Netflix's chilling new series The Haunting of Bly Manor is full of restless spirits, but perhaps the scariest part of the show are the hidden ghosts that appear throughout it. Concealed in the shadows, camouflaged against the furniture, and left out of focus in the distant background, these spooks are easy to miss if you're not looking for them. But to aid the avid ghost hunter, we've put together a guide to every hidden ghost in The Haunting of Bly Manor.
Based on several ghost stories by Henry James, but mainly upon his novella The Turn of the Screw, The Haunting of Bly Manor is a spiritual successor (though not a sequel) to The Haunting of Hill House, which released in 2018. Soon after the first show was released, viewers began to notice that creator and director Mike Flanagan had hidden dozens of ghosts in the backgrounds of scenes, which blended into the environment so well that it's possible to watch the whole series without spotting any of them. Once you realize the ghosts are there, though, you'll start seeing them everywhere.
The Haunting of Bly Manor continues the tradition, but with a slight twist. Instead of having a wide cast of random and unidentified ghosts, all dressed in black with white faces, like The Haunting of Hill House did, Bly Manor has a smaller collection of very distinct ghosts. Moreover, the penultimate episode of the series reveals who these ghosts were, and how they came to be trapped at Bly. Here's every hidden ghost in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and when you can spot them.
By The Stairs
The first ghost sighting in The Haunting of Bly Manor is the plague doctor ghost - who becomes a familiar figure lurking in the shadows during the early episodes of the show. As Flora is giving her "perfectly splendid" tour of the house in Episode 1, "The Great Good Place," you can see the plague doctor hiding by these stairs, where he could easily be mistaken for a coat rack.
A Creeper In The Mirror
Miles isn't the only person being creepy by watching Dani get changed upon her arrival at Bly Manor. When he returns to the room after being caught spying, the plague doctor can just about be seen in the mirror.
An Extra Guest For Dinner
When everyone sits down to dinner, a familiar figure can be seen shrouded in the darkness behind Miles.
Goodnight, Mr. Ghost
The plague doctor ghost returns in The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 1 after Dani puts Miles to bed. As she turns to leave so that she can say goodnight to Flora, you can see him lurking by the doorway throughout her parting conversation with Miles. When the scene cuts to a close-up of Dani with the doorway in the background, the ghost is gone.
Goodnight, Mr. Ghost Part 2
The plague doctor ghost is also visible in the bathroom mirror in this reverse shot as Dani crosses through to Flora's bedroom. This moment is notable since it offers the first good look at this ghost's strange beak-like mask. Given Dani's aversion to mirrors, it's little wonder that she doesn't see him.
Another Mirror Ghost
As Dani is inspecting the lady in the lake doll, a figure can just about be seen in the mirror behind her. Though it's too dark and out of focus to be identified, this also appears to be the plague doctor ghost.
Goodnight, Mr. Ghost Part 3
The plague doctor continues to lurk in the background as Dani tucks Flora into bed. This time you can only see the silhouette of his mask, which will be recognizable if you spotted the ghost in the bathroom mirror earlier. There are many occasions throughout The Haunting of Bly Manor where it's possible to spot the plague doctor due to his protruding beak, but in this scene he's particularly noticeable as he can be seen swaying slightly in the background.
Dani's Midnight Companion
From lurking in the background, the plague doctor ghost jumps right into the foreground when Dani hears a noise outside the kitchen and goes to investigate it. You can see the ghost's sharp beak and part of his body framing this shot.
Dani's Midnight Companion Part 2
The Haunting of Bly Manor gives the audience another chance to spot the plague doctor ghost in the background of this shot, as Dani is peering into the dining room in search of the source of a noise. But if you miss him here, don't worry; the ghost becomes considerably less hidden the next time he's seen. As Dani leaves with her (badly-made) tea and midnight snack, the camera's focus shifts to the plague ghost and he's shown turning to watch her leave.
Scarier Than A Spider
The next day, after Miles tries to frighten Flora and Dani with a spider in the garden, the plague doctor ghost can be seen lurking behind Dani in broad daylight. He disappears and reappears between shots throughout their discussion.
Two Ghosts For The Price of One
Dani's attention is drawn to one of the ghosts in this shot, as the children run back to Bly Manor and she notices the late Peter Quint lurking on the parapet. But what Dani doesn't notice is that the plague doctor ghost is also present, standing in front of a hedge like a statue.
Crouched In The Fireplace
The plague doctor can tuck himself into the strangest corners. When Dani joins the others in the kitchen, this beaky spook can be seen crouched in the fireplace with his hands clasped in front of him. He is only visible from this angle - in other shots where the fireplace is in the background, it's empty.
A Shape In The Hallway
While Dani is talking to Flora about her imagination and the importance of keeping herself safe, a familiar shape can be seen lurking in the hallway outside the children's rooms. Prior to this, the plague doctor ghost is also visible in his previous spot in the bathroom.
A Strange Reflection
Dani picking up the lady in the lake doll is apparently a trigger for this ghost to appear in Flora's bedroom mirror. Like the last time it's very dark and out of focus, but does appear to resemble the plague doctor ghost.
A Shadow On The Wall
The plague doctor ghost casts a shadow elsewhere in this scene. When Miles comes into Flora's bedroom to ask Dani for the fan he supposedly needs to sleep, a familiar silhouette with a broad-brim hat can be seen on the wall behind him.
At The End of the Hall
After her terrifying ordeal in the closet, Dani can hardly be blamed for failing to notice this distinctive figure standing at the end of the hallway, with his beak and the brim of his hat in profile.
In The Fog
After Dani follows the muddy footprints outside to search for their source, she scans the grounds but fails to notice the plague doctor ghost hiding behind a hedge, well silhouetted in the fog.
Down To The Cellar
The plague doctor ghost returns towards the start of The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 2, "The Pupil" - or rather, his shadow does. As Dani looks down the stairs into the cellar before venturing down to retrieve Flora's doll, the shadow of the ghost's beak and hat can be seen on the floor.
A Small Figure In The Hall
The first sighting of the doll-face ghost is actually in the cellar after Dani goes to retrieve Flora's toy, but that sighting can't really be called "hidden" since attention is drawn to the ghost when it moves its head. The second sighting, however, is much easier to miss. When Dani is searching for Miles downstairs, the little ghost can be seen watching her in the background.
A Ghostly Pair of Hands
While Owen and Mrs. Grose are enjoying a cup of tea in the kitchen, the doll-face ghost is hiding under the table. You can't actually see his face, though - just a little pair of hands resting on the seat of a chair.
A Guest in the Garden
Dani puts Flora and Miles to work in the garden while Jamie gets a break. When Owen walks over with a tray of gin and tonics, the plague doctor ghost can be seen behind him enjoying the sunshine. Well, as much as the sunshine can be enjoyed when you're encased in robes and a mask.
Surveying The Foyer
When Jamie returns to the house after comforting Dani, the plague doctor ghost can be seen standing behind her, watching the foyer. Camouflaged against a dark door he's difficult to spot, but the camera lingers for a moment after she passes out of frame, giving an extra opportunity to find him.
Hide and Seek
The plague doctor ghost takes up a similar position, but in the opposite hall, when Dani is playing hide and seek with the children (he really is the champion of this game). The plague doctor ghost is also just barely visible a moment later, standing by the window when Dani peers into a room. When she returns to the foyer, he's back in the original position.
Do Another Sweep
After Dani's frightening encounter with Peter Quint, the first hidden ghost of The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 3, "The Two Faces, Part One," is the plague doctor lurking in the hallway while a police officer tells Dani and Mrs. Grose that he's done a "sweep" and found nothing. Clearly he needs to look a little harder.
Standing Guard
Episode 3 also offers a first look at a new ghost: the soldier. As Mrs. Grose stops the police officer from leaving with a threat to call Henry Wingrave, the soldier ghost can be seen standing guard behind her. This ghost is one of a number of allusions in The Haunting of Bly Manor to another well-known Henry James ghost story, Owen Wingrave. This story is where Bly Manor's cook gets his first name from, and where the Wingrave family gets their surname from. In the original tale, the heir to a wealthy family with a proud military history causes a scandal when he refuses to uphold tradition by becoming a soldier. An intervention is staged at the Wingrave family home to try and bring young Owen to his senses, but instead the house's past horrors start to emerge.
A Missed Child
Just to really drive home how poor this police officer's "sweep" was, there's a third ghost in this scene that he fails to notice. It's the little doll-face ghost, now standing outside in only his nightgown, hiding behind a wall.
Round The Corner
Blink and you'll miss this next appearance of the doll-face ghost, who can be seen in the hallway as the camera pans to follow Dani approaching Mrs. Grose.
Caught In The Storm
The soldier ghost returns briefly during this exchange in the kitchen between Rebecca Jessel and Peter Quint. As the lightning illuminates the larder behind Miss Jessel, the soldier is lit up as well, standing watchfully near the window.
In The Shadows
The morning after Dani's encounter with Quint, she comes downstairs to find Jamie asleep on the couch. Look behind Dani in the hall and you can see the little doll-face ghost lurking in the shadows.
Somebody Puts Baby In The Corner
One of the challenges of spotting the doll-face ghost is that he often simply looks like a discarded toy - and never more so than in this scene, where he is crammed into a corner of the kitchen behind the flour bin while Mrs. Grose has a terse discussion with Peter Quint about a certain vintage wine from the cellar.
Dani Gets A Fright
The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 4, "The Way It Came," introduces another new ghost in the scene where Dani sees Peter Quint stalking around the outside of the house. After she rushes to the front door and nearly attacks poor Owen, a ghost in old-fashioned clothing can be seen at the back of the foyer, in the same spot where the soldier stood.
Hiding in the Dark
We see our old friend the plague doctor again towards the end of Episode 4, sat in profile behind a desk as Dani walks past with a bottle of wine late at night. Based on reveals that come later in the season, the plague doctor may not simply be lurking, but hiding - because there's another ghost in the house that's much scarier than him.
The Bone Fire
As Dani commits a painful memory to the "bone fire" at the end of Episode 4, her proclamation of "it's just you and me, then" is not quite accurate. Bly Manor's soldier ghost can just about be seen in the darkness behind her, keeping watch over the garden at night.
Say A Little Prayer
In The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 5, "The Altar of the Dead," the first hidden ghost can be seen when Mrs. Grose emerges from the house to greet the Wingrave family. This is the same ghost that was glimpsed in the foyer in the previous episode, but now he's haunting the entry to the chapel.
Welcome Home, Mrs. Grose
Two figures are waiting for Mrs. Grose as she enters the foyer of Bly Manor. The familiar doll-face ghost is seated on a chair, but considerably less cute is the gaunt-looking figure (later revealed to be an unfortunate vicar who paid a visit to Bly) watching from the right of the staircase.
The Kitchen Corner
The doll-face ghost is back in his corner of the kitchen again, as Mrs. Grose tells Owen a story about a pest problem that Bly Manor once had - and the grim results of using glue traps.
The Night Watch
Flora isn't feeling well in The Haunting of Bly Manor Episode 6, "The Jolly Corner," but fortunately there's a big creepy ghost to watch over her while she sleeps. He can just barely be seen in the darkness of the doorway to Miles's bedroom.
Stored In The Attic
In addition to the groaning ghost in Bly Manor's attic, these two gentlemen are seen when Dani comes running up the stairs after Flora. On the right is the corpse-like ghost previously seen in the foyer, and on the left is a new face. The latter ghost must be a more recent addition to Bly's collection of spooks, since he still has his face.
The Forbidden Wing
The wing of Bly Manor where Flora and Miles's parents used to live is full of furniture covered in sheets, which means a high risk of a false-positives when it comes to hidden ghost spottings. However, this particular white shape in the corner when Rebecca goes venturing into the wing in Episode 7, "The Two Faces, Part Two," isn't there in other scenes, and appears to be a bit more supernatural than a covered-up item of furniture.