The Ghostbusters franchise spans multiple films, animated series, novelizations, comic books, and video games. Beginning with the 1984 live-action film Ghostbusters, directed by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, the premise and storyline have inspired sequels, spinoffs, and reboots. These entries into the franchise include an ever-expanding list of both recurring and original characters.
Overview
Character Original film series Animated series Video games Reboot Ghostbusters Ghostbusters II Ghostbusters: Afterlife Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire The Real Ghostbusters Extreme Ghostbusters Ghostbusters:The Video Game Ghostbusters:Spirits Unleashed Ghostbusters:Rise of the Ghost Lord Ghostbusters:Answer the Call Dr. Peter Venkman Bill Murray Lorenzo MusicDave Coulier Dave Coulier Bill Murray colspan="3" Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz Dan Aykroyd Frank Welker Dan Aykroyd Dr. Egon Spengler Harold Ramis Harold Ramis Harold Ramis Maurice LaMarche Harold Ramis colspan="2" Dr. Winston Zeddemore Ernie Hudson Arsenio HallBuster Jones Buster Jones Ernie Hudson colspan="2" Janine Melnitz Annie Potts Laura SummerKath Soucie Pat Musick Annie Potts colspan="3" Dana Barrett-Venkman Sigourney Weaver Sigourney Weaver colspan="7" Phoebe Spengler colspan="2" Mckenna Grace colspan="6" Trevor Spengler colspan="2" Finn Wolfhard colspan="6" Podcast colspan="2" Logan Kim colspan="4" Lucky Domingo colspan="2" Celeste O'Connor colspan="4" Callie Spengler colspan="2" Carrie Coon colspan="6" Gary Grooberson colspan="2" Paul Rudd colspan="6" Slimer Ivan Reitman Frank Welker Billy West Ivan Reitman colspan="2" Adam Ray Louis Tully Rick Moranis colspan="2" Roger Bumpass colspan="5" Mayor Lenny Clotch David Margulies colspan="2" Aron KincaidFrank WelkerNeil RossHal Smith colspan="5" Walter Peck William Atherton colspan="2" William Atherton Robert Towers William Atherton colspan="3" Stay Puft Marshmallow Man Bill Bryan Ira HeidenSarah NatochennyShelby Young Shelby Young Frank WelkerJohn Stocker Zuul Sigourney Weaver Carrie Coon colspan="7" Vinz Clortho Rick Moranis Paul Rudd colspan="7" Gozer the Gozerian Slavitza Jovan Olivia Wilde colspan="7" Eleanor Twitty Ruth Oliver colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="3" Roger Delacorte John Rothman colspan="2" John Rothman colspan="6" Mooglie colspan="4" Frank WelkerArsenio Hall colspan="4" Neil Casey Vigo the Carpathian Wilhelm von Homburg colspan="2" Max von Sydow Ivo Shandor colspan="2" J. K. Simmons colspan="3" Brian Doyle-Murray colspan="3" Bug-Eye Ghost colspan="2" Frank Welker colspan="2" colspan="2" Muncher colspan="2" Josh Gad colspan="4" colspan="2" Garraka colspan="3" Gil Kenan colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" Lars Pinfield colspan="3" James Acaster colspan="4" colspan="2" Samhain colspan="4" Bill Martin Ryan Colt Levy colspan="2"
Ghostbusters (1984)
Human characters Peter Venkman Peter Venkman is a focal member of the Ghostbusters. He is portrayed by Bill Murray in all four main series movies, and is voiced in the animated series by Lorenzo Music and subsequently Dave Coulier who would later reprise his role in a cameo in Extreme Ghostbusters. Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology on the team; he also holds a PhD in psychology. In the movies, although he is the leader, he is characterized by his blunt persona, laid-back approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". In the first movie, he is shown to develop genuine concern and romantic feelings for the Ghostbusters' first client, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver).
Raymond Stantz Raymond "Ray" Stantz, another member of the Ghostbusters, is played by Dan Aykroyd in all four main series movies. He was voiced by Frank Welker in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and he reprised his role in a cameo in Extreme Ghostbusters. He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team, and Peter's closest friend. Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team, and the second in command. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy. Ray is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his outspoken acceptance of paranormal activity.
Egon Spengler Egon Spengler is the brains of the Ghostbusters – described in the original script as a "New Wave Mr. Spock" – and the creator of the Ghostbusters' equipment along with Raymond Stantz. Lacking much of a personality other than his focus on all things scientific, he is often shown as lacking social skills when dealing with people. Egon was portrayed by Harold Ramis in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, voiced by Maurice LaMarche in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters, and Ramis' likeness was used for the character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, with Bob Gunton and Ivan Reitman acting as stand-ins for the late Ramis. LaMarche was the only voice actor to remain for the entirety of both series. Before the original movie was released, American Cinematographer described Egon as "maniacal" based on reading the script. Ramis credited the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been a director and writer, despite having co-starred alongside Bill Murray in Stripes.
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Egon is revealed to have had a daughter, Callie, prior to 1984, whom he is estranged from. Egon came to believe that the apocalypse would come. His continued research came at the cost of his relationships with his fellow Ghostbusters, who disbelieved Egon's assertions. This culminated in Egon stealing Ecto-1 and a large amount of equipment and moving to Summerville, Oklahoma, where he learned of Shandor's secondary Gozerian temple and Gozer's impending return. Egon rigged a proton barrier to contain the ghosts within the Shandor Mines while capturing one of Gozer's minions to force Gozer into a trap he set up. The trap failed, and Egon hid the captured ghost within his house. Egon is killed by the other entity, his death ruled as a heart attack.
Callie moved to Summerville to take possession of Egon's house. Phoebe, Callie's daughter and Egon's granddaughter who shares a similar passion for science with her late grandfather, discovered the trap containing Gozer's minion, which is released the following day by Gary Grooberson, and Egon's spirit guided her to his underground workshop, where he helped her fix a damaged proton pack. He also helped Trevor fix the dilapidated Ecto-1, and guided Callie into realising that, far from being a deadbeat, Egon had always watched over her.
During the final battle with Gozer, Egon materialised as a ghost in order to aid Phoebe and his old Ghostbuster colleagues in trapping Gozer permanently. He reconciled with his friends and family before passing peacefully into the afterlife.
Winston Zeddemore Winston Zeddemore is played by Ernie Hudson in all four main series movies and the 2009 video game, and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first three seasons of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters. Hudson reportedly auditioned to reprise the role of Winston for the animated series, but he was rejected in favor of Hall. Unlike the other members of the team, Winston is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal; the novelization says that he was in the Marines. He is hired when the Ghostbusters' business begins to pick up. Despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as the everyman of the team, acting as a voice of reason and displaying more common sense than the others. In the 2009 video game, Winston claims to have spent time in the Egyptian exhibit of the museum while in graduate school working on his doctorate, suggesting experience in anthropology or a related science, and addressing himself as a doctor, indicates that he has his own PhD.
The post-credits scene in Ghostbusters: Afterlife reveals that Winston's post-Ghostbusters career was highly lucrative as he built several businesses from the ground up. In his discussion with Janine Melnitz, though, he reveals that nothing fulfilled him like being with the original Ghostbusters, which is why he has secretly been financing Ray Stantz's occult business. He vows to expand the support to the new crew as they continue Egon's work.
Dana Barrett Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, Dana Barrett was a cellist living at 550 Central Park West (55 Central Park West), a haunted apartment building which would become the gateway for the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian. Dana's living quarters is located where the entrance to the building's Gozerian temple is hidden, referred later to by Ray Stantz as the "Spook Central." She is singled out early for unwelcome paranormal attention by Gozer's minions, and seeks the help of the Ghostbusters after seeing their advertisement on television. She is possessed by the demon Zuul, Gatekeeper of Gozer, who, along with Keymaster Vinz Clortho, opens the interdimensional gate to summon Gozer to Earth in the first film. She promptly attracts the romantic attention of Peter, whose flippant behavior causes her to doubt her decision to seek aid from the Ghostbusters. In the sequel five years later, Dana is a divorced mother of an eight-month-old boy named Oscar; Peter is neither her former husband nor Oscar's father. Dana was then working as a restorationist for the fictitious Manhattan Museum of Art. It is here that she (and later Baby Oscar) come to the attention of the evil Prince Vigo the Carpathian, whose malevolent spirit inhabits his massive self portrait. When Dana and Baby Oscar become the target of Vigo's plot, the Ghostbusters re-enter her life to save her, Baby Oscar, and the world once again.
Dana was also a neighbor of Louis Tully at 550 Central Park West in the first movie. The two remained acquainted, then became friends. Louis and Janine Melnitz baby-sat Oscar (and themselves became a romantic item) during the second film. Dana appears in the mid-credits scene of Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), in which she and Peter are revealed to be married and settled in Cortland, and play with the cards Peter used to discover his students' psychic potential. Peter is hooked up to the "shock" machine, in which Dana is having pleasure by tormenting her husband with it. She is not seen or mentioned in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, but a poster is glimpsed that advertises a concert by "Cellist Dana Barrett". Dana is the only character that didn't appear in The Real Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Janine Melnitz Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters's secretary, is played by Annie Potts in both movies, and is voiced by Laura Summer and Kath Soucie in The Real Ghostbusters and Pat Musick in Extreme Ghostbusters. Janine has occasionally worn the Ghostbusters uniform and used ghost-catching equipment in the animated series. During the first film, and in both animated series, Janine often flirted with Egon but he remained oblivious. She dated Louis Tully in the sequel.
In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Janine contacted Callie Spengler to inform her of Egon's death and to arrange for Callie to collect Egon's belongings. She informed Callie that Egon had accrued a large amount of debt. In the post-credits scene, she and Winston discuss the latter's success.
Louis Tully