What is the name of the red ghost in Pac-Man?

The red ghost in Pac-Man is Blinky. He is one of the four original ghosts in the 1980 arcade game, alongside Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. In the original game, Blinky’s red color makes him immediately recognizable, and his primary behavior is to chase Pac-Man directly.

The ghosts are not interchangeable enemies. Each was programmed with a different targeting style to create varied pressure in the maze. Blinky generally pursues Pac-Man’s current position, while Pinky tries to get ahead of him, Inky uses a more complicated position-based strategy, and Clyde alternates between chasing and retreating depending on distance.

The ghosts’ names also changed between markets. In the Japanese version, their descriptive names were Oikake, Machibuse, Kimagure, and Otoboke. For the American release, Midway used the names Shadow, Speedy, Bashful, and Pokey, while Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde became their familiar nicknames.

Blinky is sometimes confused with Clyde because both are prominent pursuers, but Clyde is orange. Blinky’s red appearance and direct-chase behavior are the canonical clues.