Every form Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse takes in the Beetlejuice movies

The following contains spoilers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, currently playing in theaters

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Features several transformations for Betelgeuse, highlighting how easily the character is able to shift into new physical forms. Introduced in BeetlejuiceMichael Keaton’s Betelgeuse has a number of wild abilities that he uses to mock, trick and outright kill people who get in his way. As an undead entity that has mastered the art of “bio-exorcism,” Betelgeuse is one of the most powerful beings introduced in the series even compared to other characters from Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceBetelgeuse has a litany of powers that help it stand out.

This includes one of his most useful traits, the ability to transform his body into new shapes and forms. Repeatedly in both Beetlejuice And Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceBetelgeuse shifts form. This can range from other humanoid forms to monstrous new bodies, making him a surprisingly adaptable threat. Some of the transformations make a return appearance in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Like Easter eggs, while new ones further expand his powers. Here are all of Betelgeuse’s biggest transformations in both films.

7

Betelgeuse (the man)

Betelgeuse’s original mortal form appeared in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Reveals the human form of Betelgeuse Which was centuries before the present day, introduced a completely new form of the character. One of the narrative threads of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is focused on Betelgeuse’s connection to Delores, his ex-wife who is finally able to restore herself after centuries of being separate pieces. This leads to Betelgeuse telling his backstory to his shrunken headed employees, revealing who these are Beetlejuice Character was like a person and how he died. During the height of the Black Death in the 14th century, Betelgeuse was a greedy Italian pit robber struggling to survive.

This version of Betelgeuse is functionally similar to its later incarnations, At least without his powers. Even back then, Betelgeuse possessed a lecherous dark side, if his wedding night and subsequent dismemberment of Delores is anything to go by. Finally, the human form of Betelgeuse is familiar to the audience, with Michael Keaton playing the character as a man with a touch of his classic darkness albeit with mortal desires. Although the man Betelgeuse lacks the vast powers he would eventually master in the afterlife, it proves that he has always been a selfish and self-centered person who cannot think outside of his immediate desires.

6

Betelgeuse (The Bio-Exorcist)

Betelgeuse’s undead powers make him absurdly powerful

After reaching the afterlife, Betelgeuse gained a new permanent form when he became an undead entity. This is the primary form of the character and was immediately recreated in other mediums such as animation, video games, and theater. In this form, Betelgeuse is a relatively human-looking form, albeit in a grossly decaying state. However, the character also developed a lot of powers that he uses through his work as a bio-exorcist. This ranges from teleportation and reality-warping to duplication and transformation. The last power is how Betelgeuse assumes so many other forms, coming across as a monstrous version of a Bugs Bunny character.

He can change appearance and voice on command, replicating Lydia’s as part of his plan to force her to marry him. Betelgeuse is functionally immortal in this formApparently brush off a lot of damage across the two films before returning to this state. While other spirits are featured in both movies, none of them have the casual reality-altering abilities of Betelgeuse. This suggests that something happened to him that unlocked the true scope of the powers, although the exact origins of his powers are not revealed in either Beetlejuice Or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It is possible that his work gave him the powers.

5

Betelgeuse (Big Top Form)

The circus form is surprisingly deadly

One of Betelgeuse’s more memorable transformations, The large top shape is surprisingly effective in the original Beetlejuice. After being summoned by Lydia in a desperate bid to save the Maitlands from an exorcism, Betelgeuse arrives on the scene and distracts the Deetz dinner party with his circus form. With a living hat and turning his arms into inflatable devices, Betelgeuse is able to return to the mortal world and serve as a distraction. However, the form’s real trick quickly proves to be how deadly it is, as the clown form ultimately kills Maxie and Sarah.

While distracting them, Betelgeuse set up a high striker game behind them. Betelgeuse, turning his arms into comically large mallets, dispatches the pair by hitting the platforms below them and sending them through the building. The Big Top shape is one of the more iconic transformations of BetelgeuseWith a visual panache that feels aligned with other films associated with Tim Burton that involve darkly comic imagery like The Nightmare Before Christmas Or Batman Returns. It speaks to a traditional Burton visual style, one that rarely feels as naturally ingrained in the film’s world and story as in Beetlejuice Movies.

4

Betelgeuse (snake shape)

A fun little special effects in Beetlejuice is one of the most iconic forms of the character

The other form that Betelgeuse uses in Beetlejuice Yet being unleashed in the mortal world is a more fundamentally terrifying thing. After being unleashed against the Deetz family, Betelgeuse takes the form of a massive snake. Although the snake bears a clear physical resemblance to Betelgeuse, the creature is far more unnerving than Big Top Betelgeuse or its natural undead state. The snake Betelgeuse also proves to be more dangerous, actively attacking Charles and Delia during an attempt to scare them away. It is the moment that truly Highlights how truly dangerous Betelgeuse is compared to other undead spirits.

While his mean-spirited and perverted gags made him a darkly comic character, his snake form highlights that Betelgeuse is a truly dangerous ghost who seems to get a body count at the end of the movie. The snake shape is also an early example of Tim Burton’s use of stop-motion. Long before Burton executive produced The Nightmare Before Christmas and helmed dead brideThe Betelgeuse Serpent highlights the director’s skills in bringing distinct versions of the classic animation art form into the mainstream. The snake shape may quietly be the most Tim Burton-influenced version Who appeared in Beetlejuice.

3

Betelgeuse (the therapist)

Betelgeuse’s “therapy sessions” only make him cruel to Lydia

in Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceBetelgeuse gets a fresh chance to chase after Lydia, decades after they first meet each other. One of his most consistent turns in the new film is as a therapist committed to “helping” Lydia and her relationship with Rory. The therapist form is more than just a comical costume change for the character, and highlights one of the film’s more important elements of Lydia’s arc and development in the new film. Over three decades since the events of the first film, It is clear that Lydia is still haunted by her experiences with Betelgeuse.

Lydia is shown early in the film to be coping with the trauma through the use of prescription drugs, but Rory is actively sabotaging the attempts. Betelgeuse, who takes the form of a therapist, takes on an additional meaning. This allows the character to offer his typically demented form of comedy, but with a personal touch that feels harder in light of their previous relationship and his lingering feelings for Lydia. Betegeuse the therapist is a goofy turn in the filmBut one that fits into the overarching plot and allows him to keep the drama personal for Lydia.

2

Betelgeuse (The Baby)

Betelgeuse’s chip could be the future of the franchise

One of the wildest comic creations of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the baby version of Betelgeuse that appears in the film. During one of her “therapy sessions” with Betelgeuse and Rory, Betelgeuse sees Lydia suddenly become pregnant with a demonic spawn that closely resembles him. Although the little baby Betelgeuse is seemingly a separate entity, it is a manifestation of Betelgeuse’s abilities. The creature is a Manic little monster resembling Betelgeuse That easily climbs walls and attacks people. The baby Betelgeuse also reappears at the end of the film in the form of a final nightmare for Lydia.

While dreaming of a scenario where she and her daughter Astrid get happily married, Lydia is caught by surprise when the birth of her grandson turns out to be the return of the baby Betelgeuse. The little creature quickly kills the doctors before disappearing when Lydia wakes up. The Baby Betelgeuse is an effective deterrent and an uncomfortable addition to the Betelgeuse repertoire of tactics and tricks. The Baby Betelgeuse also suggests how the series could formally establish a spawn of the Bio-Exorcist, Teasing a way to move the series forward with a new version of Betelgeuse Not necessarily played by Michael Keaton.

1

Betelgeuse (The Haunting)

Lydia’s visions may be more real than she thinks

One of the better uses of Betelgeuse’s terrifying potential in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Comes in the form of a traumatic haunting that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Early in Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceIt is revealed that Lydia will see Betelgeuse from time to time. The film makes it clear that some of the hauntings are just hallucinations, but others (especially her dreams in the final moments) seem to be caused directly by Betelgeuse. It is potentially a form of lingering psychological torture against Lydia that underscores the ambiguous ending of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This is quietly one of the more nefarious turns of the film.

It’s a reminder of how awful the comically over-the-top Betelgeuse is. It’s a legitimate question to ask about which visions are just hallucinations caused by trauma, and which are actually the reality-warping undead entity itself. It’s unclear from the film’s final moments if there’s an easy way to tell the difference, as even Betelgeuse’s apparent destruction in the finale may be only a temporary victory. Even if it’s not, the final moments of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Suggest that the villain will live on in Lydia’s mind as trauma even if he is no longer actively haunting her dreams and real life.