The Top 10 Friendly Ghosts from Movies
You Won’t Mind Being Haunted by these Friendly Ghosts.
Recently I tackled a list of some of the scariest movie ghosts I’ve seen over the years, but in doing so I felt kind of bad for all the friendly ghosts out there. Sure, many of us love those spooky specters that delight in making us shiver in fright, but not all spirits want to see you scared to death. That’s why I decided it was only fair to flip the coin over and give these friendly ghosts a list of their own. I’m sure a few of your favorites earned a spot on here, but I also dove deep into the research to search out some of the less obvious spooks out there. That being said, I made a bit of an exception for small groups of ghosts rather than simply choosing one at random. The end result is a collection of friendly ghosts that you probably wouldn’t mind having as a supernatural roommate due to how helpful (or at least interesting) they are. So, if you’re not a big fan of horror movies in general, this list is definitely for you.
10. Sam Wheat- Ghost
Kicking off this list of friendly ghosts is one of the most romantic spirits to ever grace the silver screen. Patrick Swayze plays Sam Wheat, a banker who dies a violent death at the hands of a mugger. While most ghosts come back pretty pissed off about things like that, Sam just wants to make sure his wife is alright. He goes through a bit of a learning curve as he gets used to his new incorporeal form, but eventually gets the hang. The problem is that it’s torturous for him not being able to let her know that he’s there. Thanks to a medium though, he’s able to reunite with his wife and take care of his unfinished business on Earth. While Sam might not be a scary ghost, he is a bit of a self-serving one which is why he’s in the number ten spot.
9. Casper- Casper
Of course, Casper was going to appear on this list of friendly ghosts. I mean, he is known as THE friendly ghost after all. Some of you might think that this kind-hearted spirit deserves a higher spot on here, and maybe he does. However, his kindness comes with a bit of a downside in that he’s pretty annoying a lot of the time. He’s so desperate to make friends that he gets overeager to please and that can be really off-putting. Still, his heart is in the right place, so I can’t really fault him for that. It’s just that of all the friendly ghosts on this list I would be the least thrilled to share a house with him. It might sound like I’m being pretty hard on the guy, but that doesn’t make him any less deserving of his title.
8. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington- The Harry Potter Films
Hogwart’s host a slew of ghosts, but the most memorable of them was Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, otherwise known as Nearly-Headless Nick. He’s the house ghost of Gryffindor, which makes him sort of like an incorporeal Hose Mother. Now, I’m hardly a Potterhead, but from what I can tell Nick is uncompromisingly kind and helpful to the students in his house, always offering a warm hello and taking the time to helpfully heard all the witches and wizards from place to place. He even goes so far as to reenact his own botched execution for their amusement. Plus, he’s played by John Cleese, one of the funniest men to ever come out of the U.K. with the uncanny ability to be liked by everyone.
7. Ghost of Christmas Present- The Muppets Christmas Carol
When I set out to put together this list of friendly ghosts the last thing I was expecting to include was a Muppet. When it comes to A Christmas Carol I’ve always found the Ghost of Christmas Present to be the most pleasant of the three spirits that Scrooge is visited by (though Past is a close second). Of course, the most memorable version has to be the giant felt version straight from Jim Henson’s workshop. He shows Scrooge the error of his ways without being a total jerk about it (even if he had every right to be) and helps him realize how important it is for him to change his ways. He’s there to help teach a lesson which makes him not only friendly but helpful too.
6. Shoeless Joe Jackson- Field of Dreams
Honestly, I was pretty close to putting all the ghosts from Field of Dreams on this list, but that seemed a bit excessive. So, I’ll put the most recognizable of them on here, Shoeless Joe Jackson. After all, Joe is the one who tells Ray, “If you build it. He will come.” The whole thing seems crazy at first, Ray listens to the deceased ball player and builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Turns out doing so is the best decision Ray’s ever made. Not only did it help save his farm (it turns out people will pay big bucks to see ghosts play baseball), but it helps Ray reunite with his deceased father for one last game of catch. While Jackson might be one of many ghosts in Field of Dreams, none of it would have been possible without him.