In the original Ghostbusters, one of the most dangerous enemies they faced was Gozer, a God of Destruction that nearly destroyed New York City. However, before Gozer’s imminent arrival, the gate had to be opened by her two associates, Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster, and Zuul, the Gatekeeper. These two entities appeared in the form of monstrous beasts known as Terror Dogs and possessed Dana Barrett and Louis Tully in the original film. Now, the latest trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife seems to reveal these creatures again, but rather than Zuul, it looks like Vinz is making a comeback.
The two Terror Dogs share a similar likeness, but their major differences lie in their horns. Zuul has much shorter, downturned horns on her head, while Vinz’s are much longer. The nature of their horns also parallels how they hunt for entities to possess. For instance, Zuul’s horns tease her strategic hunting methods, trapping Dana in her chair and pulling her closer. However, Vinz’s methods are much more chaotic as he chases Louis into Central Park, destroying everything in his path.
Personality-wise, the two are also far from similar. Zuul is a more intelligent entity that waits for Vinz Clortho’s arrival with confidence. That being said, she manages to terrify Venkman, who tries to keep her sedated until his co-workers can help. In contrast, Clortho is a bumbling entity that seems to trip over himself with an unabated excitement over the coming of Gozer. This plays well into how he always chases his prey with excitement.
Aside from his horns, his movements are also shown in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife teaser. When Paul Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson experiences paranormal activity in his local Walmart, he immediately takes off. However, the trailer adds more context that he’s running from a Terror Dog that looks like Vinz Clortho. While the obvious reason for this scene is to inject some nostalgia for longtime fans, the implications of his arrival may not be as transparent.
One of the most obvious reasons for Vinz’s arrival could be to signify the coming of Gozer. The God of Destruction’s presence has been previously teased with the Shandor Mine and a brief clip of her arm. However, everything about this second arrival seems even more dangerous than before. This means Clortho could be coming for Rudd to create another Keymaster, meaning Zuul is also on the hunt. On the other hand, Clortho may not be hunting — rather warning whoever can understand him that something more dangerous is on the horizon.
There’s no doubt that Ivo Shandor’s meddling with Gozer has led to yet another catastrophic paranormal occurrence, but after decades since the Ghostbusters stopped the God, whatever comes next will be even more prepared than before. As a result, Vinz Clortho may be proclaiming this fact as his master returns stronger than ever, or he’s acting out of fear and finding the Ghostbusters through Mr. Grooberson to warn them of what’s to come.
Find out how Vinz Clortho will terrorize innocents again when Ghostbusters: Afterlife releases in theaters Nov. 11.
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