Characters / ParaNorman

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Norman Babcock

Voiced by: Kodi Smit-McPhee

A boy who can see and talk to the dead. Due to this being common knowledge, he is an outcast in the community and even among his family. Despite being bullied by nearly everyone he knows, Norman just tries to get on with his life. At first, his only friends are the ghosts he talks to, but his classmate Neil quickly takes a liking to him. When he is suddenly warned that only he can stop the witch's curse, everything goes swiftly downhill.

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• Action Survivor: Mediumship aside, he's just an average 11-year-old kid thrust into a supernatural adventure where he needs to stop a powerful ghost from wrecking havoc in his town and nearly dying multiple times.

• All-Loving Hero: He turns into this once he understands the true nature of the witch's curse and the zombies. He gets the townspeople to understand the zombies won't hurt them, and instead of just putting Aggie's spirit to sleep for another year to prolong her suffering, he talks to her to make her remember the good things about her life so she can let go and find peace to put an end to the curse once and for all.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Norman tries to take the constant bullying with grace, but often finds his heroics hampered by almost every living person he knows having a low opinion of him.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: Averted. Courtney sees him as this, although he barely does anything to her to deserve being seen as this. Her perception of him this way can likely be chalked up to her participating in the town's ostracism of him for being able to see and talk to ghosts.
• Ascended Fanboy: Subverted. He's a fan of horror films, but he's not very thrilled at the idea of a witch's curse or a bunch of zombies running rampant in his town.

• Badass Pacifist: He defeats the Big Bad by telling her a story!
• Berserk Button: As friendly as he is, even he gets mad at the zombies for what they did to Aggie.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: They seem to be a family trait, as he shares them with Mr. Prenderghast and Aggie.
• Black Sheep: His sister treats him as an Annoying Younger Sibling, his father believes he's insane or a liar at turns, and his mother is sympathetic but is unwilling or unable to take a stance against her husband's refusal to empathize with his son.
• Butt-Monkey: He's treated like crap by everyone, including his own family, for being able to talk to ghosts. The thing is, he can see the ghosts, while normal people can't, and thus is viewed as a mentally ill Creepy Child by the townsfolk. It's not Played for Laughs.
• The Cassandra: Norman has apparently told a lot of people about his ability, and they all think he's either insane or lying for attention, but worthy of ridicule either way. Makes it really difficult to get support when the dead actually rise. In keeping with this trope, Norman even has a prophetic vision in public... that earns him even more ire from his father and more taunting from his schoolmates.
• Chekhov's Gun: His ability to talk to the dead is what helps him learn the zombies' true intentions and reach through to Aggie.
• Children Are Innocent: Well, for the most part. He does enjoy scary zombie movies and knows what sex is. ("What are you watching in there?" "Sex and violence.") Other than that, he's a gentle soul who's misunderstood by everyone.
• Cowardly Lion: At first, he's reluctant to stop the witch's curse due to being scared of it. However, after a pep-talk with his grandma about how it's okay to be afraid, he decides to do everything in his power to stop it, despite being scared out of his wits the whole time.
• Creepy Child: Norman is considered one by the living community of Blithe Hollow. The ghost community, on the other hand, is quite friendly to him.
• Creepy Good: He's clearly a huge horror fan with an odd power that makes him come off as a freak to the town. He's also the nicest character of the movie who never gives in to his own resentment.
• The Cutie: Hes very innocent, kindhearted and cute; even though he's treated badly by everyone, he doesn't even give it a second thought to being mean back, much unlike his villainous Distaff Counterpart Agatha Prenderghast.
• Deadpan Snarker: He can be one at times, and often towards Neil. Then there's this gem with Alvin.
  Alvin: I think it's trying to eat our brains!
  Norman: I think you'll be safe.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Norman's openness about his abilities leaves him ostracized from the rest of the town, who think he's either lying for attention or genuinely crazy for talking to ghosts that no one else can see.
• The Determinator: After messing up the ritual, Norman keeps trying to find a way to stop the witch's curse, not giving even when being (apparently) attacked by zombies, having to search for records of the location of the witch's unmarked grave in the middle of thousands of documents in the town's archive, being struck down by lightning and crashing to earth from atop the town hall, and facing Agatha's bitter Reality Warper ghost.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Norman has to fight a supernatural menace to protect a town that largely scorns him, but as he goes on, a growing number of the townspeople realize that his ability is to speak to the dead is real and stand ready to help him in the crisis, until by the end, he is hailed as a fearless hero with an extraordinary ability.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Norman fits the physical description, but he's actually a very nice person. He just happens to see and talk to ghosts.
• Exotic Eye Designs: Norman's irises and pupils are faceted. It appears to be a family trait, as both Mr. Prenderghast and Agatha have faceted eyes as well. This suggests that more specifically, faceted irises are the telltale trait of a seer.
• Friendless Background: He seems to have never had any real friend that wasn't a ghost until he meets and befriends Neil.
• Heart Is an Awesome Power: He saves the day through kindness and empathy.
• The Hero: He's a good guy who is determined to fulfill his duty to stop the curse and save the day.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Norman is not exactly Mr. Popular in town.
• Heroic BSoD: Norman breaks down when he learns that the witch was eleven years old when she died and the witchcraft she was accused of was the ability to talk to ghosts.
• Identical Grandson: While not exactly her grandson, Norman is a distant relative of Agatha, and he looks pretty much like a male version of her.
• Improbable Hair Style: Norman's hair is always sticking straight up. Even if he combs it or it gets all messed up, it'll always pop back to its original position.
• I See Dead People: This ability is a very prosaic part of Norman's life — every day on his way to school, he makes small talk with each and every ghost he passes. It ends up being crucial to ending the witch's curse and saving the town.
• It Runs in the Family: Norman's family has a ghost-seeing gene of some sort (possibly from his mother's side of the family). Mr. Prenderghast and Aggie have it as well.
• Just a Kid: Norman invokes it on himself when Mr. Prenderghast tries to pass the torch to him, due to being freaked out by the curse. It doesn't work.
• Kid Hero: He's only a kid, but it's up to him to save the town from the witch's curse.
• Loners Are Freaks: Justified with Norman, since the whole town, including his father, tend to scorn him for being able to talk to the dead, since no one believes him. It's more of a defense mechanism.
• Made of Iron: He's unusually durable for an eleven-year-old, being able to withstand lightning bolts to the chest and surviving a fall from the town hall's tower with scarcely any ill effects.
• Meaningful Name: Norman means "northerner" or "north-man". Even before the Norman conquest in the year 1066, the word was used to describe outsiders or people who didn't belong or were not natives.
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Pretty much everyone in town, other than Neil, sees Norman as a freak who is always talking to himself and making up nonsense about ghosts, when the truth is he really can see and talk to ghosts.
• Nerves of Steel: He really stands his ground against Agatha's angry ghost, even as she throws a landscape-obliterating tantrum.
• Nice Guy: He doesn't harbor ill will towards anyone and is willing to forgive even those who bully him.
• Nightmare Fetishist: He's a big fan of horror movies, and his room is filled with zombie memorabilia and horror movie posters. Even his slippers, toothbrush, and alarm clock are zombie-themed. His father assumes that he has crystal balls or Ouija boards in his room as well.
• Not So Above It All: He freaks out and becomes more terrified of the zombies on learning they executed an eleven-year-old girl for seeing ghosts, just like he can. When the flashback ends and they're surrounding him, Norman cringes away, expecting them to hurt him. Understandably, he calls them out for what they did and for leaving him with the responsibility to prolong Agatha's undeath with a storybook.
• "Not So Different" Remark: A heroic example, where Norman points out that he and Agatha are the same to talk her down.
• Occult Blue Eyes: Just like Mr. Prenderghast and Agatha Prenderghast, his eyes are pale blue with faceted irises to highlight his power to see ghosts.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The only time Norman gets angry at someone in the film is when he learns that the zombies killed an eleven-year-old girl for seeing ghosts, and they expect him to clean up their mess. It says something that he tosses a book on the ground while calling them out.
• Protagonist Title: A unique example. His name is part of the movie's title, which also plays with the term "paranormal."
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • When he learns what Judge Hopkins and the other judges did, Norman calls them out for executing a little girl just because they were scared of her mysterious powers, and leaving him to try and pacify her with fairy tales. The judge completely agrees with everything Norman says.
  • When he confronts Agatha, he calls her out for becoming as bad as the judges who killed her in the first place.
• Red Is Heroic: He's The Hero, and wears a red jacket and red-sleeved T-shirt.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He's the introverted and reserved Blue Oni to Neil's extroverted and cheerful Red Oni.
• Refusal of the Call: He didn't want to get caught up in the events of the story, but he realizes how important it is to fulfill the family duty after speaking with his grandmother.
• Stubborn Hair: His hair always poofs back to its original style after a moment if he combs it or it gets messed up.
• Superpowerful Genetics: The ability to see and talk to ghosts seems to run in the Prenderghast bloodline. His uncle has it, and their ancestor Agatha had it too.
• Take a Third Option: He initially believes that reading the fairy tale story to the ghost would end the witch's curse, but over the course of the movie comes to realize it won't fix the problem, just prolong it. Besides, she's beyond the point where fairy tales can soothe her. Taking the offensive won't work either, however, because she is a ghost and more powerful than anyone in the town. So he directly confronts Agatha and shows that he knows how she feels, ultimately calming her spirit down so she can finally pass on peacefully.
• Talking the Monster to Death: Instead of putting Agatha's spirit to sleep for one more year, Norman talks to her to make her realize what she's doing is wrong and remember the people who loved her when she was alive instead of only resenting those who made her suffer. It works, and Aggie's spirit is able to finally find peace and pass on.
• Uncanny Family Resemblance: Norman looks a lot like the witch, Agatha Prenderghast, who's a distant relative on his mother's side.
• Unabashed B-Movie Fan: Norman is a fan of cheesy horror movies, watching a zombie movie in the beginning (and ending) of the movie and having a bedroom chock-full of zombie and horror paraphernalia.
• The Un-Favourite: Norman seems to be one for his parents, mostly his father, but it's implied not to be the case anymore at the end. Norman is the favorite for his grandmother, though. The whole reason she's still around is that she promised to protect Norman.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Out of all the people in town who have ostracized him, Norman gets it the worst from his father, who has no intentions of even humoring his son when it comes to seeing ghosts. Fortunately, after Norman talks Aggie down, his dad literally says "Well done, son."
• Wise Beyond His Years: What he says to Aggie regarding revenge doesn't sound like something that would come out of the average eleven-year old's mouth.
  Agatha: This story you were telling... How does it end?
  Norman: I think that's up to you.
• Zombie Advocate: When he realizes that the zombies have intelligence and are afraid too, he becomes their staunchest defender against the mob of townsfolk.

Neil Downe

Voiced by: Tucker Albrizzi

Norman's best and, at first, only real friend. He thinks Norman is cool because he is different, and is the first to recognize a good side to his gift. Even if he's not always the brightest, he's full of heart and surprisingly brave.

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• All of the Other Reindeer: Similar to Norman, other kids make fun of him because he's fat, which is why he tries to become friends with Norman.
• Badass Adorable: When Judge Hopkins rips through the roof of Mitch's van, Neil immediately holds him in a headlock.
• Badass Boast: An incredibly funny one too.
  Neil: Don't make me throw this hummus, it's spicy!
• Best Friend: He becomes Norman's closest friend, apparently being the only person to have ever reached out to Norman in the whole town.
• Big Fun: A very fun and friendly fat kid.
• Book Dumb: He expresses triumph at finishing reading a 27-page booklet on asbestos. Ironically, his best friend other than Norman is Child Prodigy Salma.
• Cheerful Child: Perhaps because his Lovable Jock older brother clearly cares for and looks after him. Also, their home has a very colorfully decorated yard as compared to other homes shown in Blithe Hollow, so it may be a family thing generally.
• Cloudcuckoolander: When Norman tells Neil that his dog Bab is still around as a ghost, he tries to play fetch with the dog, but he has to do both the throwing and the fetching, which he does with no sense of irony, since ghosts can't affect physical objects. He also tries to kiss and pet Bab, despite having no idea where his ghost actually is, since he can't see ghosts like Norman can.
• Dirty Kid: He watches his mom's exercise DVDs so he can freeze-frame the parts with the aerobics instructor.
• Fan of Underdog: Everyone in the town thinks Norman is just a freak and a complete loser. Neil, on the other hand, thinks Norman is cool and his power to see ghosts is amazing.
• Fat Best Friend: He's Norman's chubby and goofy best friend.
• Freaky Is Cool: He's the first and initially only person to think Norman seeing and talking with ghosts is pretty cool.
• Genre Savvy: To the point of being the least flustered character when it comes to the supernatural, even compared to Norman!
• The Lancer: He's Norman's closest friend, and his more cheerful and playful personality makes him a good Foil to him.
• Muggle Best Friend: He has no supernatural powers, but he thinks Norman's power to see ghosts is cool, and he proves to be a true friend to Norman.
• Nice Guy: Seriously. He never gets angry with Norman.
• Odd Friendship: He and Salma are implied to be one, at least before the former takes interest in Norman.
• Only Friend: He's Norman's first and only living friend.
• Playing a Tree: He's quite happy about it.
  "I'm a tree!"
• Punny Name: "Neil Downe" sounds a lot like "kneel down", a phrase which evokes prayer.
• Quirky Curls: Fitting of his odd personality, Neil's red hair is tightly curled, as is visible in his character image.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The extroverted and cheerful Red Oni to Norman's introverted and reserved Blue Oni.

• Youthful Freckles: As can be seen in the above image, he sports a few on his cheeks.

Courtney Babcock

Voiced by: Anna Kendrick

Norman's older sister who, like everyone else, frowns upon his claims of having a gift. Initially coming across as your typical self-absorbed teenaged girl, she finds herself caught up in the zombie invasion, and comes to be the first to stand by Norman and call out the townspeople for trying to lynch her brother.

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• Aloof Big Sister: At the beginning of the movie, Courtney is uncaring and aloof to her brother Norman and is not above mocking him and trying to prove he's a liar. She still tries to search for him when he is missing, and shows genuine concern when it looks like he is in danger. She finally drops being aloof when she realizes his ability to see the dead is real and realizes how much pain he is in for being an outcast, becoming kinder and more supportive to him.
• Big Sister Instinct: She's pretty careless and minds her own business. But do anything to her little brother, and you will regret it.
• Bratty Teenage Daughter: She acts as a typical self-centered teenage girl most of the time, but when her brother is danger, she shows a selfless good side.
• Cruel Cheerleader: Courtney is a cheerleader and quite mean (as well as a bit dim), but she turns out to be not so bad in the end.
• Deadpan Snarker: She is a teenage girl.
  Courtney: Perfect. Now the geeks are in charge.
• Dumb Blonde: She appears to live up to the stereotype perfectly at first, though she doesn't seem that dumb on closer inspection, just self-absorbed.
• Eating the Eye Candy: She takes a very long look at Mitch whilst he's just in a Modesty Towel. Not a lot of time looking at his face either.
• Hartman Hips: And Alvin notices.
• Incompatible Orientation: At the end of the movie, Courtney decides to stop flirting with Mitch and invites him to a movie. Mitch happily (and completely unaware that she had been flirting with him all the time) mentions that his boyfriend is a Chick Flick nut.
• Jerkass Realization: Implied when Norman lashes out and yells at his friends (out of frustration) to get out when searching for Agatha's records. He rants about how Courtney never listens to him and no one else listens to him, and how everyone thinks he's a freak. While she does leave, after seeing him endanger himself, she becomes more kind and supportive to Norman, implying she realizes how much pain he is in when he was an outcast and now she wants to help him.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Courtney starts out as a typical self-centered teenaged girl, but she's not a bad person at heart. She steps up her game later on, and she's the first one to stand up to the townsfolk to give her little brother a break.
• Lovable Alpha Bitch: She's a cheerleader, she's very self-centered, and she treats her younger brother as an annoyance. However, she later shows she's not a bad person deep down, and she does care a lot about her brother, being willing to put herself between him and a mob of townsfolk to protect him.
• Ms. Fanservice: She's quite pretty, with a shapely figure.
• Pink Means Feminine: She wears a pink tracksuit.
• Popular Is Dumb: She randomly babbles to Mitch about how she wants to eventually work on a variety of entirely unrelated humanitarian and environmental causes.
• Shaming the Mob: Courtney does this to defend Norman and the zombies from the angry mob.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Courtney looks just like a younger version of her mother.
• Took a Level in Kindness: At the beginning of the movie, Courtney is a bratty teenage girl who is aloof and uncaring to her brother Norman, and is not above mocking him and trying to prove he's a liar. In the middle of the film, when she notices his ability to see the dead, realizes how much pain he is in for being a outcast, and sees his life is in danger, she becomes kinder, more supporting, and protective of him, willing to put herself between her little brother and the mob that wants to kill him.
• You Leave Him Alone!: She says this when she finally stands up for her brother and defends him from the townspeople who don't want to listen to him.

Mitch Downe

Voiced by: Casey Affleck

The jock, Courtney's crush, and Neil's older brother. He, of course, is caught up in the zombie mess and becomes a believer in Norman's ability.

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• All Guys Want Cheerleaders: Subverted — Mitch turns out to be gay (and is already in a relationship), and he apparently had no idea that Courtney was flirting with him.
• Big Brother Instinct: To Neil — when Neil first brings Norman over to their house, Mitch tries advising him not to hang out with Norman because of his reputation.
• The Big Guy: He's the huge, muscled guy who is helpful, but really not smart.
• Buffy Speak: Frequently. It has a lot to do with his limited awareness of a situation.
• Comically Missing the Point: He kicks a zombie's head away; while everyone was scared of the zombie, he's excited about how far he managed to kick the head.
• Dumb Jock: He's comically self-aware about it too. Although he seems to be very good at auto mechanic stuff.
• Dumb Muscle: His physique is great, but he isn't the smartest guy around.
• Everyone Has Standards: He disapproves of his brother Neil's friendship with Norman, but still helps search for him with his sister Courtney when Norman goes missing.
• Literal-Minded: When Courtney said she knew something "like this" was going to happen, he exclaims with total sincerity, "Wow, really? 'Cuz that zombie bit really threw me!"
• Lovable Jock: He's not mean — in fact, the only real "mean" thing he does is simply advise Neil not to hang out with Norman, and even then, that's just Big Brother Instinct kicking in based on Norman's poor reputation around town.
• Manly Gay: Mitch is the typical teenaged Dumb Muscle, causing Norman's sister, Courtney, to be Distracted by the Sexy throughout the movie. He replies to her asking him out to see a movie that "You're gonna love my boyfriend. He's a total chick-flick nut."
• Mr. Fanservice: The Spear Counterpart to Courtney, being the highly physically attractive older sibling to one of the younger kids. He's impressively and heavily muscled, which Courtney is quite fascinated by.
• Nice Guy: He is not only loving and protective of his younger brother, but he is not the typical Jerk Jock; he actually is very friendly and never mean. However, it's played with, as he disapproves of his brother's friendship with Norman and advises him not to hang out with Norman because of his reputation. However, he's never mean to Norman directly, goes to search for him when he's missing, becomes a believer in his gift to see ghosts, and finally stands up to the townsfolk when they want to hurt Norman.
• Oblivious to Love: Mitch seems to have zero clue that Courtney was flirting with him throughout the entire movie — it later turns out that not only is Mitch already in a relationship, he's also gay.
• One of the Kids: He's aware of it.
  Neil: You're the oldest!
  Mitch: Not mentally!
• Popular Is Dumb: Downplayed — he's dense and emotionally immature, but he's also a genuinely agreeable guy and surprisingly capable at fixing cars.
• Queer Establishing Moment: When Courtney asks Mitch (her crush) if he'd like to see a movie with her sometime, he accepts the offer and tells her she's going to like his boyfriend, revealing that he's gay.
• Shirtless Scene: When he first appears to Courtney, he has just come out of the shower wearing only a towel (and a shower cap), and Courtney audibly pouts when he goes to get dressed.
• Sorry, I'm Gay: Invokes this without even realizing it — after Norman manages to save everyone and helps the witch's ghost finally rest in peace, Courtney suggests that she and Mitch should go see a movie together (preferably a non-horror movie). Mitch, not realizing that Courtney is basically asking him out on a date, claims, "[Courtney's] going to love my boyfriend! He's a total chick flick nut."
• Stereotype Flip: He is your standard popular Dumb Jock, but his popularity seems to come in part from being actually a nice person. Despite being nice, though, he expresses fear and distrust of socially outcast groups, despite being a member of one such group himself, showing that even members of socially discriminated groups can still be fearful and prejudiced.
• Straight Gay: He offhandedly mentions having a boyfriend — this is the only real indication that he's gay.
• Top-Heavy Guy: His upper body is extremely muscular, but tapers down to a waist smaller than Courtney's, and his legs are shorter than the distance from his waist to his neck.
• Youthful Freckles: He has freckles, which highlight his cheerful personality and being One of the Kids.

Alvin

Voiced by: Christopher Mintz-Plasse

The school bully and resident jerkass. He takes a particular interest in making Norman's day insufferable.

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• Book Dumb: The guy couldn't even spell his own name for crying out loud!
• The Bully: Alvin fits the stereotype right to a T. He scrawls insults on Neil and Norman's lockers, pushes them around constantly, and generally makes their lives a living hell. About all he's missing is a scene where he gives one of them a wedgie or swirlie.
• Casanova Wannabe: He repeatedly tries to impress a couple of girls, and also hits on Courtney. Emphasis on "tries".
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of The Bully. Alvin bullies Neil and Norman, but rather than impressing everyone with his actions by picking on weaker kids, everyone hates him too and sees him as absolutely pathetic.

• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Invoked with his appearance, with his sickly pale skin and dark brown hair. However, he's not eerie, but scary in a much more mundane way.
• Enemy Mine: The moment evil spirits and zombies turn up, his grudge against Norman is immediately set aside.
• Everyone Has Standards: Alvin is a prick and a bully, but he's still horrified when the town tries to kill Norman.
  Alvin: How dare you?!
• Heel–Face Turn: Well, sort of zigzagged. He stops bullying Norman by the end of the movie, and even protects him (along with Courtney, Neil and Mitch) from being slaughtered by the whole town. However, most likely he was acting this way in order to impress people, especially Courtney.
• Hypocrite: He picks on Neil for being fat, whilst being far from a beacon of physical health himself.
• Jerkass: At first, he's one of these with absolutely zero redeeming qualities. He gets a bit better through teaming up with Norman and standing up for him against the mob, though he only mellows slightly.
• Precocious Crush: On Courtney, who is not exactly impressed.
• Screams Like a Little Girl: When he opens the front door of Mr. Prenderghast's place only to see a zombie.
• Stereotype Flip: While Alvin is a pretty stereotypical example of The Bully, everyone sees him as a complete loser who's not much higher on the social ladder than Norman. Even his victims think he's pathetic.

• Teens Are Monsters: Word of God holds that he's 14 years old, but being the typical Barbaric Bully, he was Held Back in School.
• Totally Radical: He talks somewhat like this, having the vocal mannerisms without the surfer slang.

The Witch's Ghost/Agatha Prenderghast

^{Click here to see her true form} 

Voiced by: Jodelle Ferland

The legendary witch of Blithe Hollow. Her fame is what the town's economy is founded on, and her curse is equally famous. As the Dark Magical Girl, Agatha serves as Norman's Evil Counterpart.

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• Alas, Poor Villain: When she is finally able to find peace with the help of Norman, Agatha Disappears into Light to move on to the afterlife upon realizing that the only thing she really wanted was to see her mother again.
• All of the Other Reindeer: She died because of this. The people of her town shunned and feared her for her ability to see dead people, culminating in them accusing her of witchcraft and hanging her for it.
• Anti-Villain: Ultimately, she's not as much malicious per se as she is a bitter little girl who was mercilessly executed, blindly lashing out after centuries of pain. She is barely a villain, especially compared with the citizens of Blithe Hollow.
• Badass Adorable: Even the zombies fear her!
• Big Bad: She's the primary antagonist of the movie, and the source of all the problems, though it's not because she's actually evil.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: Her real form has notably thick eyebrows, just like Norman.
• Broken Bird: Her real self is just an angry, bitter, and very sad little girl who lost it after she was being accused of witchcraft and executed by the townspeople.
• Came Back Strong: She gained most of her powers after her death.
• Creepy Child: When she's still in her "angered" state. When she's calm, she's really cute.
• Cute Ghost Girl: In her "calmed" state.
• Dark Is Not Evil: The terrifying witch face in the storm clouds is actually based on the popular depictions of the legendary "witch" of Blithe Hollow. In reality, she's just a little girl who is so lost in her rage over her unjust execution that she has forgotten most of her life and even her name.
• Dark Magical Girl: A rare Big Bad example. She is The Hero Norman's Evil Counterpart and Shadow Archetype, who became a Vengeful Ghost due to her bitterness and pain upon the Dark and Troubled Past (where she was killed by the townspeople who feared her powers even though she did nothing evil). As with most Dark Magical Girls, she's eventually saved by her heroic Foil.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of the Wicked Witch archetype. She was not an evil old crone practicing black magic like she's portrayed as in the present day, but a scared little girl with abilities she didn't understand who was executed by the townspeople for something she had no control over, which is much closer to what the Salem Witch Trials actually were in real life.
• Deranged Animation: When her ghost starts to get mad or lose control, her shape distorts into very disturbing shapes. At times, it seems like another ghost is trying to claw its way out of her body.
• Distaff Counterpart: To Norman. She's his distant ancestor, and both are Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunettes who can see ghosts and are ostracized by the town of Blithe Hollow for it.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Her real form, which we see once she recalls her original self, has long black hair and pale skin. It's Played With, as in these moments, she isn't being dangerous or scary, but she's still a ghost.
• Evil Counterpart: To Norman. Both are discriminated against by the townspeople because of having the ability to speak to the dead, but whereas Norman seeks to save them and learns to value the people who care about him, Agatha sought to make them suffer and completely forgot about the people who loved her in the process.
• Evil Is Petty: Subverted. She wasn't cursing the town to be attacked by zombies, she was cursing the zombies to go through the same thing she went through by turning the townspeople against them just as the townspeople in her time had turned against her.
• Exotic Eye Designs: In her real form, her irises and pupils are faceted, much like her descendants Norman and Mr. Prenderghast.
• Family-Unfriendly Death: The thought of an innocent eleven-year-old girl being sentenced to hanging is very unsettling.
• Freudian Excuse: Deconstructed. Even though she was an innocent eleven-year-old girl, Agatha was executed by the townspeople for talking to the dead, which led her to curse the people who tried and executed her to three centuries of undeath and attempt to kill a boy the same age for trying to talk her down. But as Norman points out, it's still only an excuse — she's a scared, angry child lashing out in the only way she knows how, and Norman forces her to understand that her violent cursing of the town and its people is understandable, but still not justified or the right thing to do.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Norman calls her out on her behavior when they confront each other. She excuses her own actions as being payback for what the zombies did to her in life, but Norman says she has done just as much, if not even worse, as they ever did, and that her behavior has turned her from a victim to a bully.
  The Witch: They hurt me!
  Norman: So you hurt them back?!
  The Witch: I wanted everyone to see how rotten they were!
  Norman: You're just like them, Agatha!
  The Witch: No, I'm not!
  Norman: You're a bully!
  The Witch: No I'm NOT!
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Agatha used to be a sweet little girl whose only power was the ability to see ghosts. Her other, more terrifying powers only emerged after the townsfolk sentenced her to death by hanging.
• The Heavy: Even with the revelation that she isn't the Big Bad character history made her out to be, she's still the source of all of the town's problems, such as the terrible weather and the seeming Zombie Apocalypse.
• Heel–Face Turn: After Norman talks her down, she lets go of her anger and becomes a sweet little girl once again.
• Humanoid Abomination: Her ghost form is that of a little girl composed of glowing green lightning whose form is constantly contorning in unatural ways. She has the power to throw around lightning bolts, revive the dead, control the weather with her mind, and freely alter the world around her at will. She borders on Adorable Abomination, as this is still a little girl we're talking about.
• I See Dead People: Like Norman, she had the ability to see ghosts when alive. It's what got her hanged in the first place.
• I Want My Mommy!: With Norman's help, Agatha realizes the only thing she really wanted was to see her mother again after the townspeople separated them.
• It Only Works Once: A variant; the storybook was the reliable standby to keep her spirit calm every year. By the time Norman is in a place to do the ritual properly, however, Agatha is unwilling to listen, and he has to try something else.
• Little Miss Badass: She's a young, sweet girl who unleashes Shock and Awe attacks and causes all kinds of chaos in town.
• Meaningful Name: Agatha means 'good'. Too bad the townspeople didn't take the hint.
• Mind over Matter: To the extent of controlling the weather. She also creates ghostly hands that lift the bronze witch statue in front of the town hall high into the air and shatter it on the ground below, as well as smashing witch-themed structures all over town. She even hurls cars around!
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Very much like Norman. When she was alive, she was apparently closest to the ghosts she could see and speak to. She also greatly loved her mother, who she tragically never saw again after they arrested her for witchcraft.
• Murder Into Malevolence: Once merely a young girl who could speak to the dead, her unjust execution by the fearful townsfolk transformed her into a wrathful spirit bent on revenge.
• Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: She's an angry spirit with terrifying amounts of power whose ghostly body is constantly glitching out, with a screaming copy of herself clawing to get free when she loses control of her emotions. Once she appears, the film becomes darker and more serious.
• Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: She's not an evil spirit of a malevolent witch. Just a VERY angry little girl.
• "Not So Different" Remark: Norman gives this to her, fittingly, as they're each other's Shadow Archetype. Agatha disagrees.
• Not So Similar: With Norman, at least from her point of view. As she points out, he's a boy and unlike her, he is alive, while she is roaming around as a vengeful spirit who never saw her mother again just because people were scared of her. By this point, she doesn't care how much time has passed or how long the judges have suffered, while Norman is highly empathetic and kind.
• Occult Blue Eyes: She has blue eyes, and is in possession of all kinds of highly destructive magical abilities.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: Agatha has very interesting powers.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Deconstruction. She punishes her executioners by making them rise as zombies to be attacked by the townsfolk in revenge for what they did to her. As stated above, Norman points out this still makes her no better than them, especially since the Puritans have come to feel great remorse for what they did to her, and three centuries of undeath and a lynch mob on their tail is punishment enough.
• Reality Warper: In the final confrontation with Norman, she first animates all the trees in the forest, and causes spiky roots to burst from the ground to try to impale him. Then she seemingly blasts the entire forest into a barren wasteland. Then she shatters the landscape entirely, reducing it to shards of earth floating in some kind of ethereal plane. Finally, when Norman manages to reach her, the forest reverts to how it appeared during her lifetime. Once she passes on, it resumes its real appearance.
• Restored My Faith in Humanity: Norman does this for her. At the climax of the film, Norman talks down Agatha, in part by reminding her that there are good people in the world, some of whom cared very much about her, and that her personal crusade for vengeance is keeping her apart from them.
• Revenge Before Reason: She became so obsessed with making the townspeople pay for what they did to her that she completely forgot about the people who loved her and almost completely lost herself in her rage. It's not until Norman helps her remember the good things about her life and makes her realize she has to find peace to see her mother again that Agatha finally lets go of her quest for revenge.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Once she wakes up, the destruction she wreaks is subsequently explained as having been a tornado hitting the town! She lifts cars, shatters statues, and knocks signs to the ground. Stephen King must be smiling.
• Shadow Archetype: To Norman. See Evil Counterpart above.
• She Who Fights Monsters: Norman calls her out for wanting to hurt people just because she's scared and angry, just like the townspeople did to her.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: She's on the receiving end of this by Norman, who calls her a bully for trying to justify her torture of the Puritans.
  Norman: You're just like them, Agatha!
  Agatha: No, I'm not!
  Norman: You're a bully!
  Agatha: No, I'm NOT!
• Shock and Awe: When she's angry, her spirit seems to be made of lightning.
• Tortured Monster: The witch's ghost is actually a terrified little girl named Agatha "Aggie" Prendergast who could see ghosts just like Norman. Several centuries ago, she was hanged because the other townsfolk feared her powers, and now she's lashing out in anger and fear.
• Tragic Villain: The poor child was hanged because the other townsfolk were scared of her, and after hundreds of years spent in terror and rage, she's been reduced to a traumatized animal lashing out at the townsfolk in a blind attempt to get her revenge.
• Unfinished Business: She is a superpowered ghost and an echo of her living self warped by the trauma of being unfairly tried, sentenced, and hanged. Her unfinished business is that she hasn't had what she considers to be her proper revenge, and is still trying to enact it even long after the people who killed her died and came to regret their actions. Norman manages to talk her down by reminding her of her mother, who has since passed on, and she agrees to lie down and sleep to head to the afterlife to be with her.
• Unstoppable Rage: She ain't happy about her lot in life, not one bit. It becomes Norman's mission to face down her rage and calm her down.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Long ago, she was just a sweet little girl who loved her mother. After the townspeople accused her of witchcraft and executed her, Agatha came back as a Vengeful Ghost that could only think about forcing those who killed her to suffer like they made her suffer.
• Vengeful Ghost: As a ghost, she's seeking revenge on the townspeople as well as the now-zombies that killed her in the past.
• Villain Has a Point: When Norman talks her down, she says it wasn't fair that she was killed and that the judges may have had pretty faces, but they were ugly on the inside.
• Villainous Breakdown: Twice.
  • When Norman and the group shame the mob into sparing the zombies, Agatha goes berserk and destroys her supposed witch statue and other witch-related props at random. She's infuriated that Norman succeeded where she failed all those centuries ago: convincing the scared townsfolk to leave her alone. Aside from that, he also broke one aspect of her curse by saving the zombies.
  • When Norman tells her her story, Agatha says she doesn't like it, attacks him again and again, and screams in pain as Norman finishes telling her her story.
• Walking Spoiler: Talking about her at length is extremely difficult to do without bringing up The Reveal that she's actually not your typical Witch Classic at all, and was just a young girl who was capable of talking to the dead just like Norman, as well as the fact that her attack on the people of Blithe Hollow is due to centuries of pent-up anger at her unfair execution and the people who sentenced her to death in the first place.
• Wham Line: "Aggie... My name was Aggie..."
• Wicked Witch: She was executed for being one. This eventually becomes a Deconstructed Trope: her judges only thought her to be one, but her only supernatural ability in life was talking to the dead.
• Witch Curse: She cast one upon the judges who had her hanged, dooming them to rise as the living dead. This eventually becomes a Deconstructed Trope: the curse results from the cruel execution of Agatha, who was just a misunderstood girl, and the curse isn't about terrorizing the town, but rather about having the undead judges be forced to suffer the same persecution she faced.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The "witch" is an (extremely psychically powerful) little girl who lost it when she was accused and executed, and her rage nearly destroys the town and kills a young boy trying to help her.

Judge Hopkins

Voiced by: Bernard Hill

The Puritan judge who sentenced the witch to death 300 years ago. He operates as the de-facto leader of the zombies, and is given most of the "speaking" lines, ghoulish or otherwise, associated with the zombies.

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• Alas, Poor Villain: He (as well as the other zombies) have come to regret their actions over the hundreds of years they've been dead. When Aggie is finally at rest, they Disappear into Light to move on to the afterlife, but look scared and regretful.
• And I Must Scream: Try to imagine being trapped in your corpse for centuries, being aware but unable to move. Being revived as a zombie isn't much better.
• Anti-Villain: While his actions towards Agatha were rather merciless, he did genuinely think they were for the best. Currently, he's a miserable zombie completely overwhelmed by his guilt, and only seeks to atone for his sins.
• Asshole Victim: He and the other townspeople who condemed Agatha to death deserved their fates, and he fully acknowledges this.
• The Atoner: As a zombie, he seeks to redeem the harm he caused when he ordered Agatha's execution.
• Back from the Dead: Well, he is a zombie.
• Benevolent Boss: At one point, one of the zombies is run over by a car, and left in several peices along the road. When next we see the zombies, they’ve helped put their fellow man back together to continue heading for the town.
• Break the Haughty: What his Karmic Transformation did to him; he's a Knight Templar damned to walk the earth as one of the undead, and after centuries of this fate, he can only beg for release.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Ironically, when they were actively evil, they were not dark but actually mundane-looking.
• Deadpan Snarker: He apparently cracks wise about Courtney at one point, but we don't hear what he says because of his zombified state.
• Deconstructed Character Archetype:
  • Of the Hanging Judge archetype. He legitimately did what he thought was best, and his decision wasn't motivated by sadism or cruelty, but by a value system that all the people of Blithe Hollow agreed with.
  • Of stereotypical zombie characters. He and his fellow zombies have come to regret their actions over the hundreds of years they've been dead, and in the climax, it's the zombies who flee in terror from the hordes of bloodthirsty townspeople.
• Died Happily Ever After: Subverted. While the zombies prefer moving on to the afterlife to staying undead in their rotting bodies, he's in good spirits considering that unless their centuries of regret is enough to atone, he and the others will likely be sent to Hell for their sins.
• Dissonant Serenity: He was eerily calm when he told an 11-year-old girl how she was to be hanged by the neck until she died, even as she was crying.
• Everything's Deader with Zombies: Here’s a Puritan judge from Colonial America and his crew of jurors, come back from the dead as undead corpses. Downplayed, though- they’re certainly not evil, and just want to pass on in peace.
• Evil Is Petty: Subverted. He sentenced an innocent girl to death for talking to the dead, not necessarily because he didn't like her being different from others, but because he thought it would be good for the townspeople.
• The Extremist Was Right: Averted horrifically. See Self-Fulfilling Prophecy below.
• Fatal Flaw: Fear-induced Horrible Judge of Character was his downfall.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: He and the other zombies are way more frightened of the modern world than the humans of the present time are of them.
• Greater-Scope Villain: In his past life, he sentenced a little girl to death, thus kicking off the entire plot of hte movie. It's technically Averted by his Heel Realization in his now-zombified state.
• Hanging Judge: He was this when alive. He was so ruthless and cruel that he didn't hesitate to sentence a little girl to death by hanging when he found her guilty of witchcraft.
• Heel Realization: Now that he and the other zombies are being punished for their sins in life, Judge Hopkins has realized what a monster he was when alive and that what they did to Agatha was unforgivable.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: The Judge sentenced Agatha to death because he baselessly feared her witchcraft might harm him and the townsfolk, only for her death to be the thing that granted her the power to curse him and the rest of the town.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Pun aside, the Puritans sentenced Aggie to death because they mistook her ability to talk to the dead for evidence that she was an evil witch who would curse the town. Justified in that they were too scared and self-righteous to see Aggie as the innocent girl as she was.
• Karmic Transformation: Enforced by Agatha. The founders killed her for speaking to the dead, and she cursed them to return as zombies that were feared, hated, and attacked by society the same way they feared, hated, and attacked her. The only way for them to return to normal is by acquiring the help of a little boy with the same power that they killed Agatha for possessing. Agatha herself defends her choice to curse them by telling Norman "Now everyone can see how rotten they are."
• Knight Templar: Big time. The judge is an example of the worst things that a person can do when led by their own self-righteousness.
• Lack of Empathy: The seven Puritans took a young girl away from her mother, and as Judge Hopkins told her how she was to be hanged by the neck until she dies, they were eerily calm as the girl sobbed in terror. They later subvert this after their Heel Realization.
• Meaningless Villain Victory: He executes the witch the town feared, only for it to bring even greater suffering upon himself and the townsfolk.
• My God, What Have I Done?: He and the others are genuinely remorseful for their crimes.
• Named After Somebody Famous: His last name "Hopkins" probably comes from Matthew Hopkins, the real-life witch-hunter. This also overlaps with Names to Run Away from Really Fast.
• Never My Fault: Surprisingly averted. Despite his former belief that the witch will cause the town's doom, he admits that it was his sentencing of Aggie to be hanged for talking to the dead that caused that.
• No Name Given: We only know the Judge’s last name as "Hopkins" because of his gravestone, but it's never revealed what his first name is, nor do we get enough of a look at the gravestones of his jurors to tell what their names are.
• Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: Zigzagged. He did hang an eleven-year old girl because he was scared of her, even though she wasn't harming anyone, but he's realized how monstrous that was now that her curse is making him and the others suffer centuries of undeath. He and the other zombies are not menacing anymore, and they don't mean to harm anyone. He's only trying to find a way to break the curse so he and the other zombies can be free and he can atone for what he did to Agatha.
• Our Zombies Are Different: The Judge and the other zombies are the very rare Type R: Revenant. They have intelligence, and they aren't hungry for brains, but like any Type R, they are driven by a single, burning purpose. In their case, they only want to break Agatha's cycle of revenge so they may finally rest in peace.
• Perpetual Frowner: He never smiled when he was alive, and he smiles even less in his state of undeath.
• Predecessor Villain: He is a judge who sentenced Agatha to death for the alleged crime of witchcraft, making him responsible for the main conflict in the film.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: By sentencing Aggie to death, he made her the monster that the townsfolk feared she was.
• Stealth Pun: The Puritans sentenced Aggie to death because they mistook her ability to talk to the dead for evidence that she was an evil witch who would curse the town. By this, they proved themselves to be Horrible Judges of Character, since they were too scared and self-righteous to see Aggie as the innocent girl as she was.
• Tempting Fate: "I'll not risk damnation on these good people!" Cue him and the other judges being damned to walk the earth as the undead.
• To the Pain: He pronounces Agatha's death sentence as being "hanged by the neck until [she] dies."
• Too Dumb to Live: It's a very stupid thing to sentence the accused to death without proper evidence that she was really guilty of witchcraft.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He started the whole mess with the witch's curse, but he is trying to redeem himself and the other zombies.
• Villain of Another Story: Along with the other Puritans, in life the Judge was a monster who murdered a little girl, but ironically, as a zombie, he poses no threat to anyone and actually wants to help Norman. What every bullying citizen of Blithe Hollow was for Norman, he and the Puritans were for Agatha.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He thought he was doing the right thing and protecting the townsfolk by killing Aggie. The traditional (and theologically baseless) Christian folk belief that all witches and warlocks have made a Deal with the Devil doesn't help.
• Would Hurt a Child: The Judge sentences a young girl to be hanged for talking to the dead.

Perry Babcock

Voiced by: Jeff Garlin

Norman's father. He at first is ashamed of Norman's oddball behavior and isn't afraid to criticize him, though this is born from the fear of how society will treat him. Eventually, he sees the error of his ways and mends his behavior.

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• Abusive Parent: Unintentional but how he views Norman's words, treats him like a freak and a Black Sheep, and tells him to stop being him can make Perry come off as this.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: He views Norman's ability to talk to the deceased as an delusion, and views Norman as the Black Sheep of the family for it. However, by the end, he realizes that Norman actually can talk to ghosts and begins to repair his relationship with his son.
• Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: He strongly feels his son needs to stop all this talking-to-the-dead nonsense and start acting a bit more normal. He loses this mindset by the film's end and awkwardly tries to speak with his mother's ghost.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Even his own mother's ghost calls him a jackass on one occasion. His wife is quick to point out his more harsh behavior is due to his fear of how people will perceive Norman. Considering the misery it causes his son in school, and that later in the story an angry mob is literally moments from burning him at the stake, it's not an unreasonable fear; he really is a well-meaning dad who really loves his family.
• Parents as People: Perry initially comes across as an emotionally abusive jerk, but Sandra spells out to Norman that Perry acts the way he does because he's afraid for Norman and worries about him being able to fit in.
• So Proud of You: What he says to Norman at the end of the film once Agatha has been put to rest.
• Supernatural-Proof Father: He's completely resistant to the idea that Norman can see and talk to ghosts, but that's because only Norman can see the ghosts, not anyone else. By the end, he becomes Skeptic No Longer.
• Tempting Fate: He asks where the police are... About a second later, one literally crashes into him.
• Why Couldn't You Be Different?: He wishes Norman would stop talking about ghosts and act like a normal kid.

Sandra Babcock

Voiced by: Leslie Mann

Norman's mother. Whilst not exactly openly supportive of her son's gift, she at least attempts to be more understanding of it than her husband does, which does cause some noticeable friction between them.

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• Captain Obvious: Upon seeing the huge, unnatural green-and-purple storm cloud in the sky over the spot where the witch was buried, she asks, "Ooh, do you think this is the place?"
• Dissonant Serenity: Played for laughs; while driving through crowds of townsfolk in the midst of a violent, supernaturally-fuelled riot, she casually remarks that the traffic's really awful tonight.
• Granola Girl: A very downplayed version — some of Sandra's dialogue suggests that she believes in things like auras and astrology. In fact, at one point in the movie, she tells her husband, "Not believing in the supernatural is like not believing in astrology."
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She's definitely the nicest of Norman's family after his grandma.
• Hartman Hips: Just like her daughter, Sandra has a tiny waist and torso compared to her generous hips.
• Meaningful Name: Sandra means "defender."
• Open-Minded Parent: She tries to be, at least — Sandra's at least more open-minded compared to Perry.
• Only Sane Woman: She's somewhat the only adult who understands Norman, and she understands him more than her husband Perry.
• Supernatural-Proof Father: A mother example. Much like her husband, her being not exactly supportive of Norman's gift stems from the fact only he can see the dead, not her. Along with her husband, she becomes firmly on Norman's side and completely accepts his gift when Norman uses it to save the town.
• Tempting Fate: "Do you think this has anything to do with Norman?" It does, of course.

Mr. Prenderghast

Voiced by: John Goodman

Norman's maternal great uncle and the town's local crazy man. But what the town doesn't know about the crazy man is he's the only one who's been keeping them safe for untold years...

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• All of the Other Reindeer: He's as much of an outcast as Norman, and is seen as crazy by the townspeople. This seems to be an inevitable consequence of having the family ability to talk to ghosts.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: He has thick eyebrows, much like Norman and Agatha.
• The Cassandra: In the tie-in fictional newspaper The Blithe Hollow Bugle, he spends MONTHS warning the townspeople about the curse and how Norman is their only hope. Of course, his writings are dismissed as the ramblings of a madman, and he becomes more bitter with each edition.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Even for someone who sees ghosts, he's kinda out there. Justified due to the heavy ostracism he received from the townspeople for decades, which led to him Going Mad From Isolation.
• Crazy Homeless Person: He's called this by Neil when he asks Norman if he knows who the old man currently accosting him is.
• Creepy Uncle: Subverted. His niece's husband and much of the town likely think of him like this, but he's really not a bad guy, even if he is rather weird.
• Crusty Caretaker: According to the novelization, Mr. Prenderghast is the caretaker of the Blithe Hollow Cemetery.
• Determinator: The least you can say is that this man is dedicated in his efforts to prevent the witch's curse from taking effect. He even manages to come back from a fatal heart attack, even if it is for just a few seconds.
• Exotic Eye Designs: Just like Norman and Agatha, his irises and pupils are faceted.
• I See Dead People: Again, just like Norman and Agatha. Runs in the family.
• Kid Hero All Grown-Up: According to the novelization, he has been dealing with the witch's curse for fifty years, starting more or less when he was Norman's age. Given the state of him in the present day, it didn't go very well for him in the long run.
• Killed Off for Real: He dies about twenty minutes into the movie, and passes on to the other side shortly thereafter.
• Large Ham: Both alive and dead, Mr. Prenderghast chews the scenery every chance he gets.
• Madden Into Misanthropy: Years of isolation and deteriorating health fostered a heavy contempt for the residents of Blithe Hollow in him, who he frequently belittles for not taking him seriously. Probably the only reason he even protected them for as long as he did was that it was all he had left, and he's more than happy to pass the buck to Norman the first chance he gets.
• Meaningful Name: Prenderghast literally means "ghost catcher" or "ghost holder."
• Occult Blue Eyes: Just like Norman and Agatha, his blue eyes dovetail well with his ability to see ghosts.
• Only Sane Man: He was the only adult who knew the truth and helped Norman.
• Poor Communication Kills: In his haste to Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence, he neglects to give Norman the witch's backstory, or the location of her grave, or even explain the context for the book he gave him. This gives the "witch" time to awaken and act on her curse.
• Shadow Archetype: He's what Norman would be if he had completely (and bitterly) resigned to everyone's expectations about him being weird.
• Stalker without a Crush: He acts like one towards Norman, having a String Theory board full of pictures of him and stalking him outside school to talk about his duty to hold off the witch's curse.
• Superpowerful Genetics: The ability to see and talk to ghosts seems to run in the Prenderghast bloodline.
• Take Up My Sword: To Norman, as he knows he's dying and wants someone to hold off the witch's curse.
• Trash of the Titans: His study is a complete dump, which Norman discovers when he goes to retrieve the book.

Grandma Babcock

Voiced by: Elaine Stritch

Norman's ghost grandmother. Grandma Babcock's unfinished business in the mortal world is actually her promise to look out for Norman.

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• Dead All Along: Granted, it's not kept a secret for long, but her conversation with Norman in the opening scene is treated as a normal, everyday thing, until Norman's father chews him out for passing on a request he claims she gave, even though he knows full well she's been dead for a while.
• Deadpan Snarker: It seems to run in the family.
  Norman: Dad doesn't want me to talk to you anymore.
  Grandma: Jackass.
• Doting Grandparent: Ghosts only stay around in the world of the living because they have unfinished business. Grandma Babcock's unfinished business? She promised she would always look out for Norman.
• Friendly Ghost: She's one of the kindest ghosts seen in the movie, and she explicitly stayed in the mortal world to watch over her grandson.
• Granny Classic: She's a very sweet and caring grandmother who is usually seeing knitting. She also has some attitude and great wisdom to share with her dear grandson.
• The Mentor: To Norman.

• Spirit Advisor: To Norman. The only reason she's still in the mortal world is to watch over him and advise him.

Salma

Voiced by: Hannah Noyes

Neil's friend and the resident smart girl. She won't let you forget it. She doesn't participate much in the adventure, but does perform key research in a time of need.

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• Ascended Extra: In the novelisation, Salma has a bigger role in the story, helping Norman finding the Witch's records and eventually becoming his friend.
• Big Ol' Unibrow: Her most notable feature is her big unibrow.
• Bollywood Nerd: She appears to be South Asian, has an above-average I.Q, and pays attention in class (probably the only student in the film who does).
• Child Prodigy: She has an IQ of 192 and enough awards and certificates to cover a top-tier college physics professor's office walls. She apparently specializes in nuclear fusion.
• The Comically Serious: When she's forced to be the witch in a play; she seems pretty bored when she reads her lines.
• Expy: On the audio commentary, it is brought up that Salma's role in the movie is basically Velma of Scooby-Doo fame in a more modern setting, meaning that she isn't part of the adventure and is only contacted for information. Although they lampshade this themselves in the movie:
  Salma: So, Norman, let me get this straight: you guys all go on this big supernatural adventure, and you're calling me in the middle of the night because you need someone to help you do your homework?
• Foreshadowing: She is the witch in the school play, and she complains about the witch being a stereotypical ugly old woman. And she's right, Aggie is nothing like that: she's a little girl like herself.
• Hidden Depths : According to The Blithe Hollow Bugle, she's a Stephen King fan, having reread his entire oeuvre during spring break.
• Insufferable Genius: Norman even lampshades it.
  Salma: If you cared to pay attention some of the time, you would know that we covered this [where the witch was buried] in fifth-grade history class.
  Norman: You know, I would google this myself if there wasn't a 300-year-old dead guy trying to rip my face off!
• Odd Friendship: With Neil — she's a grumpy straight-A student, while Neil is a ball of sunshine who's a favorite target of the school bully and doesn't seem to care much for school.
• Perpetual Frowner: She's always seen scowling or just looking annoyed.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: Just to make it even more obvious she's the resident smart girl, she wears glasses.

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