Betelgeuse

Overview

Call him the " Ghost with the Most," a ladies' man, or what one will, but one must never actually say his name--especially not three times--unless one is willing to put up with Betelgeuse's lecherous antics. He is also extremely perverted, and always seems to be groping and peeping at every woman he encounters. 

There is very little information known about Betelgeuse's past: not his true name, date or place of birth, death or even his motivations. All that is known about him is that he was once the assistant of Juno, a Ghost World caseworker. She described him as a "troublemaker," and that he "does not work well with others." After that he went out on his own as a freelance "Bio-Exorcist" and got into more trouble. Apparently soon after an unknown power or entity reduced his power and sealed him away. Betelgeuse's only release from that banishment (and return to) is secured by saying his name three times. 

Beetlejuice (Film - 1988)

I n the 1988 Tim Burton-directed horror comedy Beetlejuice, actor Michael Keaton portrayed Betelgeuse as a lecherous con-man out to rid of the world of the living through his bio-exorcism. Betelgeuse takes advantage of the naivete of the newly-dead Maitlands, promising to rid their former home of its new occupants, the Deetz family. Betelguese wins the Maitlands' trust, only to betray them in his bid to return to the world of the living by marrying young Lydia Deetz. The Maitlands ultimately defeat Betelgeuse, sending him back to land of the dead for good.

Beetlejuice (Animated Series - September 9, 1989 to December 6, 1991)

The animated incarnation of Betelgeuse differs greatly from his filmic counterpart. For instance, his name is never spelled "Betelgeuse," but rather the dumbed-down-for-audiences "Beetlejuice." Also, Beetlejuice is still a con-man like Betelgeuse before him, but is not a bad person per se, and is best friends with Lydia (who, in the film, was quite repulsed by Betelgeuse). Beetlejuice in the animated series is simply a merry (but still gross) prankster, having fun by tricking both the living and dead alike.

Gaming History

Betelgeuse's appears in three video games: one based on the film, and two others based on the animated series. The first was Beetlejuice in: Skeletons in the Closet, a DOS game developed by Riedel Software Productions and published by Hi-Tech Expressions in 1990. Here Betelgeuse appears as he did in animated series, fighting and destroying skeletons, allowing Lydia to recover their remains for bonuses. The second game is the only movie tie-in, published and developed in 1991 by LJN and Rare, respectively, on the Nintendo Entertainment System, is a simple adventure-style platformer in which Betelgeuse collects "scare points" to aid an unnamed dead couple (presumably the Maitlands) rid their home of its living occupants. There is also a Game Boy platformer, developed by Rare and published by LJN in 1992, in which players control Beetlejuice as he attempts to rescue Lydia through various household stages (an attic, kitchen, and boiler room, amongst others).