Ned Banks was originally portrayed by Tyler Patrick Jones, but starting with season 3 episode "Slam", Christoph Sanders took over the role. He is the son of Delia and Charlie Banks. The events of his adolescence have been part of the plots of some episodes.
Delia and Ned first meet Melinda after he was caught shoplifting at Melinda's antique shop, stealing Grateful Dead tickets. Melinda realized that his behavior was the result of a spirit's urging. Ned found out Melinda's secret before his mother did when he overheard Melinda in the episode "Curse of The Ninth". In "Delia's First Ghost" Ned is being haunted by his father's ghost. When Ned finds out about Charlie, he doesn't wish his father to cross over, wanting him to stay with him, and ends up trying to build a model plane which Charlie had ready for Ned before he died. When Delia first heard about Melinda's gift, she tells her to stay away from her son. When Ned, Delia, and Melinda meet with Charlie's ghost, Charlie tells Ned that he wants him to stop creating so much trouble.
As the series progresses, his life changes, and he begins to assist Melinda with ghost help.