When people think of ghosts, they don’t normally think of the most pleasant creatures. Over the course of the long history of television, viewers have gotten their fair share of scares from these spectral beings.
But, for all the scares, there are still a good deal of ghosts who are actually quite cute, if not even a bit lovable. Granted, most of them come from animation and kid’s shows. But even still, there are tons of ghostly characters that have appeared over the years that we as audience members can’t help but love to death.
Jiminy Cricket As The Ghost Of Christmas Past
A Christmas Carol is one of the most beloved Christmas stories ever made. Since Disney is equally cherished, there was no doubt their paths would one day meet. So, this TV animated adaption from Disney animation features all your favorite characters in Charles Dickens adaption.
Playing the part of The Ghost of Christmas Past is none other than Jiminy Cricket. This adorable animated insect first appeared in the original Pinocchio. Here though, he plays his part as a Christmas Ghost, showing Uncle Scrooge the mistakes of his past. The use of Jiminy Cricket as the ghost is a great choice, making siding with the character an easy choice.
The Lonesome Ghosts
Disney is known all over the world for their movies, but their animated shorts have entertained just as many people on TV and in the cinema. Mickey and friends have gone on tons of adventures around the globe in these cartoons, including a time when they became certified ghost exterminators.
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy thus are pranked by a gang of lonesome mischievous spirits inside a haunted house, who call up the trio only to prank them. What results is a cute cartoon filled with equally cute characters. The ghosts have become the quintessential Disney specters.
The Box Ghost
Danny Phantom is one of Nickelodeon’s classic TV cartoons of the early 2000s. This animated adventure comedy series saw a supernaturally powered teen confront a multitude of spirits to protect his small town. While many of the villainous ghosts were scary, one was more a lovable annoyance.
The box ghost was a ghost who controlled, well to be blunt, boxes. He constantly had to hype himself up every time he faced off against Danny, going into a full monologue about how he is the box ghost and why you should fear him. This guy was an annoying dork, but at least in a lovable sort of way.
Ghost Pokemon
Pokemon is a massive global phenomenon. It has properties stretching across numerous platforms from video games, to card games, to movies. But, one of the projects its best known for is its TV series. Featuring Ash Ketchum, a boy who wants to catch all Pokemon, the series spans across the entire world of Pokemon.
Here you can find ghosts as well, in the Ghost-type Pokemon. Probably the best known are the intertwined evolution of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. Ash and his friends faced off against these supernatural Pokemon multiple times throughout the original series. They remain some of the most mysterious Pokemon of the entire franchise.
Danny Phantom
Although Danny is technically a human, his DNA got intertwined with that of his ghost self. So, in a way, he counts as a ghost himself. Danny, as mentioned, is a teenager who gains the power of ghosts. He uses his powers to fight supernatural forces that threaten his friends, family, school, and town.
Danny is a lovable protagonist who comes from the same vein as characters like Peter Parker. He is endearing for just wanting to be a normal kid, but who gains powers unexpectedly. He tackles a lot of the same problems that Spider-Man does, having to balance his personal life with his hero life.
Beetlejuice
Many know the character of Beetlejuice from the classic Tim Burton film of the same name. here, he haunts a pair of ghosts and the family who lives in their house to come back from the dead. But, Beetlejuice also had a stretch on the small screen.
The Beetlejuice on TV was a lot more kid-friendly, but also a lot more heightened in energy. Here he went on misadventures and schemes with a cartoon version of Lydia from the films, in classic Saturday morning fashion. Beetlejuice makes it on this list for the pure nostalgia his show brings.
The Flying Dutchman
Spongebob Squarepants has become one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time. Because of his longevity and popularity, he has made it up on the list alongside characters like Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, and Homer Simpson.
The supporting characters of Spongebob are equally popular. If you mention names such as Patrick Star, Squidward, or Mr. Krabs, nearly anyone will know who you’re talking about. When it comes to ghosts, the series is also remembered for introducing the Flying Dutchman, a pirate ghost who is constantly annoyed by Spongebob and friends.
Slimer
The cartoons of the early 90s were a lot like the movies of today in that they retread a lot of the classic of yesterday. This can be applied directly to the Ghostbusters cartoon, which was obviously inspired by the live-action comedy of the same name.
All your favorites were involved, but especially the hungry ghost Slimer. This hungry ghost would eat anything that comes across his path. He was already beloved from the films, but after joining the ranks of the TV show, he has transcended to another plane of existence, and we don’t just mean the afterlife.
Casper The Friendly Ghost
How couldn’t we include everyone’s favorite friendly ghost? Casper has been (not) scaring up audiences since his days as a comic strip. Casper has been across multiple platforms as well, including live-action and animated films. But Casper also had a stint on television with his own short cartoons and a tv series.
This beloved ghost went on adventures trying to spread as much kindness as he could in a world that thinks all ghosts are bad. He is one of the longest-running characters in both animation and print and has fans stretching across generations.
High Five Ghost
Regular Show was one of the best cartoons of the 2010s, blending in its own unique sense of humor and character design. Most of the episodes were fairly standard sitcom setups, but when featuring characters that also happened to be blue jays, raccoons, and gumball machines, the proceedings felt a little stranger.
One of the cutest characters on the show as well as ranking number one in terms of lovable ghosts in high five ghost. This little dude is too cute to handle, with his dumb little hand always poised for a high five. His near-constant smile is great, and he never gets mixed up in the schemes of others.
