Trick or Treat!

Halloween has been a big deal in Animal Crossing dating back to the earliest entries on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. The particulars change from one game to the next, but the event usually lets players hand out candy to their neighbors. A pumpkin-headed visitor named Jack often rewards players for their generosity, and everyone in town joins in on the fun. Unfortunately, Isabelle is unable to take part because she’s too busy working. I think the girl needs more days off, but Isabelle doesn’t let anything bring her down. Even though she’s stuck at work, she spreads Halloween cheer from behind her desk by wearing an delightful witch hat. It’s obviously not the most elaborate costume, but the adorable hat makes her seem like she’s part of the festivities. Building a sense of community is what Halloween is all about.

Halloween outfits in Marvel Rivals are a little redundant since superhero outfits already function as costumes. Deadpool embraces the silliness by wearing his Halloween costume on top of his existing superhero threads. While costumes often act as disguises, Deadpool’s nurse outfit demands the spotlight. Wade Wilson often treats gender presentation as a prop, so the blonde wig, fishnet stockings, and stilettos are par for the course. Female nurse costumes were all the rage in 2008, thanks to Heath Ledger’s iconic performance in The Dark Knight. Nurse-Pool’s biggest influence seems to be Elle Driver from Kill Bill: Vol. 1, however, and the eyepatch is a clever visual homage. In essence, he’s wearing a costume on top of his costume and taking inspiration from someone else’s costume. That kind of absurdity is what Halloween is all about.

Peely is an anthropomorphic banana with a cheerful smile and a reactive design that ripens over the course of battle. He loves acting like an idiot, and he intentionally places himself into dangerous situations just so people will pay attention to him. Fortnite‘s “snapshot” lore frequently treats alternate outfits as unique characters with their own personalities and backstories, but Peely Bone obviously loves being the center of attention just as much as the default Peely does. The Halloween-themed variant is even more likely to turn heads, as half of his body has an exposed skeletal structure. You can literally see his intestines, and he draws even more attention to himself by playing his rib cage like a xylophone! Peely Bone manages to be spooky and hilarious at the same time, and that’s what Halloween is all about.

In League of Legends, Halloween is represented by an event known as the Harrowing. While this sounds foreboding, the people of Valoran mark the occasion by wearing spooky costumes and exchanging candy. Dozens of costumes have been released as part of Harrowing events, but Dr. Mundo is being singled out because of how absurd his costume is. The so-called Madman of Zaun has deluded himself into believing he’s a doctor, so you’d figure he’d jump at the opportunity to assume yet another identity. The Harrowing gave him the chance to be anyone he wanted, and he chose to be… Mundo? His aptly-named Mundo Mundo outfit consists of plastic oven mitts, an inflatable bone saw, and a crude cardboard mask of his own face! Mundo’s costume allows him to be himself, and that’s what Halloween is all about.

Overwatch has an annual event called Halloween Terror that includes a myriad of exclusive cosmetics based on classic horror icons. Junkrat assumes the role of Dr. Junkenstein, and he looks like a mad scientist with his lab coat, goggles, and wild hair. As Junkensten’s Monster, Roadhog has sickly green skin and heavy surgical stitches across his body. A special event called Junkenstein’s Revenge allows them to fully embrace their new Halloween personas, even though they’re clearly just wearing elaborate costumes. I’m kind of bending the rules by mentioning the Australian weirdos together as a single entry. Even though Mercy’s witch outfit would have been a more obvious choice, Junkrat and Roadhog deserve recognition because coordinated group costumes are what Halloween is all about.

Azur Lane has a huge collection of provocative Halloween-themed outfits, and you could almost pick a shipgirl at random and wind up with a great candidate for this list. Atago’s “Full Moon’s Feral Wolf” skin is a clear stand-out, and was even given it’s own porntastic scale figure. The shredded, fur-trimmed werewolf outfit underscores her “big sister wolf” persona, and her new dialogue lines showcase an unbridled enthusiasm. She’ll threaten to eat you up and wrap her tail around you, and it’s not hard to figure out what she means when she says she wants to “go feral” on you. The outfit is downright vulgar, but it’s not out of character. She has a reputation for sharing scandalous selfies, after all, so the slutty wolf get-up is remarkably on brand. Embracing your individuality is what Halloween is all about.

The Fire Emblem games aren’t set on Earth, so their Halloween events use a harvest festival as a framing device. In the kingdom of Askr, these festivals are defined by spooky decorations, pumpkins, and candy. Costumes play a role too, of course, and dozens of characters have been given thematically appropriate outfits. Although I have nice things to say about all of the adorable witch costumes, Hector is being singled out because he uses the festival as an excuse to bond with his daughter. He’s delightfully out of character in his mage costume, but Lilina loves her fox outfit and treats the festival with childlike wonder. (She reasons that “trick or treat” must be magic words because people give her candy whenever she utters the phrase!) It’s obvious that Hector is just trying to make his daughter happy, and that’s what Halloween is all about.

The Nekopara series is centered around a young man who runs a bakery staffed by playful catgirls who are inexplicably treated as pets. Saffron is arguably the most playful neko in the series, and she’s constantly teasing her Master. Everything she says is laced with innuendo, and her sly smile is a window to her salacious nature. Her Halloween costume is an extension of her personality, and it takes inspiration from one of pop culture’s most notorious mischief makers. The pink-and-purple stripes are a clear homage to the Cheshire Cat, and the fastener that keeps her top on is even shaped like the cat’s toothy grin. Saffron likes riling people up, and her costume tests the boundaries of what’s allowed on online store fronts. I’m sure she welcome the attention. Showing off your camel toe Pushing the envelope is what Halloween is all about.

If I wasn’t adhering the the “one entry per franchise” guideline, this list could be filled entirely with Dead or Alive girls. (DOA5 could have carried the entire countdown by itself!) Although there are many great options, Ayane’s fan-submitted succubus costume is being singled out for its sheer sex appeal. It barely covers her heaving breasts, and I love how her thong is literally shaped like a bat. The ensemble leans heavily into the bat-wing theme, and this design language is apparent in everything from her bow-tie to her barrette. The girl wouldn’t look out of place on the Darkstalkers roster! She deserves bonus points for color coordination, and I love how her sleeves and stockings accentuate her iconic purple hair. Ayane’s succubus costume makes her look like a total slut, and that’s what Halloween is all about.

After a disappointing launch, Capcom supported Street Fighter V for years with major updates and new content. There were hundreds of unique costumes too, and the Halloween outfits were especially creative. Ryu could assume the role of a demon-slaying samurai gear while Dhalsim had an incredible Invisible Man gimmick. E. Honda’s kappa costume is arguably the most transformative, however. He wears a massive shell on his back, his skin is covered in scales, and his head is completely obscured by a mask. He’d be unrecognizable if you didn’t already know it was him. In Japanese folklore, kappa are known to engage in sumo wrestling, so the costume is well suited for E. Honda. It obscures his appearance while also highlighting his devotion to sumo, and that’s what Halloween is all about.