TL;DR — the direct answer: Google's 2026 Frightgeist list of the fastest-rising Halloween costume searches in the US is topped by Buddy the Unicorn, the sinister character from the horror movie "Buddy", followed by NeeDoh squishy toys and Nikki from the horror film "Obsession" — and Americans were expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween, including $4.4 billion on costumes alone.
What happened: Google's 2026 Frightgeist list — which tracks the biggest jumps in Halloween costume searches in the US, not the overall most popular costumes — has a very online top three. Number one is Buddy the Unicorn, the cheerful-looking but sinister character from the horror movie "Buddy". Second is NeeDoh, the colourful squishy stress toys all over social media. Third is Nikki, from the horror film "Obsession". Other fast-rising searches include Agamemnon from "The Odyssey", Lily Love Braids from "Poppy Playtime" and Verity from "Minecraft".
Why it's trending: The list shows how fast movies, games and viral products now drive costume choices. A decade ago, the top costumes were dominated by classic horror figures and superheroes; this year's fastest-rising searches are led by a horror-movie unicorn, a stress toy and a video-game character — all things that blew up on social media first. The spending figure adds to the story: Americans were expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, including $4.4 billion on costumes alone, according to the National Retail Federation survey cited in coverage.
Background / context: Frightgeist is Google's annual Halloween trends list, built from US search data. The important fine print is what it measures: the biggest jumps in searches, not the most-worn costumes. That is why a niche horror character like Buddy can top the list — its searches rose fastest — while the most common costumes on the street may still be witches, vampires and superheroes. The National Retail Federation's spending survey is the standard annual estimate for Halloween in the US, and its $13.5 billion total for 2026 would be a record, with costumes accounting for about a third of it.
What we know / what's unconfirmed: Confirmed: the Frightgeist top three and the NRF spending estimate as reported. Note the fine print: Frightgeist measures search growth, so Buddy topping it does not mean it was the single most-worn costume in America — just the fastest-rising search. The spending figures are survey estimates, not final sales data, so the actual total will only be known after the season.
What happens next: Halloween itself is the test: costume shops, party photos and social media will show whether the fastest-rising searches turned into the most-worn costumes, and the NRF's post-season figures will confirm whether spending really hit the record $13.5 billion.
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Q: What was the number one Halloween costume search in 2026?
A: Buddy the Unicorn, the sinister character from the horror movie "Buddy", topped Google's Frightgeist list of fastest-rising costume searches in the US.
Q: Does topping Frightgeist mean it was the most-worn costume?
A: No. Frightgeist tracks the biggest jumps in searches, not the most popular costumes overall — so Buddy was the fastest-rising search, not necessarily the most-worn costume.
Q: How much were Americans expected to spend on Halloween in 2026?
A: A record $13.5 billion in total, including $4.4 billion on costumes alone, according to the National Retail Federation survey cited in coverage.
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