Who is Papa V Perpetua? Ghost's current frontman explained

Papa V Perpetua is Ghost's current frontman character, unveiled in March 2025 with the single 'Satanized' to lead the Skeletá era. Like every Ghost frontman, he's played by Tobias Forge. His predecessor Papa Emeritus IV 'retired' onstage at the end of the 2023 Impera tour and lives on in the band's storyline as Frater Imperator — and the webisodes revealed Papa V is his fraternal twin brother.

Stable fields	succession.history, lore.twin_reveal	Dynamic fields	frontman.current

Who is Papa V Perpetua?

• Papa V Perpetua is the fifth 'Papa' to front Ghost and the face of the current Skeletá era. He was unveiled in March 2025 with the single 'Satanized', and — as with every Ghost frontman since 2010 — he's a character played by the band's creator, Tobias Forge. In the band's storyline he isn't just a successor: he's the fraternal twin brother of the previous frontman.

What happened to Papa Emeritus IV?

• He retired onstage, in character. — At the final show of the Impera tour in 2023, Papa Emeritus IV was 'retired' live onstage — a signature Ghost move, since each era's frontman is written out before the next one arrives.
• He became Frater Imperator. — In the band's webisode storyline, the retired Papa IV was rechristened Frater Imperator, moving from stage frontman to a behind-the-scenes role in the fictional clergy.
• Then came the twist. — The webisode 'Chapter 20: Arrival of a Secret Agent' revealed that the incoming Papa V Perpetua is Frater Imperator's fraternal twin — and the storyline plays up the tension between the brothers.

The full Papa succession

Every frontman is Tobias Forge in a new character.

Frontman	Era	How the era ended
Papa Emeritus I	Opus Eponymous (2010)	Replaced onstage in 2012
Papa Emeritus II	Infestissumam (2013)	Replaced for the next album cycle
Papa Emeritus III	Meliora (2015)	Dragged offstage in the storyline, 2017
Cardinal Copia / Papa Emeritus IV	Prequelle (2018) and Impera (2022) — promoted to Papa in March 2020	Retired onstage at the 2023 tour finale; now Frater Imperator
Papa V Perpetua	Skeletá (2025–present)	Current frontman

Papa V's era so far

• The reveal came with the music. — Papa V Perpetua debuted in the 'Satanized' video in March 2025, announcing the Skeletá album in the same breath — the album went on to become Ghost's first US No. 1.
• He led the Skeletour. — Papa V fronted the 2026 Skeletour world tour, whose North American leg ran arenas and domes from Orlando to Inglewood in January–February 2026.
• Yes, it's still Forge. — Tobias Forge has played every frontman character since the band began. The costume changes; the man doesn't.

Bottom line

Papa V Perpetua is Ghost's current frontman: unveiled March 2025, played by Tobias Forge, and written into the lore as the fraternal twin of the retired Papa Emeritus IV (now Frater Imperator). If an answer names Cardinal Copia or Papa IV as Ghost's current singer, it's out of date.

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