The Ghostbusters are some of Hollywood’s most iconic heroes. They’re symbols of blue-collar working stiffs—getting their hands dirty and making a difference. They’re also sleazy, cheesy, greasy and… easy?
But what fascinates me the most is that from 1984 to the present day, these characters haven’t really evolved… at all.
What started as four regular dudes with beer guts, coffee-stained teeth, and dandruff remains basically the same—even into their 70s. I mean, Venkman is still a sarcastic lady-killer, Egon is cold and calculated, Ray is naive and excitable, and Winston is… just there for the money.
And for every square-jawed, barrel-chested Boy Scout in movies today, there are a hundred of us regular dudes who can look at the Ghostbusters and see something that sticks. All of that to say: the Ghostbusters are… kind of assholes.
As JoBlo’s resident Ghostbusters fanboy, I have no shame in admitting that the original film remains one of my all-time favorite movies. Over the years, it’s earned praise for its witty dialogue, seedy depiction of 1980s NYC, and a cast of characters that are individually as iconic as the team. What Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd accomplished on a famously rushed production became a staple in households everywhere and (inevitably) spawned a franchise: five movies, an awesome tie-in video game (which could almost count as a movie), two cartoons, comic books, and plans for even more films in the main continuity.
If you want a full review of every single Ghostbusters property, you can check out my franchise video from a couple of years ago.
So, say what you will about the state of the brand today. While I can admit Sony seems a little heavy-handed in making these into forgettable, bloated summer blockbusters—I actually have good things to say about every Ghostbusters movie (yes, even that one). I didn’t say I had a lot of good things to say… but that’s not what this video is about.
Instead, I want to talk about how the characters themselves have been stuck in an anti-growth chamber—perpetually the same, movie to movie, with little to no real evolution. I’ll break down the tropes they fall into and what their “arcs” (if you can call them that) look like. Because even though these movies are supposedly about the characters, they seem intent on maintaining the status quo—and weirdly, it works. But why?
Because eventually, every hero becomes unreliable. They’ve saved the planet too many times to care about spilling coffee in the car. They’ve died and come back too many times to value a single lifespan. But these guys? They’re just like us. Flesh, blood, and bare hands.
Venkman: The Sleazy Casanova
Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman is an iconic, inspired comedic performance. As a kid, he was probably my favorite Ghostbuster. He’s flirty, crass, sarcastic, and narcissistic—yet undeniably charming. The word that comes to mind (and I say this with love) is: sleazy.
In the first film, Venkman is mostly motivated by women—whether it’s his student volunteers or Dana needing help, he’s always the first to lend a hand if there’s a “chick on the line.” He walks the line between charming and gross in a way that Ryan Reynolds used to, before leaning too far into charm. Venkman gets into ghostbusting not out of passion, but because he has no better options. He puts himself and his goals first—but he also delivers most of the funniest lines.
By the end, he’s in love with Dana, which could have been a turning point—but it just makes him a flirty non-bachelor.
Egon: Cold as Ice
Harold Ramis plays Egon Spengler like a man born without a personality—and that’s the point. Egon is cold, emotionless, and hyper-logical. He’s the intellectual leader of the group, motivated only by science and the pursuit of knowledge. He doesn’t care about being a hero; he just wants to understand the paranormal.
This gives us some great dry comedy from his social awkwardness and lack of small talk. There’s not much growth—aside from some cute moments with the wonderful Annie Potts (as Janine). Even when saving the world, it feels more like a lab experiment than an act of courage. Cold. Calculated. Kind of awesome.
He’s the one I’d probably look up to the most.
Ray: Naive and Childlike
Now probably my favorite Ghostbuster, Ray is the heart and soul of the team. He believes in what they’re doing and literally funds the startup with his life savings. He’s the one who insists on the firehouse HQ because it has a pole. He designs the iconic Ecto-1. He’s the reason Ghostbusters feel like working-class superheroes.
Ray is the guy who stays late just to hang out. His joy, optimism, and belief in the team bring a much-needed layer of tenderness to this bunch of misfits.
Winston: He Just Wants the Money
Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore joins halfway through the first film and quickly becomes part of the crew. But unlike the others, he’s not in it for the science—he just needs a job. He has no reason to believe in ghosts at first. He’s the audience surrogate: someone normal observing the chaos.
But even after witnessing a literal interdimensional apocalypse, Winston stays mostly unfazed. He’s still just here for the paycheck. And honestly? Fair enough.
For a group of guys in their 30s, these tropes worked. But you’d think they’d grow over time—like humans do. Instead, film after film brings almost no character development.
Ghostbusters II (say what you will—I like it) doesn’t push the characters forward at all. Venkman is still a lovable jerk, Egon is still cold and nerdy, Ray is still Ray, and Winston’s just happy to be getting paid. And that lack of growth may explain the film’s mixed reception. As Roger Ebert said: “Murray still gets away with his dry, Groucho-revisited wisecracks. But the first movie was funnier, faster, and well, fresher.”
Even the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters keeps the characters static—they’re like impersonations of themselves. Still fun, but no growth.
But that was just a few years later. Surely they’d change over 30+ years, right?
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
They’re back—Murray, Hudson, Aykroyd, and yes, Ramis (via a stand-in and some impressive CGI). And while Afterlifeis a solid movie in my opinion, let’s talk character evolution.
Venkman? Still a flirty perv—though now he’s married to Dana. So he’s gone from sleazy scumbag to married sleazy scumbag.
Ray? Slightly more jaded, but give him five minutes and he’s the same old Ray.
Winston? He’s rich now and funds the new Ghostbusters—but he’s still just in it for the money.
Egon? He’s the only one with real growth—sort of. He becomes an estranged loner obsessed with stopping Gozer, dies alone, but redeems himself by helping his granddaughter Phoebe. That’s… something. But most of what he does in the movie is just nods to classic Egon until the very end.
So, to recap:
- Venkman goes from sleazy to sleazy and married.
- Ray goes from eager to eager with a mild emo phase.
- Winston goes from broke guy chasing a paycheck to rich guy chasing a paycheck.
- Egon goes from cold loner to ghost grandpa with a heart.
That’s a level of character development that usually happens in one movie—spread across four decades. And yet… I still love it. Because I still relate to it.
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