Ghost have long been shrouded in mysterious shenanigans. As well as the largely anonymous Nameless Ghouls that make up the bulk of the band, with each passing album, Ghost mastermind Tobias Forge has introduced a ghastly lead character to front the fold, starting back in 2010 with Papa Emeritus I for debut album Opus Eponymous. After Papas II and III followed for Infestissumam and Meliora respectively, for 2018's Prequelle, there was no numbered Papa to be found – just a Cardinal and another, newly introduced ancient figure known as Papa Nihil.
The plot has only thickened since then, with Cardinal Copia first being upgraded to a Papa all of his own for the Impera era and then later elevated to "Frater Imperator" after the (and mild spoilers here) demise of Sister Imperator. With the implication of a twin brother and the official unveiling of Papa V Perpetua, the latest figure to step into the spotlight and front the band, we thought it perfect timing to run back through every member of Ghost's extended clergy.
Papa Emeritus I
AKA: The first one.
Years Of Service: 2010-2012.
Notes: Papa Emeritus I was the OG Ghost frontman and could usually be found stalking back and forth on stages wielding his trusty thurible (that’s that big, swinging incense burner thingy he used to have). The original, certainly, but arguably not the best.
- Watch Tobias Forge break down the story behind each of Ghost's iconic frontmen – including every Papa Emeritus, Cardinal Copia and every character leading up to Papa V Perpetua
- “All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘We want to announce now, what do we say?’”: Ghost’s Tobias Forge explains why Papa V Perpetua was unveiled on the Black Sabbath farewell show poster
Papa Emeritus II
AKA: The scary one.
Years Of Service: 2013-2015.
Notes: With a far ghastlier looking visage than his predecessor, Papa Emeritus II was also the first Papa to ditch the makeup when he fronted a special, three-song Ghost set for an Australian website in 2014. Though we’re still not convinced that was his real face, either.
Papa Emeritus III
AKA: The dandy.
Years Of Service: 2015-2017.
Notes: The younger brother of both prior Papas - apparently only "three months younger" than his direct predecessor owing to some wild seed sowing by Papa Nihil - Papa Emeritus III brought a new energy to Ghost, shrugging off his Papal robes mid-set for a snazzy suited-and-booted look based on Swedish king Charles III that came with a host of sexually-charged stage moves. Oooh, the cad.
It set a new precedent for the dynamics of how Ghost shows would usually operate (let's just say the costume change count has only gone up since then). Papa III was eventually and unceremoniously killed off, along with his two predecessors, his decapitated head appearing on the cover of Metal Hammer in 2018. Oh dear.
Papa Nihil
AKA: The old one.
Years Of Service: 1969-2020 alive, 2020-2025 as a spooky spirit
Notes: Making his live debut seconds after Papa III was dragged off stage in Sweden in late 2017, Papa 0 looked older than time itself (er, no offense). His role was seemingly to mentor younger Papas and Papas-in-waiting, not least a newly arrived Cardinal who seemed to have more than just professional connections to the old-timer. Papa 0 could also, it would appear, bust out a mean saxophone solo, but that sadly wasn't enough to save him when he was rudely offed live onstage in Mexico in 2020, only to be briefly 'resurrected' on tour in 2022 Frankenstein-style to play sax again during live shows. This band's health insurance renewal rates must be through the roof, quite frankly.
Cardinal Copia
AKA: The one that wasn't a Papa (but is now).
Years Of Service: 2018-2020.
Notes: Providing a combo breaker by eschewing the corpsepaint and having a decidedly less pope-y fashion sense, Cardinal Copia was the lovably daft Papa-in-waiting that brought an extra flash of sass to the Ghost camp. Tobias Forge once suggested to us that, unlike previous Ghost frontmen, Cardi C might actually stick around for a few records - and he was half-right. In March 2020, on stage in Mexico, The Cardinal was surrounded by The Clergy and transformed into Papa Emeritus IV. A new dawn beckoned...
Papa Emeritus IV
AKA: The Papa Formerly Known As Cardi C
Years Of Service: 2020-2023
Notes: The upgraded Cardinal served as the fourth Papa Emeritus, and if Ghost's latest live show is anything to go by, he may be the most extravagant one yet. Packing dazzling robes, a fancy new hat (or three) and a fine array of new stage costumes, he's lead Ghost's most over the top and bombastic era ever.
Given The Clergy's propensity for offing its heads, it seemed Papa IV's days might have been numbered as the band toured in 2023, but the brilliantly bonkers Rite Here Rite Now added twists to the tale, including the fact he was the lovechild of Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil and that he may (or may not) have a twin brother.
Frater Imperator
AKA: The Big Daddy
Years Of Service: 2023-Present
Notes: Ghost do love a canny plot twist. Much of the run-up to Ghost's Rite Here Rite Now release surrounded speculation that, like the previous Papas, The Papa formerly known as Cardi C would be killed off on-stage when the band completed their massive Imperatour in the US at Los Angeles' Kia Forum. But it didn't work out that way. After taking his final bow, Papa IV watched as Sister Imperator collapsed due to an undisclosed health condition and paramedics failed to revive her.
A letter left to Papa IV after Sister Imperator's death officially crowned him as the head of The Clergy, taking on the title of "Frater Imperator". The power hasn't had chance to go to his head just yet, though; bumbling mishaps, arguments with ghostly apparitions (that may not be there after all) and a mix-up with door keys suggest Frater's time out of the spotlight will be no less eventful than his tenure as Ghost's frontman. In a 2025 interview, Tobias hinted at more to come - "Promoted, demoted? Depending where you sit... He has an important role, it needs to land in his mind that he's important still even though he's not still the focal point."
Papa V Perpetua
AKA: MechaPapa
Years Of Service: 2025-Present
Notes: So who the hell is the new guy? Breaking with tradition, we no longer have a Papa Emeritus - instead, this latest installment goes by the title "Papa V Perpetua", something that was confirmed when he was announced as one of the guests for 2025's massive Black Sabbath farewell gig in Birmingham.
There's very little to go on with this new Papa, though the video to latest single Satanized suggests a possible origin story involving heresy and monks, and a Darth Vader like speaking voice. With a little over a month until new album Skeletá arrives and the band hit the road again, we'd say it's a safe bet that we'll learn more in the coming weeks...
The Nameless Ghouls
AKA: The band.
Years Of Service: 2010-Present.
Notes: Less individuals and more a mass of souls represented onstage by mysterious, anonymous figures. They seem to grow in number with each passing album cycle, and get their own revamp to go alongside each newly introduced (or upgraded) frontman. This latest lot of Nameless Ghouls all appear to have wings. Top notch.
Sister Imperator
AKA: The matriarch.
Years Of Service: 1969-2023 (alive) 2023 - 2025? (as a spirit)
Notes: A figurehead behind the scenes, the mysterious Sister Imperator has appeared in a number of videos put out by Ghost in recent years, and she seems to have a particular (motherly) affinity for The Cardinal/Papa IV.
We got to see both Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil in their younger incarnations during Ghost's Kiss The Go-Goat era, which also expanded their story and revealed IV was the love child of Imperator and Nihil (and may have a sibling). Her time at the head of the clergy came to an end in the closing moments of Rite Here Rite Now when an undisclosed illness killed her, but she's since popped up as a spirit to help smooth the transition for Frater Imperator.
Mr. Saltarian
First introduced in Chapter 10 of Ghost's ongoing video series, Mr. Psaltarian is yet another mysterious religious figure with definite but somewhat murky connections to The Clergy. Something of a handyman and fixer, it was Saltarian who gave Papa IV the letter that confirmed his ascension to Frater Imperator.
The Clergy
AKA: The main event.
Years Of Service: 2010-Present.
Notes: The mysterious cult from which these strange beings all stepped forth, The Clergy is the centre point for everything that Ghost is, was and shall be. They remain anonymous, omnipotent and powerful. Which is metal as fuck, to be fair.
Father Jim Defroque
AKA: The Bad Boy Priest
Years Of Service: [unknown]-Present
Notes: Introduced in a half-hour special on YouTube entitled "Jesus Talk With Father Jim Defroque" released on Easter Sunday 2023, at first it appeared the Pastor was the antithesis of our favourite Satanic Swedes and a true man of the cloth as he disapprovingly dissected lyrics from bands including Ministry, Soundgarden and Green Day (all Jesus themed, naturally).
It wasn't long before Father Defroque's true colours came out, however: suspicious sniffs throughout his YouTube special turned into a full bender during the Jesus He Knows Me video featuring copious amounts of blow, guns and erm, a questionable haircare regimen. How does he fit in with the wider Ghost lore? It's anyone's guess.
