Utility

Out of the need of not wanting to spend extra time modelling and animating one, as well as a design choice, I am reflecting on how my poltergeist character will access the utility he needs in order to fight the aliens.

What I mean by this is that I imagine the poltergeist being able to achieve and perform a plethora of tricks, but how will he accomplish them? I have thought about the means of an item, like a power ring, but this borders on magic the likes of which I do not think is a part of my animation's setting.

I have also thought about a utility belt, otherwise (in)famously used by Batman. But similarly to that, I don't like the idea of a character literally being able to pull out a special item from his belt that just so happens to have something for every situation.

Instead the poltergiests suit is what will give him his vast array of necessary abilities. Powered by technology it will allow him to blend in and camouflage or become invisible, generate light, sound or thermal energy, and have weaponized offensive / defensive capabilities. It is an astronaut's suit for survival, a ninja's disguise, and a supersoldier's uniform; fulfilling multiple functions at once.

Not every poltergeists suit is the same, however. They come with trade-offs or add-ons, effectively spare parts which can be interchanged. These spare parts are equipped on an armband or bracelet worn on the forearm, which can be interacted with by the poltergiest. They can be made to function up to several purposes, and can be fitted with a combination of devices tailored to the job the poltergeist has to undertake. For example, if they are about to engage in a fight, they may replace the torchlight attachment they used in their last mission, which was to explore a cave, with a laser beam projector - capable of killing the aliens.

All in all I feel this gives the poltergeist room for having adequate strengths and weaknesses as a character, as he can have the advantage or disadvantage depending on his thoughtfulness and resourcefulness. Ultimately his character and personality will likely not be explored to a great degree. As a soldier raised from birth incapable of disobedience, it is unlikely he has much 'character' as it is. But I do wish to show a thought process of sort behind the utilities he wishes to use or neglect - or if nothing else, consider it.