From horror icons to viral toys, Halloween costumes take quirky turn in US

Americans are turning to horror characters, video game figures and viral toys for Halloween costume inspiration in the United States this year. Google’s 2026 Frightgeist list is led by Buddy the Unicorn, NeeDoh and Nikki, while witches, superheroes and princesses remain popular, especially with children. The rankings track the biggest increases in searches, not the most popular costumes overall. The National Retail Federation expects record Halloween spending of $13.5 billion, including $4.4 billion on costumes.

Google’s trending list also includes Agamemnon from The Odyssey, Lily Love Braids from Poppy Playtime and Verity from Minecraft.

The National Retail Federation survey found that about 74 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, and half expect to dress up.

The survey found that 47 percent of consumers are using artificial intelligence tools for Halloween shopping, including brainstorming ideas and researching products.

Published Oct 31, 2026 4:32 am KST

A Buzz Lightyear mask hangs in the Spirit Halloween costume shop in Annapolis, Maryland, on Oct. 12, ahead of the holiday. AFP-Yonhap

NEW YORK — Witches, vampires and superheroes may never go out of style, but Americans are looking to everything from horror movie characters to squishy stress toys for Halloween costume inspiration this year, as internet trends shape their choices.

Topping Google's 2026 Frightgeist list of trending Halloween costume searches is Buddy the Unicorn, the seemingly cheerful but sinister character from the horror movie "Buddy."

In second place is NeeDoh, a line of colorful, squishy stress toys that have gained popularity on social media. Nikki, a character from the horror film "Obsession," ranks third.

Other trending choices include Agamemnon from "The Odyssey," Lily Love Braids from the video game "Poppy Playtime" and Verity from "Minecraft," according to Google.

The rankings reflect the biggest increases in online searches rather than the most popular costumes overall, highlighting how quickly movies, games and viral products can influence Halloween costume trends.

Traditional favorites, however, remain popular, particularly among children. Witches, superheroes and princesses continue to feature prominently in costume plans, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Halloween is also becoming an increasingly expensive celebration.

Americans are expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, including $4.4 billion on costumes alone, according to the NRF's annual survey.

About 74 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, with half expecting to dress up. The survey also found that 47 percent of consumers are using artificial intelligence tools to help with Halloween shopping, including brainstorming ideas and researching products.

While classic costumes remain popular, this year's trending searches show that Halloween inspiration is coming from unexpected areas of pop culture, including everyday toys.

今年，美国人纷纷从恐怖角色、电子游戏人物和爆款玩具中寻找万圣节服装灵感。谷歌2026年“惊悚幽灵”（Frightgeist）榜单显示，独角兽巴迪（Buddy the Unicorn）、尼多（NeeDoh）和妮基（Nikki）位列榜首，而女巫、超级英雄和公主等角色依然很受欢迎，尤其受到孩子们的喜爱。该榜单追踪的是搜索量增幅最大的角色，而非整体上最受欢迎的服装。美国零售联合会预计，今年万圣节的消费额将达到创纪录的135亿美元，其中服装支出将达到44亿美元。

谷歌的热门榜单还包括《奥德赛》中的阿伽门农、《Poppy Playtime》中的莉莉·洛夫·布雷兹以及《我的世界》中的维莉蒂。

美国零售联合会的一项调查发现，约有 74% 的美国人计划庆祝万圣节，其中一半人预计会盛装打扮。

调查发现，47% 的消费者正在使用人工智能工具进行万圣节购物，包括集思广益和研究产品。

发布于2026年10月31日凌晨4:32（韩国标准时间）

10月12日，万圣节前夕，在马里兰州安纳波利斯的Spirit Halloween服装店里，挂着一个巴斯光年面具。法新社-韩联社

纽约——女巫、吸血鬼和超级英雄或许永远不会过时，但今年，随着互联网潮流的影响，美国人在万圣节服装的灵感来源五花八门，从恐怖电影角色到软绵绵的压力玩具，应有尽有。

在谷歌 2026 年万圣节服装搜索热潮榜单中名列榜首的是独角兽巴迪，这个角色看似快乐，实则阴险，出自恐怖电影《巴迪》。

排名第二的是NeeDoh，这是一个色彩鲜艳、触感柔软的解压玩具系列，在社交媒体上广受欢迎。恐怖电影《迷魂记》中的角色妮基位列第三。

据谷歌统计，其他热门选择包括《奥德赛》中的阿伽门农、电子游戏《Poppy Playtime》中的莉莉·洛夫·布雷兹以及《我的世界》中的维莉蒂。

该排名反映的是网络搜索量增幅最大的服装，而不是总体上最受欢迎的服装，这突显了电影、游戏和病毒式传播的产品能够多么迅速地影响万圣节服装潮流。

然而，传统装扮依然很受欢迎，尤其是在儿童中。据美国零售联合会（NRF）称，女巫、超级英雄和公主仍然是人们装扮计划中的重要角色。

万圣节也变得越来越昂贵了。

根据美国零售联合会 (NRF) 的年度调查，预计美国人今年万圣节的支出将达到创纪录的 135 亿美元，其中仅服装一项就将花费 44 亿美元。

约74%的美国人计划庆祝万圣节，其中一半人打算盛装打扮。调查还发现，47%的消费者正在使用人工智能工具来辅助万圣节购物，包括集思广益和搜索产品。

虽然经典的万圣节服装仍然很受欢迎，但今年的热门搜索表明，万圣节的灵感正来自流行文化中意想不到的领域，包括日常玩具。