Poes (Legend of Zelda series)
Recurring ghosts from the Zelda games, these lantern-carrying Edgar Allans come in all shapes and sizes, with several of them having distinct identities (the Composer Brothers Flat and Sharp, for example). You can collect the souls of big 'uns in bottles and sell them to the mysterious Poe Collector in Ocarina of Time's Guard House. There are far spookier things to be found in the Zelda games (the shriek of a ReDead as it freezes you on the spot and begins gnawing your head gives us nightmares to this day), but perhaps that's why we're so fond of these torch-carriers.
Phantoon (Super Metroid)
A giant alien ghost squid that Samus inevitably destroys in Super Metroid, Phantoon seems to require energy to survive and - surprise! - has a weak spot in his eye (will bosses never learn?). It seems that once again it is futile to 'kill' a ghost; Phantoon would return in Metroid: Other M to once again feel the burn of the bounty hunter's charge beam.
King Boo (Super Mario series)
Completely different from the garden variety underling Boos (he's big and he's got a crown, and sometimes his eyes go purple, see?), King Boo debuted in Luigi's Mansion on GameCube and has since risen through the ranks of Mushroom Kingdom villains. He's also a heavyweight Mario Karter, enjoys a Mario Party and has even used those tiny arms to play baseball, too. A versatile villain.
Roger the Potted Ghost (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island)
A memorable boss from the Super Nintendo, Roger the Potted Ghost was created by Kamek in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island to stop Yoshi in his tracks, although the dinosaur could simply push the poor ghoul off the edge of his platform. Roger breathes blue fire but otherwise scores low on the menace scale. For one thing he's not a free-roaming apparition - he's grounded by a plant pot.
Also, he's called Roger.
Vivian (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)
Originally one of the three Shadow Sister, Vivian defects from the dark side to fight the good fight alongside Mario in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on GameCube. She's explicitly transgender in the Japanese version, although those references were removed in the western translations. Regardless of her gender, infinitely more relevant is her status as a spectre - she's a Shadow Sister, sure, but are they ghosts?
We're going to go out on a limb and say 'probably'. If you're not convinced, feel free to sub in one of Paper Mario's undoubtedly ghostly characters such as Doopliss and the Duplighosts (great band name, there) or Ghost T., the dead train Toad. Yes, ghost toads are a thing.
Wisp (Animal Crossing series)
This ghostly genie-like spirit typically appears at night and is notable for being one of the few non-animals in Animal Crossing. He's also appeared in Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf and his abilities include ridding the entire town of weeds, giving your roof a paint job and even transforming into other villagers when you scan their amiibo cards. A friendly ghost, indeed.
Ghost data (Mario Kart series)
Finally, the most malevolent ghost of all - yourself. Well, yourself or sometimes a friend, or an online rival, or an assortment of Nintendo staff members who embedded their spectral performance in a Mario Kart game. Yes, we're including the semi-transparent 'ghosts' we've spent many an hour racing against ever since unlocking the three Staff Ghosts in Mario Kart 64. Things became much easier in later games in the series, but while recording Time Trial ghosts in MK64 it was very easy to destroy your own ghost data mid-attempt (a serious crash or even pausing the game meant you'd have to begin again, if memory serves).
Ah, but that time we pulled off the Mario Raceway shortcut perfectly three times in a row is saved as a ghost on a Memory Pak in the loft somewhere! We've mentioned that before, and you can be sure we'll mention it again - that particular ghost fills us with more nostalgia and warm fuzzies than any other on the list above and we'll be bringing that one back from the dead for years to come.
This is Halloween, this is Halloween... Obviously this is just the tiniest drop in the ectoplasmic ocean of ghosts from games on Nintendo systems. Let us know your personal paranormal preferences below (from Nintendo games or otherwise) and have a phantastic Halloween folks!
Comments 30
The ghost of the past (challenges you to a race)
Do not forget the ghost on Super Mario 3D land.
No mention of the ghosts from Chibi-Robo Clean Sweep? Alright, since that game was only released in Japan, I'll give them pass.
On a final, unrelated note, I believe there's a typo in the paragraph for Polterpup.
Best luigi's mansion ghost is the tough-guy-body-builder ghost lifting weights in Luigi's Mansion 1. He cracks me up. I love that ghost.
Wait, what about almost every Nintendo character ever after Galeem annihilated them in Ultimate?
No ghost train from Final Fantasy VI?
No love for the alcoholic ghosts from Mother 3?
Vivian is easily the cutest adult female in Nintendo history through. flat chest and pot belly!
I thought Wisp was a genie.
@NESlover85 I believe it was suplexed out of existence by this buff dude before the list was made.
I think king boo from luigi’s mansion and king boo from the mario series are different entities (pun not intended)
Atleast mario kart tour suggest so. Would also explain who shared characters between the series share designs except for king boo.
Always thought Vivian was cute.
Would've gone with Ghost-Bottles to represent the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. First murder my innocent child-eyes ever witnessed.
But what about John Raimi from the GameCube game „Geist“?
The eyeless ghost of the maid in Eternal Darkness.
"I CAN'T GET THE BLOOD OUT!!!"
So many ghosts, and yet no John Raimi? He was the one entry I was looking for.
...No mention of the Luminose ghost in Pokemon X/Y?
@Woomy_NNYes Even his name, oh man. Biff Atlas, it's inspired.
@Kalmaro lol! Great moment in gaming!
Boo is my favorite Nintendo character.
Good detail about the ghost of Marowak in Pokemon Red & Blue (Lets Go Pikachu Eevee), however, you can not forget most of the Pokémon type Ghost (Gastly, Haunter, Gengar and a long etc.) and if we add the human ghosts in many games that really did scare us or leave us with doubts: (the ghosts of the Old Cheatau in Diamond and Pearl, the little girl on the Skyarrow Bridge and the Strange house in Black and White)
So glad to see the Phantom from Mario+Rabbids. One of the most memorable boss fight intros I've ever seen. He's not really a very challenging boss, but his intro scene is off the hook.
Love the inclusion of Vivian. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is one of my absolute favorite RPGs (or games). Criminally underrated entry in a stellar series.
I'm glad it's already been mentioned by VanYth and Link3710:
GEIST. I guess this game totally under-performed for the ol' Gamecube so its omission from this list is understandable. At one point, Reggie himself was trying to position this game as a "Halo Killer" and he was frustrated at its lack of success.
Still, the entire game is based on ghosts. Heck even the title of the game itself means "ghost" or "spirit."
Well, since Halloween is very close, another special good to include would be some music tracks from Nintendo games where it is not a good idea to listen to them late at night and alone; They are really scary all of a sudden.
How about ???? from Final Fantasy VI?
No gastly/hunter/gengar
Or no killed pikmin
This was a good little list.
Enjoyable article. I especially like the mention of Roger from Yoshi’s Island, it makes me recall all of the amazing bosses (including their names) in that game. Such a great game.
Isn't Madam Flurrie a ghost?
She seemed like some sort of special Boo to me at first.
Lady Bow from the first Paper Mario game is a respectable Boo too.
Zelda makes a fine phantom herself.
If anyone's played Bravely Second, the holder and abilities of the Guardian Asterix was pretty spooky too. The artwork of him and Geist is exceptional!
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