The best pop culture ghosts, just in time for Halloween

Halloween confession time: I love ghosts. All ghosts. Every ghost. But no, I’ve never met a ghost IRL, and for me that’s a totally bummer. Maybe one day I’ll come face-to-face with an actual ghost, even though I know I’ll be completely terrified through the entire encounter.

And since it’s Halloween, now is the perfect to talk about ghosts. What better ghosts to talk about than the ones that are real to us, since they exist in the magical world of pop culture? Below, in no particular order, I present you with some of the best pop culture ghosts over the years. It’s by no means complete, because guys, there are a ton of ghost stories out there in the world. Here are just a few of my favorite.

Zero

Jack Skeleton’s faithful dog is absolutely adorable. Those big black eyes, that cute little pumpkin nose! You just want to cuddle him, except that he’s doesn’t exactly have a body.

Marley (and Marley)

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is FULL of ghosts, but the best one is Marley by far, because he’s kinda terrifying. And who doesn’t love Statler and Waldorf playing two Marleys together? Sorry that song is now stuck in your head.

Nearly Headless Nick

Poor nearly Headless Nick. He always gets the short end of the stick, so we’re going to make him #1 in our hearts. I feel so bad for him every time he brings up the fact that they won’t let him join the Headless Hunt because he’s still technically got his head. Poor ghoul.

Moaning Myrtle

I wasn’t originally going to include Myrtle on the list, but then I could hear her wailing from the u-bend. Thanks for helping Harry figure out the golden egg during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Force works in mysterious ways, like bringing Ben Kenobi back to be Luke Skywalker’s all-knowing all-seeing sage that reminds him to “use the force.” Then he pops up from time-to-time to hang out with Yoda, and totally party down on the moon of Endor.

Pac-Man’s Ghosts

Don’t you just hate it when you’re trying to enjoy a nice snack, and then some ghosts come out of nowhere and ruin all your fun? Pac-Man knows that problem first hand.

Slimer

Ghost? Green ooze? Blob? However you want to classify him, Slimer holds a very special place in our hearts since he goes all the way back to the OG Ghostbusters. Here’s hoping he resurfaces in the brand new Lady Ghostbusters, too.

The Harmon Family

Oh, whoops, sorry if I’m spoiling the end of American Horror Story: Murder House. Every single member of the Harmon family dies (except for their new baby, but he becomes a demon, and that is a completely different story). The daughter, Violet, becomes my favorite kind of ghost: a ghost that doesn’t realize they’ve died and is carrying on as if nothing is wrong.

Ghostwriter

What was even Ghostwriter. Was he really a ghost? Was he literally the ghost in the machine (the old school computer machine, that is). Why isn’t there an app yet to add a Ghostwrite to your Mac? These are all important questions.

Suzie Q

Suzie Q was a really great Disney Channel movie that they used to play all the time in the 90s. They don’t play it all the time anymore, and that’s sad. But hey, it’s still online! Suzie Q was about Suzie Q, a ghost who comes back 50 years after her death to help her still-alive parents out of a sticky eviction situation. Oh, and Suzie Q herself is played by Amy Jo Johnson, aka The Pink Power Ranger. Add this to your must-watch list.

Dr. Malcolm Crowe

Call this twist in The Sixth Sense the ORIGINAL crazy movie twist. You mean that Bruce Willis has been dead this whole time? Here’s my favorite kind of ghosts again, friends. Also, we should have seen this coming. Haley Joel Osment even told us he seems dead people.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts

Their names are Phineas (the one with the suitcase), Ezra (the one who looks like a skeleton) and Gus (the short one with a ball and chain) and they live at Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Did you know they have names? They do. Don’t pick them up, and don’t let them follow you home.

(Images via Disney, Warner Bros., PBS, FX, Nintendo, Giphy.)