Halloween is a little over two weeks away, and Google has the receipts on what everyone is planning to wear. The company published its annual Frightgeist rankings on Wednesday, the costume searches surging the most this fall, and the top spot belongs to a seven-foot orange unicorn from one of the year’s unlikeliest hit movies.
Buddy the Unicorn, from Casper Kelly’s horror comedy Buddy, leads Google’s list of the top trending costumes for 2026. Google notes that searches for “buddy unicorn costume” overtook the generic “kids unicorn costume” for the first time this September, a neat measure of how completely the character has broken through. In the film, Buddy is the cheerful host of a 1990s-style children’s show called It’s Buddy!, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, and the young guests on his show learn that he is far more dangerous than he looks.
It is the latest milestone in a run that has defied every expectation. Buddy opened in late August and went on to earn more than $26 million, becoming the highest-grossing release in Saban Films’ history, and it arrived on digital this week, just in time for anyone who wants to meet him before dressing as him. A Blu-ray and DVD release follows on December 8, with a VHS edition up for pre-order on November 24.
The highest-placing human character on the list is at No. 3: Nikki, the role that made Inde Navarrette a breakout star in Curry Barker’s Obsession. Google says searches for the character’s red zebra halter top have hit an all-time high since the film’s release, and NBCUniversal is selling official Nikki costumes for fans who want the ready-made version. Nikki also appears on Google’s couples list, where Nikki and Bear rank No. 3. Navarrette has Halloween night booked as well: she hosts Saturday Night Live on October 31.
Behind Buddy, the rest of the top 10 mixes toys, games and one very old war. NeeDoh, the squishy sensory toy, sits at No. 2, Agamemnon from The Odyssey takes No. 4, and Lily Love Braids from Poppy Playtime is No. 5. Oliver Tree, Verity from Minecraft, Carl from Dungeon Crawler Carl and Disco Scooby Doo fill the next spots, and the list closes with Hazel Hook from Descendants at No. 10, with Google noting that “realistic Hazel Hook cosplay” has become a breakout search this year.
Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31 this year, giving every one of these looks a full weekend to play out at parties and on front porches. If Google’s data is any guide, expect a lot of orange unicorns at the door.