Beetlejuice Animated

The animated version of Beetlejuice is quite different from his film counterpart. Among the first notable changes is the spelling of his name, from Betelgeuse to the title name of Beetlejuice.

Personality

Beetlejuice is changed so he is more of a hero, but will still be dishonest at times. Actually, this is the least of his problems; according to Lydia, he "hasn't changed" since the day he met her, as made obvious by how filthy he tends to get (and prefers to be) and how annoyed he gets with the fact he has the same problem as his film counterpart: when he wants to leave the Neitherworld, he can only enter the Outerworld part way unless someone calls him there by saying his name 3 times. Unfortunately for him, he gets sent back the same way. He really likes to eat bugs (especially beetles, which may be why his name is Beetlejuice).

His favorite activities include pulling pranks and scamming people, though as the series goes on, we learn that his most frequent prank victims - his neighbors and Lydia's parents - are individuals of whom he's secretly rather fond. He rarely pranks Lydia herself; he cares for her above any other person, and will often go to great lengths to ensure her safety, well-being, and happiness. (This contrasts with Beetlejuice's interactions with Lydia in the movie, in which he forces Lydia to marry him as a condition for agreeing to help the Maitlands regain their non-decaying forms.)

Powers/Strengths

Beetlejuice is able to fly and walk through walls like most ghosts do, but also possesses a variety of magic powers, which he usually uses to transform himself, Lydia, his surroundings, and/or other people. He often uses this power to make puns and jokes. (A few examples: when he says he'll train someone, he'll turn into a train and run over the person he said he'd train. When he says he's tired, he'll turn into a tire. On one occasion, he says "This literal translation stuff slays me", which causes giant letters reading "Literal Translation Stuff" to fall from the sky and crush him.) Sometimes, he can use these powers to make himself a "Master of Disfiguring Disguises". When he says to Lydia "Okay, you be the judge of that.", he transforms her clothes into a judge's robe and wig for a few seconds.

Despite his bad habit of acting stupid he seems to be, as Miss Shapen said, "A Regular Albert 'Slimestine'!" He's chemically inclined, due to the fact he was champion stinkbomb maker for at least a half-century straight with his childhood chemistry set, and in later years made the "New U" cologne.

His sense of humor also gives BJ an edge with every thing he does, scam or not, plus it helps him "crack himself up" when "frozen stiff" in fear.

Having been around for centuries, Beetlejuice has caught every ailment from Black Plague to Werewolf Disease (claims to still be recovering from that one), giving him a stong immune system (if being dead didn't do that on his own) and aside the extra serious Neitherworld ailments that weaken him, BJ can re-summon some diseases at will... he even makes sure to always carries a case of the common cold with him, resurfaced by blowing his nose harder then usual, which used to create a computer "virus" on Scourge while trapped in cyberspace (Vidiots).

Characteristic Details

Name: Beetle Juice
Profile: Self-Proclaimed "Ghost With the Most."
Status: Deceased
Catchphrase(s): "It's Showtime!"
Identified by: Intolerably rank body odor; angry mob usually in pursuit

Weaknesses

BJ may be the self-proclaimed "ghost with the most" because of his powers, but isn't completely indestructible; he can only control his powers a little more then he can control himself, and often ends up in trouble because of his own mouth (see "Juice Overuse")!

Also, despite having pride in carrying more germs than a garbage dump, he must at least fit the undead's idea of healthy for his powers to work right. He can't walk through walls as ghosts are meant to when he has "Cabin Fever" and is quarantined in his roadhouse with cement; and when bitten by a gold bug he tries to eat, he comes down with "Gold Rush Fever" that leaves him as weak as a kitten, literally and metaphorically. Additionally, he must be fully intact for his powers to work, as best exemplified by the episode "The Neitherworld's Least Wanted." If any parts of his body are separated from the rest, he loses his "juice," and he must pull himself together (literally) before sundown or he will melt to the point of exorcism.

He can also become incapacitated mentally and/or emotionally in certain circumstances. He is terrified of sandworms, often freezing up around them to the point where he can't even fly. Lydia frequently has to say or do the right thing in order to revive him from his assorted afflictions, though he can sometimes break out of them on his own in order to save someone else.

He claims immunity from mind control, though a few episodes prove this is not always the case. He also sometimes has trouble when combating a rival ghost whose powers are considerable. His worst weakness, as stated in both the movie and the show, is his inability to cooperate well with others. His poor social skills often get him into hot water and even Lydia, who arguably has the patience of a saint, sometimes finds him difficult to endure.

Lydia herself may be regarded as both a weakness and a strength to Beetlejuice; there are many instances of other characters attempting to use her against him, usually by taking her hostage, which never ends well for them. Threatening, endangering, or insulting Lydia is the fastest way to make Beetlejuice angry. He also has an intense jealous streak where she is concerned, and has been shown on several occasions to become disgruntled when anyone else takes up too much of her time. Her brief romance with Prince Vince almost made him literally explode. However, she is also a strength for him, as she has a powerful influence over him and almost certainly makes him a better person than he would be without her; he will generally (however reluctantly) do the right thing in the end if she asks it of him.

Family

Gnat Juice: Beetlejuice's workaholic father. He is modeled after the Frankenstein's Monster and even works at a neck bolt factory. He often commands Beetlejuice to get a job.

Bee Juice: Beetlejuice's overprotective mother. She often wants her son to be tidy and clean.

Donny Juice: Beetlejuice's younger brother, who is the exact opposite of him. He is clean and tidy and kind to everyone he meets. He also says that he can sometimes be a little too nice (a la Mr. Rogers, Ned Flanders, etc.) and it tends to drive people crazy.

Sid Juice: Beetlejuice's uncle who loves bad jokes. He lives with his wife Irma in a house boat.

Auntie Em: Beetlejuice's aunt who is literally a cow. Beetlejuice helped her regain the rights to her milk farm.

Unnamed Grandmother: In the episode Cabin Fever, when a sick Beetlejuice comes across his old dolly of Salvatore Dali, he and Lydia go through an abstract and surreal world. One of the things they see is Beetlejuice's grandmother, who looks like an elephant. Beetlejuice has mentioned his grandmother in other episodes, but it is unknown if the grandmother he refers to is the same as his elephant-like one.

Uncle Victor and Aunt Lucy: They appear as portraits in the episode "Oh Brother". They consider Donny as their favorite nephew due to the fact Donny gives them many gifts.

Aunt Mildred: She is mentioned in "A Star is Bored" Beetlejuice compares her to a big green monster who was licking his roadhouse.

Friends

Lydia Deetz: Unlike their relationship in the movie, Beetlejuice and Lydia are best friends. Lydia often helps Beetlejuice out of his problems, and by his own admission he will do literally anything for her. Theirs is the only significant relationship he is shown to have with a female; combined with his jealousy issues where she is concerned, this has led many characters and fans to presume her to be his love interest. (Several writers on the show have confirmed that this was deliberately invoked.)

Jacques LaLean: A French skeleton bodybuilder and one of Beetlejuice's neighbors. Beetlejuice often pulls pranks on Jacques that result in him falling into pieces. Despite this, Beetlejuice actually likes Jacques; they have been friends since high school.

Ginger: A tap-dancing spider, and another one of Beetlejuice's neighbors. Like Jacques, Beetlejuice likes to prank her. She is very sensitive to cruel pranks and often cries. She too has been friends with Beetlejuice since high school.

The Monster Across The Street: A hairy monster wearing cowboy gear who speaks in a Southern accent. He often says "What in tar-hooties!" when falling victim to Beetlejuice's pranks. He has a dog named Poopsie, another one of Beetlejuice's favorite victims.

Doomie: Also known as the Dragster of Doom, Doomie is Lydia and Beetlejuice's sentient car. Because Beetlejuice accidentally gave him an abnormal carburator, Doomie turns into a werewolf-like car whenever he sees dogs, afterwards he will chase the dog(s) he saw. Doomie often acts much nicer than Beetlejuice and will even try to warn him when he is about to do something risky or unwise. Beetlejuice and Lydia are almost like Doomie's parents, as exemplified in "Doomie's Romance."

Sappy Face Ghouls: One girl (Slimy, according to "Smell-A-Thon") and two boy scouts (the three look a little bit like Lock, Shock and Barrel from The Nightmare Before Christmas) in the Neitherworld who see Beetlejuice as a role model. Like most of Beetlejuice's friends, they will often try to help BJ when he gets in trouble.

Enemies

Scuzzo the Clown: A rival of Beetlejuice who often tries to outprank him. He has a brother named Fuzzo the Clown, but is often seen working alone.

Jesse Germs: A skeletal outlaw. He always tries to have revenge against Beetlejuice.

Germs Pondscum: A secret agent with a license to prank. He has a tendency to prank whatever he sees and uses Beetlejuice as a scapegoat.

Lipscum: A talking pair of lips and the only person everyone in the Neitherworld agrees is more annoying than Beetlejuice. He frequently begs to tag along with others, once when BJ held a telethon to save the smells, another time when he wanted to join Beetlejuice's enemies in finding a way to destroy him.

Bartholomew Batt: An old black and white cartoon character in the Neitherworld who is now a has-been, as he has never adapted to modern color cartoons(in fact, he completely despises modern cartoon characters). He desperately wants to make a comeback. Is a parody of Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat.

Little Miss Warden: Is in charge of Neither-neither-land, a rehabilitation center in the Neitherworld. She hates nasty and gross things like Beetlejuice and prefers everything to be nice, wholesome, and sickingly sweet, to the dismay of everyone else.

Goody Two Shoes: Like Little Miss Warden, she wants everything to be nice and wholesome. She works for the Neitherworld Bureacracy of Sissiness and Prissiness, shortened as BSnP (BJ humorously asks Lydia if it is allowed to say that on television, which brreaks the fourth wall). She hates it when there is nothing ugly to correct and make sweeter.

Armhold Musclehugger: A ghostly bodybuilder who is a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Was originally Mr. Neitherworld for 399 years, until Jacques beat him on what was supposed to be his 400th year of winning the Mr. Neitherworld contest.

Mr. Big: A gangster that ironically is very small. In his first appearance, he formed a gang with three Neitherworld criminals named Babyface, Al Dente, and Smelly Shotgun. He later teamed up with Scuzzo the Clown, Little Miss Warden, Jesse Germs, Batholomew Batt, and Lipscum in a plot to destroy Beetlejuice.

Chester Slime: A lawyer that bribes the mayor.

Mayor Maynot: A mummy/invisible man that is mayor of the Neitherworld. He greatly despises Beetlejuice and wants to feed him to the Sandworms. Is often aided by his assistant I. M. Smallhead and his secretary Mrs. Bugsly.

Judge Mental: A skeletal judge that has sentenced Beetlejuice to Sandworm Land countless times.

Astaroth: The final boss in the Beetlejuice video game for the Game Boy. He is depicted as a head-like demon with multiple arms. As he takes damage, he loses one of his arms, becoming very close to defeat once all of his arms are lost.

Forms Assumed

Beetlejuice has assumed many aliases throughout the series.

Living World

These are disguises Beetlejuice uses when hanging out with Lydia in the human world.

Betty Juice: A form he uses when at school or when Lydia is with her friends Bertha and Prudence. He simply changes himself into a (somewhat) female version of himself.
Mr. Beetleman: He uses this form to con people in the living world, usually Lydia's parents. Sometimes he simply refers to himself as Mr. Beetleman while he is in his regular form. Other times, he wears clothes appropriate to whatever profession he uses in his scams.
Cousin BJ: A form only used twice. The first time was during a family reunion in order to get closer to Lydia's relatives. The second time was when Lydia wasn't able to spend time with her father Charles.
Grandpa Beetleman: When showing Lydia's grandmother around, Beetlejuice passes himself off as the father of Mr. Beetleman.
Odious: A form he used when pretending to be a stray dog. For a while, he was stuck in that form due to a collar placed on him when he was in the Neitherworld. Things got worse when he was adopted by Lydia's mother Delia. Fortunately, Lydia was able to free Beetlejuice by having Jacques come over disguised as a Frenchman who was Odious's true owner.
Prof. BeetleBurg: Appeared only in one episode, as a guest teacher at Lydia's school. He selected Lydia, her friends Prudence and Bertha, and her nemesis Clare and gave them a history lesson.

Neitherworld

These disguises are only used in the Neitherworld.

General Splattin: BJ becomes a general whenever he needs to encourage his friends that they must succeed.
Cat Beetlejuice: BJ occasionally assumes the form of a cat, usually to prank Poopsie.
Ultra Beetle Man: A superhero-like persona used in an effort to become popular. He later uses this disguise again whenever he describes something as "spectacular" or "amazing".
Beautyjuice: A form used in an attempt to enter the Neitherworld Beauty Pageant.
Grimdiana Bones: He adopted this form, a parody of Indiana Jones, in one episode to rescue Lydia from a giant gorilla named Thing Thong.
Beatrice: A form used to disguise himself as a witch at the witch's ball to distract the other witches while Lydia rescues her cat, Percy.

Other Personalities

Some episodes had BJ have his personality completely changed, or even fragmented into more than one personality.

Beetlejuice's Funnybone: Claims to be able to "crack people up". It is shown that his ability to crack people up is in both the figurative and literary senses: People who hear his jokes laugh hysterically and start cracking into pieces.
Serious Beetlejuice: After Beetlejuice's funnybone is removed, he acts less funny and no longer tolerates anything filthy or disgusting. He was very reluctant in having his funnybone restored, only doing it for the sake of preventing it to get out of hand.
Beetlebones: Beetlejuice's skeleton. Unlike Beetlejuice, Beetlebones is more classy, but often acts very arrogant and rude to Beetlejuice's friends. He eventually went back into Beetlejuice's skin after he was captured by the Skeleton Crew, a team of skeletons in the Neitherworld who capture and torture skeletons when they are not in their proper bodies (the only exceptions being those that are always skeletons).
Clean Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice's opposite personality after spraying himself with his New-U cologne. Disgusted by how dirty he is, Clean Beetlejuice attempts to take a bath, only to change back to normal (it was explained that the effects of the cologne can be reversed if the person gets wet).
Good Neighbor Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice after falling under the spell of Goody Two Shoes. In this form, he somewhat resembles his brother Donny.
Snugglejuice: Beetlejuice after he is rehabilitated at Neither-neither-land. Often acts effeminate and shows great dislike for things Beetlejuice usually likes, including scams and eating beetles.
Posijuice and Negajuice: In the series finale, Beetlejuice splits into good and evil halves. Posijuice is more friendly and benevolent than Beetlejuice normally is, but still retains some of his habits and his sense of humor. Negajuice is wicked and diabolical, and acts more the way the character is portrayed in the movie.
Prankenstein: A Frankenstein-esque version of Beetlejuice in BJ's head who tells him to pull pranks.
Will Power: Beetlejuice's conscience, who seldom succeeds in telling Beetlejuice to do what is right.
Clown Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice after he gets Scuzzo's brain.
Cerebro: Beetlejuice's brain. Like his funnybone, the brain of Beetlejuice is very mean and mischeivous.
Lefty and Righty: Beetlejuice's feet. They once left Beetlejuice when he neglected them.
Beetlejuice's body: There were two episodes where Beetlejuice's head separated from his body. In both occasions, BJ's head retained his regular personality, while his body would act independently and talk with a face made by his hand.

Trivia

Beetlejuice's parents refer to their son as Junior, even though he is not named after his father. Possibly he is named after a older male relative.
Oddly enough, Beetlejuice's parents and his brother Donny are never seen together in the same episode.
Though he is afraid of Sandworms, there have been times where he managed to defeat a Sandworm without panicking.
Almost every time Beetlejuice eats a bug, we never actually see him eat it. Instead, we see the reactions of whoever happens to be watching him eat the bug at the time (if not cutting to the next part of the plot).
He eats 200 bugs in the whole animation, and according to Lydia on the first episode, he knows 101 ways to eat them; this would suggest that each way must have been shown at least once, though usually he eats them raw while they're still able to crawl. He even saves some for later.
Beetlejuice is Ablutophobic (meaning he has the fear/dispute of cleanliness/bathing), which is no surprise since his neat-freak mother gets carried away. Whenever he's forced to take a bath/shower, especially the kind with hot-and-soapy water, he goes berserk. When in buildings that are spotless, he claims its his idea of disgusting.
Due to his father's workaholic behavior, Beetlejuice also has issues with the mere idea of getting (and keeping) a job, as he would rather have fun and spend time with Lydia then be a member of the "bored", but uses his multi-talents and his con-artist charm to set himself up with some part-time freelances.
In the episode "The Wizard of Ooze," Beetlejuice actually says his own name for the first time. According to his curse, he is unable to do so. However, the episode is revealed to have been a dream sequence, which likely accounts for the discrepancy.