Best Halloween Costume Ideas For 2016

2016 has been a massive year for genre fare in cinemas and on the small screen, from superhero TV shows and movies and a new Star Trek movie on its 50th anniversary, to the long-awaited return of Star Wars and even the first Star Wars spinoff.

From Deadpool and Batman V Superman to Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, Supergirl and The Flash, there are more iconic characters getting adapted faithfully into live-action than ever before, and that means the best (and the most!) costumes we've seen yet! If you're still on the hunt for a great Halloween costume for 2016, or building out your future cosplay plans, we've put together a guide featuring several dozen of the most popular Halloween costumes of the year.

Without further ado here are the Best Halloween Costumes of 2016, a guide featuring ideas and links to everything you need to have the best costume at your Halloween event.

Deadpool

Based upon Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Deadpool started the year by taking the movie world by storm. It set records as an R-rated movie, as a February release, and it did so while being banned in China and without tacking on a 3D premium. It's the most successful X-Men movie yet thanks to star and producer Ryan Reynolds who spearheaded the project into existence so we expect the popular convention cosplay costume to easily become a top Halloween 2016 outfit as well.

Here's a great Deadpool costume guide from Warrior Jackets along with some links to key items if you want to put together a higher-end Halloween costume:

You'll also want to look into tactical holsters and combat boots (links to some later in this guide):

The quick and cheap option:

More: Superpowers You Didn’t Know Deadpool Has

Harley Quinn

Love makes us do crazy things. And for the bubbly and psychotic Harley Quinn, that includes dressing in costume, becoming a super-villain, carrying gag-themed weaponry, and murdering countless civilians—all just to put a smile on her puddin's face.

Before her descent into madness, Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a promising psychiatrist assigned to Arkham Asylum, Gotham's home for the criminally insane. But after meeting the Joker, the young doctor became obsessed with the crazed criminal's warped mind. Sensing opportunity, the Joker manipulated her, driving his therapist so mad that he was able to control her. Harleen fell in love with the villain, broke him out of Arkham and devoted her life to making him happy and spreading his bloody brand of mayhem.

Athletic, agile and dangerously unpredictable in a fight, Harley Quinn is a formidable opponent in her own right. She is willing to do anything in order to further the Clown Prince of Crime's goals—no matter the cost to anyone else or even herself. Her energetic, affable and animated personality is enough to make almost anyone drop their guard—a mistake that could easily cost them their life. Deranged and psychotic, Harley Quinn is the poster girl for chaos' terrifying allure.

Arguably the most popular comic book character of the year? The fan-fave Harley Quinn, one of the most common costumes to see at conventions and a top selling book seller, is a scene-stealer thanks to the help of Margot Robbie who may get to lead her own spinoff movie. Quinn might just end up being the most popular Halloween costume of everything on this list and thankfully, there are countless resources online to help acquire and build out her DCEU debut outfit.

Accessories:

And more:

Katana

After the death of her husband at the hands of the Yakuza, martial arts expert and samurai master Tatsu Yamashiro journeyed to America, where she became the vigilante hero known as Katana. However, Katana's quest for justice isn't a solo affair—the souls of her dead husband and countless others currently reside in her sword, the mystical blade known as the Soultaker.

Trained in martial arts and swordsmanship from a young age, Katana possesses vast combat skills and tactical expertise. She has served as a member of the Outsiders, Birds of Prey, the Suicide Squad and most recently, the Justice League of America under Colonel Steve Trevor and Amanda Waller.

Despite her commitment to her heroic duties, Katana still seeks to free the souls trapped her in sword, attempting to resolve their personal conflicts in order to grant them peace—desperately hoping one day the soul she frees will be that of her husband so he may finally be at rest.

Katana got her big screen debut in Suicide Squad after also appearing on the small screen in Arrow not long prior. For DC Comics fans working on a group theme this year for Halloween or simply want a badass cosplay outfit, Katana is a must. To put this outfit together, the mask is key.

Now you just need a toy sword!

The Joker

Don't make us laugh. The green hair. The crazed smile. The maniacal cackle. You know exactly who he is and how far he'd go to put a smile on your face.

Whether by way of award-winning films like "The Dark Knight," Emmy-winning animated programs like "Batman: The Animated Series," video game appearances such as the record-breaking "Batman: Arkham Asylum," or the countless comics stacking comic book shelves and digital libraries, the Joker stands unquestionably as the most recognizable and popular comic book villain in pop culture history. Unpredictable, violent and incredibly dangerous, he is chaos personified and has taken on everyone from his archenemy Batman to even the Man of Steel.

But Gotham remains his primary home and Batman his biggest adversary, and no hero is perhaps better suited as in many ways, the Joker is the polar opposite of the Dark Knight. Both were created by a great tragedy, but Batman has since vowed to do whatever it takes to prevent similar incidents, the Joker revels in creating chaos and destroying lives, believing that life’s a big joke and psychotically demonstrating that in a moment, it can all change.

Not much is known about his past, but his acts during the present are what define the Joker as one of the greatest threats to our heroes and the people they've sworn to protect. He's killed a Robin, crippled Batgirl, and tortured and murdered countless people throughout the DC Universe—all just for a laugh.

Heath Ledger's take on The Joker for The Dark Knight quickly became one of the most popular cosplay costumes to see at conventions, and now there's a new live-action version for fans to strive for. Jared Leto's Joker, introduced in Suicide Squad, there are lots of different costumes to choose from for the iconic Batman villain but the bleached skin, green hair, and temporary tattoos are a must. We'll focus on the main costume with the purple long coat.

Accessories:

Batman

Dark Knight. Caped Crusader. World’s Greatest Detective. Whatever you know him as, wherever you know him from—the blockbuster movies, TV shows, video games, cartoons, or millions of comics—Batman is proof you don’t need superpowers to be a superhero… and the poster boy for what a bad childhood can do to you.

Millionaire Bruce Wayne was just a kid when he watched his parents get gunned down during a mugging in Gotham City. The crime would define his life, as he dedicated himself to becoming the world’s greatest weapon against crime—the Batman.

Forget his Batarangs, Batmobile, or Utility Belt filled with high-tech weapons. Batman is the most feared superhero of all, because he’s pushed himself to the absolute pinnacle of human achievement. He’s a brilliant detective who’s mastered fighting techniques the world’s barely heard of. An Olympic-caliber athlete with a plan for every occasion, Batman’s seemingly always five steps ahead of his foes. But in his crusade against injustice, two questions always loom: How far will he go to protect the innocent, and will he sacrifice his humanity along the way?

Batman's back thanks to this year's controversial Man of Steel followup, but no matter the love-hate reception of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, everyone can agree that this new Batman is pretty awesome. And that's why over a year before Batman returns again for Justice League, there's already buzz building for Ben Affleck's followup solo movie which is is writing and directing. In BvS we met this new, bulkier take on the character and saw him suit up in full-on armor so these were musts for our Halloween 2016 list:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Mens Batman Grand Heritage Costume from BuyCostumes.com

Accessories:

Armored Batman

Batman Adult Supreme Armored Grand Heritage Costume (2) (3) (4)

Superman

The most recognized superhero in pop culture, Superman has been elevated to mythic folkhero status. Rocketed to Earth from the dying planet Krypton, baby Kal-El was found by a farming couple who named the boy Clark Kent and raised him as their own. Discovering his enormous powers, they instilled in him strong moral values—and inspired him to become a hero.

Superman has super-everything—strength, speed, flight, invulnerability as well as his renowned X-ray and heat vision. The most powerful being on the planet, his amazing abilities are also a melancholy reminder of how different he is from the people he’s dedicated to protect.

A universal icon, Superman means different things to the many diverse people he inspires: He’s an alien; an immigrant from a faraway land just looking to help; a country boy fighting the never-ending battle for truth and justice. And recent comics have truly spotlighted his role as the people’s hero: Following a neophyte Man of Steel still learning his powers’ limits, Superman fights the evil corporate tycoons and corrupt one-percenters that have overwhelmed the establishment.

Stay tuned next year for the Supergirl version of Superman (played by Tyler Hoechlin).

Captain America

Vowing to serve his country any way he could, young Steve Rogers took the super soldier serum to become America's one-man army. Fighting for the red, white and blue for over 60 years, Captain America is the living, breathing symbol of freedom and liberty.

Captain America's present day costumes (the slightly goofy Avengers 1 one aside) have remained rather consistent in design. There's not much difference between Chris Evans' Avengers: Age of Ultron field outfit to 2016's Civil War one for instance. We're focusing on that latest variant here, although we'll include a few links to other MCU ones as well. Fans can of course dig through countless classic and comic book inspired designs and get crafty and try to build the latest new outfit from the comics (where Rogers secretly works for Hydra!)

Accessories

Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye has had a different field outfit for each film, and despite not having any super powers of his own, has stepped into many superhero roles in Marvel Comics. His latest attire from Captain America: Civil War saw Barton add more purple to his costume with one full sleeve but since Civil War merchandise on the cosplay side hasn't made the rounds yet in the high-end costume shops so for this guide we're going to focus on an amazing Avengers: Age of Ultron outfit - a movie costume design inspired by the classic Hawkeye from Marvel Comics.

The entire set centers on this key component, Hawkeye's long coat:

Avengers: Age of Ultron Hawkeye Coat from Angel Jackets

Hawkeye Avengers: Age of Ultron Coat from Angel Jackets

If you want to suit up Avengers 1 style with the vest, there's this:

Hawkeye's Avengers vest from Warrior Jackets

And to really make this work for Halloween or cosplay, it's all in the details

Black slim fit cargo pants or military/tactical pants
Black combat boots or custom Hawkeye boots from Xcoser
Archery arm guard
Shooter's glove
Any black quiver, or if you're hardcore, a high-end custom Hawkeye movie quiver from Etsy (here's another Etsy variant)
Any cheap black bow (or the NERF) bow, or a custom movie Hawkeye bow on Etsy

Scarlet Witch

Potentially the most powerful individual in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch is trying her best at keeping her abilities in check while serving as a member of The Avengers. That is, until Captain America: Civil War saw her and Team Cap fall out of favor with the government.

When it comes to her style, Scarlet Witch wears clothing that's a little more real-life inspired than superhero, and its certainly a more grounded departure to the revealing attire she rocks in Marvel Comics. In her Age of Ultron introduction (pictured above), she kept the red theme to go with the red-colored telekinetic energies. Much of her costume is comprised of easy-to-fin real-life items so long as you have the key unique piece in her red jacket:

Add a bunch of jewelry including rings, necklaces, and bracelets to detail it on top of these key ideas from Carbon Costume:

More: Scarlet Witch’s Alternate Civil War Costume Design Revealed

Green Arrow

What was the last thing you took home from an island getaway? A tacky souvenir? A great tan? More boring slideshows than you have friends to show?

Spoiled billionaire Oliver Queen came home with an entirely different personality—and a newfound purpose in life. Completely self-absorbed and never caring about anything but himself, Queen was on a leisurely sailing trip when his assistant betrayed him, leaving him for dead on a desolate remote island. Stranded, he survived by, amongst other things, mastering a bow and arrow. When he eventually discovered the primitive locals that shared the island with him, he uncovered a large conglomerate sadistically exploiting and enslaving them. Ollie used his new skills of survival and archery to lead a rebellion— only to realize how similar his opponents were to the man he used to be.

Returning to civilization only meant more opportunities to watch greed and corruption strangle Joe and Jane Average. Outfitting himself with arrows that shoot tear gas, smoke, nets, and more, Green Arrow has a trick shot for every obstacle. A modern-day Robin Hood, he constantly fights for the little guy as a crusading symbol for revolution. And his days on that island, filled with sweat, blood, and desperation, are a testament to what it takes for someone to answer that wake-up call, change their ways, and fly straight.

As straight as an arrow.

Launching its fifth season on The CW this week, Stephen Amell's Arrow is the spearhead of the CW DC TV universe, and his costume gets tweaks and upgrades each new season. Thankfully, due to the popularity of the character in the books and on TV, there's a lot of variety in high-end custom products available for cosplayers.

The Flash

Young Barry Allen’s life stopped the minute his mother was murdered. The true killer never found, its mystery obsessed Barry, driving him to become a forensic scientist. Consumed by his work, he spent his life chained to his desk, solving every case that flew across it. But when a freak lightning bolt hits a nearby shelf in his lab, Barry receives super-speed, becoming the Flash. Now, he’ll race up buildings, across oceans, and around the world to get his man—while getting introduced to a world so much bigger than his old life of microscopes and cold cases.

Able to run at near light-speeds, his powers provide the ultimate caffeine kick: He can run up buildings, move so swiftly he phases through objects, create sonic booms with the snap of his fingers—and never need to order delivery. Despite his speed, Barry can become so obsessed with crime-solving he can still lose track of everything else around him, leaving the fastest man alive constantly running a minute behind.

The Flash season 3 kicks off with Flashpoint this week on The CW, and will soon be joined by fellow DC Comics series Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. As a clear fan favorite amongst the group, there are finally some cool replica costumes available for fans looking to suit up for Halloween and/or cosplay as the Scarlet Speedster.

And as a villainous bonus:

The Flash Zoom Black Jacket by Film Jackets

Supergirl

Superman: The most powerful being on the planet. Able to leap tall buildings and outspeed bullets. But what would have happened if he wasn’t raised by the decent, humble souls that gave him his morals? What if he arrived on Earth a teenager—with all the attitude and rebellion that comes with the territory?

Timed perfectly for Halloween, Supergirl returns to TV for its second season after movie from CBS to The CW where it joins fellow DC Comics superheroes, the Green Arrow, The Flash, and the Legends of Tomorrow for four-nights-of-the-week action beginning this week. The mega powerful Kryptonian hero known as Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) is an easy pick for our list.

Kylo Ren

A dark warrior strong with the Force, Kylo Ren commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber. As a leader of the First Order and a student of Supreme Leader Snoke, he seeks to destroy the New Republic, the Resistance and the legacy of the Jedi.

The young and wild Kylo Ren has a thankfully much easier costume to piece together for designers than Darth Vader since its more fabric over tech, so crafty costumers can do a lot of the main section, hood and sash if they're making instead of buying. To get the right helmet and lightsaber though, we can help.

Complete set available in the UK:

Whole Kylo Ren Set from CosplaySky (minus the lightsaber and boots)

The totally casual option:

Kylo Ren hoodie by TV Store Online

Rey

5 Rey's nn14 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Rey is a Jakku scavenger, a survivor toughened by life on a harsh desert planet. When the fugitive droid BB-8 appeals to her for help, Rey finds herself drawn into a galaxy-spanning conflict. Despite dismissing herself as “no one,” she learns that her life is being shaped by the mysterious power of the Force.

Very intentionally we all believe, Rey's costume is inspired by the similar designs of Luke Skywalker and Anakin, both of course also grew up under unique circumstances with parental issues wearing similarly styled and colored garb. The bulk of Rey's costume can easily be made for crafty people if you purchase the right fabrics and find the right looking belts, but there are lots of online options too:

Finn

FN-2187 was trained since birth to serve the First Order as a stormtrooper, but a skirmish on Jakku awakened his conscience and drove him down a different path, one that proved both heroic and dangerous. He helped Poe Dameron escape the First Order – picking up the nickname Finn in doing so – and then sought his own freedom alongside Rey and BB-8.

When we first meet Finn he's a Stormtrooper (more on that costume later) for but the rest of his journey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens his costume is grounded and easy to piece together if you have one key piece: his cool jacket he gets from Poe Dameron. You're just in luck!

Stormtrooper

Stormtroopers are elite shock troops fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause. They wear imposing white armor, which offers a wide range of survival equipment and temperature controls to allow the soldiers to survive in almost any environment. Stormtroopers wield blaster rifles and pistols with great skill, and attack in hordes to overwhelm their enemies. Along with standard stormtroopers, the Empire has organized several specialized units, including snowtroopers and scout troopers.

If you absolutely love Star Wars, dressing up for Halloween, and cosplay, you can't go wrong with a legit Stormtrooper outfit. And while you're at it, join the 501st legion - one of the coolest fan-driven organizations ever conceived (check out their costuming guides too!). There are plenty of cheap options, but if you want to actually look the part, it's going to cost you.

Definitely check out Stormtrooper-Costumes.com and OriginalStormtrooper.com for more and to seach other accessories (like holsters and the E-11 blaster).

Death Trooper

The elite soldiers of Imperial Intelligence, Death Troopers are encased in specialized stormtrooper armor with a dark, ominous gleam. These soldiers serve as bodyguards and enforcers for Director Krennic, a highly placed officer within the Advanced Weapons Research division of the Empire.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought the iconic Stormtroopers back to the big screen with updated designs, tweaked helmets and blasters, etc. but Rogue One brings fans back to the area of the classics. But to add some variety (and to keep Disney's Consumer Products division happy) there are a few new types of Imperial infantry appearing in theaters this December, the most notable of which is the intimidating Death Troopers.

Big focus of Rogue Friday and the licensing campaign for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Deluxe Adult Death Trooper Costume by Rubie's
NERF Imperial Death Trooper Deluxe Blaster
Supreme Edition Shadow Trooper Costume by HalloweenCostumes.com (note: This is a black Stormtrooper and doesn't feature the details or helmet of the Rogue One Death Trooper)

Captain Kirk

For much of Star Trek Beyond, the crew of the USS Enterprise were stranded on a dangerous planet and out of regular uniform, so the crew got to wear stylish new duds. We love the new field jackets with the yellow office designs that Captain Kirk and others got to wear this time around and while Anovos has an amazing premium replica in the works for early 2017, there's an alternative for those looking to boldly celebrate this Halloween.

Phasers are a little more difficult to find but you can seek out the Playmates phaser from 2009's Star Trek on Amazon or eBay or the more rare Star Trek Into Darkness phase that came with the limited edition Amazon exclusive Blu-ray set.

Anyone looking for a long-term cosplay/premium/collectors item, Anovos is putting together this masterpiece jacket that's currently available for pre-order.

Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker was a Tatooine farmboy who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest Jedi the galaxy has ever known. Along with his friends Princess Leia and Han Solo, Luke battled the evil Empire, discovered the truth of his parentage, and ended the tyranny of the Sith. A generation later, the location of the famed Jedi master was one of the galaxy’s greatest mysteries.

Luke Skywalker is back! At least, he's about to be next year when the untitled Star Wars: Episode VIII finally releases since he only had a few seconds of screen time and no dialogue (and no licensed merchandise) in The Force Awakens. But, with Rogue One bringing fans back to the era of young teen Luke anxious to leave the planet Tattooine and fight the Galactic Empire, there's a neat old school option we're going to share here:

Luke Skywalker's yellow Award Ceremony Jacket from A New Hope by Angel Jackets

Of course, there's always his original Tatooine outfit, his Rebel Pilot jumpsuit, his Empire Strikes Back getup (you can get that here from Angel Jackets), his Return of the Jedi black robes, as well, but we love this one.

Han Solo

Smuggler. Scoundrel. Hero. Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, was one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. He and his co-pilot Chewbacca came to believe in the cause of galactic freedom, joining Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa in the fight against the Empire. But after the Battle of Endor, Han would face difficult times in a galaxy plagued by chaos and uncertainty.

Just because Harrison Ford's old Han Solo is out of the picture after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the character will always live on. In fact, Solo's getting his own origin spinoff movie of sorts with Alden Ehrenreich set to play the new take on the character which means we aren't done yet with the rugged smuggler's cool duds.

Flipping back and forth between vests and jackets, Han Solo's got a fan-fave style and with Rogue One bringing us back to the era of the original trilogy and the heroic character bidding us farewell, the Millennium Falcon captain is a must for this list.

Cheap, fast option:

DL-44 Blaster:

Deluxe plastic Han Solo blaster (and augment with this guide from Instructibles)
Episode VII NERF Han Solo Blaster
Custom high-end Blaster on Etsy (and another)

Neither of those options are as detailed or accurate as some older Han Solo toy guns so be sure to check out eBay and other options for custom accessories or costume pieces on this one. There are a lot of options.

Planning long-term? Look out for the officially licensed, premium Empire Strikes Back "Bespin" outfit from Anovos.