Top Halloween Costumes: 1983-2019

Did you know the global Halloween market was valued at 4.7 billion dollars in 2024 — with North America accounting for approximately 40% of that revenue? Dressing up is a beloved annual tradition, changing drastically throughout the decades, reflecting popular (and unpopular!) characters, ideas, and more.

Growing up, were any of these part of your memories?

2024

      • Beetlejuice Characters
      • Inside Out 2 Emotions Characters
      • Superheroes
      • Taylor Swift

2023

      • Barbie
      • Super Mario Characters
      • Wednesday Addams

2022

      • Encanto Characters
      • Spider-Man
      • Squid Game

2021

      • The Mandalorian’s Grogu (Baby Yoda)
      • Black Widow
      • Among Us Crewmates

2020

      • Animal Crossing Characters
      • Harley Quinn
      • Classic Monsters

2019

      • Toy Story 4 Characters
      • Frozen Characters
      • Superheroes

2018

      • Black Panther Characters
      • Incredibles 2 Family Characters
      • Dinosaurs

2017

      • Wonder Woman
      • Despicable Me 3 Minions
      • Star Wars Characters

2016

      • Pokemon Go Characters
      • Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn
      • Classic Witches & Zombies

2015

      • Star Wars: The Force Awakens Characters
      • Minions Movie Characters
      • Superheroes

2014

      • Frozen Characters
      • Guardians of the Galaxy Characters
      • Ninja Turtles

2013

      • Despicable Me Minions
      • Monsters University Characters
      • Superheroes

2012

      • The Avengers Characters
      • Brave Merida
      • The Dark Knight Rises Batman

2011

      • Harry Potter Characters
      • Transformers
      • Angry Birds

2010

      • Toy Story 3 Characters
      • Avatar Na’vi
      • Iron Man

2009

      • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
      • Harry Potter Characters
      • Twilight Characters

2008

      • The Dark Knight Characters
      • High School Musical Characters
      • Iron Man

2007

      • Transformers Characters
      • Pirates of the Caribbean Characters
      • Hannah Montana

2006

      • Pirates of the Caribbean Characters
      • Superman
      • Cars Characters

2005

      • Star Wars Characters
      • Batman
      • Fantastic Four Characters

2004

      • Spider-Man
      • The Incredibles Family
      • SpongeBob SquarePants

2003

      • Pirates of the Caribbean Characters
      • The Lord of the Rings Characters
      • Finding Nemo Characters

2002

      • Spider-Man
      • Harry Potter Characters
      • Star Wars Characters

2001

      • Harry Potter Characters
      • Shrek Characters
      • Lord of the Rings Characters

2000

      • X-Men Characters
      • Harry Potter Characters
      • Classic Monsters

1999

      • Star Wars Characters (The Phantom Menace)
      • The Matrix Characters
      • SpongeBob SquarePants

1998

      • Rugrats Characters
      • Power Rangers
      • A Bug’s Life Characters

1997

      • Hercules Characters
      • Batman & Robin
      • Men in Black Characters

1996

      • Space Jam Characters
      • The Hunchback of Notre Dame Characters
      • Toy Story Characters

1995

      • Toy Story Characters
      • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
      • Pocahontas Characters

1994

      • The Lion King Characters
      • The Mask
      • The Flintstones

1993

      • Jurassic Park Characters
      • Aladdin Characters
      • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1992

      • Batman Returns Characters (Batman, Catwoman, Penguin)
      • Beauty & the Beast Characters
      • X-Men Characters

1991

      • Terminator 2 Characters
      • The Addams Family
      • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Characters

1990

      • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
      • The Simpsons Characters
      • Edward Scissorhands

1989

      • Batman (Michael Keaton’s Batman)
      • The Little Mermaid Characters
      • Ghostbusters

1988

      • Beetlejuice
      • Who Framed Roger Rabbit Characters
      • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1987

      • Masters of the Universe (He-Man, Skeletor)
      • Star Wars Characters
      • The Care Bears

1986

      • Ghostbusters
      • Transformers Characters
      • G.I. Joe Characters

1985

      • Back to the Future Characters
      • Rainbow Brite
      • She-Ra & He-Man Characters

1984

      • Ghostbusters
      • Gremlins
      • The Terminator

1983

      • Return of the Jedi Characters (Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Ewoks)
      • He-Man & the Masters of the Universe
      • Care Bears

1982

      • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
      • Tron Characters
      • Smurfs

1981

      • Raiders of the Lost Ark Characters (Indiana Jones)
      • The Fox & the Hound Characters
      • Pac-Man & Ms. Pac-Man

1980

      • Star Wars Characters (The Empire Strikes Back)
      • The Blues Brothers
      • Classic Superheroes (Superman, Wonder Woman)

1979

      • Alien Characters (Xenomorphs)
      • Muppet Show Characters
      • Buck Rogers

1978

      • Grease Characters (Danny, Sandy)
      • Superman (Christopher Reeve’s Version)
      • Classic Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein)

1977

      • Star Wars Characters (A New Hope)
      • Charlie’s Angels
      • Wonder Woman

1976

      • Rocky Balboa
      • The Six Million Dollar Man
      • Bionic Woman

1975

      • Jaws Characters (Shark, Quint)
      • Planet of the Apes Characters
      • The Pink Panther

1974

      • The Godfather Characters
      • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Characters
      • Scooby-Doo Characters

1973

      • The Exorcist (Regan)
      • Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Characters
      • The Brady Bunch Characters

1972

    • The Lorax Characters
    • Classic Disney Characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck)
    • Gilligan’s Island Characters

1971

      • Willy Wonka Characters
      • Classic Superheroes (Batman, Superman, Spider-Man)
      • The Addams Family

1970

      • Scooby-Doo Characters
      • Sesame Street Characters
      • Flintstones Characters

1969

      • Scooby-Doo Characters
      • The Beatles
      • Space Astronauts (Inspired by Apollo 11 Moon Landing)

1968

      • Planet of the Apes Characters
      • Batman & Robin (Adam West TV Series)
      • The Monkees

1967

      • The Jungle Book Characters
      • Star Trek Characters
      • The Pink Panther

1966

      • Batman & Robin (Adam West TV Series)
      • The Green Hornet
      • Bewitched Characters

1965

      • The Sound of Music Characters
      • Thunderbirds (Marionette TV Series)
      • Classic Disney Characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck)

1964

      • The Addams Family
      • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV Special)
      • Mary Poppins Characters

1963

      • The Flintstones Characters
      • The Jetsons Characters
      • Classic Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy)

1962

      • James Bond Characters
      • Rock Hudson & Doris Day Movie Characters
      • Zorro

1961

      • The Alvin Show Characters (Alvin & the Chipmunks)
      • 101 Dalmatians Characters
      • Peter Pan

1960

      • The Lone Ranger
      • Popeye & Olive Oyl
      • Davy Crockett

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