It’s a g-g-g-GHOST!
Dating back to telling scary ghost stories around the fire, ghosts have always been a creepy element to any good haunted tale. Casper the Friendly Ghost may be the first supernatural character who comes to mind, but there are plenty of ghosts who aren't so friendly.
From an unexpectedly terrifying Disney Channelshow to a not-so-merry Christmas movie character to a famous slasher icon, unlike Casper, some ghosts in TV and film needed to get busted.
Of all the ghosts that got busted in 1984's Ghostbusters, Slimer is the most memorable, known for his green, glowing body of ectoplasm and big appetite when he haunted the 12th floor of the Sedgewick Hotel.
Despite the Ghostbusters' many attempts at capturing him, Slimer usually got away, sliming those who stood in his path and eventually occupying a hot dog stand at Rockefeller Plaza.
From mutant tarantulas to dark dementors to sweet and savvy house elves, the Harry Potter franchise is full of creepy critters and creatures, and in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, one of those memorable characters is a ghost named Moaning Myrtle.
Moaning Myrtle was a Hogwartz student who was killed by the Serpent of Slytherin, her ghostly presence left to haunt the girls' bathroom at the school along with her constant moaning and self-pity.
The Hatbox Ghost has been the most famous Disney ghost since his debut on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland in 1969, whose evilly-grinning head would disappear from his shoulders and reappear inside the hatbox he held.
While this character never appeared in 2003's Haunted Mansion film, he has guest-starred in other Disney works like House of Mouse and Muppets Haunted Mansion, and is set to make his film debut in 2023's Haunted Mansion remake.
Stephen King's The Shining is home to plenty of scary characters, but The Grady Twins hold a special place for being not only a pair of creepy twin girls, but ghosts that only Danny Torrance can see.
While these twins do appear friendly, even asking Danny to come play with them, they appear incredibly terrifying as Danny's vision bounces back and forth between their ghostly presence and the bloody scene of their death.
Of all the Halloweentime Disney Channel episodes, Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode "The Ghost of Suite 613" was arguably the most terrifying. Centered around a ghost haunting an abandoned suite, Zack and Cody are joined by Maddie, London and Esteban to hold a seance.
Although it was all revealed to be a prank on Zack, an actual ghost was later discovered in the suite, who died in there after finding out her husband cheated on her and she threw a hairbrush at a mirror, causing a shard of glass to fly out and cut her.
While the most terrifying scene of The Sixth Sense involves Haley Joel Osment saying a four-word sentence, a close second would have to be the moment the audience is introduced to Kyra Collins' ghost.
One of the dead people Osment's Cole sees, Kyra is a young girl who was poisoned by her mother and died, and while she appears friendly, is also the star of the film's biggest jump scare when Kyra's ghostly hand reaches from under the bed.
In 13 seasons on Nickelodeon, Spongebob Squarepants and his pals have run into plenty of memorable characters under the sea, including The Flying Dutchman, the ghost of a pirate who appears in a Season 1 Halloween episode.
The Flying Dutchman is so popular in Bikini Bottom, the locals usually dress up as him for Halloween, including Spongebob. But when he arrives at the Krusty Krab on Halloween night to steal everyone's souls, he winds up fearing Spongebob after ripping off his costume.
For a story set around Christmastime, you'll generally find a lot of ghosts in every adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and the scariest of them all is, without a doubt, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.
Sometimes referred to as The Ghost of Christmas Future, this ghost often appears like a grim reaper who brings Scrooge to a gravesite to show him his tragic fate if he continues down his selfish path.
From mummies to pirates to knights in spooky armor, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? was full of memorable monsters, including The Phantom Shadows, a pair of ghostly characters who haunted a mansion.
Of course, when Mystery Inc got on the case, the two, green ghosts were revealed to be a lawyer duo out to get the fortune for themselves, but it doesn't change the fact they kidnapped Scooby and the mansion's heirs.
Albeit not a real ghost, this slasher's ghoulish mask and grim reaper-esque gown earned him the title Ghostface in 1996's Scream. This costume has been worn by several killers in the span of five films with a kill count of over 30 victims.
But the most notable serial killers in the franchise were duo Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who paired up and took turns in the iconic mask to kill all their friends and Woodsboro citizens, but not before asking what their favorite scary movie was.
Ashley Amber is a 28-year-old writer, author and dancer. Ashley’s work includes a self-published fantasy/romance series of novelettes with a new one on the way. She made her poetry debut in 2021, published in the LGBTQIA+ anthology Deviant: Chronicles of Pride by InkFeathers Publishing, for which she also had the honor of writing the back cover blurb. Aside from books and poetry, Ashley has worked as a pop culture writer and blogger for numerous blogs, most notably Collider, MJ’s Big Blog and The DIS. When she’s not writing, you can find Ashley on Youtube and TikTok where she posts dance videos featuring her own choreography and tutorials.
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