Ghostbusters: 10 Best Characters In The Original Movie, Ranked

Despite the title being Ghostbusters, the original 1984 film was not really about capturing the ghosts. The capturing of Slimer is definitely a big event, but the rest of the ghostbusting is done in the form of a montage. Instead, most of the movie is spent on the characters and the humor they bring to the supernatural comedy.

This is why Ghostbusters is so beloved: without the iconic characters it brings to the table, it would not have worked. But which characters were the best in the original movie?

10 Gozer The Gozerian

The main threat causing the uprise in supernatural activity in New York City, Gozer is a Sumerian deity who can only enter Earth via two creatures known as the Terror Dogs. Unfortunately, Gozer does not get a lot of screentime nor really have anything to do in the final battle with the Ghostbusters.

Of course, Gozer does have the famous line, “Are you a god?” However, it quickly vanishes and takes the form of the silly yet famous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. This is something that Ghostbusters: Afterlife changes by having Gozer, in their normal form, as the main threat of the whole climax.

9 Louis Tully

Rick Moranis’ Louis Tully has become a famous character in the franchise. That said, the more likable aspects of Tully that most fans think of tend to stem from the sequel. In the first Ghostbusters, Louis is not nearly as charming and is even a bit creepy.

Louis is constantly stalking Dana in the hall of their apartment building, waiting to just spring out and attempt to woo her, but to no avail. When he throws a party, he fully admits that none of them are his friends, but just clients. That said, Louis is still funny in his own way and features in some of Ghostbusters’ funniest scenes.

8 Mayor Lenny Klotch

Unlike a lot of movie mayors, Lenny Klotch is quite reasonable. Obviously, he doesn’t quite believe in a ghost invasion, and like most logical people, he wonders if the Ghostbusters are either behind what’s happening or are frauds.

However, not only does he listen to Walter Peck, but he also allows the Ghostbusters to defend their case. Mayor Klotch is a sensible man who genuinely cares about the city; he gives the Ghostbusters a chance to save it, even if Venkman had to convince him with the idea of good publicity.

7 Walter Peck

There is no doubt that Walter Peck is an antagonistic jerk who is rude to the Ghostbusters from the start. Though his intentions might have been good (trying to protect the environment), he seems against the Ghostbusters before he meets them. At the same time, William Atherton owns this role.

As much as the audience wants to see someone like Venkman or Egon punch Walter Peck in the face, there is a slimy charm to the character that makes audiences love to hate him. Plus, it’s ultimately satisfying when he gets his just desserts by getting coated in melted marshmallows.

6 Winston Zeddemore

All four of the Ghostbusters are iconic characters of cinema history and they are all great. That being said, Winston suffers from being added to the plot more than halfway through as the new recruit. Considering he doesn’t have much connection to the main story, he gets the least amount of screen time.

But when Winston Zeddemore is on screen, Ernie Hudson brings his famous charm and portrays him as a man who not only loves New York City but genuinely loves the new job as a paranormal exterminator. Winston also has his share of iconic lines including, “That’s a big twinkie.”

5 Janine Melnitz

From her snarky attitude to her stereotypical but hilarious New York accent, Janine Melnitz is the loyal secretary to the Ghostbusters. She mans the front desk and takes calls for them in both films, giving the Ghostbusters their cases. Janine is simply a cute character who is as valued by fans as a member of the Ghostbusters team themselves.

She clearly doesn’t enjoy the job, at first. In fact, she’s more interested in flirting with Egon, who clearly does not have much interest in romance. Still, Janine remains loyal to them, even if she throws out the occasional mean comment and it’s always a thrill when she gets their first case and yells, “We got one!”

4 Egon Spengler

If Peter Venkman is the Captain Kirk of the group, Egon Spengler is Spock. Egon is very calculated, overly serious, and views things in a more logical way. Of all of the Ghostbusters, he is the most genuine scientist who is also the genius behind their famous gadgets, including the PKE meter, the trap, and the Proton Packs.

Played by the franchise’s co-creator, the late Harold Ramis, Egon Spengler has gone on to become a fan-favorite thanks to his dry humor and unfaltering intelligence. Egon Spengler has plenty of famous quotes and this character would get honored in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

3 Ray Stantz

Portrayed by Ghostbusters co-creator, Dan Aykroyd, Ray Stantz is the heart of the Ghostbusters. He’s never willing to give up, and from the moment he is introduced, Ray is shown to be an avid believer of the supernatural. It’s because of Ray that the Ghostbusters are formed in the first place: he and Egon create the ghost trapping system.

Ray sells his family home in order to start up the Ghostbusters business, his love for the firehouse is what makes them buy it, and he’s eager for the job. This made him the perfect mentor for Winston, plus his overly eager personality leads to many comedic moments, especially in the climax against Gozer.

2 Dana Barrett

Dana is the Ghostbusters’ first official client who seeks help with the strange paranormal entity haunting her apartment. Played by Sigourney Weaver in one of her more badass roles, Dana is a charming character who easily sees through Peter Venkman’s methods of seduction, but she also finds him intriguing.

Compared to Ripley from the Alien universe, the characters are nothing alike. Dana Barrett is much kinder and down to Earth, which carries over into the sequel. Though technically a different character, Sigourney Weaver also delivers a funny yet ominous performance when Dana becomes the demon Zuul.

1 Peter Venkman

There is no doubt that Bill Murray quickly became the star and face of the team. For most fans, the first Ghostbuster they think of is Dr. Peter Venkman, the laid-back con-artist of the team who saw the money-making opportunity in the company more than anything.

It’s clear that Venkman doesn’t take the job too seriously and didn’t even believe in ghosts until they came face to face with the librarian ghost. Even then, it wasn’t until after he is slimed by Slimer that Venkman started putting effort into being a Ghostbuster and he is willing to sacrifice himself to save New York City. Venkman does have a heroic side that usually comes with a few sarcastic remarks.

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