# What are the names of the four ghosts in Pac-Man? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452 "2017-05-26T00:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/1 "2017-05-26T00:11:41Z")
This was just a question on The Chase (first season, which I’m watching). I was certain they had the answer wrong. So much so that I had to pause it and come and look up the answer. And I learned something today. So…before you look at the two spoilers below, answer the question first: Do you know the actual first names of the four ghosts in Pac-Man? The answer is… Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, and Pokey. I did not know that. In fact, as I said, I was insisting that that answer had to be wrong, because I specifically remembered one of them being called Inky…and in looking it up, I found the names: Inky, Blinky, Winky, and Clyde. Yes, these were them. These were the names I knew. These were the CORRECT ONES. Only they weren’t…[apparently those four names are actually nicknames, not their actual names.](https://www.destructoid.com/blinky-inky-pinky-and-clyde-a-small-onomastic-study-108669.phtml) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/2 "2017-05-26T03:40:32Z")
I would have sworn to Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/3 "2017-05-26T03:48:16Z")
There’s no “Winky.” Blinky (Red), Pinky (Pink), Inky (Cyan), and Clyde (Orange) are how I know them but, yeah, their real names are “Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, Pokey.” I can never remember the original names, since I mostly played Ms. Pac Man. In that game, they’re introduced simply as “Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue.” I do remember the screen for original Pac-Man has name/nickname on it for all the ghosts, and their names somewhat reflect their AI behavior. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/4 "2017-05-26T03:48:33Z")
I would have fought and murdered someone if they had said other than I,B,P,C. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/5 "2017-05-26T03:55:42Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I would have fought and murdered someone if they had said other than I,B,P,C. Request a jury trial and you’ll walk. “He said that the ghosts were named WHAT?” ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/6 "2017-05-26T06:50:45Z")
In English, Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. Checks: Huh! I knew that those were the names in Japanese (roughly translated), but I didn’t know those were their official names in English as well. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/7 "2017-05-26T10:29:48Z")
Eh, it’s just a reminder of two related phenomena: devs–and writers–can be very bad at memorable names, and names bestowed by fans can have enormous staying power. (Ask Hasbro about it.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/8 "2017-05-26T12:58:53Z")
Interesting. Everyone has it memorized as Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde But they are introduced as Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde (in that order.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/9 "2017-05-26T13:06:19Z")
Clyde’s just happy he avoided the nickname Stinky. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/10 "2017-05-26T13:56:55Z")
I think this information physically upsets me. My life is a lie! Screw them, they’ll always be I,P,B and C to me ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/11 "2017-05-26T14:45:06Z")
Another vote for IPBC Ms Pac Man changed Clyde to Sue because one of the developers decided it would be funny to name a ghost after his sister. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/12 "2017-05-26T16:00:40Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Eh, it’s just a reminder of two related phenomena: devs–and writers–can be very bad at memorable names, and names bestowed by fans can have enormous staying power. (Ask Hasbro about it.) See, e.g., the Berenstain Bears. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/13 "2017-05-26T17:28:03Z")
This may be arrogant of me but I’m pretty sure the game show has it backwards. Their names are Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. I was a kid when Pac Man first came out and remember it very clearly and this was always the case (Clyde became Sue in Ms Pac Man). These were also their names in the Pac Man Cartoon. Those other names were nicknames the programmers gave them when they were designing the game because they described how they were programmed to chase Pac Man and that wasn’t something that came out until much later. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/14 "2017-05-26T18:17:33Z")
Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde were their nicknames—see [here](https://youtu.be/dScq4P5gn4A?t=24) (English version at about 25s). I played enough Pac-Man back in the day to remember this, and to remember that they had “actual names,” but not what those actual names were. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/15 "2017-05-26T19:08:27Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde were their nicknames—see [here](https://youtu.be/dScq4P5gn4A?t=24) (English version at about 25s). I played enough Pac-Man back in the day to remember this, and to remember that they had “actual names,” but not what those actual names were. Actually, there might be some argument that Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, and Pokey, are not intended to be names of the characters, but rather describe their character (i.e. personality) while their nicknames are what they are supposed to be referred to as. In Ms Pac Man, they are introduced by their nicknames only. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/16 "2017-05-26T20:24:52Z")
That…is messed up. Everything I know is now in question. At least I know the name of the little guy from the original **Donkey Kong**. And it ain’t Mario. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/17 "2017-05-26T20:35:50Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > (Clyde became Sue in Ms Pac Man) Which shows how progressive the Pac-Man series was, by being the first video game to feature a transgender character. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/18 "2017-05-26T21:14:48Z")
Before looking at anything else: Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Though I couldn’t tell you which one is which (other than Pinky, of course). [reading spoilers and other replies] I must object. In what sense are those their actual names? The highest level of canon here must surely be the games themselves, and within no game is their names given as Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, or Pokey. The next level of canon would be any manuals or packaging that came with the games, and I recall no such names from them, either. Whence, then, are these names? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/19 "2017-05-26T21:24:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Before looking at anything else: Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. Though I couldn’t tell you which one is which (other than Pinky, of course). > > [reading spoilers and other replies] > > I must object. In what sense are those their actual names? The highest level of canon here must surely be the games themselves, and within no game is their names given as Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, or Pokey. The next level of canon would be any manuals or packaging that came with the games, and I recall no such names from them, either. Whence, then, are these names? I’m confused did you watch the link Thudlow Boink provided. It clearly has a column for “Character” and a column for “Nickname” when they introduce the ghosts. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452/20 "2017-05-26T21:28:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > within no game is their names given as Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, or Pokey. 😕 See my link in Post #14. > [@](#): > > The next level of canon would be any manuals or packaging that came with the games, and I recall no such names from them, either. Manuals? Packaging? What are you talking about? Pac-Man is that machine that you put a quarter in to play, over there in the corner of the pizza parlor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-names-of-the-four-ghosts-in-pac-man/787452.md?page=2)