History Characters / Ghostbusters2016

* AmbiguouslyGay: Abby. Not only is she not attracted to Kevin, but she seems surprised that anyone could be. And she repeatedly describes the female ghost at the Aldridge Mansion as the most beautiful thing she's ever seen, even though she never displays such...adoration for any of the other ghosts.

->'''Played by:''' Creator/KristenWiig

->'''Played by:''' Creator/MelissaMcCarthy

->'''Played by:''' Creator/KateMcKinnon

->'''Played by:''' Creator/LeslieJones

->'''Played by:''' Creator/NeilCasey

->'''Played by:''' Creator/BessRous

[[folder:Sparky the Electrocuted Ghost]]
->'''Played by:''' Creator/DaveAllen

!Other characters

->'''Played by:''' Creator/ChrisHemsworth

->'''Played by:''' Creator/AndyGarcia

->'''Played by:''' Creator/CecilyStrong

->'''Played by:''' Creator/CharlesDance
->'''Dubbed by:''' Creator/PhilippeCatoire (European French)

->'''Played by:''' Creator/JustinKirk

->'''Played by:''' Creator/BillMurray

->'''Played by:''' Creator/DanAykroyd

->'''Played by:''' Creator/ErnieHudson

->'''Played by:''' Creator/SigourneyWeaver

* FrameUp: While the Mayor secretly funds the Ghostbusters, Jennifer's job is to loudly and vehemently denounce them as sad, pathetic charlatans desperate for fame and attention.
* FriendOnTheForce: To the Ghostbusters, along with the mayor himself, at the end of the film. They (privately) fund the Ghostbusters so they can all be prepared for the next ghostly threat.

->'''Played by:''' Bess Rous

->'''Played by:''' Dave Allen

->'''Played by:''' Cecily Strong

->'''Played by:''' Justin Kirk

->'''Played by:''' Neil Casey

* AmbiguousDisorder: A downplayed case, but her savant-like genius for engineering coupled with her generally odd, manic and eccentric behaviour, making loud random sounds, and lack of interest in[=/=]ability with conventional social skills and norms can be read as her appearing on a spectrum somewhere. One particular indicator is the distinctive yellow-lensed goggles / glasses she tends to wear; while these could be a stylistic choice or a tool to help with her work, colour-tinted glasses have also been used as a method of treating sensory overload, perception issues, and visual distortion in [[HollywoodAutism autism]][=/=][[UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome Aspergers spectrum]] patients, among other visual disorders. She was also observed by some viewers to depict autistic traits, or more specifically, someone with Asperger syndrome.

'''[[center: [- [[Characters/{{Ghostbusters}} Main Character Index]] -]]]'''

->'''Played by: Creator/KristenWiig'''

* StepfordSmiler: At the beginning of the film, due to her [[spoiler:desperation to be seen as legitimate]]. Drops this after people start accepting the existence of ghosts.

->'''Played by: Creator/MelissaMcCarthy'''

->'''Played by: Creator/KateMcKinnon'''

* DualWielding: In the final showdown, [[spoiler:she pops a pair of pistol attachments out of compartments in the side of her proton pack and proceeds to go to town on Rowan's ghost army]].

-->'''Holtzmann:''' Safety lights are for ''dudes.''

->'''Played by: Creator/LeslieJones'''

->'''Played by: Neil Casey'''

* AnimalEyes: [[spoiler:His transformation of the Ghostbusters logo gives him feline or snake like yellow eyes, along with the sharp teeth, to emphasize his evil version of the cute and cuddly logo]].

* BigBad: He's the one causing the increase in hauntings and [[spoiler:eventually triggers a possibly apocalyptic event]].
* CameBackStrong: He's a ''lot'' more dangerous when he [[spoiler:comes back as a ghost]].

* DeadpanSnarker: After [[spoiler:his death]], and especially after [[spoiler:possessing Kevin]], he drops the CreepyMonotone and starts talking with a very dry wit. Understandable [[spoiler:since he thinks he's already won]].

* {{Expy}}: He looks like Dr. Janosz Poha from the sequel--only instead of MouthOfSauron, he's trying to be the abomination--and has the same character arc of Dr. Ivo Shandor, a PosthumousCharacter from [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 the original film]] who was a misanthropic occultist trying to bring about the apocalypse via a downtown Manhattan building. Also at film's end he [[spoiler:becomes one for Gozer, even asking the Ghostbusters what form they want him to take after he dies]].

* {{Foil}}: To Erin. Both are people who believe in and actively seek ghosts, are friendless, and are ostracized for their beliefs. Erin is a college professor; Rowan is a blue collar worker. When Erin's past involving ghosts is revealed, she tries to hide it and keep appearances while Rowan doesn't hide it at all and is viewed as creepy by everyone. [[spoiler:Ultimately, Erin finds herself thanks to ThePowerOfFriendship while Rowan finds himself by turning into a ghost]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: His doodle of a monstrous version of the Ghostbusters' logo, [[spoiler:which he transforms into after becoming a ghost]].

* LoopholeAbuse: After Patty tries to outwit him by using his [[spoiler:"you choose the form I will take" to trick him into taking on a cute and cuddly form, he realizes she didn't specify against him ''customizing'' it, and takes the form of the Ghostbusters' cute logo before becoming a gigantic, monstrous version]].
* LonersAreFreaks: It's even lampshaded how "it's always the pale loner."

* PostModernMagick: His specialty, using technology to control, conjure, and empower ghosts, [[spoiler:including himself]].

->'''Played by: Bess Rous'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gertrude_aldridge.jpg]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: He's the only ghost explicitly shown to kill [[Creator/BillMurray a human being]] on-screen, and also happens to be the only one [[spoiler:explicitly ''shredded'' rather than just trapped, beaten into submission, or banished]].

->'''Played by: Dave Allen'''
[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/electrocuted_ghost.jpg]]

->'''Played by: Creator/ChrisHemsworth'''

* DoesNotLikeSpam: Kevin hates coffee, although he only remembers this ''after'' he's taken a sip and spat it out. [[RunningGag Twice]].

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: After Patty manages to [[spoiler:exorcise Rowan out of Abby]], he presents himself as a more suitable [[spoiler:host]].

->'''Played by: Creator/AndyGarcia'''

* BerserkButton: Being compared to the mayor from ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', [[MayorPain for some reason.]]
-->'''Mayor Bradley''': ''Never'' compare me to the ''Jaws'' mayor, '''''[[SuddenlyShouting NEVER!]]'''''

* MayorPain: He is ''not'' this in a general sense, as he actually is aware of the paranormal dangers facing the city and is trying to do something to address it, however misguided or ineffectual. However, he ''is'' this specifically to our heroes, as part of his attempts to address it involves discrediting them as frauds, having them arrested and ignoring their attempts to help. This is lampshaded in the scene where Erin tries to persuade him that the city is in peril, as her off-the-cuff comparison to the mayor in ''Jaws'' sends him into a tantrum.

->'''Played by: Cecily Strong'''

The head of the physics department at Colombia University who is reviewing Erin's case for tenure.

->'''Played by: Creator/BillMurray'''

->'''Played by: Creator/DanAykroyd'''

* MythologyGag: Ray Stantz saying [[WaxingLyrical "I ain't afraid of no ghost."]]

->'''Played by: Creator/ErnieHudson'''

->'''Played by: Creator/SigourneyWeaver'''

* NiceHat: Kevin compliments him on his fedora but Abby thinks its silly.

-->'''Mayor Bradley''': ''Don't'' compare me to the ''Jaws'' mayor, okay '''''[[SuddenlyShouting NEVER!]]''''' Compare me to the ''Jaws'' mayor!