Google has released its 2026 Frightgeist report, revealing the year’s top trending Halloween costumes and horror search data. Nostalgic staples and toy franchises made strong appearances, but breakout indie horror is driving this year’s pop culture zeitgeist.
Taking the No. 1 overall spot for trending costumes is Buddy the Unicorn, the unhinged star of the viral indie-horror sensation “Buddy.”
Close behind is Nikki, the central character from director Curry Barker’s breakout hit “Obsession,” coming in at No. 3.
Top 10 Trending Costumes of 2026:
- Buddy the Unicorn
- NeeDoh
- Nikki (from Obsession)
- Agamemnon (from The Odyssey)
- Lily Love Braids (from Poppy Playtime)
- Oliver Tree
- Verity (from Minecraft)
- Carl (from Dungeon Crawler Carl)
- Disco Scooby Doo
- Hazel Hook (from Descendants)
The influence of “Obsession” extends far beyond individual outfits. Nikki also landed the No. 3 spot in trending couple costumes alongside Bear—a pairing that continues to ignite heated debate among genre fans.
When NBCUniversal unveiled official licensed costumes earlier this fall, fans swarmed our Instagram to debate Bear’s controversial actions in the film. The discourse generated unprecedented engagement on the platform, with daily comments arguing for and against the costume choice.
The film’s central mystical object, the One Wish Willow, also became a viral retail phenomenon. Searches for “One Wish Willow for sale” surged following promotional replica drops, which sold out instantly.
“Every year, people turn to Search to discover creative Halloween costume ideas,” said Jenny Lee, a trends data expert at Google. “Pop culture and viral moments have always influenced Halloween costumes, but this year’s list really highlights how quickly a Search trend can turn into a top trending costume.”
Surprisingly, horror movie search trends didn’t fully reflect box-office revenue. While “Buddy” claimed the No. 1 spot for both top trending movie and top trending costume, “Obsession” failed to break the top 10 for movie searches despite crossing $500 million worldwide.
Top 10 Trending Horror Movies in 2026:
- “Buddy”
- “Other Mommy”
- “The Whisper Man”
- “Passenger”
- “Brute”
- “Insidious: Out of the Further”
- “Resident Evil”
- “Arachnophobia”
- “Hokum”
- “The Backrooms”
Whether you’re assembling a screen-accurate Nikki outfit, hunting down a One Wish Willow, or braving the night as Buddy the Unicorn, 2026 proves that indie horror is officially running the season.
