As Halloween is approaching, the question is, “What will be this year’s most popular costume?”
It is no doubt that a popular theme this year will be childhood and nostalgic characters. After searching “2025 Halloween costumes,” on TikTok, the feed is full of characters from “Wicked,” the birds from “Rio,” characters from “Bratz” and “Monster High,” and this year’s Netflix hit film, “KPop Demon Hunters.”
University of Idaho freshman, Cloey Plumlee, said this year she will be dressing up as Mal from Disney’s “Descendants.”
Plumlee said, “I love her character. It’s one of my favorite movies, and Dove Cameron is the best.” The 2015 film was a hit for many people of Gen Z, making it the perfect costume for a night of fun nostalgia.
Playing into childhood, another UI freshman, Cadence Johnson, is excited to be dressing up as the tooth fairy on Halloween.
Costumes like these are just an insight of what people can expect to see on Oct. 31.
It is also predicted that there will be a large amount of costumes that reference pop culture. With references to the recently released album, “The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, “Hamilton,” and the Katseye Gap Ad.
With the highly anticipated release of “Wicked: For Good” coming up on Nov. 21, it is certain that both trick-or-treaters and TikTok consumers will see many Oz-inspired costumes. Classic characters like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion are all expected to be roaming the streets this year, including Elphaba and Glinda.
Since the release of “Superman” (2025), it is speculated that Superman will be a popular costume amongst people. In the same “super-human” realm, the Joker is always a classic that never goes out of style. Other classic costumes include Men in Black, Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho” and Indiana Jones.
Whether this year’s costumes reflect childhood classics or up-and-coming pop culture, the day will be something no one will forget. Glitter, wigs and face paint are just some of the things that make a Halloween costume truly memorable.
Reese Garcia can be reached at [email protected]