Top 10 Unforgettable Cartoon Ghosts

Ghosts usually have unfinished business to take care of, and that’s true even when it’s the ghost of a space robot. It’s especially true if said space robot was killed by his former leader’s massive particle cannon. This fan favorite Decepticon from the Transformers universe is first seen returning in ghost form when Octane’s ship suffers a mysterious explosion. Octane, his former colleague, ends up back in Cybertron and finds refuge in a crypt, where he encounters the body-less, but still scheming, Starscream. Now dabbling in possession, Starscream’s lust for power was as evident as ever, even making a cameo in the Transformers follow-up “Beast Wars.”

Not all ghosts are bad; in fact, Hanna-Barbera’s Saturday morning cartoon entitled “The Funky Phantom” was actually a delight. Imagine something like the Flintstones, but in ghost form. The titular ghost is a Revolutionary War-era phantom who roams around with his cat Boo. After being trapped in a clock for centuries, they’re unleashed by three adventurous teenagers and their dog Elmo, whom they befriend and subsequently help to solve mysteries! Combine that with a funky opening song, and you get some really jazzy ghost stories!

Inspired by the original live-action character as seen in the Tim Burton-directed “Beetlejuice” movie, this animated TV series centered around the friendship between Goth teen Lydia Deetz and her undead buddy, Beetlejuice. In this small screen show, the pair has nothing better to do but explore the mysteries of The Neitherworld (neetherworld), which is an afterlife realm filled with supernatural oddballs. Beetlejuice also has an annoyingly happy brother, Donny Juice, and two parents who are always on his case about getting a job. With his signature striped outfit, greasy hair and crooked teeth, Beetlejuice is a witty and grumpy ghost, who also likes money and “armpit music.” Talk about wacky!

When Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, gets bored with his job, he finds himself in Christmas Town and decides to see what all the fuss is about. An obvious play on Santa’s reindeer Rudolph, Jack’s faithful pumpkin-nosed ghost dog Zero follows him there. Like a real puppy, Zero is adorable and faithful to his master. Only instead of running around Jack, the undead canine floats above him. This Tim Burton fairytale quickly became a cult classic, while Zero became a beloved character, whether it’s Christmas or Halloween.

This next ghost may be a recurring character on a cartoon show, but he is anything but funny. With his thick accent and handbag marked “Souls,” The Flying Dutchman is not exactly the kinda creature you hope to cross in the ocean. A caricature of every pirate, he’s always in a bad mood and can’t even eat without his “dining sock.” Although he may look silly with his half-bitten pirate hat, the Dutchman is very powerful and can levitate and teleport in a cloud of smoke. [D’you think he says “boo!” or “arrrrr”?]

High-Five Ghost, or Fives as his buddies know him, is a groundskeeper at The Park. His best friend is Muscle Man, and he loves to prank his co-workers Mordecai and Rigby. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, he also has a brother named Low Five Ghost. Perhaps surprisingly for a ghost, Hi-Fives is an unbelievably good trumpet player, and he has the power to levitate and the ability to turn into a shield. Despite his ghostly appearance, he has a lot of human traits, and is the only character on the show that has a shadow. Hmmm, “but he’s a ghost,” you say. Or is he?

“Bah, humbug!” Based on the timeless novella by Charles Dickens, this Disney adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” employs characters we already know from the animation studio’s past in the parts of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The stingy Scrooge McDuck can only think of money and doesn’t want to give his employee Bob Cratchit a half-day off for the holidays. When Scrooge goes home that night, he’s visited by the three ghosts who present him with a vision of what they represent in an attempt to teach the miser the true meaning of Christmas.

Not all ghosts roam around aimlessly after they’re dead; some are superheroes. Well, in the case of Danny Phantom, he’s a half-human, half-ghost. Danny attends Casper High School, and lives with his ghost-hunting parents. After he has an accident involving a portal between this world and the Ghost Zone, he gains superpowers. Although he would like to use them for his own purposes at first, like punishing his bullies at school, Danny quickly learns to use his gifts to protect his town from ghost attacks. And who wouldn’t wish they could “go ghost” sometimes, amirite?

Most ghosts are either scary or cute, but this one is downright gross. Slimer is a green booger-looking ghost with an annoying high-pitched voice and he looks like he smells really bad too. In the animated series, he’s shown to have stuck around the Ghostbusters headquarters because he was lonely . Becoming their pet ghost, they even treat him like a friend. Slimer even helps the Ghostbusters catch ghosts, making him unpopular among his own.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Vaatu
“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14)
- Raava
“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14)
- Ghost Princess
“Adventure Time” (2010-)
- Gastly
“Pokémon” (1997-)

There are so many adaptations of Casper that the little white ghost has likely touched multiple generations. Initially supposed to be a 1939 storybook, he was turned into an animated cartoon by Paramount in 1945. Not only is Casper is a friendly ghost with a New York accent, but he’d rather make friends with people than scare them. In “The Friendly Ghost,” he befriends Bonnie and Johnny, two children who live with their widowed mother, and is welcomed into their family. The Noveltoon later spawned more cartoons, an animated TV series in the 1960s, and more.

Do you agree with our list? Who are your favourite cartoon ghosts? For more top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.