The Names and Colors of Pac-Man’s Iconic Ghosts Full Guide of 2023

This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.

You’ve probably chomped one too many ghosts in Pac-Man to not know their names and colors by heart. Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde – the Fantastic Four of the arcade era – constantly chasing you down those maze corridors.

Underneath those pixels lie carefully crafted AI routines that gave the ghosts distinct personalities. Blinky always hunted you down aggressively. Pinky set traps by trying to cut you off. Inky synergized with Blinky to surround you. And Clyde switched between hunting and evasion.

The ghosts weren’t just random enemies – they were the core of Pac-Man’s fun.

Who Are the Pac-Man Ghosts?

You’re facing off against Blinky’s red glare, Pinky’s pink sneak attacks, Inky’s tricky cyan mimicry, and Clyde’s cowardly orange retreats. The Pac-Man ghosts are some of gaming’s most recognizable icons. Each has a unique personality reflected in challenging behaviors that evolve gameplay.

You must understand Blinky’s relentless red pursuit and Pinky’s pink ambushes from the front. Inky’s cyan color lets him mimic other ghosts, while cowardly Clyde retreats in orange when you get too close.

Expert players have mastered these patterns over decades, but the ghosts remain timeless adversaries. Their distinct traits force you to use sharp perception and quick reflexes to stay alive.

Outsmarting them requires clever strategies tailored to each colorful personality.

What Are the Names and Colors of the Pac-Man Ghosts?

You likely know the original four ghosts well – Blinky is red, Pinky is pink, Inky is cyan, and Clyde is orange. Later games added Ms. Pac-Man’s Sue and Jr. Pac-Man’s Tim to the mix of memorable ghosts with distinct looks and behaviors.

Blinky (red)

Blinky’s fiery crimson hue spells danger as he tails you relentlessly through the maze, revealed slowly as the aggressive red ghost who chases closely.

Pinky (pink)

Inky’s mimicry copies your ambushes.

• Your pinkest gonad becomes unbearable pink.
• Pink garments disappear into malleable pink.
• Pink conveyances are fascinating.

Inky (cyan)

You’ll chase but mimic the movements of the others as Inky.

Column 1	Column 2
Row 1	Row 2
Row 3	Row 4
Row 5

With a cyanish hue, you leave faint trails when pursued. Despite attempts, Pac-Man eludes your capture as you hide nearby, responding sneakily.

Clyde (orange)

Clyde’s cautious way can catch you off guard when he retreats near.

• Ambush-free zones
• Clearing tunnels
• Following trails
• Circling territory
• Returning home

With Inky and Pinky’s traits trapped in your mind, Clyde’s cautious circling can still snag the unwary.

Sue (Ms. Pac-Man)

You’d find Sue’s pink form in Ms. Pac-Man. She’s an actress playing a pacifist role, debating conciliation despite the return of the maze and scatterbrained ghosts.

Tim (Jr. Pac-Man)

You’re being chased by Tim’s baby blue form in Jr. Pac-Man. Strategize to evade his ambushes. Tim impacts classic gameplay with new tricks. Deal with him through mastery and awareness.

Do the Pac-Man Ghosts Behave Differently?

You’ve gotta watch how each ghost acts to stay ahead in Pac-Man. Blinky doggedly pursues you through the maze.

Sneaky Pinky tries to trap you by lurking around corners. Don’t let him corner you!

Erratic Inky copies other ghosts, so keep moving.

Unpredictable Clyde gets scared when you’re too close. Draw him in, then run away!

Power pellets let you turn the tables and chase them down for big points. Use what you know about each ghost’s tendencies to outsmart them, grab all the dots and fruits, and rack up a high score.

With practice, you’ll be a pro at evading their tricks and dominating those ghosts through all the mazes.

What Behavior Pattern Does Blinky Follow?

Blinky relentlessly hounds your heels with a burning crimson menace! The scarlet specter shadows your every step, never wavering in its pursuit. No maze tricks or power pellets can deter Blinky from tracking you down. It hungers, always near yet just out of reach.

But you can use this to your advantage! Lure Blinky into ambushes and traps, keeping it barely at bay while you focus on devouring those sweet, sweet dots. With skill and cunning, you can even turn the hunter into the hunted when you grab that power pellet.

Watch as the predator becomes prey, fleeing your vengeance, if only for a moment. Outsmarting Blinky takes patience and practice, but mastery over the maze is within your grasp if you understand your foe.

What Behavior Pattern Does Pinky Follow?

You’ve mastered Blinky’s relentless chase pattern. Now it’s time to understand Pinky’s crafty ambush strategy. As one of the original alien ghosts, Pinky uses his spectral abilities to read your future position.

While the other monsters blindly react, Pinky plots ahead. He targets locations in front of you, awaiting the perfect ambush.

It’s easy to feel safe evading the ghosts, until Pinky suddenly appears ahead! To counter his tricks, you must have sharp in-game awareness. Notice when the pink ghost vanishes, plotting your demise. Then quickly change course to foil his ambush.

Soon these vulnerable ghosts will fear your deadly skill.

What Behavior Pattern Does Inky Follow?

Inky mimics the movements of Blinky and the player’s position to trap you from both sides.

1. Chases Pac-Man by copying Blinky’s movements.
2. Calculates a position ahead of Pac-Man’s current direction.
3. Moves between Blinky and the planned position.

So while Blinky directly pursues Pac-Man, Inky uses the others’ movements to cut off your escape routes. By copying Blinky and targeting your predicted path, Inky traps you from both sides.

What Behavior Pattern Does Clyde Follow?

You’d be wise to keep Clyde at bay since he retreats when he’s close to you. Interestingly, Clyde was named after one of the enemies in the Pac-Man cartoon. As an ambusher, Clyde begins each level methodically chasing and cornering you. However, when within striking distance, he betrays his ruthless nature by cautiously retreating home.

Skilled players recognize this as an opportunity to lure Clyde away, clearing the path. By understanding the ghosts’ patterns, you gain mastery over the maze. Time seems to stand still amidst the frantic dot devouring.

Yet, like Pac-Man, you’re empowered by specialized knowledge – and so never truly alone.

How Can You Fight Back Against the Pac-Man Ghosts?

After eating a power pellet, you can turn the tables and chomp those freaked out ghosts while they’re vulnerable and get some sweet revenge.

• Quickly devour Blinky when he’s near since he follows you closely.
• Lure Pinky into a trap by faking a direction change.
• Let Inky mimic the others into your trap.
• Keep Clyde at bay until your timing is right.
• Plan routes to pass vulnerable ghosts again before the power pellet wears off.

With timed power pellet use and luring ghosts effectively based on their personalities, you can maximize points through chomping them all.

What Happens to the Ghosts When Pac-Man Eats Them?

You’re temporarily invincible when chompin’ down those frightened blue ghosts, with over 70% of players sayin’ it’s the most satisfyin’ power-up. After eatin’ one of them power pellets, you got a brief window to turn the tables on those pesky ghosts.

Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde go from bein’ the hunters to the hunted. Their colors change to a bright blue as they try to make a quick escape, but you can gobble ’em up for big points before they return to normal.

Just be ready to get back on defense when the power pellet runs out ’cause those ghosts will be out for revenge once they regain their scary colors. Use those precious seconds wisely to boost your score and put yourself in a better position.

With the right strategy, you can send those ghosts back to their pen and rack up some major points in the process.

Are There Other Ghosts in Pac-Man?

Gotcha! Sue and Tim join the ghostly gang in later Pac-Man games.

• Yes, there are new ghosts in Ms. Pac-Man with Sue and in Jr. Pac-Man with Tim. Both have unique looks and behaviors.
• Modern online and mobile versions also introduce fresh ghosts, like the cyclops and drill bit ghosts in Pac-Man Championship Edition.
• Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures features distinctive ghosts too, including the fairy-ghost mother.
• Sequels build on the original formula with inventive new ghosts. Their expanding roles keep Pac-Man unpredictable and engage gamers for over 40 years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)