Top 10 Best and Worst Things Beetlejuice Has Done

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the moral highs and lows of Betelgeuse as it relates to his best and worst antics across the Tim Burton-helmed film series. Warning – spoilers abound.

#5: Worst: Going Too Far with His Scare Tactics

"Beetlejuice" (1988)
While Betelgeuse’s antics might have been useful in aiding the Maitlands, they proved incredibly extreme. You see, Beetlejuice’s idea of 'helping' involved some of the most intense scare tactics imaginable, and to say he was overly aggressive in his methods would be an understatement. Perhaps his most ill-thought-out scare came in the form of a grotesque stairwell snake, as it unleashed a surreal nightmare for everyone involved – including Lydia. The incident was made all the more terrifying with Betelgeuse's eerier proclamation of “We’ve come for your daughter Chuck.” Yeah, we’d say Betelgeuse's uncontrollable nature often results in causing more harm than good.

#5: Best: Conversation with Lydia

"Beetlejuice" (1988)
From their first meeting, it's clear that Beetlejuice has a soft spot for Lydia. Even though his intentions are far from noble (to put it mildly), he offers her a chance to feel seen and heard – especially upon learning that she’d rather be on the other side. There seems to be an understanding here, as the mischievous, bug-eating ghost finds a way to connect with the misunderstood gothic teenager. Their unlikely friendship is more deeply explored in the “Beetlejuice” animated series though, where they are portrayed as the best of friends. That’s hardly the case here, but the seeds of that bond are surely presented, no matter how slight.

#4: Worst: Switching Tickets

"Beetlejuice" (1988)
After his expulsion at the close of 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” we catch up with “the Juice” in a bizarre Netherworld waiting room full of outrageous characters. It’s here that an impatient Betelgeuse does what he can to skip the line of the dead. By way of some small talk and a supposed Elvis sighting, he switches tickets with his silent seatmate. Unfortunately for Betelgeuse, his obnoxious misdeed doesn’t go unpunished, as he proceeds to get his head shrunken. We don’t blame the headshrinker though – after all, who would want to wait behind 9,998,383,749,997 other people?

#4: Best: Aiding Delia

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024)
We suppose if you need help in the afterlife, Betelgeuse would make for a useful ally. That’s exactly what he becomes for poor Delia. You see, during a ceremony mourning Charles's death, Delia opens a pot containing two snakes that bite her. Believing them to be venomoid, she was fatally mistaken. Lost in the afterlife, a frantic Delia summons, who else, but Betelgeuse. The “Ghost with the Most” agrees to help her locate Charles' spirit - on the condition that she assist him in finding Lydia. After aiding Betelgeuse in sabotaging Lydia’s wedding to Rory and dealing with the ensuing chaos, Delia returns to the afterlife where she is indeed reunited with a headless Charles.

#3: Worst: Obnoxious Behavior Towards Most Women

"Beetlejuice" (1988)
As entertaining of a character as he is, one of Betelgeuse’s most undesirable traits is his often-unfitting behavior towards women. This is particularly shown in the original late-80’s film. His lewd advances are evident from his first encounter with Barbara and continues throughout, as he remains shamelessly lascivious around any woman - living or dead. Betelgeuse’s crude comments and unwanted advances can be uncomfortable to witness, especially in his pursuit of a teenage Lydia. Sure, he’s a mischievous troublemaker, but his treatment of females has not always been appropriate – to say the least.

#3: Best: Revealing Rory’s True Intentions

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024)
While it was clear something was “off” when it came to Rory’s intentions with Lydia, we can thank Betelgeuse for bringing his true motives to light. After Lydia reluctantly accepts her producer boyfriend’s proposal – much to Astrid’s disgust – the couple prepare to tie the knot on Halloween. But, on the big night, Betelgeuse crashes the party. Following his elimination of the influencers in attendance via their cell phones (nice touch), the Juice proceeds to inject Rory with truth serum. It’s then that the real truth comes spewing out. His plan was to marry Lydia solely for her money and fame. It’s no surprise then, that a furious Lydia knocks him out. Talk about a “truth bomb.”

#2: Worst: Chopping Up His Ex-Wife

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024)
In Tim Burton’s 36-years-later sequel, we finally learn the details of Betelgeuse’s death. And, well, it’s quite the tale – one that ends in more than one fatality. During his time as a graverobber in Italy during the Black Death, Betelgeuse meets a woman named Delores – a supposed plague doctor. The two end up getting hitched in some, shall we say, unholy matrimony. But, after a wild wedding night, Delores poisons him in an attempt to gain immortality. Not taking his death sitting down, “The Juice” fights back…with an ax – leaving his death-cult bride in literal pieces. It’s a stark reminder of just how dark Betelgeuse’s past really is.

#2: Best: Sending Jeremy to Hell

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024)
After a “meet cute” moment with a boy named Jeremy, love appeared to be in the air for the angsty Astrid. However, it was actually deception in the air, as Jeremy turns out to be a killer ghost trying to trade lives with her. His scheme nearly succeeds, but Betelgeuse and Lydia intervene in the Netherworld just in time. While Lydia saves Astrid, Betelgeuse impersonates a worker to fake-stamp Jeremy's "passport", reversing the transfer and restoring Astrid’s lifeforce. That’s not all though - Betelgeuse disposes of Jeremy by dropping him into a fiery pit. See, Betelgeuse can play for the good guys, when it suits him, that is.

#1: Worst: Manipulating Lydia into a Forced Marriage…Twice

"Beetlejuice" (1988) & "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" (2024)
Betelgeuse is nothing if not persistent in his schemes to marry a living person, a union that would allow him to roam freely in the mortal world. In the first film, he manipulates Lydia into agreeing to marry him in exchange for helping her friends, the Maitlands. After being thwarted by a sandworm, he tries his luck again in the sequel. Once more coercing Lydia into marriage - this time in exchange for rescuing Astrid, the union is blocked…again, this due to a contract snafu. Will Betelgeuse ever learn? Our guess: probably not.

#1: Best: Saving the Maitlands

"Beetlejuice" (1988)
When Barbara and Adam Maitland find themselves haunting their own home, they quickly realize they need help getting rid of the obnoxious new owners. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But, when Betelgeuse offends the Maitlands with his, well, everything, they find themselves in a losing battle. Things get worse for the couple when Otho mistakenly conducts an exorcism, leading the pair to start to decay. When Lydia summons “the Juice” to help save them, he agrees – but not without that self-serving stipulation. The important thing to note here is that Betelgeuse does save the couple, using his wild antics for a positive purpose.

What do you think was the best and worst thing Betelgeuse has ever done? Would you like us to do a version of this list for the “Beetlejuice” animated series? Let us know in the comments below.