WARNING: Given that the identity of each one of the killers is a Walking Spoiler, this is a Spoilers Off page. Everything below the general character description will openly spoil The Reveal from each movie. You Have Been Warned. With that in mind, please keep tropes for each killer before each reveal on the respective character pages so as to not spoil the twist on those pages.

Note that this page only covers the Ghostface killers from the films. The Ghostfaces from the MTV series, Resurrection and Dead by Daylight can be found here, here and here, respectively.

Ghostface

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/images_8_222.jpeg

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

Voiced in English By: Roger L. Jackson ^{Other Languages}

Played By: Various Actors ^note

"You're a survivor, aren't you, Sidney? Your one and only skill: you survive. I've got one question for you. What good is it to be a survivor in this little drama, if everyone close to you is dead?"

Wearing a white ghost mask and long black robes, the Ghostface killer sneaks and stabs his way through suburban neighborhoods, hacking teenagers and college kids to pieces — but not before calling them up with horror trivia games. A word of advice: don't get the wrong answer.

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General

#-L

Affirmative-Action Legacy: The first Ghostface duo consisted of white men, but almost half of the succeeding Ghostfaces are women.
- Scream 2:
  - Mrs. Loomis was the lead killer, taking up Billy's knife. Randy acknowledges this trope when deducing that the killer is trying to break new ground.
  - Hallie was one of the killers in the original draft for Scream 2, which would have made her the first African-American Ghostface in the film series if not for the rewrites.
- Scream 3: Roman had Angelina as a partner in an early script, but the final movie averts this by making Roman the sole killer.
- Scream 4: Jill is the lead Ghostface.
- Scream 5: Amber is Richie's accomplice. She also would've been the first definitive LGBTQ+ Ghostface if she was still Tara's girlfriend in the final movie, as was intended in the original script.
- Scream VI: Quinn is one of the Ghostfaces. Additionally, Jason is the first non-white Ghostface.
The Alibi: In most of the movies, Ghostface is an identity shared by two people, which means that accounting for every character's location whenever Ghostface attacks isn't a good way of eliminating suspects.
Ambiguous Situation: Because there are usually multiple killers operating under the Ghostface persona in each film (except for Scream 3), it is often a point of contention among fans on which one of the killers claimed which victims in their respective killing sprees. That being said, it's usually easier to narrow it down if one of the killers is present out-of-costume in a scene where Ghostface is attacking another character.
Ancestral Weapon: An odd and nonlinear example with the multiple copies of the Buck 120 knife. The weapon is first used by Billy Loomis, and then his mother. Sidney's half-brother Roman then wields it, and is succeeded by their cousin Jill. This occurs again with Richie being the first in his family to wield the knife, before it's passed on to his younger siblings Ethan and Quinn, as well as his father Wayne.
Arch-Enemy:
- Every incarnation of Ghostface is an enemy of Sidney and always targets her, though in the fifth movie, Richie and Amber don't seem to actively seek her out but rather relish that she's involved. Billy, Mrs. Loomis, Roman, and Jill are particularly personal enemies for her.
- As of the fifth movie, Ghostface is this for Sam Carpenter as well; the original Ghostface mastermind, Billy Loomis, is her biological father, and his shadow looms over her, while that film's two Ghostfaces are explicitly targeting her and her sister. This carries on in the sixth movie as well, with the vengeful Kirsch/Bailey family targeting Sam to avenge the death of Richie Kirsch, who was the Ghostface mastermind of the previous film.
Awesome, but Impractical: The "Father Death" costume; on one hand, the costume is easily affordable, can be found most everywhere, blends in well in the night thanks to the black robe, hides the physical identity of its wearer to the point that you may not know if Ghostface is male or female, is intimidating to Ghostface's victims, and it looks badass on whoever wears it. Despite its many advantages, the costume was not made for sociopaths to go around chasing and killing people; the costume's skirt constricts the wearer's legs. and the mask has darkened fabric lenses, making it difficult to see at night, which is probably why Ghostface is so sluggish and clumsy when they attack people.
Ax-Crazy: All the people who donned the identity are messed-up in the head.
Bad Boss: With the exception of the third, fifth and sixth films, any mastermind of a film's killings is this to their henchman following The Reveal, from Billy's nearly lethal bullying of Stu to Mrs. Loomis's and Jill's fatal disposals of their Dragons once they're finished serving them.
Big Bad: Merges this with Legacy Character. While every film has a new killer, the holder of the Ghostface identity is always the main threat.
Big Bad Duumvirate: With the exception of the third and sixth films, the identity is typically donned by two people. However, only the fifth film plays this straight, as all the other Ghostface pairs had one killer that was clearly dominant over the other.
Big Bad Friend: Except Roman in 3, there's almost always at least one Ghostface who poses as a non-romantic friend to the main group of teens: Stu in 1, Mickey in 2, both Jill and Charlie in 4, Amber in 5, and both Ethan and Quinn in VI.
Big, Screwed-Up Family:
- Two of them are related to Sidney, and two more are mother and son (who were still motivated by the actions of Sidney's deceased mother and her Ghostface son). The secondary Ghostface killers in those movies are just pawns in the schemes of these four.
- The sixth film introduces Detective Wayne Bailey and his children Quinn and Ethan, who themselves are the vengeful family of the previous lead Ghostface Richie Kirsch.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In each film, the people behind the Ghostface mask are presented as friendly and harmless before their facades drop.
Bond Villain Stupidity: They all have a moment (or several moments):
- Mrs Loomis in 2: She reveals her plan to Sidney, and lampshades how stupid it was with the following dialogue:
"OK, so have I covered everything, are there any questions, any comments? You know what? Who gives a flying FUCK anyway!?"
- Jill in 4 lets Gale have some final words before killing her. This naturally leads to Gale getting the upper hand on her and Sidney killing her.
Brains and Brawn: So far, all of the Ghostface pairings follow this dynamic.
- The main Ghostface is the brains of the operation that creates most of the plans. Likewise, most of the attacks and murders are carried out by their partner, so the main Ghostface usually plays a more subtle role by distracting the victims with harassing phone calls or by pretending to be a victim to pull off a Wounded Gazelle Gambit.
- The secondary Ghostface is The Brute that does most of the muscle work and likewise is physically bigger than the lead Ghostface^note. Because of this, they act as The Heavy since they spend more time under the Father Death costume as Ghostface and consequently have more kills than their respective leaders do.
The Bully: Monstrous mass-murdering psychos or not, they're just bullies who torment their victims for their own sick amusement, especially since most of the killers are around high school/college age. Their killings and severe attitude problems make them come across as a Barbaric Bully, with their grisly killings being an allegory for Bully Brutality. Also, whenever they're a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, they act like typical bullies, pretending to be friendly to a new classmate at school, before subjecting them to public humiliation in front of their peers (or in their case, just flat-out killing them after The Reveal). To anyone who dons the mask, serial killing is just as enjoyable as the typical bully shoving their defenseless victims in a locker, giving them wedgies, dunking their victims' heads into a toilet to give them a swirly, and pulling humiliating pranks (schemes where they try to come across as survivors of their own killings out of fame and glory and their persecution of each film's heroes are both cruel, childish pranks with staggering body counts). Finally, one bad habit actually shown in the films that Ghostfaces and usual bullies share is to cruelly prank call their victims. Sidney eventually has enough of running and hiding from their terrorizing, and grows a pair to become a Bully Hunter.
Bulletproof Vest: Some of the Ghostfaces take the precaution of wearing bulletproof vests under the costume, as Sidney and the other heroes tend to be packing heat as the franchise progresses. Examples include Roman, Amber and Quinn.
Bullying a Dragon: Honestly, after the first movie, where Sidney took out the first Ghostface and his accomplice in brutal fashion, it should be well known that Sidney can be pretty dangerous herself. In fact, since her first three encounters with Ghostface killers (all of which she survived) have been adapted in the Stab films, the copycat Ghostfaces should definitely know better than to go after her, yet they still do. With each movie, this trope becomes more pronounced.
Sidney: You're forgetting one thing about Billy Loomis.
Mickey: What's that?
Sidney: I fucking killed him!
Cain and Abel: The third and one of the fourth Ghostfaces are Sidney's older half-brother and younger cousin respectively, both from her mother's side.
Card-Carrying Villain: He enjoys killing people. Sometimes too much.
Cast as a Mask: Roger L. Jackson provides the voice for Ghostface whenever people are using the voice-changer to disguise their identity. Stuntmen Dane Farwell, Brian Avery, John Gilbert, and Paul Burke portray Ghostface in the costume onscreen.
Catchphrase:
- "What's your favorite scary movie?"
- In the original film, the phrase was actually: "Do you like scary movies?"
- Upon being unmasked, they'll usually say "Surprise, Sidney!" or some variation.
Cheap Costume: The iconic "Father Death" costume is nothing more than a rubber mask and nylon cloak sold "at every five-and-dime in the state."
Character Tics: Ghostface has a habit of tripping, holding his knife out horizontally before wiping the blade off with his free hand, and tilting his head like some other classic slasher movie villains. Some Ghostfaces have their own unique traits that distinguish them from their partner or predecessors.
Collective Identity: In five out of six movies, more than one person is acting as Ghostface at any given time. While this was a plot twist for the first film, it's the norm for most of the sequels.
Con Man: When the unmasked killers reveal their plans at the climax, they're often plotting to make themselves the heroes and survivors of their mass murders. However, they are Ax-Crazy examples of this trope.
Connected All Along: Played with. Certain Ghostfaces were obviously friends with each other before getting the idea to start killing while others had more secretive links.
- In Scream 2, it turns out that Mickey was in cahoots with Mrs. Loomis despite never interacting with her onscreen before their reveals. Mrs. Loomis mentions finding Mickey on a serial killer website.
- In Scream 5, Richie and Amber pretend to meet each other for the first time when Sam finally reunites with Tara at the hospital. After the unmaskings, they both disclose that they met up online just like Mrs. Loomis and Mickey did.
- In Scream VI, Quinn and Detective Bailey pretend to not be related to Ethan (Quinn's brother and Bailey's younger son, respectively) to avoid a Contrived Coincidence and hide their familial ties with one another. Additionally, the finale reveals they're Richie's family who wants vengeance against Sam for "murdering" Richie a year prior.
Cop Killer: Since Police Are Useless for the most part, most Ghostfaces can take them down with ease. Collectively, Ghostface has killed 7 cops so far including Judy Hicks and Dewey. Inverted with Detective Wayne Bailey.
Copycat Killer: Every subsequent Ghostface after Billy and Stu mostly copies the original film's modus operandi. For example, all of them wear the "Father Death" costume as a disguise, wield knives as their main weapon, and utilize voice changers when harassing victims on the phone. They also tend to switch from knives to using guns after they reveal themselves. That said, all of the later killers have their own twists on the Ghostface formula.
- In the second film, Mickey plays it straight by murdering people who share names with the victims from the first Ghostface killing spree, and in a similar order as well. On the other hand, Mrs. Loomis seems relatively indifferent to the copycatting, and is mainly targeting Sidney and the other Woodsboro survivors. In fact, it is implied that Mrs. Loomis invoked this trope with Mickey so that she would have an easy fall guy after killing off Sidney.
- The third film is an interesting case. Here, Roman reveals that he inspired Billy and Stu to become killers, and thus is responsible for inspiring some of Ghostface's tactics, most notably their reliance on a partner to facilitate their murder sprees, and usage of a fall guy to escape the consequences. Despite this, Roman doesn't quite follow his own advice, as he is the only Ghostface to work alone.
- In the fourth film, Jill and Charlie use cameras to record their murders and upload the footage to the Internet for public viewing, ensuring that their notoriety reaches a larger audience.
- The fifth film has Richie and Amber targeting people with relations to the Woodsboro murder sprees, whether related to the victims or the original killers, and set up their murder scenarios similar to ones in the Stab films.
- The sixth film has the Bailey family break franchise trends by having three killers. They're also the first Ghostface to use guns in-costume, and they forgo horror movie trivia in favor of straight-up revenge against Sam and anyone even peripherally involved in the death of Richie.
Corrupted Character Copy: As the Scream series is highly serialised, it's common for Ghostfaces (at least in 4 and 5) to be evil versions of earlier characters.
Dark Is Evil: Combined with Light Is Not Good, as the usual ensemble for Ghostface is a Black Cloak (though closer to the body than most versions) and a White Mask of Doom.
Deadpan Snarker: When they taunt their would-be victims; every Ghostface makes sure to throw in a few mean-spirited jibes, especially during their trademark menacing phone calls.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: Ghostface is a deconstruction of the Stock Slasher, who is typically a masked Implacable Man with (borderline) supernatural abilities such as Nigh-Invulnerability and a Healing Factor. While Ghostface is a determined and athletic Stealth Expert, they are ultimately human, which means their victims have a better chance of holding them off or even killing them. Because of this, Ghostface usually avoids fair fights with characters wielding guns and is not above using guns themselves to gain an advantage. Like the slasher villains that inspired them, Ghostface also wears a mask but with the twist that the mask helps disguise their identity although this comes with the cost of good vision, resulting in Ghostface's occasional moment of clumsiness. Furthermore, while Michael, Leatherface, and Jason are outsiders to normal society and thus have no issues with becoming the target of law enforcement and going on the run, Ghostface is (mostly) a regular person and generally doesn't want their crimes tied to their person, which is why they have a Fall Guy to take the blame. Finally, Ghostface is also an "immortal" slasher villain that returns in every sequel but in the realistic sense that any psychopath can pick up the "Father Death" costume and become the next Ghostface copycat.
Determinator: Any Ghostface will never stop pursuing their victims until they get the kill, even if they fall, trip, and/or get hit with everything the victims have at hand (including doors).
Didn't Think This Through: Their plans tend to have holes in them, which usually get called out by Sidney, or even each other.
Disproportionate Retribution: The dominant Ghostface in the killer duos targets the heroes for reasons that are usually very petty and/or unjustifiable by any sane logic.
Doesn't Like Guns: Each version of Ghostface prefers knives or improvised weapons for their attacks, most likely to play up the stereotypical slasher image like killers in in-universe horror films, who either don't or only rarely use guns as weapons, although several of them finally resort to using handguns in their final confrontation with the heroes of the film.
Dramatic Unmask: Played with throughout the series.
- In the first film, Casey manages to unmask Stu in the opening scene, although the audience, unlike Casey doesn't get a good look at the killer's face. Later on, Billy and Stu both subvert this, as they reveal themselves in person without the Father Death costumes. Billy reveals himself after shooting Randy in cold blood, while Stu reveals himself by using Ghostface's voice changer in front of Sidney.
- In the second film, Mickey plays this straight by unmasking himself in front of Sidney and Derek. On the other hand, this is subverted in the case of Mrs. Loomis, who reveals herself by threatening Gale with a handgun.
- In the third film, Roman plays this straight.
- In the fourth film, this is played straight with Jill and subverted with Charlie, who betrays his true nature by stabbing Kirby.
- In the fifth film, Amber and Richie subvert this. Amber reveals her villainy by randomly shooting Liv through the head while Richie reveals he's the other killer by non-fatally stabbing Sam. Amber also exploits this trope by putting on the Father Death costume to trick Sidney and Sam into believing that she is the second killer before Richie actually reveals himself.
- In the sixth film, this is played straight with Ethan and Quinn and subverted with Bailey. Bailey reveals himself as Ghostface by (non-fatally) shooting Kirby.
Et Tu, Brute?: Given that most of the killers are in a friend group, and most of the victims are from said friend groups, this is inevitable. Examples include Billy betraying his girlfriend Sidney, Richie betraying his girlfriend Sam, and Amber betraying her best friend Tara.
Evil All Along: They are all introduced as someone close to Sidney, or at least someone indifferent yet harmless to her, until The Reveal that they are anything but.
Evil Gloating: Once the Ghostfaces reveal themselves, they always, always, proceed to gloat about their Evil Plan to the heroes, not being able to resist complimenting themselves about how clever they think they are, instead of just killing Sidney while they have a chance. Without fail, this leads to the heroes getting the upper hand and taking them down.
Evil Is Bigger: Most Ghostfaces, minus the pair in the fourth film and one of the killers in the fifth, are taller than Sidney, with Matthew Lillard taking the cake at 6'3".
Evil Is Hammy: Every single Ghostface has been depicted as having quite the Fun Personified flair for the dramatic. However, this only makes each of them obnoxious and despicable. Roman, Mickey and Jill take the cake in this regard.
Evil Is Petty: A recurring trait with the Ghostfaces; while none of them can be described as stable or rational in any sense, their motives and actions tend to be anywhere from mildly to insanely petty.
Evil Sounds Deep: Each has access to some voice-changing device that makes them sound similarly harsh and raspy, a voice usually portrayed by Roger L. Jackson.
Fall Guy: In every film, Ghostface has at least one victim on which they plan to pin their crimes, and Ghostface usually murders said victim(s) in a Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit.
- In the first film, Billy and Stu planned to have Sidney's dad take the blame. As for the murder of Sidney's mother a year ago, they successfully framed Cotton with false evidence.
- The second film plays with this, in that Mickey, one of the Ghostfaces, was willing to turn himself in to the police to take all the credit for the murders, but Mrs. Loomis killed him to prevent him from potentially implicating her.
- For the third film, Sidney was Roman's intended scapegoat.
- The fourth film plays with this. Here, Charlie and Trevor are the two patsies, but while Trevor was innocent, Charlie was one of the two Ghostfaces, with Jill betraying Charlie shortly after The Reveal.
- In the fifth film, Sam was supposed to be Richie and Amber's fall guy, as she was the daughter of Billy Loomis, and the killers thought that a killing spree "committed" by the child of an infamous serial killer would revive the Stab franchise.
- In the sixth film, Sam is yet again the fall guy for the Baileys by playing into the negative media attention that Sam has received since the Woodsboro requel murders, wanting to frame her for the murders in revenge for murdering Richie, the eldest son of the Bailey family. They also plan to blame Sam's death on a conspiracy theorist; whether Wayne had a specific conspiracy theorist in mind is unknown.
The Family That Slays Together: As of the sixth film, 2/3 of all the Ghostfaces (and all of the masterminds) are related to one or more of the other Ghostfaces by blood.
- Scream (1996) and Scream 2 feature Billy Loomis, and his mother Nancy Loomis, as the lead Ghostfaces of their respective films.
- Scream 3 and Scream 4 introduce members of the maternal side of Sidney's family, the Roberts. Roman Bridger, Sidney's maternal half-brother, is the sole Ghostface of the third film, and Jill Roberts, Sidney's cousin, is the mastermind of the fourth film.
- After Richie Kirsch was the mastermind of Scream (2022), the Kirsch family plays this the straightest in Scream VI, with Richie's father, Detective Wayne Bailey, and his siblings, Ethan and Quinn, comprising the Ghostface trio in the sixth film.
Faux Affably Evil: All Ghostfaces tend to address their victims in a polite, almost friendly way before brutally killing them.
Flowery Insults: Usually whenever someone is about to hang up, Ghostface will make an exceptionally violent threat ("Cut you like a fish," "Gut you like a pig," "Cut through your neck until I feel bone," etc.) to shock them into staying on the line.
For the Evulz: While some have sympathetic backstories, all kill largely because they enjoy it.
Fragile Speedster: Compared to other slasher movie villains, Ghostfaces are often knocked down or otherwise briefly incapacitated by mundane hazards, which is justified since they are just ordinary people with no supernatural enhancements whatsoever. However, they make up for it with sheer determination, and by being much faster than your average lumbering slasher.
Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Most Ghostfaces have a troubled past that drove them to become killers, although the films never validate them or treat them as remotely sympathetic due to the crimes they commit and emotional trauma they inflict on others. Sidney herself gets sick of the excuses after a couple of rodeos. In Scream 3, Sidney shouts Roman down with the facts that his crimes were his own choices and that he should have just taken responsibility for his life, and in Scream (2022), Sidney hangs up on a taunting Ghostface and says she's bored during the climax while she sweeps the house, having suffered enough trauma and petty betrayals to feel that any excuse for the killings would be insufficient and tiresome and that learning the motive isn't worth it.
Genre Blind: Up until Richie and Amber averted this in the fifth film, every single time there were two killers, one tried to kill or harm the other (the only successful case was Jill killing Charlie), and yet they never see it coming.
Glass Cannon: Justified, as they are overly dependent on their victims cowering in fear, and are thus almost laughingly unprepared for when someone fights back, especially Sidney.
The Grim Reaper: The costume is largely a Black Cloak similar to Death, but with the unique twist of the Ghostface (called "Father Death" initially) mask.
Hair-Trigger Temper: The killer often starts off nice enough in conversations, if maybe a little weird, but when you stop falling in line, the facade breaks. The Big Bad, following The Reveal in the movies, tends to be prone to losing their temper, fuelling their ax-craziness and making them mean-spirited and emotionally abusive. Since the first film, they consistently lose their composure hard whenever the heroes turn their sick game onto them.
Harassing Phone Call: A trademark of the Ghostface killers. Part of their modus operandi is to call their victims and terrorize them by asking them horror trivia questions, threatening to kill them and/or someone else if they don't comply or get the wrong answer.
Humans Are Bastards: They don't have to have supernatural powers to commit monstrous and savage crimes and behave like common bullies with shockingly violent tendencies.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Though relying on a gimmick of being theme costumed while killing, anyone who dons the mask proves that mere mortals alone can be capable of destructive and monstrous sadism and slaughter without any need of the supernatural assistance that killers such as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers have mostly relied on.
Implacable Man: Subverted. The various Ghostface killers are ultimately perfectly ordinary people in spooky outfits, not supernatural beings like the '80s slashers they take inspiration from. Several times, the killer is successfully fended off using nothing but fists or various implements, or even knocked unconscious, and basic firearms will kill them. That said, every Ghostface is a Determinator, so you'd better make sure they're actually dead.
It's All About Me: The killers are all insanely self-centered, and usually force their targets to play the roles that they choose for them in the "movie" that is their life.
Jerkass: At best, they're Faux Affably Evil or get along with their accomplice. By and large, they're nasty, petty, vicious maniacs who enjoy taunting their victims almost as much as they enjoy killing them. The traditional Motive Rant in each film tends to feature a lot of Evil Gloating, mockery of their intended victims, and self-important excuses for their vile deeds.
Joker Immunity: Zig-zagged. While Ghostface as a persona and threat always comes back, the person(s) under the mask is a new killer each time, with Ghostface being the guise of entirely mortal criminals who are killed at the end of each film.
Karmic Death: One way or another, they all meet their well-deserved demise at the end of their respective killing sprees when the heroes turn the tables on them.
Kick the Dog: They always make a point of taunting their victims as much as possible, often by bringing up past trauma. They are always unprepared for when The Dog Bites Back.
Lack of Empathy: As is standard for any sadistic serial killer. They all show no mercy to their victims, and none of them ever express any remorse for their crimes when revealed.
Lean and Mean: They all have a slender build and as you may have guessed, are not very nice. Mrs. Loomis even lost weight as part of the plan.
Legacy Character: Since it's a generic Halloween costume in-universe, a grand total of thirteen ^note characters have donned the identity.
Loony Fan: At least one or two of the killers are devoted horror fans. Richie and Amber are this especially, as it's their main motive for their killings.
Love-Interest Traitor: Several of them are in or previously had a relationship with one of their victims, to the point that Dewey states that "don't trust the love interest" is the first rule of surviving a Stab movie in Scream (2022).

M-Z

Made of Iron: Every Ghostface is this to some extent, as at least one Ghostface in every movie pulls off a Not Quite Dead moment. Although in hindsight, whenever the costume is removed, the killer actually seems to be quite breakable. They also don't simply shrug off injuries and react accordingly to pain.
Malevolent Masked Men: Though in some cases, the Ghostface killer can be a Malevolent Masked Woman.
Mascot Villain: Easily the most recognizable "face" of the whole franchise, and they are the villain(s).
Mask of Sanity: Prior to The Reveal, They Look Just Like Everyone Else!, but each one is actually a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing.
Misplaced Retribution: Nearly all of the mastermind Ghostfaces target Sidney (and later Sam) for events that she was in no way responsible or guilty for, with most of the copycats in the sequels even going after Sidney as a consequence of her defending herself from the previous Ghostfaces that have attempted to kill her. Finally averted with Richie Kirsch and Amber Freeman in the fifth movie, who have no personal connection to or vendetta against Sidney herself.
Moral Myopia: Almost a pre-requisite for the job. Even when a Ghostface's motive doesn't involve revenge, they'll still throw a hissy fit about perceived slights against them and act like the victim even as they're literally trying to murder people.
More Deadly Than the Male: When there's a female Ghostface, they're usually more deadly than their male cohorts. Mrs. Loomis and Jill are the Big Bads of their respective films while Amber commits most of the killings in the fifth, even claiming the honor of killing Dewey. Meanwhile, Quinn nearly kills Gale in the sixth.
Motive Decay: Played with as Ghostface isn't a single entity but played by multiple people each with distinct personalities and reasons to kill. The masterminds of the original trilogy were Driven to Villainy from personal tragedies they blamed on Sidney's mother, Maureen, or even Sidney herself. Then came Sidney's cousin, Jill, who was just a fame-hungry narcissist that orchestrated her massacre in order to succeed Sidney as the next "heroic survivor" of Ghostface's rampage. Afterwards came Richie, whose excuse for his bloodbath was possibly the most ridiculous yet: so that the Stab movies could return to form being Based on a True Story. The accomplices, on the other hand, always had selfish or petty reasons to partake in the murders: Stu was merely in it For the Evulz, Mickey was an O. J. Simpson wannabe, Charlie wanted to be the "Randy" to Jill's "Sidney", and Amber was a a Loony Fan like Richie. The main killers of the sixth film, however, do make a downplayed invoked"Character Rerailment" as their motive is simple vengeance for their fallen relative, Richie.
Motive Rant: A good number of the dominant Ghostfaces do this after they reveal themselves to the heroes. Sidney gets sick of them quickly.
Mundane Horror: They Look Just Like Everyone Else! with their generally ordinary physical appearances while unmasked, and don't possess any remarkable physical capabilities, but this doesn't make them anything than the Ax-Crazy Serial Killers they really are.
Narcissist: Most of the killers fancy themselves quite a bit, and commit murders in order to be the stars, directors, or writers of their own real-life horror movies. Because of this, they see their targets as supporting characters, fulfilling the roles they chose for them.
Never My Fault: With the exception of Mickey, who freely admits to just being a psychopath trying to get famous, pretty much all Ghostfaces will place the blame for their actions onto other people and act like the wronged party.
Not Quite Dead: It's customary for at least one of the killers in each movie to pull this in a last-ditch effort to kill the heroes before promptly being gunned down. As Sidney herself says: "they always come back."
Offscreen Teleportation: Like the more supernatural slashers, if Ghostface is off-camera for a moment, he is capable of appearing anywhere.
- Most of the time, this is justified because there are usually two people in costume, allowing Ghostface to be in two places at once. In the first movie, Ghostface was able to move Steve into Casey's backyard and ring the doorbell at the front door without much issue since both Billy and Stu were at Casey's house.
- Scream 3 had one killer, so it had an alternate explanation for Roman's disappearing act: Roman had knowledge of the secret passages in Milton's house, allowing him to waylay or trap his unaware victims.
- On the other hand, it's sometimes played straight. For example, in Scream 2, Mickey was able to disappear from the police car before ambushing Hallie even though Sidney was surveilling said car in the same sequence.
Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: As the survivors of the original films/previous films get older and older, the Ghostfaces tend to be much younger than them most of the time since the fourth film, even with Ghostfaces who are adults (as in the case of Richie, Quinn, and Ethan).
- In the fourth film, Jill was 17 and Charlie was around the same age, vs. 32-year-old Sidney, 47-year-old Gale, and 40-year-old Dewey.
- In the fifth film, Amber was 17 and Richie was in his late 20s, vs. 42-year-old Sidney, 57-year-old Gale, and 50-year-old Dewey.
- In the sixth film, 19-year-old Quinn and Ethan (who's probably 18) face off against 59-year-old Gale. In the scene where Ghostface attacks Gale, Quinn is behind the mask. Also, Kirby is now 30 and gets attacked by Quinn and Ethan as well. However, they are masterminded by their father Wayne, whose actor is 59, so it's not entirely this trope.
Outlaw Couple: Occasionally, the Ghostface killers have a romantic relationship with each other. Notable subversions include:
- Scream 2: An early draft had Derek dating Hallie behind Sidney's and Mickey's backs. Hallie even compares Derek and herself to the protagonists of Natural Born Killers. However, later edits to the story scrapped this plan since Mickey replaced both Hallie and Derek as Ghostface.
- Scream 3: Likewise, Roman and Angelina were romantically involved in a prior script; however, the final movie averted this by making Angelina one of the victims instead.
Playing the Victim Card: Almost every Ghostface tries to present themselves as the real victim and their targets as the ones in the wrong, and genuinely seem to believe it regardless of how petty their motivations often are. The only exception is Mickey, who freely admits to just being an evil Serial Killer.
Pop-Cultured Badass: With few exceptions, the Ghostface killers are major movie buffs, constantly referencing or quizzing their would-be victims on horror movies; Billy outs himself as a killer by quoting Psycho, Mickey was a film student who made a number of movie references (including Top Gun, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and The Godfather Part II), Roman was a film director, Jill and Charlie were both big horror fans, and Richie and Amber were both motivated by wanting to inspire a better film in their favorite slasher series.
Psychopathic Manchild: Many Ghostfaces fit the criteria quite well when their identities and motives are revealed.
Revenge Myopia: Most of the Ghostfaces with motives for their killings are attacking out of some loss or turmoil in their past, most often blaming Sidney for it in some indirect way. By the third instance, Sidney gets so sick of this bullshit that she delivers a furious "The Reason You Suck" Speech to the Ghostface in question, telling them it's their own fault they're a twisted psychopath, and they need to just learn to take some responsibility for their lives. Naturally, it falls on deaf ears, and the Ghostface in question throws a violent Never My Fault Villainous Breakdown.
Sadist: Whatever sympathetic motives each may think they have, it's repeatedly shown that they take immense pleasure in their vicious crimes and try to drag out the experience for as long as possible.
Samus Is a Girl: Mrs. Loomis in 2, Jill in 4, Amber in 5, and Quinn in VI.
"The Scream" Parody: Their masks are all a variant on the painting.
Serial Killer: Specifically, a serial killer in costume who hunts down all the friends and family of Sidney Prescott, and eventually moves on to anyone even remotely related to the events of the first movie at all. As the sequels go on, it becomes increasingly clear that anyone who survives a Ghostface killing spree will find themselves having to continually face copycats looking to claim their lives where previous killers have failed.
Silent Antagonist: Zigzagged. Unlike most slasher villains, Ghostface is able to and frequently does talk. This usually happens when they are taunting their victims on the phone with a voice changer. However, whenever they appear on-screen, they tend to stay silent, since they can't activate their voice changers when they are in the middle of trying to kill someone, with a few exceptions:
- Scream 2:
  - After Sidney challenges Ghostface to attack her, Ghostface responds with "my pleasure" before revealing that he is in the same room as Sidney.
  - Just when Sidney is about to untie Derek, Ghostface shows up to announce his presence before unmasking himself as Mickey.
- In Scream 3, they talk on screen for a few moments before revealing themself as Roman.
- In the fifth film, they activate their voice changer, now equipped to the costume, while in the hospital chasing Tara, and then pick up her phone so they can taunt Sam. They also make a very low growling noise after killing Judy Hicks.
Smug Snake: All of them. They're twisted chessmasters when donning the guise of Ghostface, but almost always when the heroes pull the rug out from under them or call them out on their pathetic or hypocritical qualities, they essentially throw an Ax-Crazy tantrum. This tendency to lose composure very easily is almost always what leaves them open to their defeat.
The Social Darwinist: Most of them believe themselves to be justified in their actions or behavior, but they really just have a sense of superiority over others, and believe Murder Is the Best Solution for anyone who disagrees with them.
Stalker without a Crush: He's not targeting his victims out of love at all.
Stealth Expert: Apparently capable of showing up behind you whenever you aren't looking.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: As detailed above, the famous costume has some distinct disadvantages, and it's also repeatedly shown that the killers are not invulnerable and effortlessly efficient killers, but ordinary people who can be knocked down, hurt, make serious mistakes and be fought off by their victims for it (with Tara from the fifth film even surviving her attack while all of the other prologue victims have died), and react accordingly to pain and serious injuries. Their mask can also be taken off with little effort, as happens in the opening of the first film.
Swipe Your Blade Off: One of their Character Tics is to use the hand not holding the knife to wipe off the blade. Stunt performer Dane Farwell originally came up with this to avoid continuity errors related to how much blood is on the knife.
Teens Are Monsters: Several of them are high school students who remorselessly and sadistically slaughter innocents, including those within their own friend groups.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: All of the people who have taken up the Ghostface mantle don't scream "obvious serial killer!" at first glance. In-universe, the costume is easily obtainable, so anyone could be Ghostface.
Third Act Stupidity: Every single Ghostface ends up falling prey to this in the third act. For the most part, this happens because they want their victims to know exactly what their plan is, as a way of prolonging their suffering and terror... while also giving them time to figure out how to get the upper hand.
Tiny Tyrannical Girl: All of the female Ghostfaces tend to be fairly small, and always skinny women. There is, nevertheless, no clear indication of who did the killing, so the female Ghostface is nearly always portrayed as equally brutal as her male counterparts, with no difficulty committing the same actions.
Too Dumb to Live: All of them to a degree, but the killers in 4, 5, and VI seem not to realize that their preceding Ghostfaces have a survival rate of 0%, and yet they still don the costume and try to hunt down either the Legacy Trio and/or the Core Four, despite the body count both parties have against Ghostfaces.
Two Dun It: In all movies except 3 and VI, the Ghostface moniker is donned by two people.
Two Girls to a Team: Played with. Four women have officially ^note donned the Ghostface identity, namely Nancy Loomis (in 2), Jill Roberts (in 4), Amber Freeman (in 5), and Quinn Bailey (in VI).
Very Punchable Man: It's very easy to root for the heroes to put an end to each killer in the films, as all of them are nasty, despicable individuals.
Vile Villain, Laughable Lackey: The Dragon for the Big Bad is usually Laughably Evil in the films, in contrast to their bosses being a straight-up Hate Sink, except in the fifth film, where the two killers are equals. This is often even demonstrated in their portrayal of Ghostface, while the bosses are more vicious, angry and threatening-sounding in their performance, the lackeys are often more over the top and gleefully mock and cackle at their victims.
Villain Decay: Ghostface has become less effective towards the survivors as the franchise has gone on. Sidney and Gale in particular are sick of their weak Freudian Excuses and predictability, approaching each murder spree with a "been there, done that" attitude and being ready to put down any new killer who crosses their path without a hint of fear.
Villainous Breakdown: Not that any were exactly stable to start with, but almost all have moments after the reveal when they go completely mad, usually after Sidney calls bullshit on whatever sympathetic motive they think they have, or turns their own sick game back onto them.
Villainous Valour: A thoroughly unsympathetic case. Psychotic killer or not, anyone behind the mask is not the kind to know when to give up when hunting down, Sidney even if they have to endure a ridiculous amount of physical punishment. Rather than making them badasses, however, the intention is more to show them as snarling and bloodthirsty rabid dogs at heart, well beyond any possibility of redemption.
Voice Changeling: Ghostface's trademark is a voice changer that masks their voice over the phone. Roman Bridger takes it a step further by mimicking others, including Maureen Prescott.
Walking Spoiler: Naturally, every character who turns out to be a killer is this, as The Reveal puts all their past actions in a sinister new light, and they usually reveal a much more psychotic persona beneath their previously benign facade.
White Mask of Doom: The white mask worn by Ghostface.
With Friends Like These...: With very few exceptions, Ghostface turns out to be someone within the friend group. Sure, sometimes they are a case of False Friend, but half the time it's someone within the clique who just decides to kill all of their friends for 15 Minutes of Fame, as highly Disproportionate Retribution or simply For the Evulz. And to top it off, most of the time, there are two killers, and in most of those instances one betrays and kills the other.
Would Hit a Girl: Most Ghostfaces are boys and men, and none of them have any problem brutally murdering girls and women.
Your Size May Vary: Stunt actors usually play Ghostface when the killers put on the "Father Death" costume, which can lead to height disparities when the killers divulge their identities. This is enforced because Ghostface's gimmick is that he can be anyone. That said, Wes Craven tried to downplay the size discrepancies in Scream 4 by having Jill's actor Emma Roberts wear big shoes to look taller.

Others

Jason Carvey

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dc259992_e717_41f4_bb53_e11352e618e2.jpeg

"But... we have... to finish... the movie!"

Played By: Tony Revolori

"It was even better than we ever could have imagined. I mean, when the knife went in her, it's like she wasn't human anymore. Just an animal. And every time it went in, she was less and less human. And then, she was just meat."

An Argento-obsessed film student attending Blackmore University in New York. Jason is one of two killers planning to go after the Carpenter sisters. Unfortunately for him, another Ghostface had different plans.

Advertised Extra: Despite getting his own character poster, he's only in the prologue of the film and only briefly interacts with one of the protagonists.
Affirmative-Action Legacy: He's the first non-white Ghostface.
Asshole Victim: He and Greg are really only taken out by the Bailey family because they were a wrench in the latter's revenge plot against Sam. That said they were plotting their own Ghostface killing spree with Jason murdering his professor over a grade as "practice" and relishing in it so it's hard to feel sorry for them.
Bait-and-Switch: You're led to believe he's the killer of VI when in reality, he's the first victim of the actual Ghostface.
The B Grade: He murdered Laura just for giving him a C- on a paper.
Breaking Old Trends: Jason is revealed to be the killer right at the beginning of the film, which in addition to being already a big trend-breaker means he lacks any Bitch in Sheep's Clothing facade. He also turns out to actually be the first victim of the movie's actual Ghostface, making him the first introductory Asshole Victim.
Corrupted Character Copy: He has some similarities to Randy, such as watching a horror movie before being attacked. However, he's a killer.
Dead Star Walking: The final victim of the opening prologue. Uniquely enough, considering he's one of the Ghostfaces.
Deathly Unmasking: He unmasks himself for the dying Laura after stabbing her.
Dirty Coward: He relishes Laura's fear and pain but when the table is turned and he ends up on the receiving end, he quickly panics and is reduced to whimpering with fear.
Disproportionate Retribution: Jason kills Laura implicitly because she gave him a C- on a report. Even the actual Ghostface of the film seems to find this distasteful.
Evil Is Petty: He killed his college professor in a drawn-out fashion just for giving him a C- on an essay.
Expy: Of Mickey, the Scream 2 killer. Like Mickey, he's a film fan who's intentionally providing a "sequel" (though, in Jason's words, he's actually "finishing the movie") to Billy/Richie's actions.
Faux Affably Evil: He has a laid back demeanor despite being a killer.
Hate Sink: He's the most uncharismatic and wormy of any Ghostface killer in the whole film series. Wanting to first test his killing skills out, he catfishes and tricks his film professor Laura Crane—who gave him a low grade—into going out on a date with him so that he can lure into a dark alley and taunting her for the dumb decision, proceeds to brutally stab her to death. Jason and his roommate Greg Brockner intend to start a new spree to not only finish Richie's work—having been part of his cult—and take revenge on Sam and her sister Tara while having already stalked and developed a rapport the latter, only for both Jason and Greg before him to be brutally and easily murdered by the actual Ghostfaces—Richie's family—before they can execute any further designs.
Irony: Despite Jason's admiration for Richie, he's murdered by Richie's father for being a complication to his own plan to avenge Richie.
Karmic Death: He's killed in a similar manner to his only victim — though it's taken a step further in that he gets disemboweled. Ghostface, disgusted by Jason's sociopathic bragging, even throws Jason's own words in his face while butchering him.
Kick the Dog: He brutally and sadistically murders his film studies professor, a perfectly nice and innocent woman, just for giving him a mid-level grade on a paper and brags about it afterwards.
Loony Fan: Jason's desire to kill Sam and Tara has nothing to do with believing the rumors about Sam being the true mastermind of the previous year's killings; he just wants to finish Richie's "movie" by including the ending he planned.
Meaningful Name:
- His first name is a clear nod to another slasher villain, while his last name is befitting of someone who uses a knife as a weapon. Bonus points for watching Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan in his apartment mere moments before he's killed.
- In the Cold Open, he unmasks himself in defiance of the series' traditional whodunnit format just as Jason's debut movie Friday the 13th Part 2 strips out the whodunnit element of the first Friday.
- It also becomes an Ironic Name since he dies the same way Alice, Voorhees's first victim, does: getting assassinated after finding a corpse in the fridge.
Skewed Priorities: At least one thing he shares in common with Richie. Disemboweled and at the mercy of Ghostface, his last words are about how he has to finish the Stab movie. His killer even calls him out on this before striking the killing blow.
Jason: But... We have... To finish... The movie!
Ghostface: WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT MOVIES?
The Sociopath: He at one point talks up how cool it felt to kill Laura, noting how he specifically felt that it was neat that she felt less like a person and more like meat the more he stabbed her, showing a clear Lack of Empathy. He also shows low impulse control and an incredibly fragile ego, killing Laura for giving him a mid-level grade on a paper.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: He remains laid-back and relaxed even when detailing his first kill, never once hamming it up unlike the majority of the other Ghostfaces.
Sucksessor: He and Greg by virtue of being killed by the real Big Bad at the beginning of the movie are the Ghostface team with the least amount of kills at only 1. And they're the only Ghostfaces to get caught before their big unmasking — something that even Stu managed to avoid. Of course, the ones that found them out were also serial killers, but still.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Used to creepy effect in when Jason murders his college professor, then removes the costume and blends seamlessly back into the New York city street. He even stops to talk to Tara on the way back to his apartment, with the suggestion that he and Greg planned on killing her and Sam later that evening.
Unknown Rival: Jason wanted to murder Sam to finish what Richie started. Sam, even after Jason is dead, gives no indication that she even knew he existed.
Villains Want Mercy: He begs for Ghostface to stop as he's getting stabbed.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He's the first Ghostface to be killed in the prologue of the movie.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He was actually an unwitting pawn in the scheme of the Bailey/Kirsch family and is killed after fulfiling their need to get him out of the way for their plan to kill Sam and Tara.

Greg Brockner

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e51d492f_f186_4eb0_87d1_86a8aac4cc9c.jpeg

Played By: Thom Newell

Jason's roommate and one of two killers planning to go after the Carpenter sisters. Unfortunately for him, another Ghostface had different plans.

Asshole Victim: He and Jason are really only taken out by the Bailey family because they were a wrench in the latter's revenge plot against Sam. That said they were plotting their own Ghostface killing spree so it's hard to feel sorry for them.
The Ghost: Greg is seen only as mangled body parts.
Informed Ability: Greg never gets the chance to demonstrate his skills as Ghostface on screen unlike Jason, who at least manipulated and killed Laura Crane.
Killed Offscreen: He's the only Ghostface to never actually appear onscreen alive — or to even be seen in the suit, for that matter — with the only visuals of him being his mutilated corpse or a photo of him used by the police.
Off with His Head!: His head was cut off and placed alongside his body in the fridge though it's unknown if this was after he died or what killed him.
Posthumous Character: Given that Greg is killed sometime before Jason, it's not made clear if he is ever alive for the events of the movie, but he is another wannabe Ghostface.
Stuffed into the Fridge: Quite literally, although his death is less used to upset Jason and more to bait him before brutally killing him.
We Hardly Knew Ye: As true as this is of Jason, it's doubly true of Greg, who never appears onscreen except as mangled body parts. We learn that he was in cahoots with Jason over what was going to be the next massacre, but nothing else.

Billy Loomis (Hallucination)

Billy Loomis

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s22_hospitalattack_11.jpg

"How you doing, Sam?"

Played By: Skeet Ulrich

Appearances: Scream (2022) | Scream VI

"Sam, Sam, Sam... There's a killer on the loose. He's threatening you and he's threatening your sister. Are you gonna run away from who you are, like you always do, or are you gonna use it?"

One of the original Ghostface killers who has long since died, but exists as a figment of the mind of his illegitimate daughter, Sam Carpenter.

Affably Evil: Unlike the real Billy, who was Faux Affably Evil and a massive jerk to boot, this version tries to be something of a dark father figure to his daughter Sam, encouraging her to stand up for herself with The Killer in Me and embrace her murderous impulses, retaining the real Billy's villainous charisma. When Sam is pinned down by Richie, he encourages her to grab a knife, providing a Heroic Second Wind in defeating Richie, and is then shown smiling at her victory.
The Corrupter: Billy often tries to prod Sam into succumbing to her murderous impulses, although, playing to her conscience, he mostly suggests that she do so against people who have it coming.
Enemy Within: Subverted—although he initially seems like a set-up for a Split-Personality Takeover or something to that effect, the murderous instincts in Sam that he represents actually end up saving her life and helping protect her sister.
Historical Hero Upgrade: In-universe. In life, Billy was a scumbag: he murdered his girlfriend's mother for causing his parents' divorce, and then went on a killing spree nearly a year later to punish his own girlfriend for her mother's sins. Additionally, as revealed in this film, he cheated on Sidney around the events of the first movie, impregnating his mistress, which led to the destruction of his daughter's family after she found out the truth. In her hallucinations of him, Sam sees Billy as a manifestation of her mental illness, but he also gives her advice on how to live her life, and helps her to kill Richie.
The Killer in Me: Actively tries to get Sam to embrace her killer instinct. Played with, in that he is goading her into confronting and killing the new Ghostface, rather than her friends or family.
Knight Templar: Playing to Sam's violent tendencies and genuine conscience, he is quick to suggest that Sam solve her Ghostface problems with brutal murder; notably, despite Sam's fears to the contrary, Billy never so much as suggests that she harm an innocent person (at least, not as of the end of Scream VI).
Luke, I Am Your Father: Although Sam already knows the truth before the movie starts, his sudden appearance as a Mirror Monster figure directly leads into The Reveal that she's his biological daughter.
Posthumous Character: Billy is still dead for real, appearing to Sam as a hallucination and manifestation of her own psychosis.
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Billy was understandably not part of the marketing of the film, given that his presence gives away his unexpected connection to Sam Carpenter.
Spirit Advisor: In the form of hallucinations produced by his daughter's unspecified mental illness.
So Proud of You: He's seen smirking at his daughter after she absolutely butchers Richie in self-defense.
White Shirt of Death: This Billy is shown wearing the same white t-shirt that the original Billy wore when he died, covered in dried-up blood.

"Never say 'Who's there?' Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish."

Sandbox / Scream: Ghostface

Ghostface

Voiced in English By: Roger L. Jackson ^{Other Languages}

Played By: Various Actors ^note

General

Others