History Main / GhostlyGlide

Compare PowerFloats, which is when the floating is done as a show of power, rather than to disquiet, though the two can overlap. A good rule of thumb is if it looks like the director put the character on a skateboard and then pulled the character across the screen, that's a Ghostly Glide. If a menacing character hangs in midair, that's PowerFloats. Can be paired with MarionetteMotion if the character in question is under the control of others. Compare FlashStep.

** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'': [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes Dark Samus]] is an [[MovesetClone Echo Fighter]] of Samus who plays more or less the same but has creepier animations, which includes moving by floating rather than walking.

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'': Copy Rezo begins exhibiting eerie symptoms, including this trope. Later melds with PowerFloats when its revealed he merged himself with Zanaffar's spirit.

* Raven in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' glides around everywhere, her legs usually hidden by her flowing cloak. ([[RuleOfFunny This doesn't prevent her from]] [[BananaPeel slipping on a banana peel, though]]). Here it's more for comedic purposes than creepiness, as an exaggeration of her flying powers in the [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans original series]]. Heck, when she lands in one episode they have to teach her how to walk because she forgot! She then becomes Lady Legasus, to honestly just show that ShesGotLegs.

* ''Literature/{{Carmilla}}'': The first night that Carmilla enters Laura's bedroom at night, Laura wakes up and sees "a female figure" standing at the food of her bed. Though the figure stands perfectly still, she seems nevertheless to change its place and move out by the door.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': The Gentlemen in the episode "Hush" hover inches off the ground rather than walking, adding to their creepiness.

* ''Anime/Ulysses31'': The dead denizens of Hades's kingdom are floating above the ground. For added creepy, they also always move backward, their back facing the mortals they're chasing.

** ''Dragon Magazine #359'' introduces the "Footsteps of the Mage" feat, permitting an arcane caster to glide without actually taking steps. This confer greater balance and even allows to move with bound feet.

* ''Film/BramStokersDracula'': Dracula is shown moving in this way several times.
* In ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt'', Dracula's wives do this. Both lampshaded and subverted when he tells them to knock it off, and the women stomp off instead.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Edition 3.5 has the Elocator [[PsychicPowers psionic]] PrestigeClass. The first power gained is "Scorn Earth", the ability to float and move a foot above the ground. Used mostly for practical purposes rather than creepiness, though, but a creative player will sure find a way.

* ''Webcomic/AntiHeroes'': Quentas the Psion is always floating above the ground and gliding around rather than walking. Since this a comic based on ''D&D'' 3.5, he probably has levels in the Elocator PrestigeClass.

* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': When first seen on the planet Vormir, [[spoiler:the Red Skull]] is clad in a BlackCloak and floating above the ground, giving him a very specter-like appearance.

* In ''Film/HouseOnHauntedHill1959'', the ghostly figure in the cellar [[spoiler:later revealed to be one of the caretakers]] that terrified Nora moves by gliding rather than walking.

* The Nazgul move like this in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'' when they invade the Prancing Pony.

* ''Literature/{{Carmilla}}'': The first night that Carmilla enters Laura's bedroom at night, Laura wakes up and sees "a female figure" standing at the food of her bed. Though the figure stands perfectly still, she seems nevertheless to change its place and move out by the door.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'': The Death Sword hovers in the air until it crashes down on you. Then floats back up and heads slowly for you. Only when you use the wolf's senses [[spoiler:do you see the robed ghost holding it up]].
* The Happy Mask Salesman from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' never walks anywhere. He usually "cuts" from frame-to-frame to different locations, though at one point he turns around to face the camera by slowly rotating on the spot...

* ''[[VideoGame/NoOneLivesForever No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way]]'' has Pierre, the towering Mime King who wears a trailing coat and moves with a ghostly glide. The game eventually reveals how when his coat is pulled off: He is in fact a dwarf on a unicycle.

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': The undead witch Alice Alisceon hovers across the battlefield despite still being nailed to the broken-off cross on which she was executed. When not engaged in battle, she zips around at random, [[TorturedMonster raving incoherently]].

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E1ThePilot "The Pilot"]], when Bill encounters the transformed Heather outside on the university campus after fleeing her flat, she walks toward Heather, who moves towards Bill like this at the same rate with every step Bill takes.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/AntiHeroes'': Quentas the Psion is always floating above the ground and gliding around rather than walking. Since this a comic based on ''D&D'' 3.5, he probably has a level in the Elocator PrestigeClass.

** The same effect is also used with the ghosts encountered in the Old Chateau in ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl''. It's less noticeable, but they (a GhostGirl and a GhostButler) don't have walking animations either.

* ''Literature/{{Carmilla}}'': The first night that Carmilla enters Laura's bedroom at night, Laura wakes up and sees a female figure standing at the food of her bed. Though the figure stands perfectly still, she seems nevertheless to change its place and move out by the door.

* The Nazgul move like this in ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' when they invade the Prancing Pony.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': The sinister cadre known as The Silent Partners are shown not only gliding smoothly from place to place, but also have the habit of entering or leaving a room by levitating out of/ in to the floor.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E24LegsFromHereToHomeworld "Legs From Here to Homeworld"]], [[spoiler:White Diamond's Pearl]] glides about everywhere on the tips of her toes. In fact, the only part of her body that moves individually is her mouth. The whole effect makes her rather eerie.

** A more direct example comes at the climax when Lydia, suddenly garbed in her red wedding dress, slides effortlessly to Bettlejuice's side. Though this is not of her own accord.

Compare PowerFloats, which is when the floating is done as a show of power, rather than to disquiet, though the two can overlap. A good rule of thumb is if it looks like the director put the character on a skateboard and then pulled the character across the screen, that's a Ghostly Glide. If a menacing character hangs in midair, that's PowerFloats. Can be paired with MarionetteMotion if the character in question is under the control of others.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In [[Recap/StevenUniverseS6E1LegsFromHereToHomeworld "Legs From Here to Homeworld"]], [[spoiler:White Diamond's Pearl]] glides about everywhere on the tips of her toes. In fact, the only part of her body that moves individually is her mouth. The whole effect makes her rather eerie.

* ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'': The bowler-wearing ghost moves in this fashion, with a cane added for extra weirdness. In the past, its feet are clearly visible above the ground. The present version also moves this way, though its feet are motionless on the ground.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E24LegsFromHereToHomeworld "Legs From Here to Homeworld"]], [[spoiler:White Diamond's Pearl]] glides about everywhere on the tips of her toes. In fact, the only part of her body that moves individually is her mouth. The whole effect makes her rather eerie.

* TheHauntingOfHillHouse: The bowler-wearing ghost moves in this fashion, with a cane added for extra weirdness. In the past, its feet are clearly visible above the ground. The present version also moves this way, though its feet are motionless on the ground.