Ghost is unique in that they have a fairly extensive lore behind their music, which focuses on a number of unique characters.
SPOILERS AHEAD
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Papa Emeritus
In General
The singer of the band, and the public "face" of the Church. Prior to 2018, three Papas Emeritus led Ghost: Papa I for Opus Eponymous, Papa II for Infestissumam and the If You Have Ghost EP, and Papa III for Meliora and the Popestar EP.
- Ambiguously Bi:
- Papa I once commented to a reporter that he'd like to 'poke the girls in the front row' and there's a photo of him grabbing ass of a fellow male musician.
◊ - Papa II likes to party hard with women, but according to one interview, he and the band travel with their own harem/entourage. When asked if the members were male or female, Papa simply says "Well, in the dark you can’t really tell."
- Papa III would often blow kisses to the crowd, and would hold female audience members' hands during "Cirice". He also would mimic some more...suggestive things involving male genitalia, and would get very touchy-feely with his Ghouls, all of them male, with the exception of a female water Ghoul in 2016.
- Cardinal Copia/Papa IV would be even more touchy-feely with his Ghouls, calling Aether "death on two legs" while caressing said legs and continuing Papa 3's tradition in holding female fan's hand during "Cirice". He would also like to boast that he wished he could take all of the audience members and fuck them off-stage while declaring how he'd tickle their taints and wobble their asses.
- Papa I once commented to a reporter that he'd like to 'poke the girls in the front row' and there's a photo of him grabbing ass of a fellow male musician.
- Card-Carrying Villain: While they don't take it to an extreme, the Papas are fully aware the version of Satan in their religion is evil yet worship him anyway. (Obviously, this is referring only to the lore not Tobias in real life).
- Costume Evolution: The Papas showed considerable improvements in the designs of their facepaint and their papal outfits with each one that came along.
- Friend to All Children: Yes, even Papa II has been known to show his soft side to kids. It's not uncommon for them to scold any audience members for roughhousing during a concert—despite Ghost being a Satanic band, they do attract kid fans and the Papas (and Cardi C) have been known to be angered whenever there's a chance of the kids and their adult fans of being hurt.
- Punny Name: One of the Nameless Ghouls mentioned in an interview that the name "Papa Emeritus" is a pun since "Emeritus" is a title that's given when someone retires, and the only way a pope retires is by dying.note
- Red Right Hand: A subtle instance: all the Papas have a left eye which is so light blue it's almost white, with the right eye being normal. This feature was induced in the man who would become Papa Nihil, and carried over to the Papas, and then to Cardinal Copia.
- Signature Headgear:
- All of the Papas, including Papa Nihil and Copia after he became Papa IV, wear a miter with a prominent grucifix as part of their vestments.
- Cardinal Copia's formal vestments included a biretta◊ modified to have two sharply pointed ridges and one shaped like a bat's wing. When in his suits and caped tuxedo, he often sported a fedora◊.
- Along with his miter, Papa IV wears a stylized cornette◊ with his alternate vestments, and dons a fancy top hat◊ when performing "Watcher in the Sky".
- Sinister Minister: All of the Papas are Satanic popes. Cardinal Copia was a Satanic Cardinal, but has taken the papal robes after becoming Papa Emeritus IV.
- Skull for a Head: All the Papas have black and white facepaint which gives them this appearance. Papas I and II were very literally skull-like; Papa III started out this way, but his makeup changed to be more stylised. Papa IV's original makeup played with the concept by being reminiscent of a rat's skull, but has changed to be more like a human skull as of Impera's release.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Each Papa became this for his previous version, as they are all pretty much the same character in a new outfit, although Papa III was much more charismatic and energetic than the previous two. Subverted for Era IV, where instead of a Papa, a cardinal was the front of Ghost, named Cardinal Copia. However, Copia has now become Papa Emeritus IV.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: With Cardinal Copia as the band's new singer, the previous Papas were no longer needed, so they were killed and their embalmed bodies were turned into display pieces for the band's tours.
Papa Emeritus I
The original frontman and least known despite having the longest reign among his brothers. He made his live debut in 2010 and his era lasted until 2012 before he switched over to Papa II. However, most fans count his reign as starting around 2008 as that was when Opus Eponymous was written and recorded. His colour theme is red and white.
- Bad Boss: Hinted in this interview. Apparently, he is quite inconsiderate to the Nameless Ghouls under him. One official backdrop art◊ labelled him as "Stronzissimo Primo Emeritus" or "Biggest/Extreme Asshole Emeritus I".
- Early-Installment Weirdness: An early music video shows Papa I having two white eyes instead of the famous singular one sported by all the Papas and Cardinal. (Allegedly, Tobias Forge actually wanted the character to have two white eyes, but his right eye suffered from an allergic reaction, forcing him to don the iconic left eye instead.)
Papa Emeritus II
Without his makeup
The successor of I. His colour theme is green and he's the only Papa to wield a ferula (a staff with a Grucifix on top). He reigned from 2013 to 2015. Technically he made his debut in 2012, but most fans mark his era as beginning in 2013 for simplicity's sake. He is the first Papa to make official appearances without donning the facepaint, as can be seen in the "Papaganda" videos, the video for "Year Zero", and in a series of studio performances which can be found on YouTube.
- Bad Boss: Papa II has been known to sic a dog on a poor Nameless Ghoul and generally treats them terribly. Sister Imperator called him a "a miserable, old, wounded, bitter man" and one Nameless Ghoul labelled him as a "narcissist" and an "asshole".
- Bald of Evil: He resembles Anton Lavey, right down to his bald head. Interestingly, when in character his entire head is painted black except for the skull markings on his face.
- Death Glare: Has a very impressive one as his default expression. Not for nothing was he considered the most terrifying and intimidating of all the Papas.
- Dirty Old Man: One definite change from the previous Papa is his being quite a lech. His album has two explicitly sexual songs ("Jigolo Har Megiddo" and "Monstrance Clock"), and in the "Papaganda" videos, he brags about his prowess, is shown at a party dancing with several beautiful women, and is later shown driving around with two women before going back to his hotel room with them. He also has a dildo with his face on it and flashed his ass and dick onscreen.
- Gag Penis: Claims he has this and is rather amused that all of the explicit fanarts of him tend to underestimate his size. That said, while the censored version of the video for "Year Zero" gives him a censor bar that backs up his claims when he lifts his robe, in the uncensored version he's not that gifted.
- Gratuitous Italian: All the Papas speak with an Italian accent, but in the "Papaganda" videos, despite being heard singing in English, he only speaks in Italian to the interviewer.
- Iconic Item: His grucifix-topped ferula, which was unique to him and as integral a part of his image as his facepaint.
Papa Emeritus III
Papa III's alternate look
Younger brother of II by three months. Much more energized and sexual than his older brothers, he sports a purple theme. His era went from 2015 to 2017. His signature song "Cirice" won the band their first Grammy in 2016. He is considered one of the more popular Papas and his reign saw the band reach a more mainstream audience. Unfortunately, his efforts was not considered good enough for Sister Imperator and he was dragged unceremoniously off-stage during his last public performance.
- Benevolent Boss: The Nameless Ghouls find that Papa III is nicer and cooler than his elder brothers.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in "Chapter Three: Back On the Road", as the Papas are being embalmed, his foot twitches on the slab, implying that he was Not Quite Dead when he was embalmed.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: In his first few appearances, he had a different facepaint◊ that was quite similar to his brother's before he switched to the more streamlined paint he used for the rest of the tour. This design is reflected in the effigy of Papa III on the cover art of Meliora. It was also used for the kid Papa in the music video of "Cirice" (though some argued the child was Papa II because the facepaint is that similar).
- Humiliation Conga: He is the only Papa who has the distinction of being forcibly dragged off stage as his final public performance. Soon after that he was poisoned, embalmed alive and had his head chopped off and used for a photo-shoot by Copia.
- Iconic Item: In a humorous take, when Ghost did acoustic tours and performances during his tenure, he would sometimes play a kazoo which he dramatically called "The Kazoo of Destiny".
- The Klutz: While not as extreme as other examples, Papa III is known for his penchant of falling down while performing. There's even a compilation video of him tripping over his own feet.
- Mr. Fanservice: In direct contrast to his predecessors, he seemed to have been designed with this role in mind. His charming demeanor during live shows, rather form-fitting casual wear, and enthusiastic onstage speeches about the female orgasm certainly helped.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Self-lampshaded, especially if kids were in the audience. He would apologize for cursing, admit that he had a foul mouth, and then go right back to it.
- The Talk: One of his famous acts was giving this speech to an entire crowd.
- Younger and Hipper: He was more charismatic and charming than Papa II, and despite his wrinkles, he had a full head of black hair which, combined with his makeup being limited to just his face, made him look much younger.
Cardinal Copia / Papa Emeritus IV
Papa IV's original makeup
Out of makeup
Cardinal Copia
Cardinal Copia was brought on to take over from Papa III at Sister Imperator's urging. He would later become Papa Emeritus IV, taking on the role just after the on-stage "death" of Papa Nihil. He has the most costume changes among all the frontmen, donning not only a Cardinal's cassock, but tight tuxedo suits and now the papal vestments. He also had the most color variation; his cassocks were either red or black, his suits tended to be black or white, and his robes as Papa IV are prominently royal blue. The band was nominated for two Grammys during his tenure but he lost on both counts. He first debuted in 2018 and is still performing today.
- Animal Motifs: Copia debuted on Prequelle, which was themed around the Black Plague, his first appearance as Ghost's singer was in the video for "Rats", and "See the Light" includes a lyric about befriending rats. Since then he's tended to be associated with rats by both fans and some licensed merch, such as here◊. This carried over to his becoming Papa IV, as his original facepaint resembled a rat's skull.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: Right after Nihil died, Cardinal Copia arrived onstage nonplussed about his predecessor's sudden departure. Shortly afterward, he was surrounded by the Sisters of Sin, who anointed him Papa Emeritus IV onstage.
- Badass Cape: He often wore a black, purple-lined cape scalloped to resemble bat wings◊ with his black suit, giving him an almost vampire-like appearance.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Parodied. Despite his claims that he'd take the crowd to a parking lot and bang them, when the crowd actually takes him up on the offer, Copia would quickly backpedal, exasperatedly claiming that he was only "kidding". It still doesn't stop him from flirting audaciously to the crowd, however.
- Classy Cane: He carried a snakeskin-patterned cane whose handle resembled a snake's head◊; it first appeared in the "Rats" video and he would sometimes do some very suggestive things with it on stage.
- Costume Porn: Compared to the previous Papas, Copia has a more extensive and extravagant set of clothes, sporting not only one full Papal regalia but TWO: each being as intricately detailed as the other. Post-Impera, he also goes through several outfit changes during Rituals.
- Covering Up Your Gray: In "Chapter 9: Tomb It May Concern", as he and Sister Imperator are talking, he mentions that he's considering dyeing his very salt-and-pepper hair a full black to look more like Papa Nihil when he was young.
- Dancing with Myself: He does this in the video for "Rats", possibly as a subtle reference to "St. Vitus' Dance", a strange phenomenon during the Middle Ages, where victims would sing and dance until they collapsed (or died) from exhaustion.
- Iconic Item: His tricycle and bat-winged biretta.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: He had plastic surgery which gave him a much larger jawline prior to the release of Impera, as he believes a Papa should have a "strong jaw".
- Manchild: Has shades of this, from his entering with a boombox playing a background track, trying to fist bump Papa Nihil, fooling around while Nihil argues with Imperator about his suitability, riding a tricycle around the Ministry and onstage, and much more.
- Mr. Fanservice: He picked up where Papa III left off in terms of on-stage energy and fan interaction.
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Ugly Cute: The general consensus of his plushie. Just LOOK at that thing! - Younger and Hipper: One of the reasons given by Imperator to Nihil as to why the Cardinal should be the next frontman of Ghost. While he does appear younger than all the previous Papas, Copia's age seem to still be in middle-age range.
Other Characters
The Nameless Ghouls
Nameless Ghouls for Papa Emeritus IV
The Nameless Ghouls are the anonymous musicians in the band, who conceal their identities behind masks and let their playing do the talking. In the lore videos, they're also shown to do the grunt work in the Church, up to and including assassination.
- Ambiguously Bi: All of them to a certain degree, especially the Era III and IV Ghouls, as they play along with Papa III and Copia's touchy-feeliness and sometimes do the same with each other.
- Costume Evolution: Each change in the band's singer has seen a drastic change in the Ghouls' appearance:
- Papa I's Ghouls◊ wore black or white hooded robes and their faces were fully covered by cloth.
- Papa II's Ghouls◊ switched to more elaborate, monk-like robes with larger hoods and wore bauta masks.
- Papa III's Ghouls◊ traded in the robes for form-fitting black suits and balaclavas, and their masks became steel-colored full-head masks with horns and mouthless faces with sharply pointed chins that reflected the bauta masks of the previous era.
- Cardinal Copia's Ghouls slightly modified their look◊, going for a different style of black suit and wearing chromed masks that kept the previous look but with cutouts that framed the wearer's mouth and chin. They also debuted the longer-haired, more feminine mask.
- As Copia ascends as Papa Emeritus IV, the Ghouls had a massive revamp, moving from a sculpted metal mask to a full-on steampunk helmet with tubes, goggles, and short horns. They are also dressed more extravagantly with high leather boots, their own capes and epaulets.
- Papa Nihil's Ghouls, reflecting the late '60s era of the "Kiss the Go-Goat" video◊, are in jeans, t-shirts and jackets and wearing simple, cheap-looking masks that only cover their faces.
- Papa I's Ghouls
- Deadpan Snarker: "Special Ghoul", who handled all the interviews pre-Era IV, had quite the dry wit. He was actually Tobias in disguise, helping to preserve the band's anonymity. However, once Tobias was outed, he started doing interviews out of costume and Special was quietly retired.
- The Faceless: This is the prime theme of the Nameless Ghouls. All you can see when they're in costume is their hands (usually with make up to hide tattoos), and even then some (like Earth) wear gloves.
- In the Hood: They started out wearing black hooded cassocks and face masks, but abandoned this look when Papa III took over as singer.
- No Name Given: In keeping with their anonymous status, the Ghouls are only referred to by their alchemical symbols.
Papa Nihil
Click to see Young Nihil
Also known as Papa Emeritus Zero, he first appeared at Papa III's last performance, making an eerie proclamation that "the Dark Age has begun". He's later revealed to have been Ghost's original singer in the late '60s (his album being "Seven Inches of Satanic Panic"). He also appears onstage with Cardinal Copia, performing the saxophone solo for the song "Miasma". He died after performing on the final ritual of the aptly named "A Pale Tour Named Death". However, he still lingers around as a Ghost and is often resurrected during the Rituals for his sax solo.
- Back from the Dead: Downplayed. Whenever "Miasma" is played in concerts set after his death, his sarcophagus is dragged out onstage, his corpse is resuscitated with a defibrillator, and he does his saxophone solo before returning to being dead and being taken back offstage.
- Dislikes the New Guy: Nihil made it very clear that he is not fond of Cardinal Copia. He only reluctantly agreed to let him become the Ghost's frontman because of Sister Imperator. At one point, he declared that despite Copia's success, his sons did it better (which didn't stop him from having them killed, however). He also harps on Copia's failure to win the Grammys and shows nothing but disdain whenever the man is in his presence.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: When he was first introduced, his mannerisms and make-up◊ were decidedly sinister and in tune with the ominous proclamation that the Dark Ages had begun. The video chapters, however, showcased a more affable (if somewhat amoral) Papa Nihil with a dork-ish slant.
- Fatal Method Acting: He "died" on stage during the last show of the 2020 tour, collapsing just after completing the saxophone solo in "Miasma" (although Copia's comments afterward imply that it wasn't an accident).
- Iconic Item: His saxophone.
- I Was Quite a Looker: Nihil was very handsome in his younger days, which not only attracted Sister Imperator to him but helped his on-stage presence. However, he's become very decrepit in his old age and is wistful about his golden years.
- My Greatest Failure: He's haunted by having driven Imperator away with his lustful on-stage behavior and would like nothing more than to get her back, although she's made it clear that's not going to happen.
- Offing the Offspring: He's the Papas' father, and based on what happened to them, he had to have been at least complicit in their deaths, if not actively involved in setting it up.
- Senior Creep: He did not age well; his eyes are so filmed over that he looks like he's blind, he's visibly wrinkled (although his makeup may make this look worse than it is), and his hair is stringy and frizzy. Additionally, when he first appeared at the end of Papa III's last performance, he was using an oxygen mask and tottering on a cane, although this is very downplayed in the "Chapter" videos.
- Vader Breath: Audibly does this during several video chapters.
Sister Imperator
Current Sister Imperator
Click for Pre-Face Surgery Imperator
Click for Pre-Accident Imperator
Click for Young Imperator.
Considered the second-most authority in the Ministry aside from the Papas, and also the only named member of the clergy, appearing even before Papa Nihil. She's known for her fiery speeches in the "Summoning" videos (which introduced Papa III) and also for cheerfully informing the Papas (in the "Chapter" videos) that they were returning back to the road before having them all killed. She suffered from a car accident sometime in "Chapter 4 - The Accident" but recovered albeit with some physical changes. After the death of Nihil, she, alongside Copia, decided to do some face surgery in preparation for the 'Imperatour' Tour.
- Berserk Button: For the love of Satan, don't smoke around her when she's (implied) to be pregnant, as one poor fan learned. Also if you're Nihil don't fucking cheat on her.
- The Corrupter: She was instrumental in creating Papa Nihil, by seducing a guy who showed up at a party and opening him up to the wonders of serving the Devil.
- Dragon-in-Chief: While Papa Nihil is ostensibly the head of the Church, it's Imperator who is shown to be the real boss of the operation.
- My Secret Pregnancy: The "Chapter" videos strongly hint that Cardinal Copia is her child by Papa Nihil, conceived at some point between the "Dance Macabre" and "Kiss the Go-Goat" videos but kept secret by Imperator due to her leaving him after seeing him kissing other women. This is all but confirmed in the Chapter Nine video, where she nearly called herself "Mother" in a conversation with Copia. However, it's implied that Copia might not have known about her being his biological mother.
- Working with the Ex: While she does show that she may have hold some affection for Nihil (once trying to flirt with him only to be thwarted because he missed her cue), she could not trust him due to his past behaviour. She also makes it clear in "Chapter Eight" that, for all her anger at his betrayal, she still stayed on in the Ministry because her faith and duty was far stronger.
Mr. Saltarian
The Cultivator
Mr. Saltarian is a member of the Ghost Clergy who made his debut in "Chapter 10". He arrived to assist Copia with his upcoming tours and also teaches him self-defense on the side.
- Beleaguered Assistant: Has shades of this. After Imperator became the official leader of the Ministry, he can be seen trying to manage not only Copia but Nihil's ghost as well and is exasperated by their antics.
The Twins
A pair of as-yet unnamed twins who are seen with Papa Nihil in two of the "Chapter" videos, one pulling the cart with his oxygen tank. They're played by Tobias Forge's twins.
- Creepy Twins: Their stringy hair, pale skin, and the black circles around their eyes reflect the look of the guy at the door from the "Dance Macabre" video. They are known to speak backwards, and part of "Chapter Seven - New World Redro"'s The Shining references include them spooking Cardinal Copia by muttering "Come and play with us" like that film's twin girls.
- Sdrawkcab Speech: In "Chapter Four - The Accident", when Nihil dismisses them, they say "Prepare for your worst" to him backwards.
