With all the spooky outfits you see, it’s ironic that the scariest part of Halloween is often choosing a Halloween costume of your own. However, with a little inspiration, you too can have a Halloween costume that is sure to impress.
What Makes a Good Halloween Costume?
When choosing a Halloween costume, everyone has their own goals.
For example, some people may desire a truly frightening costume. After all, Halloween is at its core a way to celebrate the spooky and supernatural.
For kids, Halloween can give them the chance to dress up as a superhero, or perhaps something they aspire to be when they grow up.
More and more, Halloween costumes are also a way for people to show off their favorite characters from pop culture. A good Halloween costume reflects something about the person wearing it, even if it is just a desire to scare people.
It’s the little things
Of course, there is more to it than that. One thing that exceptional Halloween costumes usually have in common is attention to detail.
Whether it is intricate clothes, intense face paint, fake blood, or an epic wig, the best costumes are fine-tuned down to the tiniest features. Fortunately, there are plenty of detailed premade costumes for people seeking easy Halloween costumes.
8 Scary Halloween Costumes
If you’re looking to frighten the bejeebers out of people, you can’t go wrong with traditional costumes drawing from ancient folklore. There are also options from horror movies and pop culture to choose from.
1. A wicked witch
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The witch is a classic Halloween costume with a lot of room for customization. Only the hat and broomstick are truly necessary, leaving you with the freedom to decide the rest of the outfit.
For example, long black dresses make particularly haunting Halloween costumes when paired with black capes. You can use face paint to make yourself pale and ghostly, and paint Wiccan symbols on your forehead. Earrings are also a nice touch.
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This Halloween costume is only as scary as you choose to make it.
2. The Joker
Let’s be honest, clowns are already frightening enough. However, a good Joker costume takes it to a whole new level. If you’re looking for easy Halloween costumes that are still heavily disturbing, this one may be for you.
Use white face paint for the face, red for the mouth, and dark green or black for the eyes. Beyond that, all you need is the wig and his iconic purple suit.
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3. Billy the Puppet from Saw
Keeping with the creepy clown-like theme, Billy the Puppet is another great choice for easy Halloween costumes. This one is sure to bring back traumatic memories for anyone who has seen the Saw movies.
All it requires is some face paint and a black suit with a white shirt and red bow tie. Alternatively, you could just buy the costume with the mask included.
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4. A wailing banshee
A banshee is a female spirit that either warns of impending death or calls attention to a death that has already happened.
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Malevolent banshees, as seen in the show Supernatural, emit a high-pitched scream so excruciating it causes victims to commit suicide.
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Pale skin and a tattered dress are the main trademarks of banshees. However, many banshee costumes also feature white hair and tears of blood.
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5. A decaying zombie
Zombies are another classic Halloween costume and provide even more freedom. Since zombies are typically undead citizens, have fun thinking about your backstory.
You could be a construction worker turned zombie, for instance, or someone famous like Elon Musk. The amount of decaying flesh you have is also completely up to you.
Use clothes you don’t care about ruining and cut holes where ever you see fit. Use face paint and fake blood to make it look like you’ve been through some stuff. Don’t forget to make your eyes look dark and gaunt.
Of course, you can always simply go for a premade zombie costume.
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6. A soulless demon
Nothing says “demon” like a great set of horns and pointy teeth. It’s part of how demons choose their mates.
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Depending on your interpretation, demons can be horrifying monstrosities or reserved and decadent beings.
The latter would generally be drawn to jewelry and fancy clothes such as a robe or dress.
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If you prefer scary then a mask and fake claws might be in order.
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7. A White Walker
Despite the disappointing series finale, Game of Thrones remains one of the most beloved pop culture series of all time. The White Walkers’ single-minded goal of adding humans to their undead army makes them an excellent choice for Halloween costumes.
If you’re looking for easy Halloween costumes, then you can’t go wrong with a Night King mask and outfit.
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For women or those looking for cheap Halloween costumes, all you really need is some face paint, a white wig, and some black clothes. You can use black leather straps for extra detail without adding too much to the cost.
8. Coraline’s mom
Mrs. Jones from the movie Coraline may be one of the creepiest characters in existence, making her a perfect Halloween costume.
A polka dot dress, black and white face paint, two large buttons, some wire, and perhaps a wig is all that you need for this one.
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Use white paint as the base for your face and add black eyebrows, lips, and any other details you wish. For the neck and below the collar bone, use black as the base and add the skeleton features.
Glue a large button to each end of wire long enough to go around the back of your head, and paint the wire white so that it blends in. You can cut a hole in the center of the buttons to make it easier to see, or just hide them behind your hair until it’s time to take pictures.
5 Fun Halloween Costumes
Not everyone is looking to induce nightmares with their Halloween costume, and that’s okay. Your goal with your costume might just be to look cute or awesome.
Fortunately, the possibilities are nearly limitless.
9. A mystical fairy
Although not frightening, fairies are technically spirits. So even in the traditional sense, Halloween is their holiday too.
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There are many types of fairies, most of which are the embodiment of a specific element. For example, an earth fairy would likely have an outfit with shades of green. In contrast, a fire fairy would wear orange and red.
Regardless of the colors you choose, nearly all fairies have pointy ears, beautiful wings, and wear pretty dresses or skirts.
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Feel free to put on colorful makeup and embrace your love of glitter with this Halloween costume.
10. An adorable avocado
When it comes to eating avocados, people tend to have a love/hate relationship with them. However, most everyone agrees on the universal cuteness of an avocado with a face.
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If you’re looking for easy Halloween costumes, this one requires very little effort. Simply find a costume that works for you and wait for it to arrive.
This is also a great choice for couples looking for matching Halloween costumes.
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11. A Hogwarts character
If you’re one of Harry Potter’s many faithful fans, then dressing up as a Hogwarts student makes for a perfect Halloween costume.
Just order yourself a wand and the robes for your house of choice, and your job is done. All that is left is for you to convince people that you’re brave enough to be in Gryffindor, or that Slytherins are not all bad.
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If you prefer to go as a specific character from the Harry Potter universe such as Harry or Ron, it’s as easy as buying a wig. You could even dress up as Professor McGonagall if you think you can match her shrewd face and piercing gaze.
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12. Your favorite character from Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is extremely popular, and is frequently among the most streamed shows on Netflix.
Any fan of the series will agree that the characters are what makes it so fantastic. In fact, we defy you to name a character that isn’t memorable. There are Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko to name a few.
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These are also easy Halloween costumes that require very little effort. Simply buy the matching outfit and a few extra trinkets to go along with it. For example, Aang’s costume needs a bald cap and blue paint for his tattoos, and Sokka never goes anywhere without his trusty boomerang.
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13. A Pandora native
Speaking of Avatar, there’s also the completely unrelated 2009 film directed by James Cameron. You know, the one with the blue aliens.
Going as a Pandora native only requires a wig and blue paint for your face and any exposed skin. The clothes are really up to you since you could technically be wearing anything. But for women, there is a premade jumpsuit available on Amazon.
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4 Heros and Villians
Below you will find some of the best ideas for hero and villain Halloween costumes.
Your favorite Disney villain
With Disney Plus and the wide array of Disney Villain’s merchandise now available, nostalgia for these characters is at an all-time high. Like Avatar, Disney is filled with memorable characters that people are sure to appreciate.
If you’re looking for a fun yet evil Halloween costume, there are plenty of options available from Disney.
14. Gaston
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast is the epitome of toxic masculinity, and many a Disney fan’s favorite villain. This easy Halloween costume only requires you to order the outfit and shave your beloved facial hair.
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15. Ursula
Disney’s sassiest villain is also many peoples’ favorite. Ursula from The Little Mermaid makes for an instantly recognizable and memorable Halloween costume.
You’ll want to go heavy on the makeup for this one.
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Your favorite superhero (or villain)
Many of us wish we could dress up as a superhero every day of the year, but unfortunately, society does not deem it acceptable. When it gets down to it, there are only two times a year when people will understand: Comic-Con and Halloween.
Opening this can of worms gives access to all kinds of possibilities for both men and women.
16. Gamora
Since Guardians of the Galaxy and her appearance in Avengers, Gamora has become a beloved character within the Marvel universe. This easy Halloween costume only requires you to buy the outfit and paint your face and hands green.
17. Thor
Marvel’s Thor makes dressing up like a Viking and speaking in fanciful old English cool, and for that, we should honor him. You only need to buy the costume, but you may also want a wig in order to really sell it.
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You Do You!
Ultimately, what you choose to be for Halloween is entirely up to you. We have confidence that you are a wonderful, intelligent human being with endless amounts of creativity. Everyone has their own preferences, so feel free to go crazy with whatever makes you happy.
What do you plan on being for Halloween? Let us know in the comments below!