillian "Holtz" Holtzmann is portrayed by Kate McKinnon in the 2016 film. A nuclear engineer by training, she is introduced as Abby's research partner and becomes the team's equipment designer, constructing their proton packs as well as a range of auxiliary weapons. She is hinted to have a romantic interest in Erin, as seen in an alternate ending scene where she claims that they are dating, as well as several other instances of flirting throughout the film. Her mentor is Dr. Rebecca Gorin (Sigourney Weaver).

In the novelization, it is revealed that she narrowly missed being admitted to CERN. Several of her peers in school started calling her by her last name because "Jillian" sounded too feminine, and by the time of the film she almost never answers to her first name. She shares traits with Egon Spengler for both are intelligent and tend to do strange things.

Director Paul Feig confirmed in an interview with The Daily Beast that Holtzmann was supposed to be a lesbian, or somewhere on the LGBT+ spectrum, but the studio refused to allow that detail into the movie and instead left the audience with the freedom of more personal interpretation of her character. She was also observed by some viewers to depict autistic traits, or more specifically, someone with Asperger syndrome.

Patty Tolan

Patricia "Patty" Tolan is portrayed by Leslie Jones in the 2016 film. She works for the New York MTA as a subway booth attendant, and is the only member of Abby's team who does not have an advanced degree. She is however, a big fan of non-fiction and is a municipal historian with intense knowledge of New York's history. After contacting them to report a ghost sighting in one of the tunnels, she joins the team and borrows a hearse from her uncle's funeral home that is eventually converted into Ecto-1, a vehicle for personnel and equipment transport.

She shares traits with Winston Zeddemore as both believe in the supernatural without being scientists, and also both are African American.

Kevin Beckman

Kevin Beckman is a receptionist in the office building of the Ghostbusters team in 2016 film, played by Chris Hemsworth. He serves as the male counterpart to Janine Melnitz from the first two films. In the film, he applies for job in office building where the Erin and her mates are establishing ghost and supernatural business headquarters. They are skeptical to hire him for being silly and bit dumb, but he gets the job as he is seen as a nice, calm guy. Kevin sometimes provides jokes and statements to the team throughout the film. Later he becomes possessed by the spirit of Rowan North who uses him as a host and goes to Mercado Hotel to activate the device to unleash the ghost army in New York City. The Ghostbusters arrive in the building to save him and Rowan discards him but the girls catch him when Kevin falls down to the floor. After repelling Rowan's invasion, Kevin is back in his job as the girls see him as a valuable worker in their business.

Rowan North

Rowan North is an occultist and a former employee of the Mercado Hotel in the 2016 film as the main antagonist, portrayed by Neil Casey. In the film, he left his former job and became an occultist because he felt his life became miserable when he was mistreated in own life. Obsessed with the supernatural, Rowan attempted to unleash the ghost army in New York City by putting devices across the city connected to main machine in the Mercado Hotel in Times Square, as a former site of paranormal history, along with Ley lines within the New York area to activate the portal and create the vortex between the two worlds. Rowan also used the book called "Ghost From Our Past", written by Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates as inspiration for his plans. When the Ghostbusters discovered his plans, he planned to turned it on, but as the police arrived, he committed suicide. However, as the Ghostbusters later discovered, he had planned all along to commit suicide, so he could become a ghost. Rowan possessed Abby briefly, then Kevin Beckman as host to get to the Mercado hotel and activate the portal machine, resulting in the unleashing of the ghosts in New York. When the Ghostbusters arrived, Rowan discarded the host and transformed into the Ghostbusters logo, a demonic gigantic version of the cartoon ghost. When the girls destroyed the vortex, he was pulled into the ghost dimension, but caught Abby, trying to kill her. Erin entered the dimension and saved her, while Rowan was disintegrated in that dimension, ending his invasion.

Ghosts

Gertrude Aldridge

Gertrude Aldridge was the first ghost seen by Erin, Abby and Holtzmann in the 2016 film. She was portrayed by Bess Rous. Gertrude Aldridge was the horribly disturbed daughter of a wealthy New York aristocrat who was responsible for the murder of the family's servants. As a result, she spent the rest of her life locked away in her family manor's basement instead of being turned over to the police, being occasionally fed food through a small slot in the door. In the present day, she haunts the Aldridge Mansion Museum when Tour Guide Garrett (Zach Woods) was about to head home. As soon as Garrett heard her banging on the basement door, he attempted to run out, but the doorknob was red hot. He later attempts to throw a chair to the window, but the chair floats and hit him instead. After going through the basement door and down the stairs, he discovers some green slime on the basement floor, then noticed he got some on his hands. He runs up the stairs to the door, but they collapsed, leaving him clinging on for dear life. Gertrude later reveals herself from the slime on the floor, with Garrett screaming in terror. While Abby and the group were inspecting the mansion, her ghost appears from the basement door, moving towards the group. When Erin tries to communicate with her, Gertrude suddenly transmogrifies and projects ectoplasmic vomit on Erin, then escapes out of a wall and into the streets.

During Rowan's invasion of New York City, the team, calling themselves "Ghostbusters" encounter her again, alongside the Electrocuted Ghost found in the subway and Mayhem. She participates in the battle by picking Erin up off the ground and throwing her to a nearby pilgrim ghost. She later attempts to attack Erin again with "Sparky", but they end up getting knocked back by a proton shotgun blast.

Electrocuted Ghost

The Electrocuted Ghost (not to be confused with the Scoleri brothers of the 1989 film), also known as "Sparky", is the second ghost Erin, Abby and Holtzmann spotted. It is implied that he is the ghost of a criminal executed by the electric chair. He is portrayed by Dave Allen. Shortly after Rowan North (Neil Casey) gave his train ticket to Patty Tolan, he disappeared onto the tracks, causing Patty to go tell him to get out. Instead of finding him, she finds a device on the tracks. The device then opens, revealing the Electrocuted Ghost, causing Patty to flee. Later, the team arrive with Patty and after inspecting the tracks for a bit, Sparky appears. The team decides to test their new proton lasers on him, but the first attempt did not have enough power to even reach the ghost. After being caught in the second attempt, a train later hits Sparky, nearly killing the group as well. Patty then states he will be the third scariest thing on the train.

The Ghostbusters encounter "Sparky" again, alongside Gertrude Aldridge and Mayhem during the Battle for New York. He joins Gertrude Aldridge in trying to attack Erin, but they get knocked back by a proton shotgun blast, which caused him to disintegrate.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020)

Human Characters

Phoebe Spengler

Phoebe Spengler is portrayed by Mckenna Grace in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Trevor Spengler

Trevor Spengler is portrayed by Finn Wolfhard in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Callie Spengler

Callie Spengler is portrayed by Carrie Coon in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Mr. Grooberson

Mr. Grooberson is portrayed by Paul Rudd in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Sheriff Domingo

The sheriff Domingo is portrayed by Bokeem Woodbine in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Elton

Elton is portrayed by Oliver Cooper in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.