From a creepy unicorn to a popular squishy toy, Google’s top trending Halloween costumes for 2026 include some unexpected choices.
The company’s annual Frightgeist rankings offer a look at the characters, celebrities and viral sensations gaining search interest ahead of Halloween on Oct. 31.
Buddy the Unicorn, the colorful mascot from the horror film "Buddy," tops the list. NeeDoh, a squishy stress-relief toy, ranks second, followed by Nikki from the horror movie "Obsession."
Other entries include Agamemnon from Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey," characters from video games and Hazel Hook from Disney’s “Descendants” franchise.
Google’s rankings reflect costume searches with the biggest increases in interest, not necessarily the most popular costumes
overall. Here are the top 10 trending costumes and the top 10 kids’ costumes for 2026.
What are the top 10 trending Halloween costumes for 2026?
Google’s Frightgeist list ranks the following costumes in order:
- Buddy the Unicorn: The colorful, unsettling mascot from Casper Kelly’s horror film “Buddy.”
- NeeDoh: The viral squishy toy known for its bright colors and stress-relieving feel.
- Nikki from “Obsession”: Inde Navarrette’s character from Curry Barker’s supernatural horror film.
- Agamemnon from “The Odyssey”: The Greek king featured in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic.
- Lily Love Braids from “Poppy Playtime”: A doll-like character from the horror video game franchise.
- Oliver Tree: The musician and internet personality known for his distinctive bowl haircut and eccentric outfits.
- Verity from “Minecraft”: A mysterious character associated with a horror-themed series inspired by the popular game.
- Carl from “Dungeon Crawler Carl”: The protagonist of Matt Dinniman’s fantasy series about a deadly, game-like dungeon.
- Disco Scooby-Doo: A disco-inspired version of the classic cartoon dog.
- Hazel Hook from “Descendants”: Captain Hook’s daughter, played by Kiara Romero in “Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.”
What are the top 10 kids’ Halloween costumes for 2026?
Google’s kids’ costume rankings feature musicians, animated characters and familiar entertainment favorites.
- Dolly Parton
- Ella Langley
- Dumpling
- Shakira
- Ash Ketchum from “Pokémon”
- Hannah Montana
- Spider-Gwen
- Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” era
- Pomni from “The Amazing Digital Circus”
- Grogu
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Google’s top Halloween costumes for 2026 include ‘Obsession’
