It’s that time of year again… No, not “Hammer Time.” It’s time to choose a Halloween costume! Before you get bogged down with party invitations and the details of how to brew the perfect pumpkin-spice martini, why not get the dress-up logistics out of the way? And what better way to look for inspiration than the latest movies and TV shows as well as classic spooky season favorites.
Here’s some of the most funny, timely and interesting Halloween costumes for 2026 to not only outfit yourself, but every member of the family — dogs and cats included.
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Feature Photo: Still from "The Odyssey," copyright Universal Pictures. Courtesy of moviestillsdb.com
Individuals – Duos/Couples – Group – Children/Babies – Pets
Individuals
Patricia from Widow's Bay
This standout 2026 series by Apple TV walked away from the Emmys with a record 14 wins, and is known by its fans to be the perfect blend of horror and comedic relief. So what better holiday to represent it than on Halloween?
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Ryland Grace from Project Hail Mary
Adapted from author Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary, the movie left an impact on watchers for its stunning visuals and beloved characters. Main character Ryland Grace was played by Ryan Gosling, and you’re sure to be recognized if you make this your costume.
Chef Carmy from "The Bear"
Photo Courtesy of Amazon
This costume might get you the biggest bang for your buck — easy to execute while being recognizable. Stack the blue apron on a white t-shirt for that instant James-Beard-winner look. Tattoos are included!
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Nikki from Obsession
This movie was a breakout for first-time director Curry Barker, and left viewers unsettled and spooked — but in the best way possible. Take your pick of a ‘Freaky Nikki’ outfit (her party outfit or her recognizable end-scene one); bonus points if you pair it with uncanny valley makeup.
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- Party outfit
- End scene outfit – slouchy white shirt, black tank top, grey sweat shorts
Ted Lasso
Another season of this wholesome Apple TV is fully out by early October, so it’s the perfect time to take inspiration from it for your costume this year. Take on Ted’s Southern twang and you’re good to go.
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Alysa Liu
2026 Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu has a beloved and unique look — stark brown and blonde striped hair — that can be easily replicated with the right tools. With a gold sparkly dress and a gold medal around your neck, people will surely know who you’re dressing as.
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- Blonde wig, use a dye stick to add the stripes
- Gold dress
- Gold medal
A Character from The Traitors
This reality show resembles a real life ‘whodunnit,’ where contestants are stars from other reality shows and must figure out who ‘murdered’ somebody overnight. The newest season (which happens to be a civilian season) is out this year, and by throwing on the iconic dark cloak, you have a quick and easy costume.
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Carrie
A Prime Video adaptation of Carrie releases early October, but it’s also just a classic costume that you can’t go wrong with. Buy the starter set, wear a pink dress and you’re set.
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Zara Larsson
This Swedish pop singer is known for her vibrant Y2K fashion sense. Easily replicate it with a few individual pieces, paired with a microphone and blonde wig.
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Where's Waldo
A classic, but for good reason. Choose from one of many costume starter packs online to pair with your favorite pair of blue jeans and brown boots. And don’t forget to play a real-life version of the game too — make your friends close their eyes while you hide, and text when you’re ready for them to look.
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Duos and Couples
Coldplay Concert Jumbotron Couple
This may have happened in 2025, but it still makes for a funny (and easy costume). Look for the clothes in your own closet, and opt to purchase the wigs. Don’t forget to recreate the pose while in costume.
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Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov from Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry held a captive audience when it came out, so now’s a great time to make it your costume. Buy a pair of jerseys to rep the fictional hockey teams portrayed in the show.
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Poppy and Alex from People We Meet on Vacation
Adapted from its namesake book, this romcom is perfect for couples to dress as. There are many outfit looks you could pick, but we think Poppy’s iconic New Orleans look is ideal for a costume.
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- Poppy – shiny blue pants, sequin tube top, silver platform heels, blue bob wig
- Alex – jeans, white shirt
Minions
Dressing as a minion is easy both for its outfit formula — blue denim and a yellow top — and for its ability to be turned into a group costume, no matter how small or large your group is.
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- Starter kit + build you own base (denim bottom/overalls + yellow top)
Group
Toy Story
Toy Story is the ultimate animated classic, and the recently released Toy Story 5 definitely bumps up its relevance a few points. Opt for a family costume, inspired by any combinations of the characters, or choose one of them for an individual costume if that’s better.
The Addams Family
The Addams Family may as well be Halloween royalty — they make for a great group costume (pets included!). And the ongoing Netflix adaptation Wednesday has brought it back into the well-deserved spooky spotlight.
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NASA Astronauts
NASA’s recent Artemis II mission captured global attention and given how easy it is to dress as an astronaut, why not lean into this current event?
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Lots of Loraxs
Dressing as the Lorax became a trend very quickly last October, and continues to be a great comical option. Get a group of friends to join you and build an army of Lorax-wearers to chaotically terrorize the town.
The Sheep Detectives
This unassuming comedy-mystery movie grabbed public attention for its unexpected emotional impact and, of course, adorable main characters. Dress your family or group in comfy lamb onesies and detective gear, and those who know about the movie will know what you’re dressed as.
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The Scooby Doo Gang
Dressing as the Scooby gang will always be timely. Use a costume starter kit to supply the key parts of each character’s costume, and source the rest from your closet or thrift stores for a more affordable option.
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Pets
Punch the Monkey
Punch the monkey grabbed the entire internet thanks to being adorable both in looks and in behavior — he carried around an IKEA orangutan stuffie after being abandoned by his mom. Recreate the pair by dressing your pet as a monkey and attaching a similar stuffie to the costume by glue gun or sewing.
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- Monkey costume and attach an orangutan plushie
Jimothy the Raccoon
Jimothy the raccoon has a uniquely compact stature (likely caused by a spinal deformity), and quickly became internet-famous. Dress your pet as a raccoon as a nod to Jimothy’s influence.
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From a happy reviewer:
“The spider legs are great, the little cape is good love that it is Velcro instead of a tie, the bat wings were bigger than I expected (I know there is a diagram with measurements I could have paid attention to) and made of I think thick felt material. I think this set is worth the price, three small animals got a great Halloween costumes this year”
Photo Courtesy of Amazon
A reviewer that chose the Winnie the Poo options:
“Purchased size Medium for both my doggies! So adorable! Eeyore is 15lbs & Piglet is 18lbs. The shirt was very snug on Piglet with her barrel chest- probably could have sized up to a Large for a more comfy fit. Both headpieces had to be tightened as tight as possible to stay put! Ears are floppy & don’t stay up… just gotta deal with that 👍”
This reviewer was satisfied with this costume’s quality:
“This is well made and so cute. Sizes are great for larger dogs and even more slender little guys like mine. Elliott is a yorkie mix (he’s a little bigger than a normal yorkie, weighing in at 9.2 pounds) and a size small fits him a bit loosely. I think he can still grow into it a little more, or at least fill it out, since he’s only a puppy. The harness is very secure and even when it isn’t snug on your dog, it won’t fail you in terms of security because of the design. Great buy!”
A reviewer was happy about the accuracy of the size chart.
“Great Costume, ordered by size chart and it fit perfectly. Our dog is 38lbs and we ordered the XL she has a large chest and is longer bodied. It’s amply sized. I believe it would fit a slightly larger dog without an issue. Best advice is use the size chart and measure because your dog may wear a different size than other manufacturers.”
Children/Babies
K-Pop Demon Hunters
While intended for a younger audience, this film ended up capturing the attention of all. Take your pick of one of the K-pop group members, or if you have more than one kid interested in the costume, they can each pick one.
Grogu and the Mandalorian
This adorable duo is unbeatable and perfect for the little ones in the family; it’s easily scalable no matter what age.
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- Grogu (Child or Baby)
- Mandalorian
Wicked: For Good
The Wicked franchise continues to be a big topic of conversation with its second movie Wicked: For Good having released last November. Pick between the glittery pastel dress of Glinda, or the darker and spookier attire of Elphaba.
Bluey
This kid’s cartoon is a fan-favorite of the little ones — who wouldn’t want to watch an adorably animated talking dog? Luckily, there are plenty of costume variations to choose between, from dresses to jumpsuits and for age ranging from baby to toddler.
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- Toddler: Bingo dress or Bingo jumpsuit; Bluey dress or Bluey jumpsuit
- Baby: Bingo dress or Bluey dress
- Kid: Bluey jumpsuit or Bingo jumpsuit
Baby Yoda
A reviewer loves the child-proofness of this costume:
“My toddler looked adorable in this on Halloween! What’s great is that it is totally washable so after it got super icky from the lollipop my toddler sucked on while trick or treating, I tossed it into the wash and it came out looking like new. Very cute costume!”
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Scarecrow
Photo Courtesy of Amazon
This reviewer got lots of compliments:
“My daughter wore this for trick or treating and it got her a lot of compliments. People said it looked hand made. It’s very cute and warm , which as a midwestern is a win for Halloween ! I’d recommend this. I will say though that if your baby/toddler doesn’t like wearing hats or bows, she will definitely take the hat off lol”
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Skunk
Photo Courtesy of Amazon
A reviewer loved the look but has a comment on sizing:
“I ordered this for my daughter who is 9 months and it was very long for her! She is in 90th % for height and 75th % for weight so I’d say it runs large moreso than she is just small because it’s the length that was off not the overall fit of the costume. Otherwise super cute and soft, easy to put on!”
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Caveman
This reviewer was impressed by the quality:
“I am honestly in shock of how nice this is. I was expecting for it to be more flat and not as vibrant but it’s not! It’s nice and puffy from the bottom and the colors look so nice. It’s also not thin so it’s a nice material. My daughter looks so cute in it and I can’t wait to take her trick or treating. The only thing that kinda dissapointed me was the bow. It’s just to heavy. Plus my daughter is not a fan of headbands but I will be cutting it out and gluing it onto a clip for her”
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Butterfly
A reviewer’s daughter is a BIG fan:
“My daughter LOVES them. They are a little long, she is right around 44 or 45 inches tall and the bottom black part with the white circle is on the ground. Nicely made. I will probably tie the wings loose around her neck and then anchor with a safety pin to her shirt so she is not “choked” by the tie constantly on her throat or have to worry about it coming undone during trick-or-treating. Silly me didn’t realize the antennae and a mask came with, so that was a sweet bonus for us!”
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Astronaut
This reviewer was impressed by the quality:
“This costume is very nice. It’s not one of the cheaply made, flimsy costumes that you expect to get at this price point. My grandson was absolutely thrilled with it. The overall fit was great. The legs were a little long, but that’s kind of hard to gauge with kids in that age group. They can be easily tucked in anyway. The helmet was great too! Even though it was plastic, which was good because it wasn’t too heavy, it was just heavy enough. It was easy to assemble and the face shield moved up and down easily. I would highly recommend this costume.”
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Hocus Pocus Sarah
Photo Courtesy of Amazon
A reviewer liked the quality, but has a comment on size:
“This dress is made really nicely!! I ordered a size 160 for my 9 y.o a little big but room to grow or wear a coat under it”
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Firefighter, Doctor, Police Officer
This reviewer would buy again:
“So I purchased this for my one and a half year old grandson. Finding stuff for boys to play dress up in is difficult. Don’t get me wrong my granddaughter loved them too, she is 4. They are truly made for any child. But I wanted something kinda focused on him specifically, because she has all kinds of costumes. He absolutely loved them especially the Firefighter outfit, he runs around in that all the time. I was really surprised at the quality and sturdiness of them. Usually these type of items are poorly made but not these. I was impressed with the Firefighter (the hat was awesome too) and doctor outfits (the accessories were pretty great). The police outfit was ok, unfortunately nothing to much to brag about. The material seemed a bit different than the others. But again, it’s going to be for a young child and they will not be to worried about any of that. So allow them to have fun and enjoy.”
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More Please!
For more suggestions on how to enjoy all that October has to offer, click here.
