Halloween is here, and with that, costume parties have arrived. Now, we’ve already covered some of the most coveted looks of the year, such as KPop Demon Hunters, as well as wacky superhero fun, and, of course, titans of terror like Terrifier, but what about the outright weird?
Here are io9’s picks for the strange and unusual but often hilarious Halloween costumes of 2025. Retailers took some familiar spooky season icons and gave them a spin that goes from cleverly yet confusingly sexy to head-scratching to grimly funny to downright nightmare fuel. There’s a lot of room in between for so many questions, so if you go for any of our picks, you might just end up being the talk of the party.
Costumes for Women
SpongeBob SquarePants Patrick Star Catsuit Costume – Spirit Halloween: The SpongeBob SquarePants movie came out in 2004, but it gave us a Patrick meme that will never die; it’s truly the gift that keeps on slaying. The fishnets and boots dance moment is bizarrely iconic and has no right to diva down this hard so many years later.
Shrek Lord Farquaad Dress Costume – Spirit Halloween:The way this fun Lady Farquaad looks like the perfect fit to throw on has made me a believer. It’s simply a serve in the oddest way possible… and just might make the wearer suddenly want to track down gingerbread men to torture.
Pearl “Killer Farmhouse Starlet” Premium Costume Set – DollsKill: She’s a staaaaaaaar! Did we need a skimpy Pearl movie costume moment? It feels so random to pull from such a cult film but the folks at DollsKill really did it. Good luck trying to secure this costume; it’s already sold out. (You could probably DIY your own version pretty easily, though.)
The Cat in the Hat poncho – Spirit Halloween: Whimsical yet low effort makes no sense to go together, but this lazy Cat in the Hat poncho pulls off that combination with ease. You can make it scarier with makeup prosthetics or just draw on some whiskers but always remain an agent of Seussical chaos.
Costumes for Men
The Emperor’s New Groove Kronk Costume – Spirit Halloween: Kronk can definitely pull the lever in this Emperor’s New Groove costume based on the himbo evil sidekick from the early 2000s Disney animated movie. The character taking this long to join the Disney Villains Halloween lineup is so wild.
Full Moon Werewolf Costume – Spirit Halloween: Well, that’s one way to dress a werewolf transformation and be economical about how much fabric goes where. The booty shorts are a perfect touch and if you’re in a climate that tends to have Halloweens run hot, this might be for you.
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