Beings of the spectral plane often conjure within us thoughts of horror scenarios and hauntings. Fear is the most pragmatic reaction to the unknown or anything we can't understand. But for some reason, we often choose to view the idea of specters from said afterlife as horrifying.
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But not all ghosts are malevolent. In fact, video games have shown us that ghosts can be quite helpful. Of course, the term "friendly" might be used loosely here to imply that there are spirits who mean you, the player, no harm. Some of these spirits could easily be pictured right next to Casper himself, while others might have a more decayed and worn visage.
8 Polterpup - Luigi's Mansion Series
Here's one of those excitable spirits who could easily be mistaken for Casper's dog if we didn't know any better. Polterpup has made an appearance across all the Luigi's Mansion games. And even though the critter is deceased, he still seems to be filled to the brim with curiosity, energy, and life.
Polterpup is, perhaps, one of the very few ghosts in Luigi's trilogy of adventures that is a true friend in every sense of the word. Every time he appears on-screen, he'll have you saying audibly, "who's a good boy, pup? You are. That's who. You're the bestest boy there is!" He exudes that canine affection we're all familiar with that causes us to throw proper mannerisms and adult speech to the wind. And, if you're carrying a treat in your pocket (aka a golden bone), he'll make sure you don't meet an early grave.
7 Celembrimbor - Shadow Of Mordor
Now, this is where the term "friendly" is stretched a tad. In Shadow of Mordor, Celebrimbor is a wraith-like Elven spirit. In this Middle Earth adventure, he is, in fact, a friend to Talion, a human ranger. At first, they simply team up to beat the dark forces of Sauron. Celebrimbor's wraith capabilities come in might handy for eviscerating foes. So, we can at least say he is most definitely not friendly toward Orcs.
Talion and Celebrimbor bond over their shared struggle against the evil plaguing the land. Sauron has a clear grasp on the heart of Middle Earth, and he only intends to spread it further. Celebrimbor is a keen advisor and fruitful ally in this quest.
6 The Hero's Shade - The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
During Link's adventures in Twilight Princess, he'll undoubtedly cross paths with The Hero's Shade. This spirit looks imposing and oddly resembles the enemy Stalfos that is often prevalent in Zelda games. However, a quick discussion and a further deep-dive into the lore behind the Hero's Shade will reveal that he is actually the spirit of Link, the Hero of Time from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
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In this adventure, he laments that his heroic efforts were never known, thanks to the erasure of the timeline where Ganondorf's rule existed. Now, he at least seeks to pass on the skills he had acquired to his descendant, the Link of Twilight Princess. The Hero's Shade becomes something of a mentor to Link.
5 Wrinkly Kong - Donkey Kong 64
The elderly Wrinkly Kong was the beloved spouse of Cranky Kong. She first appeared in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. In this sequel, she was alive and well, running a school, offering suggestions to Diddy, and even allowing you to save your game.
Wrinkly Kong would appear in a couple of other titles among the living until her debut in Donkey Kong 64 as a ghost. Somewhere between Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong 64, she shuffled off this mortal coil. However, she is the caring matriarch she always was in life, offering helpful advice to the other Kongs as a spirit in the game.
4 KK - Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo from The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks presented a different, haunting look at Tokyo filled with specters and tough challenges. From the start, it quickly becomes a world where the paranormal element stalks the streets and buildings of the city after a mystical fog envelops the metropolis turning the entire population into spirits.
You control Akito, a young man at the center of it all who is seemingly spared from the supernatural event thanks to a spirit named KK, who possesses him just before the supernatural wave hits. The two strike up an uneasy alliance in order to get to the bottom of this strange disaster and help their loved ones. KK can grant Akito spectral abilities to combat ghosts, and the two eventually form a friendship.
3 The Lubberkin - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
During your adventures amid the picturesque landscapes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Geralt crosses paths with the Bloody Baron. In order to obtain information on the whereabouts of Ciri, Geralt agrees to help the Baron find his family. Through investigation, Geralt learns that his wife had a stillbirth, and the baby was buried. Instead of killing the Botchling, you can decide to turn it into a Lubberkin - basically, a ghost that is set free.
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If you choose to save the Botchling and turn it into a Lubberkin, the tiny specter will guide you to clues on the whereabouts of its mother, the Baron's wife. Once Geralt has all he needs, he thanks the Lubberkin and sets it free.
2 The Champions - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
It wouldn't seem right to just include one of the four Champions in Breath of the Wild for this entry. So, for the sake of completion, all four Champions constitute this segment. These Champions were once fearless defenders of Hyrule who waged battle against Ganon in different capacities and ultimately lost their lives in the process.
The Champions consist of Daruk the Goron, Mipha the Zora, Revali the Rito, and Urbosa the Gerudo. When Link defeats the corrupted versions of their associated Divine Beasts, the Champions are set free and able to wield their power to weaken Calamity Ganon. While Link could surely face Ganon without their help, it's a fool's errand.
1 Sadness - The Medium
In The Medium, Marianne, the lead protagonist and titular character, investigate a mysterious message that leads her to believe she can learn more about herself. She arrives at the mysterious location indicated known as Niwa, where she encounters a spirit girl who is missing an arm and wears a mask. She is called Sadness.
Marianne ultimately learns that Sadness is the spirit of her older sister, Lily, who inadvertently created a malevolent entity known as the Maw thanks to her own powers as a medium and the torment and abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Ultimately, Sadness only ever tries to help Marianne and is entirely innocent concerning the sinister happenings at Niwa. Though, despite her friendly nature, she truly is the embodiment of sadness.
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