Halloween lands on a Saturday this year (October 31, 2026), which means more parties, more trick-or-treating and a lot more pressure to show up in a costume people actually recognize. If you are still deciding, the two biggest trend reports of the season just made the choice easier.
On October 1, Spirit Halloween, the largest Halloween retailer in North America, released its annual Halloween Costume Trend Report, and on October 14 Google published its Frightgeist list of the top trending costume searches in the US. Together they give a clear picture of what everyone will be wearing this year. Here is the full breakdown, with the movies, shows and games behind each look.
Greek gods, goddesses and warriors
Togas are having a blockbuster year. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey turned Greek mythology into one of 2026’s biggest entertainment events, passing $1 billion at the worldwide box office with Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, plus Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong’o. Spirit Halloween is leaning in with Greek armor, floating cloaks and mythological looks, and Google’s data agrees: Agamemnon is the fourth most-trending costume search in the country. If Halloween suddenly looks overrun with Greek warriors, you know who to blame.
Buddy the Unicorn and horror’s huge year
The single hottest costume search of 2026, per Google, is Buddy the Unicorn, the deceptively cheerful mascot from Casper Kelly’s horror film Buddy, starring Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace, with Keegan-Michael Key voicing the oversized orange unicorn. Beyond Buddy, Spirit’s report says hardcore horror is everywhere: Scream 7 led this year’s horror box office, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Return to Silent Hill kept things unsettling, and viral internet scares like the Async hazmat suit from “Backrooms” sit next to old-school slashers like Billy the Puppet from Saw. Gamers are covered too, with Poppy Playtime‘s Lily Lovebraids and Minecraft‘s unsettling virtual assistant Verity both on Google’s top 10.
“Off Campus” and the jersey wave
Spirit Halloween’s top-selling costume category this year is not a character at all: it is officially licensed jerseys and varsity jackets. A big driver is Prime Video’s hit hockey romance Off Campus. Spirit calls out Allie’s party jumpsuit, Hannah’s bunny costume and Graham’s hockey uniform as the looks fans are buying, and Google’s data shows several Off Campus pairings trending as couples costumes.
Toy Story for the whole family
Woody, Buzz, Jessie and Slinky Dog are back in a big way thanks to Toy Story 5, the Pixar crew’s first big-screen adventure since 2019. The film earned more than $1.1 billion worldwide and pulled 20 million views in its first five days on Disney+. Spirit’s report names the Toy Story lineup as its go-to family costume theme of 2026, so expect plenty of little cowboys and space rangers at your door.
Superheroes are not slowing down
Spider-Man: Brand New Day dominated the summer box office with a massive $2.5 billion worldwide, so Tom Holland-inspired Spideys will be swinging from party to party. And the Marvel hype keeps building: Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18 with Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal and Florence Pugh. Solo Spider-Man is the easy pick, but assembling your own Avengers group might be more fun. Google’s couples data even shows Cyclops and Jean Grey from X-Men trending.
KPop Demon Hunters, round two
One Halloween was not enough for HUNTR/X. Rumi, Mira and Zoey costumes were everywhere in 2025, and they are back for an encore after the Netflix phenomenon kept growing, the music conquered the charts and a sequel was officially announced. Grab two friends and do not be surprised if your trio runs into another HUNTR/X trio before the night is over.
Y2K and “It girl” icons
Tiny sunglasses, rhinestones and flip-phone energy: the Y2K “It girl” aesthetic got another boost in 2026. The Devil Wears Prada 2 brought Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs back 20 years after the original, and Elle Woods returned to the candy-colored world of Legally Blonde. This is one costume category where more is definitely more.
Gaming looks level up
Fortnite and Halo lead Spirit’s gaming picks. Fortnite alone has been a crossover machine in 2026, adding everything from new Batman, Harley Quinn and Catwoman looks to The Odyssey, The Amazing Digital Circus and even Madison Beer, so you can technically dress as a movie character or pop star and still claim you came as a Fortnite skin.
BookTok favorites
Book readers get their moment too. Spirit highlights high-fantasy dragon rider and rogue adventurer looks, including Dungeon Crawler Carl, the hero of Matt Dinniman’s hit sci-fi fantasy series (his cat Princess Donut makes a great plus-one). The viral “Fourth Wing” Violet costume is another BookTok favorite in stores this year.
The wild cards
Some of 2026’s most-searched costumes come from stranger corners of the internet. Google’s number-two trending costume is NeeDoh, the squishy stress-relief toy. Musician Oliver Tree made the top 10 on the strength of his bowl cut and oversized fits alone. And Scooby-Doo never really goes out of style: a disco-themed Scooby is trending this year, and Scooby plus Shaggy tops Google’s couples costume list.
Best couples costumes of 2026
If you are dressing as a pair, Google’s trending data points to Cyclops and Jean Grey (X-Men), Nikki and Bear from the breakout horror hit Obsession, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, and several Off Campus pairings as this year’s big couples looks.
Planning the whole night
Google’s Frightgeist data goes beyond costumes. “Witches brew punch” is the top trending Halloween drink of 2026, search interest in “cauldron crock pot” is at an all-time high, and “how to make a bubbling cauldron” is a breakout search this month. If you are hosting, those three will carry the party. And for the movie marathon after, check our guide to the best Halloween movies streaming in 2026 on Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ and what is new on Netflix in October 2026.
When to buy
Do not wait. USA Today reports costumes are already “flying off shelves” with Halloween less than 30 days out, and popular sizes in trending looks are the first to go. Spirit Halloween stores are open across the US for the season, and the full 2026 lineup is on spirithalloween.com. With October 31 falling on a Saturday this year, expect demand to peak in the final two weeks.
