The Classifications or classes in the cartoon seem to vary from the film and Ghostbusters Role-Playing Game Classification System. The power of the entity seems to be the base of the scale, and the scale seems higher than the Role-Playing Game (RPG) version. Although, the classifications from the RPG do roughly scale upward in terms of power. According to J. Michael Straczynski, he stuck to the conventions of the first movie and variations in classifications were ad-hoc, rather than being anything systematized.[1]
In the cartoon, the system ran on a Class 1 to Class 13 scale, with 13 being the strongest and least likely to see. Various books, such as "Tobin's Spirit Guide" and "Who's Who in the Spirit World," served as the basis for the Animated Classification system. [2] [3]
Examples
In The Real Ghostbusters episode "Ghosts R Us," the Ghostbusters encountered a Class 10 Toy Ghost that inhabited the abandoned toy factory chasing off the Class 7 Turlock. Class 10 ghosts and higher are considered extremely rare.
The Ghostbusters also encountered a Class 8 ghost called Mee-Krah (in episode "Standing Room Only."
In episode "Short Stuff" and "Revenge of the Ghostmaster," the Ghostbusters encountered an even rarer Class 11 ghost called The Ghostmaster.
In episode "Slimer Streak," they meet up with a ghost called "The Player" which is most widely presumed to be stronger than a Class 10 ghost; some believe it to be a new Class 12.
The Boogieman was identified as a Class 7 Corporeal Entity. Hob Anagarak was stated to be at least a Class 7, but could not be precisely measured due to a P.K.E. Meter overload (it is also possible his prison reduced his emanations).
The Player, Mee-Krah, the Ghostmaster, and the Master of Shadows are all much stronger than a Class 7 ghost.In the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "The Unseen," the Ghostbusters encounter a Class 13 ghost named Tenebraug. Tenebraug is the strongest ghost by the scale, the Ghostbusters have encountered yet. It is unknown if there is a cap to the scale of the ghost classification system. However, entities such as Cathulhu were noted to be beyond the standard scale.
In Marvel Comics Annual 1990, they used a classification system similar to the one used in the Role-Playing Game, except a Class 6 entity was described as being close to a Class 7. Also, while the class system in the comic only goes up to Class 7 like in the movies, Ray mentions he is off to bust an unlisted Class 9 in the introduction.
Classes
Class 1
Only one Class 1 was shown. It briefly appeared in an issue of the NOW comic book. [4] It was used to demonstrate the capabilities of Ecto-X. Class ones are non sentient manifestations and are almost completely harmless.
Class 2
Class 2s are described as being very weak entities. The only true Class 2 encountered were the Pallo Mansion ghosts. Before their vacation at the Stantz Dairy Farm, the Ghostbusters encountered a Class 2 in the linguini of a client named Mrs. Fiorini. [5] Ray theorized The Petersons to be a Class 2 Area Aberration. [6]
Class 3
Like Class 2, Class 3s are relatively weak.
Examples of Class 3's:
Class 4
In the animated series, Class 4 describes a creature roughly similar to a Class 5.
Examples of Class 4's:
Class 5
Much like Slimer, other Class 5 ghosts are vaguely humanoid in appearance and often slime things.
Examples of Class 5's:
Class 6
Class 6 here classifies ghosts that are pretty powerful, but weaker than Class 7 spirits. However, some Class 6 entities are animal or animal-like ghosts.
Examples of Class 6's:
Class 7
As in the movies, a Class 7 is a very powerful entity with godlike powers. Unlike in the movies, it is possible to trap and contain a Class 7.
Examples of Class 7's:
Class 8
These ghosts tend to consider themselves superior over others and are usually demons. At a scale of power, they are slightly more powerful than Class 7 ghosts. Like Class 7 spirits, Class 8 entities can be captured in ghost traps.
Examples of Class 8's:
Class 9
Class 9 spirits are even more powerful. They are so powerful that they are very difficult to trap, if it is possible to do so.
Examples of Class 9's:
Class 10
Class 10 spectres are very powerful. The original Ghostbusters could only destroy the Class 10 they encountered, the Toy Ghost, with the self-destruction of Ecto-2.
Examples of Class 10's:
Class 11
Class 11 ghosts are extremely powerful leaders of lesser ghosts. The only Class 11 spirit ever encountered by the Ghostbusters was the Ghostmaster. Ray originally thought it would be impossible for the traps to hold him, but one of them managed to after he expended too much of his personal power.
Class 12
Though never actually seen, Class 12 phantoms are even stronger than Class 11 ghosts. The Player is often speculated by fans to be a Class 12.
Class 13
A Class 13 is a new Class Level only used in Extreme Ghostbusters. The only known Class 13 entity was an eye-stealing demon named Tenebraug.
Unknown Classes
Since it is never stated exactly how many classes there are in the animated series, there may be even more Classes. There are also some ghosts on the show whose classes are not given, as well as ghosts whose power is beyond the standard class system.
Examples of Ghosts with Unknown Classes:
Examples of Ghosts beyond the standard Class System:
Trivia
- The first mention of a Class 9 was not in any of the animated series but in the novelization of the first Ghostbusters movie. In Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, Peter Venkman purposefully released a Class 9 Autonomous Roaming Disrupter in the offices of The National Reporter because of articles that smeared the Ghostbusters as fakes and charlatans.[7]
- The Mega-Entity in Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: The Real Ghostbusters was a Class 99.[8]
In Marvel Comics Issue 003, in the "Spengler's Spirit Guide" section, Egon uses a reversed system, where a "basic class nine spook" is the weakest and a "class one special category super-hostile phantasm" ranks towards the top.
References
- ↑ straczynski Tweet 5/6/19 J. Michael Straczynski says: "Pretty much sure I mainly stuck to the conventions from the film. If there were variations they were all pretty much ad-hoc, rather than being anything systematized."
- ↑ "Halloween II 1/2"
- ↑ "Revenge of the Ghostmaster"
- ↑ Ray Stantz (1990). NOW Comics- "The Real Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #12" (1990) (Comic p.3). Ray says: "No, Egon! That's a Class One Poltergeist! It took us five hours to trap!"
- ↑ Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Dairy Farm" (1987) (DVD ts. 1:22-1:24). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "And the Class 2 in Mrs. Fiorino's Linguini."
- ↑ Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Dairy Farm" (1987) (DVD ts. 9:21-9:23). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "I wouldn't rule out a Class 2 Area Aberration."
- ↑ Mueller, Richard (August 1985). Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, pp. 154-155. Tor Books, New York NY USA, ISBN 0812585984.
- ↑ Egon Spengler (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters" (2019) (Comic p.16). Egon Spengler says: "The ghosts from the Prediction Engine have combined into a Class-Ninety-Nine Mega-Entity."