Buddy the Unicorn Tops Google’s Trending Halloween Costumes, With ‘Obsession’ and ‘The Odyssey’ Close Behind

Every October, Google offers a fascinating snapshot of pop culture through its annual Frightgeist site, which tracks the Halloween costumes people are searching for most. The trending Halloween costumes list often reflects the year’s biggest movies, games, and viral moments.

Back in 2024, for example, the top spot went to Bob, the shrunken-headed ghost from the ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel, while CatNap from the video game series ‘Poppy Playtime’ landed in third. That same year, the trending kids’ costumes were led by Red from Disney’s ‘Descendants’.

Google launched its 2026 Frightgeist list on October 14, and the results are a delightfully strange mix of horror icons, internet trends, and blockbuster characters. Here’s how the top 10 trending new costumes shake out:

1. Buddy the Unicorn from ‘Buddy’
2. NeeDoh
3. Nikki from ‘Obsession’
4. Agamemnon from ‘The Odyssey’
5. Lily Lovebraids from ‘Poppy Playtime’
6. Oliver Tree
7. Verity from a ‘Minecraft’ mod
8. Carl from ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’
9. Disco Scooby-Doo
10. Hazel Hook from ‘Descendants’

Leading the rankings is Buddy the Unicorn, the deceptively cheerful mascot from Casper Kelly’s horror film ‘Buddy’. The movie stars Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, and Keegan-Michael Key, who voices the brightly colored children’s TV host whose wholesome world takes a disturbing turn.

The timing couldn’t be better for the film, which just arrived on VOD this week. Its creepy-cute mascot clearly struck a nerve with costume hunters. Coming in at No. 3, Nikki from Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’ is perhaps the most predictable entry. Played by Inde Navarrette, the character has gone viral since the film hit theaters in May, and it has become the highest-grossing horror movie of 2026.

Her red-and-black zebra-print top and black shorts make for an easily recognizable and affordable costume. NBCUniversal has even released official costumes for Nikki and her dangerously infatuated counterpart, Bear, played by Michael Johnston.

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ also earned a spot, with Agamemnon, played by Benny Safdie, landing at No. 4. Gaming fans made their mark too, with Lily Lovebraids, the toy-turned-villain from ‘Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5’, taking fifth place.

‘Poppy Playtime’ has now appeared on Google’s list in back-to-back trend cycles, showing the franchise’s staying power with younger fans. A character from a ‘Minecraft’ mod and Carl from ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ round out the gaming-inspired picks.

NEW TEASER TRAILER – Casper Kelly’s BUDDY will release in theaters August 28. What if Barney became a sadistic maniac? A group of children are trapped in an TV show hosted by the innocent humanoid unicorn named BUDDY. When the kids start to disobey, he goes on a rampage. https://t.co/Iq1Vo5FDOM

— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) July 21, 2026

Not every trending costume comes from a screen. The squishy stress toy NeeDoh landed at No. 2, proving that Halloween creativity often pulls from the stranger corners of the internet.

Musician Oliver Tree and a disco-themed take on Scooby-Doo also made the cut. Meanwhile, Hazel Hook from ‘Descendants’ keeps the Disney franchise in the Halloween conversation.

Google’s data also highlighted several trending pairings for duos. Cyclops and Jean Grey from ‘X-Men’ are a popular choice, alongside Nikki and Bear from ‘Obsession’. Several couples costumes inspired by Prime Video’s hockey romance ‘Off Campus’ are also trending. That gives fans of the series an easy way to coordinate this spooky season.

This year’s list once again shows how much film and television influence Halloween. From horror breakouts to Nolan’s mythological epic, the screen continues to drive what people want to wear. With Halloween just around the corner, expect to see plenty of unicorns, zebra prints, and Greek warriors filling parties and parades this month.

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