The Ghostbusters franchise is filled to the brim with plenty of awesome gadgets, though a select few reign supreme as iconic tools of the Ghostbusters’ trade. In the original 1984 classic Ghostbusters, the four founding members of the undead extermination service had precious few scientific creations to use against the ghosts. Since then, each successive Ghostbusters movie has found new ways for every incarnation of the team to do their jobs better than ever before.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has added some new gadgets as the series’ most recent mainline entry. However, the IP spans cartoons, video games, and comics that each make their own clever additions to the Ghostbusters’ arsenal of experimental high-tech gizmos. From weapons purpose-built to trap ghosts to more esoteric devices meant to study or track them, the Ghostbusters have developed some incredibly cool tools of the trade over the years.

10

The Proton Pack

First Appearance: Ghostbusters (1984)

Few gadgets are as ubiquitous to the Ghostbusters as the humble proton pack. At first glance, these jumbled messes of tubes, wiring, and metal might seem like unrefined improvised weaponry that shouldn’t have much of an effect on ghosts. But thanks to the genius engineering of Egon Spengler, PhD, the proton packs have become the Ghostbusters’ go-to weapon against spectral menaces of all kinds.

The proton packs work by generating a steady stream of positively-charged particles that can counteract the negatively-charged energy of ghosts and ghouls. When fired through the attached neutrona wand, this high-power arc of energy can slow down or even totally restrain ghosts it makes contact with, allowing for easy disposal in a ghost trap. The proton packs tend to have the hilarious unintended consequence of causing dramatic amounts of property damage, still functioning very much as a beam of pure energy.

9

The Ghost Trap

First Appearance: Ghostbusters (1984)

As iconic as the proton packs are, they’d ultimately be useless without the pairing of a ghost trap. These small boxes are what allow the Ghostbusters to actually trap the many terrifying ghosts of the Ghostbusters movies, able to then later store them away in the massive containment unit. Originally, these traps would be slid across the ground and remotely activated, allowing them to be used without having to get dangerously close to a restrained wraith.

Since their introduction in the original Ghostbusters, the ghost traps have evolved alongside the threats they were meant to contain. Ghostbusters: Afterlife introduced a clever RC car version of the classic trap that could be safely maneuvered into a good position from further away, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire expanded the technology even further by attaching the ghost trap to a flying drone. It’ll be exciting to see how the ghost trap is iterated upon in future installments.

8

The Spirit Extractor

First Appearance: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Not every gadget created by the Ghostbusters has a strictly offensive use. It’s just as important that the team has some devices which allow them to better study and understand their spectral foes, especially considering that the study of ghosts is still very much on the cutting edge of science. To these ends, one of the most creative new inventions introduced by the more recent films is the spirit extractor of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire fame.

Essentially a massive cabinet, the spirit extractor specializes in de-possessing haunted objects, removing spirits trapped within a given item. However, the device is shown to have a chilling dual purpose when Phoebe finds herself inside it, having her own spirit removed from her body and briefly becoming a ghost herself. For all sorts of reasons, this is one of the most dangerous but useful machines the Ghostbusters have ever invented.

7

The Ghost Tether

First appearance: The Real Ghostbusters (1986)

It wasn’t uncommon for popular films from the 80s to quickly get a spin-off Saturday morning cartoon, and Ghostbusters was no exception. The Real Ghostbusters is quietly one of the best pieces of Ghostbusters media following the original film, and introduced all kinds of clever new devices into the team’s repertoire. One of the most creative was the ghost tether, which allowed the team to actually safely work with freed ghosts.

Being something of the series’ unofficial mascot, the ghost Slimer ended up making quite a few appearances alongside the team in the animated show. To keep him in check, Egon designs the ghost tether and accompanying collar, a device which can retrieve a ghost from any distance as long as it’s shackled with a magnetic collar beforehand. In this way, the Ghostbusters can keep Slimer and other, weaker ghosts on literal leashes, using them for their help in the field without having to worry about unleashing a mischievous spirit.

6

The Proton Glove

First appearance: Ghostbusters (2016)

The SNL-led reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise in 2016 is mostly poorly remembered, though the film did manage to at least introduce some excellent new toys for the Ghostbusters to use. The film’s Egon Spengler equivalent, Jillian Holtzman, ends up designing quite a few unique proton sidearms that expand the Ghostbusters’ arsenal beyond the simple proton pack. One of the most unique of these creations is the proton glove, a weapon meant for close encounters with spiritual assailants.

The arm-mounted device is worn over the wrist and fist, functioning as giant, high-tech brass knuckles. When activated by motion, the device fires off a devastating proton burst in a wide cone, all but incapacitating any nearby ghosts. Abby uses it to great effect in the film’s hectic Times Square battle against some ghosts in antiquated period clothing, introducing them to the modern world with some proton-charged punches.

5

The Ecto-1

First appearance: Ghostbusters (1984)

One of the most famous cinematic cars of all time, the Ecto-1 is more of a vehicle than a gadget. That being said, it’s an invaluable addition to the Ghostbusters’ tool kit that allows them a fast response time to any call to action. A 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel modified to look like a combination between a hearse and an ambulance, the Ecto-1, also known as the Ectomobile, is a stylish and practical choice for the Ghostbusters’ primary mode of transportation.

The Ecto-1 is much more than a car, however. In its many subsequent appearances in Ghostbusters media, it’s revealed to be capable of a great many useful tricks. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the vehicle is modified to have a proton pack gunner seat for use against mobile ghosts that require a car to keep up with, and in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the car is revealed to be capable of mounting a giant, extra-powerful ghost trap to the roof that functions as a miniature containment unit.

4

The Proton Grenade

First appearance: Ghostbusters Issue #4

The Ghostbusters movies and TV shows are far from the only properties to contribute to the series’ growing ghost-busting arsenal, and the IDW Ghostbusters comics are far too often overlooked. One of the biggest influences the comic had on the franchise was the introduction of the proton grenade. Sometimes, a proton stream just isn’t enough, and the Ghostbusters require a high-yield proton discharge to deal with certain enemies.

In the comics, these grenades are often used to pierce barriers of psychokinetic energy, or to weaken particularly powerful supernatural entities before wrangling them with proton packs. The proton grenades finally got a film appearance in 2016’s Ghostbusters. In the film, Jilian Holtzman designs them to be used in combination with a grenade launcher, increasing their range dramatically compared to the comic incarnations. Once again, the proton grenades were used in the Times Square battle.

3

The PKE Meter

First appearance: Ghostbusters (1984)

Oftentimes, finding ghosts can be just as difficult as subduing them, and discovering a means to reliably detect supernatural forces was one of the first tasks Egon Spengler had to accomplish. Luckily, the PKE meter has been there for the Ghostbusters to use since nearly the very beginning. With its designation standing in for the psychokinetic energy meter, this device detects the fundamental forces which ghosts use to manifest in the Ghostbusters universe.

In Ghostbusters II, Egon is able to develop a new version of the PKE meter, known as the Giga meter, which was calibrated to instead measure the psychomagnotheric energy given off by Vigo. For the most part, however, the device retained its original purpose in its many re-appearances throughout the franchise, measuring ghostly activity and determining whether objects were haunted with startling accuracy. Though it doesn’t directly interact with ghosts beyond merely pointing them out, the PKE meter is one of the Ghostbusters’ most invaluable tools.

2

The Ecto-2

First appearance: The Real Ghostbusters (1986)

The Ecto-1 might be the most famous vehicle used by the Ghostbusters, but it’s far from the only one. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire introduced the Ecto-C, a motorcycle and sidecar combination perfect for maneuvering through New York City’s tight alleyways. However, by far the coolest secondary vehicle in the Ghostbusters’ garage has to be the Ecto-2, a lightweight gyro helicopter introduced in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters.

Considering that flight is the preferred method of locomotion for most spectral forces, it’s easy to see the value in a flying vehicle for the Ghostbusters. Stored in the roof of the Ecto-1 or on the roof of the famous Ghostbusters firehouse, the Ecto-2’s small size and vertical hover and takeoff capabilities makes it surprisingly easy to field against ghosts. While it could easily be a symptom of the cartoon’s need to create new toys to sell, the Ecto-2 is an undeniably useful piece of gear.

1

The Slime Blower

First appearance: Ghostbusters II (1989)

Considering how often the Ghostbusters find themselves getting slimed, it’s no wonder that they quickly found a way to use the sticky substance to their own advantage. After experimenting with the pink slime infecting New York City in Ghostbusters II, Egon Spengler was able to create a positively-charged version of the gooey spectral material. To implement it, large, back-mounted slime blowers were employed by the Ghostbusters, officially adding a valuable new piece of gear to their toolbox.

At first, a device that simply sprays slime might not seem the most useful against incorporeal ghosts. However, it’s important to remember the positively-charged slime’s properties, which allowed the Ghostbusters to animate the Statue of Liberty and use her in the final battle against Vigo. A slime blower even made a cameo in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, proving it as one of the most enduring tools in the Ghostbusters‘ arsenal.