Ghostbusters (Film Series): Villains and Ghosts / Characters

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Main Character Index | Ghostbusters | Other Human Characters | Villains and Ghosts

As a character sheet, spoilers are OFF, including for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. You Have Been Warned.

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Villains

Gozer

"Subcreatures, Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, the Traveler has come; choose and perish."

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gozer_4.jpg

The Destructor's "chosen form".

Played by: Slavitza Jovan (humanoid form, Ghostbusters), Paddi Edwards (voice, Ghostbusters, uncredited), Olivia Wilde (humanoid form, Afterlife, uncredited), Emma Portner (spirit form, Afterlife), Shohreh Aghdashloo (voice, Afterlife)

Appears in: Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters: Afterlife

An ancient Sumerian deity fond of entering dimensions and destroying them. Its impending arrival somehow causes an increase in the spectral activity of the targeted dimension, starting the events of the first movie.

'80s Hair: Sports a mean flat-top.
Adaptation Name Change: The Sega Master System version of the 1984 video game misspells its name as "Gorza".
Agony Beam: Fires a blast of electricity at the Ghostbusters after they told it they were not gods.
Arch-Enemy: Of the Ghostbusters as a whole, and of Egon (and his family) in particular.
As Long as It Sounds Foreign: "Gozer" doesn't mean anything in Sumerian and doesn't even particularly sound like a Sumerian word.
Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Went from a "large and moving torb" to a "giant sloar" and then a giant marshmallow man. It typically arrives in a pre-chosen form from a previous world it destroyed.
Ax-Crazy: ABSOLUTELY! Gozer Will kill everyone, including its summoners and worshipers, all else in its way.
Big Bad: Of the first movie and Afterlife.
Brought Down to Badass: In Afterlife, Gozer is much less powerful than in the original film, but it’s still a god, and easily thrashes both teams until they enact Egon’s multi-trap master plan
Clipped-Wing Angel: Ray's chosen Destroyer, Mr Stay-Puft, is huge and certainly dangerous, but now Gozer's clumsy, slow, and made of a substance that's both edible and easily destructible. The only thing it can do against the Ghostbusters is climb the building they're on, and it's so slow that the team figures out how to close the interdimensional gate by the time it reaches the roof. This is probably why Gozer never takes on a new form after being resummoned in Afterlife, instead using its initial humanoid form with all the powers it has. In addition, Gozer is noticeably weaker in Afterlife than in the first movie — probably because it's not sitting on top of a psychic amplifier in a city full of countless dead.
Combat Stilettos: In its humanoid form.
Deader than Dead: Strongly implied with the ending of Afterlife. Gozer didn't just get captured, Gozer got shredded into hundreds of individually stored pieces, which across most versions of the Ghostbusters is the only reliable way to truly get rid of a ghost.
Decomposite Character: The NES version of the 1984 video game has Gozer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man as two separate characters. Stay Puft climbs the skyscraper as the player fights Gozer on the roof.
Destroyer Deity: One of their titles is "Gozer the Destructor" and they seem to exist only to destroy whatever world they are summoned in.
Evil Sounds Deep: Speaks with a very deep, raspy, and thundering voice.
A Form You Are Comfortable With: Apparently Gozer's trademark. When it arrives to cause an apocalypse, it forces the denizens of the world it's about to destroy to choose the form it will end them with. Ray accidentally chooses the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, which he believes to be incapable of causing the kind of destruction Gozer wants — and probably would have been, had it not been the size of a skyscraper.
For the Evulz: Seems to travel universes and destroy civilizations entirely for its own amusement.
Generic Doomsday Villain: It seems to be called "the Destroyer" because that's all humans really know about it: that it destroys things whenever it comes to Earth. Exclusive only to the first film, as Ghostbusters: Afterlife has it given a clear nasty personality in contrast.
Ghostapo: Afterlife lists 1945 as one of the years in Shandor's tomb, implying that Gozer might have been the cause of World War II. That, or possibly some of the horrors involved in the end of the war.
The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: The video game and comics say it had a major rivalry with its sister Tiamat.
Hijacked by Ganon: In Afterlife, the mysterious earthquakes in Summerville and Egon's death are revealed to be the result of Gozer returning back to Earth to finish what it had started in 1984. And to ensure its status as the Big Bad, Gozer kills Ivo Shandor shortly after he's revived.
Hoist by His Own Petard: The door Gozer used to enter our world is also the thing that pushed it back out. Further, Gozer's habit of making the inhabitants of a realm choose the form used to destroy it works against Gozer this time; Gozer ends up stuck in a chubby, awkward body made of marshmallows and lacking any special destructive abilities, bringing Gozer down to a level where four random humans manage to thwart the destruction entirely (multiple times if you count the Expanded Universe).
Humanoid Abomination: At least Gozer took the form of one. Its true form has never been revealed.
I Have Many Names: Also known as "Gozer the Gozerian", "Gozer the Traveler," "Gozer the Destructor", "Lord of the Sebouillia" and "Volguus Zildrohar."
Jackass Genie: No matter what you think of, Gozer can and will twist it into something (apparently) capable of destroying the world.
Jerkass God: Gozer seems to look down on any being who isn't a deity of some kind to the point where it will torture or kill them on the spot.
Gozer: Are you a god?
Ray:...No.
Gozer: Then....DIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!
Knight of Cerebus: In Afterlife, Gozer's first act upon returning is killing Egon, possibly by proxy in the form of Zuul. When returning fully in the climax, despite the best efforts of the kids, it takes backup from the original Ghostbusters and Egon's ghost to bring the firepower to put up enough of a fight to get Gozer into the massive web of traps Egon had set up for it.
Merger of Souls: Stay-Puft forms when four roamers merge together in the 1984 video game.
Mesopotamian Monstrosity: Gozer was worshiped by the Sumerians as a god when it and its minions first appeared on Earth.
No Biological Sex: Gozer only takes on forms with characteristics of other genders. In truth, it has none of its own.
Winston: I thought Gozer was a man.
Egon: It's whatever it wants to be.
No-Nonsense Nemesis: It seems to have learned from its mistakes in Afterlife, as not only does it kill Egon the first opportunity it gets, but it also doesn't bother with the Destroyer form demands like in 1984.
Not Quite Dead: Returns as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the 2009 game, but in this game is fried to a crisp.
The Not-So-Harmless Punishment: Ray tries to think of a form for Gozer that couldn't possibly hurt anyone. There were certainly worse forms Gozer could have had, but Gozer still ends up as a hostile kaiju.
"Nice thinking, Ray."
Oh, Crap!: Stay-Puft’s cheery smile is wiped off his face when it sees the Ghostbusters crossing their proton streams and firing into its portal, indicating Gozer knows what they’re doing, and that it’s doomed.
Omnicidal Maniac: Seems to be Gozer's main goal. It kills everyone, its summoners, even its worshipers and all else in its way.
One-Winged Angel: It prefers to force its victims to choose a monstrous Destroyer form to kill them with. Unfortunately for it, Ray's choice turns it into a Clipped-Wing Angel. Defied in Afterlife though, as it stays in its normal form for the duration of its presence on Earth.
Otherworldly and Sexually Ambiguous:
- In the final confrontation of Ghostbusters, the boys are surprised that s/he's a "girl", but clearly, s/he is both, though it leans more towards the feminine.
  Ray: It's a girl.
  Egon: It's Gozer.
  Winston: I thought Gozer was a man.
  Egon: It's whatever it wants to be.
- Played for Laughs in Afterlife, where Lucky notes that it's “pretty woke” that a God/dess was effectively genderqueer thousands of years before the present day.
Person of Mass Destruction: Gozer has come to be known for its tendency to destroy all that is in its path.
Physical God: Gozer is one of, if not THE most powerful being that Ghostbusters ever encountered. It's estimated that if it had managed to fully come into its power in the physical world not even crossing the proton streams would have worked against it.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Just look at them!
Returning Big Bad: The Traveler returns to plague Egon's grandchildren in Afterlife.
Sadistic Choice: Upon arriving at a targeted planet, Gozer demands the inhabitants choose the form it will take before it destroys the world. As the inhabitants of Earth find out, even seemingly harmless choices will appear as dangerous monsters.
Sealed Evil in a Six Pack: Gozer is split between multiple traps in Egon's farmyard in Afterlife.
Shapeshifter Mode Lock:
- The Expanded Universe has implied that she was permanently stuck in the marshmallow man form. There are no indications of this in Afterlife one way or the other, though the Marshmallow Man motif returns as a disturbing manifestation from marshmallows in the grocery store.
- In the 2009 video game, Ray mentions the possibility that Gozer is only able to create one Destructor form per dimension and therefore will only be able to manifest as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in this one.
- The IDW comics have an alternate timeline where the Ghostbusters never defeated her, and she's stranded on Earth in the Stay-Puft form. After asking the Ghostbusters for help, they travel back in time to the Temple of Gozer and cover it in pictures of an even sillier cartoon character called Loofa Joe so their past versions would subconsciously turn Gozer into this if she tried to attack Earth again.
Soul Power: In Afterlife, the way Gozer is first shown manifesting, and at the end when they are trapped, seems to imply that this is how Gozer powers itself, as it first manifests through a torrent of writhing spirits, and when the trap field activates, instead of just sucking it in, the field seems to rip said spirits out of its body first.
Taught by Experience: When confronting the Ghostbusters old and new in the finale of Afterlife, Gozer actively attacks the streams from their Proton Packs whenever they try to bind it, having realized from its first encounter with them that these attacks can actually harm it.
Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: A disturbing Humanoid Abomination with plans to destroy the world in a relatively light-hearted horror-comedy.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: From an androgynous woman covered in bubbles to a giant marshmallow man. Truly, Gozer doesn't seem to care what form it takes.
Walking Spoiler: Kinda hard to talk about its return in Afterlife without giving away the film's climax.

Zuul and Vinz Clortho

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zuul_7.jpg

"There is no Dana, only Zuul!"

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vinzclortho.jpg

"Vinz Clortho, keymaster of Gozer, are you the gatekeeper?"

Played by: Ivan Reitman (voice of Zuul)

Appear in: Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Hellhound demigods and Gozer's loyal minions and scouts. Zuul is "The Gatekeeper" presumably responsible for guarding the Traveler's portal while Vinz Clortho is "The Keymaster" with the power to open it. They enter Earth first to prepare it for Gozer's arrival with Zuul possessing Dana Barrett and Vinz possessing Louis Tully.

Affably Evil: Vinz enthusiastically gushes to Egon about how Gozer has destroyed previous worlds and seems to expect humans to be genuinely excited about being destroyed. Vinz even politely assists Egon in mundane tasks and seems more like an excited puppy than a demonic invader. Come Afterlife, this may have been a side effect of Vinz possessing Louis (a nebbishy accountant), as when it possesses Gary (a scientist) it is far more competent in doing its master's bidding, as shown by him tampering with Egon's automatic stream crosser. Even so, Vinz remains quite dorky when not performing important tasks for its master or when flirting before performing the ritual with Zuul.
Animalistic Abomination: Despite the two being referred to as hellhounds, they only bear a vague resemblance to dogs, resembling more a horned, shaved bear with reptilian traits than anything.
Apocalypse Maiden: Because she lives in an apartment building designed by a cultist intending to bring back the ancient god Gozer, known as the Destructor, Dana is chosen to become possessed by the entity Zuul, the Gatekeeper. Louis, her neighbor, is possessed by Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster. Together, the possessed couple open the doorway between worlds to allow Gozer to come to Earth to begin destroying.
Beware the Silly Ones: Vinz, who is Endearingly Dorky when possessing Louis. In Afterlife, while possessing Grooberson, he destroys the stream-crossing rig meant to keep the 2021 apocalypse at bay, showing that he can be every bit as cunning as Zuul when he needs to be.
Character Catchphrase: When identifying itself to a character, Zuul will state, "There is no (human), only Zuul." In the original film, this is how Zuul identifies itself when Peter asks for Dana, and in Afterlife, this is how it responds when Phoebe asks for her mother.
Cloud Cuckoolander: Vinz clearly isn't all there, though part of it may have been due to possessing Louis Tully. Zuul as well to some extent, as while possessing Dana she slams the door on Peter when he says he's not the Keymaster, only to immediately open it and ask again when he knocks. Also present in Afterlife as well, even before he possesses Grooberson. Immediately after being summoned the first thing Vinz does is go to Walmart to chow down on their supply of dog food. And upon meeting Zuul he gives her a flower as a token of appreciation... and Zuul immediately eats it.
Co-Dragons: To Gozer.
Creator Cameo: Director Ivan Reitman provided the voice for Zuul.
"There is no Dana, ONLY ZUUL."
Demonic Possession: The possessed forms of Louis and Dana. Also, Callie and Grooberson. Zuul also briefly possesses Lucky when Callie gets exorcised after Gozer's arrival.
Destructo-Nookie: Zuul and Vinz need human forms to possess because the method of summoning Gozer is for them to have sex. As for the destructive part, can't get more destructive than bringing about The End of the World as We Know It!
Do You Want to Copulate?: The possessed Dana is visited by Peter and almost immediately begins aggressively trying to bed him.
Dana: Do you want this body?
Peter: Is this a trick question? I guess the roses worked, huh?
Dana: Take me now, subcreature.
[...]
Peter: I make it a rule never to get involved with possessed people. (passionate kissing) Actually, it's more of a guideline than a rule.
Dana: I want you inside me.
Peter: Sounds like there are at least two people inside there already. Might get a little crowded.
Dumb Muscle: Vinz even before possessing Louis shows that, while strong and tough, he's not exactly the brightest bulb of all. He attacks Louis in a crowded place, thus letting other people notice him, while Zuul attacks Dana inside her apartment without anyone finding out until Peter arrives for his date with her. Vinz also constantly smashes against tables and walls while chasing Louis. He hasn't gotten any smarter by the time of Afterlife. His first stop upon summoning is a local Walmart to eat some dog food, and people did see him, as a woman's scream was what alerted Grooberson to his presence. Speaking of which, his chase to possess Grooberson resulted in him destroying several shelves and the sliding doors. Zuul was once again more subtle with possessing Callie, as she waits until she's alone at the house, and isn't discovered until Phoebe and the others return.
Elite Mooks: Intimidating and frightening by themselves, but ultimately not the Big Bad.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Afterlife makes it clear that Zuul and Vinz actually do love each other, with Vinz complimenting Zuul on her new host (Callie) and offering her a flower as a token of affection.
Evil Costume Switch: After becoming possessed by Zuul, Dana Barrett greets Peter Venkman wearing only a diaphanous, flowing bronze dress which reveals a lot of skin. We see this as well in Afterlife with Callie, where it turns out to be a supernatural Instant Costume Change. Vinz, on the other hand, is perfectly content to keep the clothes of his host, even if they are torn up from the possession.
Evil Sounds Deep: Zuul's voice becomes deep and monstrous when angered by Peter Venkman.
Fan Disservice: Zuul doesn't particularly care who it partners with - even if they aren't the Keymaster - and is very alarming in making that known. In the original film she accosts Peter, and while she's both attractive and very willing the fact that it's clearly not Dana makes the situation disturbing rather than sexy - even to Venkman. In Afterlife it's even worse, when she asks Podcast if he is Vinz and strokes his face before Phoebe yells at her.
Hellhounds: They're known as "Terror Dogs".
Lady in Red:
- When possessed by Zuul, Dana wears a revealing, bronze-red dress and her behavior becomes overtly sexual: first attempting to seduce Peter and later meeting and hooking up with Louis (possessed by Vinz Clortho).
- Afterlife establishes that Zuul's clothing isn't something that was owned by Dana — it's a dress that Zuul manifests on the wearer, in this case, Callie Spengler. In Afterlife she prefers gold, but in the same style.
The Mirror Shows Your True Self: When Egon has the possessed Louis hooked up to a brain-wave scanner, the image on the display is of Vinz Clortho's demonic head.
Monstrous Humanoid: In Afterlife they are shown to be able to take on an alternative humanoid form called the Terror Sentinel, depictions of which can be seen in Gozer's temple, as a figure on Egon's desk, and an illustration in Tobin's Spirit Guide. Zuul briefly manifests as a spectral Terror Sentinel made of Ominous Fog before attacking Egon, and Vinz Clortho manifests as a Terror Sentinel after being freed from the trap he'd been sealed in.
Ms. Fanservice: Zuul, at least while it's in Dana's body, wears a shiny, flowing bronze-red dress which reveals a lot of bare shoulders and long legs throughout her possession, as well as very vampish makeup. Does it again with Callie in Afterlife.
Offscreen Teleportation: After breaking free of their statue forms, they almost instantly materialized in Dana's kitchen and Louis's closet. Justified in that they are supernatural creatures and that Dana's kitchen acts as a doorway to Gozer's realm.
Ominous Fog: Zuul conjures a roiling mist prior to materialising.
Pet the Dog: When Vinz — in Louis's body — asks a horse drawing a carriage if it's the Gatekeeper, the driver rudely accosts him. Vinz growls at the man with glowing red eyes, gently assures the horse that when Gozer comes all prisoners will be released, then runs off shouting to the driver that he and all his kind will perish in flames.
Powers via Possession: Dana and Louis exhibit supernatural abilities when possessed. While on her "date" with Peter, Dana levitates above her bed while growling and snarling in unearthly tones. And her response to the ghosts being released is to psychokinetically blow the walls off her apartment. Louis also growls and flares his eyes red when angered, and also shows PK abilities such as opening doors.
Punch-Clock Villain: Played with regarding Vinz who appears to be quite personable when not performing tasks for his master. Happy to chat with the locals, offer comfort to prisoners and slaves (specifically a horse) with the knowledge they'll be free soon, and eager to explore or learn. But Vinz also very clearly enjoys his function in bringing about the end of whatever world he's arrived in even if he's not in any particular rush unless ordered to hurry by his master.
Quirky Miniboss Squad: For Gozer. They also appear to come with their own — Zuul has an army of hands that burst from things, and Vinz Clortho has the Mini Stay-Pufts in Afterlife.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: They both have glowing red eyes, which do shine through the eyes of their human forms.
Slouch of Villainy: Vinz finds Zuul-possessed Dana in this position when they reunite in her apartment. Inverted in Afterlife, where Vinz is the one slouching.
Something Else Also Rises:
- When Zuul and Vinz meet up at Dana’s apartment they share a passionate kiss before ascending to the rooftop; we later see the Ghostbusters arrive at the foot of the building, the sky darkens and they are nearly swallowed up by an earthquake; in other words, the earth moves. Shortly afterward, Zuul and Vinz are shown lying on a ceremonial table on the rooftop, looking exhausted and Vinz's belt is ripped apart and he wakes with a huge grin on his face.
- Afterlife pulls a similar incident when Zuul (Callie Spengler) and Vinz (Gary Grooberson) reunite in the fields outside the town, prompting the same kind of sky-darkening vortex of clouds and energy.
Taken for Granite: The two are first seen as gargoyles atop Dana's apartment building, but once the time for Gozer's arrival drew near, they broke free of the statues to seek out their hosts.
Technician vs. Performer: Zuul prefers subtle ambush tactics when possessing her hosts, while Vinz clumsily uses brute force to hunt down his intended host.
That Man Is Dead: After Peter arrives to find Dana possessed by Zuul, he makes multiple attempts to communicate with her. Becoming irritated at his insistence she eventually responds in a deep, growling voice "There is no Dana, only Zuul!"
Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: The humans Zuul and Vinz Clortho possessed in the first movie have a large height disparity which becomes accentuated when Dana Barrett dips Louis Tully during their kiss when they reunite while possessed. Sigourney Weaver is 6' tall while Rick Moranis is listed at 5'6".
Transformation of the Possessed: After completing their tasks to bring about the coming of Gozer, Zuul and Vinz Clortho transform their human hosts into their own native, hellhound forms. After their deaths however, it's revealed that their bodies actually form around their hosts, making it more of a case of being Eaten Alive in a particularly Body Horror filled way.
Unusual Euphemism: "The Keymaster" and "The Gatekeeper". It's strongly implied they have to have sex to open the portal to Gozer's realm and are both shown disheveled and Louis sporting a broken belt buckle after they reunite atop Dana's apartment building. Afterlife pretty much throws away all subtext and straight-up says they need to have sex to summon Gozer.
The Vamp: Zuul, while possessing Dana.
Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Unlike Vinz, Zuul is played straight as an evil, demonic being.

Vigo the Carpathian

Prince Vigo Von Homburg Deutschendorf / Vigo the Carpathian

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vigogb.png

"I, Vigo, the Scourge of Carpathia, the Sorrow of Moldavia, command you!"

Played by: Wilhelm von Homburg (humanoid form), Max von Sydow (voice)

Dubbed by: Jean Violette (European French)

Appears in: Ghostbusters II

A 16th-century tyrant and sorcerer, Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf conquered a good section of Eastern Europe before being put down by a rebellion at the age of 105. Vigo reappeared in modern-day Manhattan possessing his own portrait and generated a "mood slime" that heightened and reacted to people's negative emotions, which hastened his return.

0% Approval Rating: He wasn't exactly well-liked by his subjects as he was also known as "Vigo the Cruel", "Vigo the Torturer", "Vigo the Despised", and "Vigo the Unholy".
Ambiguously Human: Seeing as how Vigo lived to be 105 and was tremendously difficult to kill, coupled with the plainly demonic appearance (complete with black eyes of evil and horns) he assumes in the film's climax, it's highly possible that Vigo was always some kind of demon that had possessed/merged with the human Vigo in the past and desired to possess another host. That, and his talk about "a mountain of skulls", "on the castle of pain" and sitting "on a throne of blood" are things that would exist in Hell, but not anywhere on Earth, even at the worst points in human history. Though it was most likely an example of a Badass Boast. While not quite mountain-sized, huge piles of skulls have featured over the centuries with human tyrants: The Mongols, in particular, were fond of creating them.
And I Must Scream: In the video game. Given that he's an entity permanently trapped in a painting. More overtly, his situation gets even worse, as he's stuck in the very building owned by the people who stopped his plan (the Ghostbusters' firehouse), unable to do anything except impotently talk to the Rookie and anyone else within earshot.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: A tyrant and sorcerer who curb-stomps the Ghostbusters.
Bad Ass Boast: "On a mountain of skulls in a castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood."
Big Bad: Of the second movie.
Black Eyes of Crazy: When possessing Ray.
Blob Monster: He controls the living River of Slime beneath New York.
Body Surf: One of his more frightening powers.
Breath Weapon: From his mouth, he fires a blast of some kind of lightning at the paralysed Ghostbusters, to their evident discomfort.
The Caligula: He was an Ax-Crazy tyrant in life to the point where he was also known as "Vigo the Cruel", "Vigo the Torturer", "Vigo the Despised" and "Vigo the Unholy". Egon even mentions that he wasn't exactly a man of the people.
Card-Carrying Villain: He refers to himself as "The Scourge of Carpathia" and "The Sorrow of Moldavia".
Character Catchphrase: "I, Vigo the Scourge of Carpathia, the Sorrow of Moldavia command you!"
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: While Gozer was an extra-dimensional Eldritch Abomination out of H.P. Lovecraft, Vigo was a formerly human Sorcerous Overlord more in line with Sword and Sorcery fantasy.
The Danza: The "Von Homburg" portion of his full name comes from his actor, while the Deutschendorf part comes from the twins that played Oscar - who he was trying to possess as his new vessel.
Demoted to Extra: While still present in the video game, his only role is to be present as a nod to the movie by his appearance via his talking painting in the Firehouse.
The Dreaded: Universally feared and hated by his own subjects while alive.
Emotion Eater: He feeds on human negative energy.
Evil Overlord: After rising to power, Vigo ruled his homeland and later the conquered Romanian region of Moldovia with an iron fist. History would remember him as a powerful magician and an intelligent genius, but also an oppressive tyrant, an egotistical autocrat, a psychopathic lunatic, and a genocidal madman.
The Evil Prince: A notoriously despotic autocrat.
Evil Sorcerer: In his Backstory.
Evil Sounds Deep: He has a booming and menacing baritone voice, courtesy of Max von Sydow.
Exact Words: He needs to possess a child in order to live again. Nothing says it needs to be an actual child as Manchild Ray works just as well.
A God Am I: With the power to back it up.
Harmless Villain: In the video game, he's reduced to nothing more than his painting, unable to do much of anything aside from talk and make the player feel uncomfortable. To add insult to injury, said painting is owned by the very people who beat him: the Ghostbusters.
Hoist by His Own Petard: A version of Vigo's empathic slime empowered with positive emotions is what ultimately does him in.
Horned Humanoid: Grows two stumpy blood-colored horns after being sucked back into the painting during the final confrontation.
I Have Many Names: Also known as Vigo the Cruel, Vigo the Torturer, Vigo the Despised and Vigo the Unholy.
Peter: Wasn't he also Vigo the Butch?
Kubrick Stare: He does this whenever he's angry, but it's especially the case with his demonic form.
Laughably Evil: He's reduced to this in the video game as he doesn't hesitate to be an absolute troll in some of his interactions.
"I see the evil of the times to come... No flying cars! Ever! Hahahahaha!"
Mind over Matter: On briefly corporeal emergence from his painting, he psychokinetically paralyzes the Ghostbusters, and shifts two heavy crates to reach Oscar.
My Death Is Just the Beginning: Upon dying, he declared he would return to the living world one day. And he did.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Was based on Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Dracula. The account of his drawn-out chore of assassination and accusations of mysticism also seems like a nod to Gregori Rasputin.
Obviously Evil: Even discounting his sinister backstory, Vigo already looked sinister with his constant Kubrick Stare and dressing in threatening golden armor, but it becomes especially the case with his Game Face of a horned corpse-like form with black sclera and red irises.
One-Winged Angel: He eventually steps out of the painting in solid form. Outside, the joyous New Year singing neutralizes the Mood Slime, which saps him of energy, and forces him back into the painting. In an apparent attempt to stay active, he warps into a thunderously growling horned corpse.
Psychic-Assisted Suicide: A Deleted Scene has him possessing Ray to make him crash the Ecto-1a and kill the gang but Winston manages to wrestle control of the car.
Rasputinian Death: Practically almost parodied.
Ray: He didn't die of old age, either. He was poisoned, stabbed, shot, hung, stretched, disemboweled, drawn and quartered.
Peter: Ouch!
Ray: ...There was a prophecy, just before his head died. His last words were, "Death is but a door, time is but a window: I'll be back."
Reincarnation: Attempts this, as Dana's baby Oscar was chosen to be Vigo's "new vessel" before the Ghostbusters foil the attempt.
Sealed Evil in a Can: When first encountered, he's trapped in a painting looking for a human host to possess. And yet again in the video game, where the only thing he can do is talk to the player when interacted with.
Sorcerous Overlord: He was one in his past life.
Spooky Painting: Dana comments that the painting gives her chills, even before the paranormal shenanigans begin.
Undead Abomination: He was so powerful that in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, he is classified as a Class 7 entity, the same level as Zuul, Vinz Clortho and Gozer the Gozerian.
Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: In the much more family-conscious second movie, Vigo's backstory of dictatorship and genocide seems especially imposing.
Weaponized Landmark: In the August 5th, 1988, draft script, it was Vigo who animated the Statue of Liberty and rampaged across New York instead of the Ghostbusters.
Wizards Live Longer: He was a Sorcerous Overlord who lived to be 105 and only died after a Rasputinian Death where his head was still talking after it was cut off. In the movie, he's trying to come back and possess a new body.
Would Hurt a Child: Vigo is more than willing to possess baby Oscar for his new body.

Ivo Shandor

"Your eminence, goddess of gods, I have built this temple for you, so that you might return to Earth. And together, we-we can rule the world…"

Played by: J. K. Simmons

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

A renowned architect and doctor in the early 20th century, Ivo Shandor is also an insane follower of the occult. Following the end of World War I, Shandor believes that society is beyond redemption and founded the Cult of Gozer. Using selenium mined from the town of Summerville, Shandor built 550 Central Park West and designed it as an antenna to summon Gozer into the land of the living. Though long dead by 1984, Shandor ensures Gozer's arrival and the destruction of humanity.

Apocalypse Cult: In 1920, Shandor started the Cult of Gozer; he'd amassed over a thousand followers at the time of his death. The purpose of the cult is to prepare for the arrival of Gozer.
Ascended Extra: Shandor is only briefly mentioned in the first movie but has a major role in the Expanded Universe including being the Big Bad in the 2009 video game. He finally makes an appearance in person in Afterlife, still trying to summon Gozer.
Back from the Dead: After Vinz Clortho destroys Egon's jury-rigged Proton Packs that are keeping Gozer's portal suppressed, Shandor's spirit returns to his body, reviving him. Unfortunately, his revival only lasts a few minutes as he is literally torn in half by Gozer after trying to consider himself as Gozer's equal.
Big Bad Wannabe: Though he was responsible for setting up Gozer's return, his villainy simply pales to Gozer the Destructor. And as if to make it clear, Gozer rips the revived Shandor in half in Afterlife, not interested in sharing its rule with a mortal man.
Crazy-Prepared: 550 Central Park West is not the only place Shandor set up for Gozer's arrival. He also has one at Summerville, which serves as a backup in case the one at New York fails.
Evil Counterpart: To Egon Spengler. While Shandor founded a cult worshipping Gozer and to prepare for its arrival, Egon is part of a group preventing it. It is briefly mentioned that Egon is somewhat of a Mad Scientist who, among other things, tried to perform a lobotomy on himself, which is not unlike the "unnecessary surgeries" that Shandor did. The similarities are taken further in Afterlife when Egon is still preventing Gozer from coming into the living plane even in death, the opposite of what Shandor is trying to do.
Evil Old Folks: Shandor is a mad cult leader who plans to bring upon the destruction of humanity after deeming them "too sick to survive". His cult had performed a lot of ritual sacrifice worldwide during their time. Shandor's endgame is to summon Gozer into the living realm to punish humanity for their cruelty, using 550 Central Park West as a conduit and the Summerville mine as a backup.
Greater-Scope Villain: Shandor, though dead by the time of the first movie, has built 550 Central Park West which serves as a gateway for Gozer to cross into the land of the living in order to bring judgment upon humanity. In the event the one in New York fails, he has another one in Summerville where a temple for Gozer is built, along with a portal connecting to the underworld and even a glass coffin holding his own body so he can come back to life.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Shandor is briefly revived in Afterlife but gets ripped in half by Gozer only minutes later. Vertically down the middle.
Human Sacrifice: The Cult of Gozer has perform a lot of ritual sacrifice during their time. One of these places took place at Summerville where the miners willingly jumped down the mine shaft where Gozer's shrine is built.
Malevolent Architecture: Shandor had 550 Central Park West built with roof cap made of a magnesium-tungsten alloy and cold riveted girders with cores of pure selenium, materials not normally used for constructing a building. This is because the building, right down to the materials used to build it, is designed to harness spiritual turbulence and open a portal for Gozer to enter the realm of the living.
Misanthrope Supreme: After the first World War, Shandor came to believe humanity was "too sick to survive" and vowed to bring Gozer to destroy them all.
Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Shandor was a doctor in his life; according to Egon, he did a lot of "unnecessary surgeries", likely as ritual sacrifices to Gozer.
Posthumous Character: Though long dead, Shandor had everything planned out to ensure Gozer is summoned into the world.
Villain with Good Publicity: Shandor's cult has over a thousand followers to help him to bring an evil Sumerian god to the living plane. He also founded and built most of the town of Summerville.
We Can Rule Together: After returning to life, Shandor proposes to Gozer that they rule the world together only for the evil god to kill him.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Shandor's return to life is cut short when Gozer, having finally arrived on the living plane, kills him.

Garraka

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1000066236.jpg

"Your world will shatter — bones and ice. My empire will rise."

Played by: Ian Whyte (puppeteer) and Gil Kenan (voice)

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

An evil spirit trying to raise an army of ghosts.

Achilles' Heel: Brass and Fire. The first time he's hurt is when he's struck with a beam from Phoebe's brass-infused Proton Pack, where as moments before he tanks several Proton beams effortlessly before freezing them solid, and once he overcomes that by freezing her and her Proton Pack, his Near-Villain Victory is undone when Nadeem wraps him in fire, which immediately unfreezes the surrounding area, freeing the Ghostbusters.
And I Must Scream: He's still able to see and interact outside of his prison.
Big Bad: Of Frozen Empire.
Breath Weapon: Breathes a stream of ice when battling the Ghostbusters to counter their proton beams.
Brought Down to Badass: A good chunk of Garraka's powers come from his horns. But make no mistake, he's still quite powerful without them.
The Chessmaster: Garraka recruits two ghosts as part of a multi-day plan to ensure his escape, relying on guiding Phoebe into temporarily becoming a ghost in order to achieve the scenario he needs.
The Comically Serious: His reaction to Nadeem's goofy attempts to look badass are to stare at the man with a stoic, almost confused expression.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: While both Garraka and Gozer are extra-dimensional Eldritch Abominations, Gozer was always an Omnicidal Maniac while Garraka, even if he is established to have already been evil beforehand, became omnicidal because he was betrayed by a human.
Creator Cameo: Garraka's voice is provided by the director of Frozen Empire, Gil Kenan.
The Dog Bites Back: Garraka aided King Samudari to conquer a large portion of Asia until the paranoid king had Garraka bound, branded, and mutilated. The furious spirit set out to destroy the king and all of humanity in response.
Evil Is Deathly Cold: One of the evilest villains in the franchise, and his powers are ice-related.
Harmless Freezing: Implied to be intentional on Garraka's part, but not for anything benevolent as it is him ripping souls from people's bodies so they can't escape him even from death. Whether to add to his army or to torture his enemies for eternity is left to viewer interpretation.
Horned Humanoid: His most distinct feature are the pair of ram horns on his head, which were ripped from him until he steals them back and reattaches them.
Horrifying the Horror: The second the sphere containing Garraka is brought to Winston's Aquarium repurposed as a ghost prison; every last one the usually rowdy ghosts inmates banging against their cells immediately quiet down. Even the mini Stay-Puft kids, fragments of Gozer the Babylonian God of Destruction itself, are frightened into submissive attention by the rage and sheer power of the horror trapped within it.
An Ice Person: He is able to freeze things at absolute zero, as in 0 Kelvin, making him functionally immune to the proton streams as at 0 Kelvin particles stop moving.
Kill It with Ice: Garraka's ultimate goal is to freeze all of humanity. The movie opens up with him freezing a room filled with members of the Manhattan Adventurers Society to death, some of which have had their limbs broken off.
Knight of Cerebus: As serious as Gozer was, there was always an element of levity, such as their decision to make their avatar a marshmallow mascot the size of a Kaiju. Once Garraka takes center stage, there is far less levity and his reaction to comedy is to just kill his targets rather than humor them.
Leaking Can of Evil: He was imprisoned within an orb, and only a human can release him. However, he can still use his ice powers to a limited extent and command other ghosts to aid him. The brass room in Nadeem's apartment compensated for this, as the soundproofing prevented him commanding other ghosts and his powers are weakened by brass.
Near-Villain Victory: He briefly manages to put the entire Ghostbusters team out of commission by freezing them. They are only rescued by Melody having a change of heart and Nadeem figuring out how to control his fire powers.
No-Nonsense Nemesis: Once he's freed, the first thing he does is try to kill the last remaining Fire Master. Unfortunately for him, he kills a smoke shop employee instead, allowing the real Fire Master to help stop him in the climax.
Omnicidal Maniac: Garraka seeks to kill all of humanity by freezing the entire planet.
Put Them All Out of My Misery: Garraka was willing to work with humans in the past until they betrayed and mutilated him. This apparently convinced him that humanity as a whole should be wiped out and replaced with an empire of the dead.
Undead Abomination: He's a Monster Lord to all ghosts who's very presence triggers an Endless Winter.

Evil Ghosts

The Scoleri Brothers

Tony and Nunzio Scoleri

Tony

Nunzio

Played by: Jim Fye (voice of Tony), Tim Lawrence (voice of Nunzio)

Appear in: Ghostbusters II

The ghosts of convicted sibling murderers that appear at the Ghostbusters' trial. Their arrival and subsequent mayhem quickly convince everyone to reinstate the Ghostbusters.

All There in the Manual: Their first names (as well as the identity of their actors) were given in an article about the film's special effects.
Diabolus ex Machina / Deus ex Machina: Zigzags between the two. The sudden appearance of the Scoleri brothers following Judge Wexler's self-righteous rant throws the courtroom into chaos. However, when faced with the indisputable proof of the existence of ghosts, the Judge not only drops the charges against the Ghostbusters but rescinds the judicial order forbidding them from conducting paranormal research.
Fat and Skinny: Tony is the skinny one, Nunzio is the fat one.
Fat Bastard: Nunzio is disgustingly overweight and a murderer.
Flanderization: In Universe, their features and behavior are wildly exaggerated in the afterlife to the point of a disturbing parody.
Giggling Villain: Tony has a really high-pitched laugh as probably his only vocalization.
Glowing Eyes of Doom: Their eyes glow brightly.
High-Voltage Death: In life, the brothers were executed via the electric chair for murder. They first appear in their ghost form strapped into electric chairs, perhaps to mock Judge Wexler.
The Hyena: Tony.
Knight of Cerebus: To the extent that they're the only regular ghosts (in the movies, anyway) shown to be actively dangerous as opposed to merely a nuisance.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: If it weren't for their timely arrival, the Ghostbusters would have been permanently disbanded, not to mention imprisoned.
Psycho Electro: They're covered with surging electricity because they got executed via electric chair, although it's unclear if they can actually use it as a power. They did in the novelization and a few early drafts of the script.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Upon materializing, they set their sights on Judge Hammer and the prosecutor due to having them sent to the chair.
Sibling Team: They're literal Bash Brothers!

Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/52b23d60_2003_4938_8b8b_3f6c2afd1f33.jpeg

Played by: Sarah Natochenny (uncredited)

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

An army of miniature Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men.

Adorable Evil Minions: A beloved mascot brought to life as an army for a Destroyer Deity.
Anthropomorphic Food: Of marshmallows. And a very disturbing example if you're sensitive to such things.
Bloody Hilarious: The PG version. They gleefully destroy themselves and each other in various ways.
The Cavalry: To Gozer, they show up at the end damaging much of the equipment in the ECTO-1.
For the Evulz: They're minions of Gozer and take to their tasks with glee.
I Taste Delicious: They certainly seem to think so, toasting themselves like s'mores and such, though they're never distinctly seen to eat each other.
Joker Immunity: All of the Mini-Pufts got killed off after Gozer is sealed away in Afterlife, but Frozen Empire reveals that not only have some survived but seemed to have begun multiplying. Given that Gozer is the only reason why Stay-Puft is associated with the supernatural, they shouldn't be active and still mischievously evil to begin with, but since the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is such an iconic figure in the Ghostbusters franchise, it's not surprising to see their Unexplained Recovery.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Oh, they may seem to be adorable and harmless (except to themselves) at first, but they are still Gozer's minions, and apparently their bites do hurt. Their antics alert Vinz Clortho to Gary Grooberson's location and later in the climax, they sabotage the ECTO-1's ghost equipment to stop the new Ghostbuster team from trapping Gozer.
Spanner in the Works: They end up derailing the kids' plan against Gozer by sabotaging the ECTO-1's gunner seat at a critical moment.
Squee: They are shown to be very excited to see the remaining members of the original team show up, even though they're on opposite sides.
Stupid Evil: They have been shown to gleefully harm if not outright destroy themselves and others in their group while they're exploring the Wal-Mart. May be a case of For the Evulz.

Sewer Dragon

Hell's Kitchen Sewer Dragon

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2597.jpeg

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

The aptly named ghost who is captured by the Spengler family.

Advertised Extra: Despite only appearing briefly at the beginning and end of the movie, the Sewer Dragon features prominently on two of the movie posters as if it were a major threat.
Giant Flyer: The Sewer Dragon is quite long and capable of both swimming and flight. That last one proves problematic as it prevents a more conventional trap (which is at ground level) from affecting it.
Small Role, Big Impact: The way the new Ghostbusters catch him kickstarts Peck's renewed antagonism and Phoebe getting benched. Furthermore, his capture makes the Ghostbusters realize that their original containment unit has reached maximum capacity.
Starter Villain: It is the first ghost the Spenglers capture in Frozen Empire.

Possessor

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

A ghost that is fond of causing trouble by possessing objects.

Animate Inanimate Object: Is able to make anything it jumps into move like its alive. It even possesed one of the lion statues outside the Public Library, and Ecto-1.
Body Surf: Possessor noticeably jumps to different objects immediately after leaving whatever it is possessing.
Cats Are Mean: He possesses a lion statue early on, becoming aggressive towards the Ghostbusters on the case at the time.
Demonic Possession: The ghost's bread and butter. All of its appearances have it possessing some sort of object.
The Dragon: Serves as this to Garraka, first by attempting to steal a recording of the ancient chant needed to free him, and then by leading the assault on the firehouse in the climax.
Eaten Alive: Well, about as alive as a ghost can be, but the Possessor is devoured by Slimer while possessing a pizza.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin: It's called the Possessor and it possesses objects.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Initially, it seems like a nuisance at best, only shown possessing household appliances while in containment. Later, however, it demonstrates the ability to not only inhabit statues but make them move. In the climax, it possesses a proton pack and is able to target and shoot the proton stream.
The Unseen: If it has a spectral form like the other ghosts, it does not like to take it on, instead appearing only as a quick spark of red light as it zips between its targets of possession.

Pukey

Appears in: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

A ghost that shoots out ectoplasm from his mouth.

Grotesque Cute: definitely fits the criteria.
Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Weaponizes it. It implied to have enough strength to knock somebody out.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Disappears at the end of the film.

Good Ghosts

Dream Ghost

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_03_28_192309.png

Played by: Kymberly Herrin

Appears in: Ghostbusters

A briefly visible apparition encountered by Ray.

All There in the Script: Appears anonymously in a montage of various Ghostbusting cases, but in the script, is revealed to haunt a dormitory in Fort Detmerring.
Anywhere but Their Lips: She... is a full-service ghost.
Ethereal White Dress: A floating, billowing pale gown.
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: At least in the film itself, it's never made clear if she's a real spirit who only appears in people's dreams, or if Ray was merely having a particularly sexual fantasy that night.
Monochrome Apparition: Her overall aspect shines a bluish pink.

The Library Ghost

The Library Ghost a.k.a. "The Gray Lady" / "Eleanor Twitty"/

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ilyssa_6624.jpg

Played by: Ruth Oliver (human form), Mark Bryan Wilson (ghoul form)

Appears in: Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

The very first ghost the Ghostbusters ever encountered (but not the first they captured). Gets an expanded role in the 2009 game where it's revealed she was murdered.

Ancient Keeper: She's spent decades keeping the Gozerian Codex in her last resting place.
Anti-Villain: Type II.
Ascended Extra: Originally, she was merely just the first ghost the Busters came across, then after scaring them off she wasn't mentioned again. In the video game, she was given an entire level where we were introduced to who she was and shown her deep connection to the event in the game as a node in the spectral circuit flow.
Beware the Quiet Ones: Despite seeming to be just a normal ghost, she ends up having the power to control the entire library, as well as ghosts that are not known to work together. Hurt her and you'll regret it, even if it takes nearly a century.
The Cameo: She gets a brief scene in Frozen Empire to scare Ray as he chases the Possessor out of the Library.
The Chessmaster: In the game, she purposely lured the Ghostbusters to her library by taking control of some ghosts and making them cause a ruckus. All this to get them to go after her murderer/ex-boyfriend so as to finally get her revenge.
Finger on Lips: Shushes them when they disturb her reading. Disturb her reading again and she goes ape.
Fog Feet: It seems to be the main way one tracks her.
Good All Along: She was only antagonizing the Ghostbusters so they could destroy her ex and murderer.
Heroic Sacrifice: If you consider her being trapped as a means of opening a portal to the dimension where Hoover/Azetlor resides.
One-Winged Angel: Her "angry form."
Revenge Against Men: Her EX-boyfriend, not the Ghostbusters.
Scary Librarian: Especially in her angry mode.
Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To Ray; he really wanted to get her after scaring him.
Snub by Omission: Her initial response to the Ghostbusters is to ignore them.
Spooky Silent Library: Her chosen domain.
Unfinished Business: After thinking they had helped her pass on by taking her book, she suddenly reappears and laughs maniacally as she transforms into her angry mode.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: She has a disturbing tendency to shift between a quiet plain librarian to a raging grotesque ghoul. Though the others suspect this was also part of it - that the fight was not only to give the Ghostbusters the book, but so that they would wreck the room and uncover the path to the ghost world where her murderous ex was hiding.
Woman Scorned: Oh yes...
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Her boyfriend used her to get at her rare book collection. When this is discovered, she dumps him and revokes his pass to her collection. He then kills her, trapping her in the library she tried to protect. It is soon shown, despite her circumstances, she isn't going to mope about. Instead, she'll spend her afterlife plotting the downfall of her ex-boyfriend. She succeeds, with the help of the Ghostbusters.

The Statue of Liberty

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/statueofliberty.png

Something good. Something decent. Something pure.