Katrina

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Modified & Updated: 30 Dec 2023

Jessica Corbett

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Famous Tim Burton Characters

There is no shortage of trick-or-treaters every Halloween night dressed as Tim Burton characters. This is because the “Burtonesque” appearances easily make them favorites as they go house-to-house. In fact, even those who aren’t a fan of Tim Burton can easily identify his style.

It’s been years since Burton released some of his popular films, but Edward Scissorhands, Jack Skellington, and The Joker remain iconic today. If you’re interested in learning more about the famous Tim Burton characters, then keep on reading!

Who is Tim Burton?

Tim Burton
Image from Flickr

Before anything else, it’s important to first introduce the man himself. Tim Burton, or Timothy Walter Burton, is a famous film director and producer from Burbank, California. Aside from being a film director and producer, he is also a prolific screenwriter, animator, and artist.

In fact, Burton started as an apprentice of Walt Disney Animation Studios (WADS). When his concept arts did not make it into most films, Burton decided to write and produce films of his own. The first was Vincent (1982), a short stop motion animation and Disney’s second-ever horror film.

Soon after, Burton continued to make short films, live-action productions, and film adaptations. It didn’t take long before Burton made a name for himself as his films premiered all over the world. Throughout his career, Burton has won 8 Academy Awards, 6 BAFTA Awards, and 4 Golden Globe Awards.

Aside from his film career, Burton is also a successful author. His published books include Burton on Burton (1995), The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories (1997), and The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar (2015).

Why are his films so popular?

While horror was Burton’s bread and butter, he also dabbled in other genres. His filmography includes sci-fi, fantasy, musical adventure, and superhero films. His versatility is clear, but despite the different genres, they all tie together because of how “Burtonesque” his films are.

Burtonesque refers to the common denominator among the different Tim Burton films. In simpler terms, it refers to the “Tim Burton style”, or Burton’s unique visual aesthetic, such as sharp and exaggerated backdrops, heavy usage of shadows and silhouettes, and high color contrasts.

Burton often features dystopian settings but presents them through manically joyful colors and shapes. This feature doesn’t just prevail in the landscapes of Burton’s movies. This contrast is also present in Tim Burton’s characters.

Animated Tim Burton characters are usually tall, with pale, long limbs. Most of them have large and round eyes with deep eye bags and cheekbones. This art style is so distinctly Burtonesque that many artists look up to this style. Out of admiration, they learn how to draw Tim Burton characters step-by-step.

Of course, the characters from live-action Tim Burton movies are just as unique! They, too, have exaggerated appearances with eccentric personalities. Among the many characters that reflect Burton’s consistent style, some stand out as fan favorites.

Who are the famous Tim Burton characters?

Famous Tim Burton Characters

Edward Bloom

Tim Burton Movie: Big Fish (2003)
Other Appearances: Big Fish The Musical

Edward Bloom
Image from Heroes Wiki Fandom

First on this list of famous Tim Burton characters is Edward Bloom. Edward Bloom is the main character of the 2003 Tim Burton movie Big Fish, an adaptation of a book with the same title. Edward is an adventurer who travels around the world and meets all kinds of people.

The plot centers on tales of his adventures as he shares them with his son, William. Throughout the film, William struggles with discerning what is real and what isn’t as Edward battles with cancer.

Played by Ewan McGregor, Edward is a character whose true life is shrouded by mystery. His stories sound like myths instead of reality, and Burton adds his whimsical style to complement the narrative.

Karl the Giant

Tim Burton Movie: Big Fish (2003)
Other Appearances: Big Fish the musical

Karl the Giant
Image from Tenor

Karl the Giant is another famous Tim Burton character from Big Fish (2003). He is one of the many people in Edward’s stories. Karl is a giant who eats the livestock of the town’s farms. The townsfolk are afraid of him, and they send Edward as a human sacrifice to appease him.

However, Karl has no desire to eat Edward or anybody. Misunderstood, Karl agrees to leave their small town together.

In the film, actor Matthew McGrory plays Karl the Giant. He is 7 ft. and 6 in. tall, and according to the Guinness World Records, he is the tallest actor ever. Under Burton’s direction, McGrory’s portrayal of the misunderstood giant resonated with fans.

Ed Wood

Tim Burton Movie: Ed Wood (1994)
Other Appearances: N/A

Ed Wood

While most famous Tim Burton Characters are fictional, Ed Wood is not. Ed Wood is an American filmmaker who received the Golden Turkey Award for the Worst Director of All Time in 1980.

Burton’s film is a biographical comedy-drama in black-and-white. It focuses on the struggles Wood faced as an independent filmmaker. With no money or talent, Wood receives little support and often has to create opportunities for himself.

Johnny Depp, who often stars in Burton’s films, plays the eccentric Ed Wood. Under Burton’s direction, Depp receives praise for his performance.

Vincent

Tim Burton Movie: Vincent (1982)
Other Appearances: N/A

Vincent (1982)
Image from IMDb

Aside from being one of the most famous Tim Burton characters, Vincent is also one of the oldest. Vincent Malloy is the protagonist of Burton’s first film, Vincent (1982). He is a 7-year-old boy who idolizes American actor Vincent Price and famous poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Despite his young age, Vincent is pessimistic. He feels as if he is a tortured artist, and he relates more to Poe’s writing than to his own life. Vincent also acts as a “mad scientist” who experiments on his pet dog.

Burton wrote, directed, and designed the project while he was working at Disney in the 1980s. While the film is in black and white, Vincent carries obvious Burtonesque features. He is thin with pale skin and deep-set eyes.

Sparky

Tim Burton Movie: Frankenweenie (1984) and Frankenweenie (2012)
Other Appearances: Where’s My Water?

Frankenweenie
Image from Pinterest

Among the most famous Tim Burton characters, Sparky is a common favorite. Sparky is the loyal and playful pet dog of Victor Frankenstein. As Sparky’s owner, Victor likes to make movies of Sparky. Together, they have a deep bond as friends.

Unfortunately, a car runs over Sparky, and he passes away. Victor, unable to say goodbye, brings Sparky back to life by electrocuting the corpse using lightning. The experiment works, and Sparky reunites with Victor.

Even with animals, Burton’s style is clear as day. Sparky has the distinct large, round, and deep-set eyes that most Burton characters have. The stitches all over Sparky’s body and nails on his neck not only reference Frankenstein but also blend in with Burton’s gothic landscapes.

The Joker

Tim Burton Movie: Batman (1989)
Other Appearances: Batman: White Knight and Birds of Prey series

The Joker
Image from Screen Rant

A list of famous Tim Burton characters wouldn’t be complete without The Joker. The Joker is the nemesis of DC superhero Batman and one of the most iconic characters ever.

Before he was Joker, he was Jack Napier, a psychotic mobster in Gotham City. After a fight with Batman, Napier falls into a vat of chemicals. He survives the fall, but it leaves him with chalk-white skin, green hair, and dark red lips.

He undergoes plastic surgery to fix his appearance, but it fails and leaves him with a rictus grin instead. Rictus grin is a condition where the facial muscles spasm and cause the patient to grin mockingly.

Actor Jack Nicholson played the Joker under Burton’s direction. Nicholson’s performance stole the show and fans say he overshadowed Batman.

The Penguin

Tim Burton Movie: Batman Returns (1992)
Other Appearances: Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman series

Tim Burton Characters: The Penguin and the Catwoman
Image from IMDb

Another villain among Tim Burton’s characters is the Penguin. The Penguin, or Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, is one of Batman’s adversaries in The Batman Returns (1992). He runs for the position of Gotham City mayor with the ulterior motive of killing all the city’s firstborn sons.

At first, Burton did not want to do another Batman movie. However, he signed onto the project after being promised more creative freedom. Fans can see this in how the sequel seems much more Burtonesque.

In The Batman Returns, Burton depicts the Penguin as a “freak of nature”. He resembles an actual penguin with webbed fingers like a flipper, a beak-like nose, and a penguin-shaped body. This Burtonesque image differs greatly ‌from the comic’s original image of an elegant Penguin.

Barnabas Collins

Tim Burton Movie: Dark Shadows (2012)
Other Appearances: Dark Shadows series and Dark Shadows TV pilot (2004)

Barnabas Collins
Image from The Dark Shadows Wiki Fandom

While Burton’s 2012 film Dark Shadows received mixed reviews, its protagonist remains iconic to many fans. Barnabas Collins is a vampire from the 18th century who falls into a deep slumber. He later wakes up after a crew of a McDonald’s construction site disturbs his tomb.

As a vampire, he has supernatural abilities such as hypnosis and mind control. He also has superhuman speed and strength. His appearance also ticks all the boxes on the classic vampire look: pale skin, slick black hair, black eyes, and sharp nails.

Some fans, however, believe that Barnabas doesn’t hold up to other Tim Burton characters. They feel Barnabas, like most characters in the film, lacks personality. Despite this criticism, Johnny Depp still received the Kid’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor for the role.

Carolyn Stoddard

Tim Burton Movie: Dark Shadows (2012)
Other Appearances: Dark Shadows series and Dark Shadows TV pilot (2004)

Carolyn Stoddard
Image from Pinterest

There’s no shortage of supernatural creatures in this list of Tim Burton characters. Yet another example is Carolyn Stoddard.

Carolyn Stoddard is the 15-year-old daughter of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. To her mother, Carolyn is just a ‌normal teenage girl. She is reclusive, rebellious, and perpetually sleepy, similar to the “stoner” behavior of her generation. However, Carolyn is actually hiding a big secret. As a baby, she was bitten and turned into a werewolf.

Like Barnabas, Carolyn has pale white skin and super strength. However, since Carolyn isn’t a vampire, she has green eyes and red lips. As the only werewolf in the film, Carolyn is one of Dark Shadow’s most memorable characters.

Ichabod Crane

Tim Burton Movie: Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Other Appearances: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)

Tim Burton Characters: Ichabod Crane
Image from IMDb

Johnny Depp stars in yet another gothic supernatural horror film by Tim Burton. In Sleepy Hollow (1999), he plays the role of the protagonist Ichabod Crane. Ichabod Crane is a New York City police constable who investigates the crimes in Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow is a town in New York where a series of mysterious murders are occurring. Many believe it to be a case of the supernatural as the suspect is a “Headless Horseman”. Crane, however, does not believe in the supernatural, only the modern sciences.

As Ichabod Crane, Depp delivers a quirky and humorous performance that many fans loved. The film was a box office success, and it also won Best Art Direction at the 2000 Academy Awards.

Willy Wonka

Tim Burton Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Other Appearances: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka
Image from NBC News

Teaming up once again with Burton, Johnny Depp plays the lead role of Willy Wonka in the 2005 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Willy Wonka is the owner of the highly successful Wonka Chocolate Factory. In Burton’s adaptation, Wonka wears a red velvet coat, a black top hat, and large round sunglasses. He carries a cane with him to complete the eccentric look.

At the start of the film, Wonka announces a contest where he slipped a Golden Ticket in five random Wonka Bars all around the world. Children who will get a Golden Ticket on their Wonka Bars will receive a tour of the factory, a lifetime supply of chocolate, and the chance to win an additional secret prize.

Veruca Salt

Tim Burton Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Other Appearances: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Veruca Salt
Image from Tenor

Not all memorable Tim Burton characters are protagonists. In fact, some have minor roles with little screen time but still ‌captured viewers. One example is Veruca Salt.

Veruca Salt is a spoiled rich girl who gets whatever she wants. At her behest, Veruca’s father buys thousands of Willy Wonka’s chocolate bars just to get one of the Golden Tickets. They successfully secure one for her, and Veruca attends the tour alongside the other kids.

Unfortunately, she meets her endgame early as the third child to exit the tour. Her spoiled and haughty behavior, however, sticks with viewers as it is the reason ‌she lost.

Oompa Loompas

Tim Burton Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Other Appearances: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Oompa Loompas
Image from DoBlu

The last of the iconic Tim Burton characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the Oompa Loompas. They perform a musical number every time a Golden Ticket holder is eliminated.

In the first adaptation, the Oompa Loompas are dwarves with green hair, white eyebrows, and orange skin. They wore brown long sleeves tucked into a white jumper. There were several individual Oompa Loompas, and different actors played each one.

In Burton’s adaptation, only one actor, namely Deep Roy, plays the Oompa Loompas. Burton used CGI to duplicate the Oompa Loompas, and throughout the film, they wear different flashy costumes. One example is a shiny red jumpsuit with a matching red headset.

Victor Van Dort

Tim Burton Movie: Corpse Bride (2005)
Other Appearances: N/A

Victor Van Dort
Image from Showbiz

Shy and clumsy Victor Van Dort is the main protagonist of Corpse Bride. He is a young and handsome gentleman whose parents set him up in an arranged marriage with Victoria. While practicing his wedding vows in the forest, he accidentally weds Emily, an undead woman.

Victor looks exactly how most people imagine Tim Burton characters look like. He is pale and thin, with very long limbs. He has a long and pointy face with round eyes. Throughout the film, he wears his black wedding suit. Despite being alive, Victor blends well with the citizens of the Land of the Dead.

Johnny Depp returns ‌to lend his voice as Victor in this film.

Emily

Tim Burton Movie: Corpse Bride (2005)
Other Appearances: N/A

Emily Corpse Bride
Image from Tumblr

Every Halloween, fans love to dress up as their favorite Tim Burton characters. Over the years, Corpse Bride’s Emily remains a popular choice.

Emily is an undead corpse who Victor accidentally woke up and proposed to in the forest. She is slim and tall with light blue skin. Some of her limbs, such as her left arm and legs, are only bones. She has long blue hair, and she wears a dirty wedding dress throughout the film.

She is the Corpse Bride, the titular character of the film. As a zombie, Emily doesn’t feel pain. She can also teleport anywhere and phase through walls.

Barkis Bittern

Tim Burton Movie: Corpse Bride (2005)
Other Appearances: N/A

Barkis Bittern
Image from Tumblr

Barkis Bittern is the antagonist of Corpse Bride (2005). He is a greedy man who became an aristocrat by manipulating rich women and stealing their money. One of his victims is Emily, who Bittern killed in the forest after tricking her to elope with him.

Like most Tim Burton characters, he is a slender man with pale white skin. However, Bittern has a large double chin with white, slick hair. Throughout the film, he wears a black coat with tails at the back and an upturned collar to emphasize his snobby attitude.

At the end of the film, Bittern meets his demise. He becomes a zombie, and his skin turns bright blue.

Red Queen

Tim Burton Movie: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Other Appearances: Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Come Away (2020), Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, American McGee’s Alice, and Alice: Madness Returns

Red Queen
Image from Daily Trojan

One of the most famous Tim Burton characters ever is the Red Queen. In the original novel by Lewis Carroll, the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are two distinct characters. In Burton’s adaptation, however, they are the same person.

Helena Bonham Carter plays Iracebeth of Crims or the “Red Queen”. She is the grumpy and irate queen of Wonderland and a tyrant who loves to enslave animals.

The Red Queen wears a white foundation, blue eyeshadow, and thin eyebrows. Her lipstick makes a red heart, and it matches the large, red curls on her head. She has a tiny stature, but her head is three times the normal size of a human head.

Knave of Hearts

Tim Burton Movie: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Other Appearances: Alice in Wonderland the video game, Once Upon a Time’s “Hat Trick” and “Queen of Hearts”

Knave of Hearts
Image from Pinterest

The Knave of Hearts is among the popular Tim Burton characters from Alice in Wonderland. The Knave of Hearts, or Ilosovic Stayne, is the lieutenant of the Red Queen. He acts as her assassin and trusted partner.

When the Red Queen has mood swings, he is the only one who can calm her down. The Red Queen believes them to be lovers, but the Knave secretly despises the queen. He is actually arrogant and deceptive.

The Knave of Hearts has long, black hair and a lean build. He wears heavy armor and a red eyepatch over his scarred left eye.

Mad Hatter

Tim Burton Movie: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Other Appearances: Alice in Wonderland (1951), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Come Away (2020), American McGee’s Alice and Alice: Madness Returns

The Mad Hatter
Image from Rolling Stone

One of the most popular Tim Burton characters Johnny Depp has ever played is the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter, or Tarrant Hightopp, is the mayor of Wonderland. He leads the resistance against the tyrant Red Queen, and he befriends the protagonist Alice.

The Mad Hatter wears a brown cutaway with a matching top hat. He has pale white skin and striking orange hair. His eyebrows are also orange and very bushy, and he has bright green eyes.

His appearance matches his whimsical personality and sometimes “mad” behavior. Throughout the film, Hatter’s clothes, hair, and accent would change. This was an artistic choice by Depp and Burton to parallel Hatter’s mood swings with a mood ring.

Betelgeuse

Tim Burton Movie: Beetlejuice (1988)
Other Appearances: Beetlejuice: The Musical

Betelgeuse
Image from Beetlejuice Wiki Fandom

Next on this list of famous Tim Burton characters is Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse, pronounced “Beetlejuice”, is the antagonist and titular character of the film.

He is a mischievous ghost who works as a “bio-exorcist” freelancer. As a trickster, he wholeheartedly enjoys scaring people and causing them trouble. Betelgeuse may be an optimistic person, but he is rude to everybody he meets.

Betelgeuse has pale, white skin and long, green hair. The black eyeshadow all over his eyes resembles a panda. His striped black and white suit is an iconic outfit in pop culture.

Not all Tim Burton characters have their attraction at a theme park, but Betelgeuse does. The “Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue” is a popular attraction at Universal Studios Florida. Unfortunately, it permanently closed in 2016.

Lydia Deetz

Tim Burton Movie: Beetlejuice (1988)
Other Appearances: Beetlejuice: The Musical

Lydia Deetz
Image from Bloody Disgusting

Lydia Deetz is one of the main characters in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988). She is a “goth” girl who wears all black, and she has jet black hair with long spiky bangs.

At the beginning of the film, Lydia moves into the house with her father and stepmother. As time passes, she discovers and befriends the ghosts of Barbara and Adam. They are the couple who used to live in the house before they died in a car accident.

American actress Winona Ryder played Lydia Deetz. It is her first-ever appearance in a Burton movie.

Kim Boggs

Tim Burton Movie: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Other Appearances: N/A

Kim Boggs
Image from Carbon Costume

Winona Ryder returns in Edward Scissorhands (1990) to play another Tim Burton character. Kim Boggs is a teenage girl with blonde hair. In contrast to her previous role in Beetlejuice (1988), Kim is a bright young girl who has friends and a boyfriend.

She is the love interest of the titular character, Edward Scissorhands. She is wary of him at first, but she falls in love with him after seeing his gentle nature.

After working together on Beetlejuice, Burton approached Ryder for the part. While other actresses also auditioned, Ryder became the first cast member of the film. She received the Best Foreign Actress award in 1992 from the Sant Jordi Awards.

Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton Movie: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Other Appearances: N/A

Edward Scissorhands
Image from Disney Plus

Kim Boggs’ love interest and the protagonist of the film is Edward Scissorhands. He is an incomplete humanoid without hands as his inventor before giving him some. Instead, as his name suggests, Edward only has scissor blades for hands.

With scissors for hands, Edward isn’t exactly popular with the townsfolk. He also has long, black hair like a mad scientist, and he wears a black leather suit. His appearance might be scary, but his personality is not. In fact, he is very gentle and shy.

Johnny Depp has played many Tim Burton characters, but few know Edward is his first. It was also the first role he received that allowed him to break free from his teen idol status.

Sweeney Todd

Tim Burton Movie: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Other Appearances: Sweeney Todd (1928), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street The Musical

Sweeney Todd
Image from Empire

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) is Tim Burton’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical of the same name.

Sweeney Todd is the new barber and owner of the barbershop on Fleet Street. However, his real name is Benjamin Barker, the previous owner of the barbershop and husband of Lucy Barker. He was exiled to Australia under a false and unjust sentence by Judge Turpin.

He returns to his old barbershop under the alias Sweeney Todd to reunite with his wife and exact revenge on Turpin. As a barber, his weapon of choice is his straight razors. He uses them to kill his customers when they come in for his services.

Sweeney Todd has shaggy black hair with a white streak on top. With pale, white skin, he has the signature look of Tim Burton characters.

Mrs. Lovett

Tim Burton Movie: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Other Appearances: Sweeney Todd (1928), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street The Musical

Mrs. Lovett
Image from Pinterest

Helena Bonham Carter has played her fair share of Tim Burton characters, and Mrs. Lovett is one of the most memorable. Mrs. Lovett is a baker and owner of an unsuccessful meat pie shop.

Mrs. Lovett’s shop is directly below Sweeney Todd’s barbershop. When he moves back in, the two become accomplices. Sweeney Todd’s victims now become Mrs. Lovett’s secret ingredient for her meat pies. She cooks their bodies into her pies to redeem her shop’s image of selling the “worst pies in London”.

Like most Tim Burton characters, Mrs. Lovett has pale, white skin and dark eye bags. She also has dark brown hair, and she wears a black dress with a corset.

Jack Skellington

Tim Burton Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Other Appearances: The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, Disney Universe, Disney Infinity, and the Kingdom Hearts series

Jack Skellington
Image from Pxhere

When people think of Tim Burton characters, Jack Skellington is likely the first to come to mind. The iconic protagonist of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is the favorite of Halloween fans of all ages.

Jack Skellington is an undead skeletal man. He has black hollow eyes, and he wears a black pin-striped suit over his long skeletal frame. He has a unique bowtie that looks like a bat.

His formal appearance suits his role as the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. He is in charge of their celebration of Halloween, the most important holiday for the residents. However, Jack learns about Christmas and Santa Claus. His newfound infatuation with the jolly holiday causes trouble for him and his friends in Halloween Town.

Jack Skellington is a popular character who is often featured in clothes, hats, bags, and other merchandise.

Sally

Tim Burton Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Other Appearances: The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, Disney Universe, Disney Infinity, and the Kingdom Hearts series

Sally Nightmare before Christmas
Image from Nerdist

Another resident from Halloween Town is Sally. In contrast to Jack Skellington, Sally is a rag doll with long red hair. She is a creation of Doctor Finkelstein, who stitched her together and stuffed her with dead leaves.

Sally doesn’t have much freedom because her creator keeps her under lock and key. However, this doesn’t stop her. At night, she frequently sneaks out by placing a drowsy mixture into the doctor’s drink.

Sally is friends with Jack Skellington, who is unaware of her true feelings for him. Although she tries to confess, she isn’t successful until the end of the film. It is all worth it, however, since Jack returns her feelings. In the end, they get together, and Sally becomes Sally Skellington.

Zero

Tim Burton Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Other Appearances: The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge and Zero’s Journey

Nightmare Before Christmas Zero
Image from Pinterest

Sparky isn’t the only beloved pet on this list of famous Tim Burton characters. Another example is Zero, Jack’s pet dog.

Zero is a ghost dog who no longer has a living body. Instead, he is a floating white bed sheet that takes the form of a dog. He has a glowing red nose, which is a small pumpkin or Jack-o’-lantern. This is a Halloween pun on Christmas’ Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

As a dog, he also likes to play fetch, and he is very loyal to his owner. In the film, Zero helps Jack make it through the fog on Christmas Eve.

Doctor Finkelstein

Tim Burton Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Other Appearances: The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, Disney Universe, and the Kingdom Hearts series

Doctor Finkelstein
Image from Disney Wiki Fandom

Halloween fans love a good mad scientist. Doctor Finkelstein certainly fits the criteria. He is one of the main characters of The Nightmare Before Christmas. As Sally’s creator who denies her freedom, he is also a minor antagonist.

Doctor Finkelstein is pale, thin, and bound to a wheelchair. He has a bald head, which emphasizes the hinges around his skull. He wears a white lab coat and small black glasses.

While he is restrictive to Sally, he is very fond of Jack. He helps Jack realize his dream of taking over Christmas by making skeletal reindeers for his sleigh.

Oogie Boogie

Tim Burton Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Other Appearances: The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, Disney Universe, Disney Infinity, and the Kingdom Hearts series

Oogie Boogie
Image from Disney Wiki Fandom

Last but not least is the Oogie Boogie. Oogie Boogie is the main antagonist of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and he is a reference to the Bogeyman.

Oogie Boogie is an evil creature with a bug-filled burlap sack for a body. He is mean, envious, and deceptive. He sees Jack Skellington as his rival, and he wants to take over Halloween. Instead of Halloween, he wants to celebrate “Crawloween”, a holiday for bugs.

As one of the most famous Tim Burton characters ever, Oogie Boogie is also present at most Disney theme parks. Fans can see him as a mascot walking around in a neon Oogie Boogie costume.

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