Halloween stories have often popped up in anime and manga, complete with costumes, where they often embrace similar themes to Western stories. Sometimes, a costume is more complicated than it appears. A costume can reflect what a person really wants to be. Characters can dress like other famous characters that reflect their personality.
If a character already has a costumed alter-ego, they can go as themselves. Some supernatural beings even take advantage of looking like everyone else one night a year. These classic tropes can sometimes get a twist, too. In the end, there’s usually something more to a character’s costume than just being a costume.
10/10 Takuro Gets To Be A Hero For Halloween
Wedding Peach
In the episode, “A Halloween Witch,” the Love Angels’ friend, Takuro, is secretly aware of the devils, having made a deal with Igneous. Because of this, Takuro is aware that Potamos is planning to attack the girls at a Halloween party.
Takuro takes advantage of everyone already being in costume to show up dressed as Wedding Peach. Takuro even gets to perform a Wedding Kick while in disguise. The costume is implied to be magic, as the wig disappears once Potamos attacks him back.
9/10 Mana’s Neko-Musume Costume Helps Her Stay Brave During A Vampire Attack
Gegege No Kitaro
In Gegege no Kitaro‘s “The Vampire’s Halloween Party,” Mana invites Neko-Musume to a special Halloween event: a free VR vampire film. Neko-Musume isn’t too fond of the holiday but doesn’t want to spoil Mana’s fun, so just goes as herself.
Mana, on the other hand, dressed like Neko-Musume, complete with cat ears, making the two look like a pair. Unfortunately, their fun is ruined when vampires attack. In the end, after dealing with vampires, Mana assures Neko-Musume she was brave during the whole thing. After all, Mana was Neko-Musume for the night, too.
8/10 Everyone Is A Princess On Halloween Night
Dirty Pair
The second episode of the Dirty Pair OVA is “No Thanks! No Need For a Halloween Party.” Kei and Yuri are tasked with finding an escaped skeleton robot who’s prowling the town. The robot escaped before it was given artificial skin — but it’s Halloween, meaning it can blend in with the trick-or-treaters.
While the Lovely Angels are dealing with that, hordes of criminals are planning heists in costume. Viewers briefly see bad guys dressed like characters from Ali Baba, Alice in Wonderland, and even Star Wars. What takes the cake, however, is a hulking, muscular woman dressed like Disney’s Snow White lording over seven male underlings.
7/10 Maya’s Catwoman Costume Is Perfect For Covert Actions
Ultra Maniac
The Ultra Maniac episode “X-Day” revolves around the school’s costume party. Halloween isn’t explicitly mentioned, but the episode did air in late October, something the title seems to poke fun at. The villainous witch Maya attends the party, but she has an ulterior motive.
Maya wants to summon the dark zone, even causing people at the party to vanish into thin air. Before sneaking out to enact her plan, Maya briefly appears dressed as Catwoman. Nina’s cat Rio even takes notice.
6/10 The Zashiki Twins Make An Impression With Their Pumpkin Masks
Hozuki’s Coldheadedness
In Hozuki’s Coldheadedness, Hoozuki is the servant of King Enma, the lord of the dead. One episode reveals Halloween isn’t just big in the mortal world but is catching on in the afterlife, too.
In “Please Turnip for the Demon Parade,” the Zashiki Warashi yokai twins don jack-o-lanterns on top of their heads with kimonos to go trick-or-treating.
The twins hang upside-down from the ceiling in their costumes, though they’re surprised when people get scared. Despite originally using pumpkins, the twins also want to purchase turnips in honor of Halloween’s roots.
5/10 Rei’s Makeshift Costume Suits Her Perfectly
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
The live-action series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, transforms the famous “Masquerade” chapter into a Halloween story with “Sneaking into the Party?” While Usagi briefly models a few ballgowns similar to the original story, she ultimately ends up attending dressed in a bear-mascot costume.
Rei steals the show, however, sneaking in with just her miko robes and a red mask. The makeshift costume really matches Rei’s aloof, standoffish personality. In this version, Rei isn’t the type of girl to wear a costume unless necessary. It also ties nicely with how popular domino masks are in-universe, from Tuxedo Mask to Sailor V.
4/10 Ellen & Ako Add A Twist To Going As Themselves For Halloween
Suite PreCure♪
Suite PreCure♪‘s Halloween special, “Wakuwaku! Everyone Transform during Halloween-nya!,” pokes fun at the trope of characters going as themselves at Halloween. Ellen goes as a cat while Ako dresses up like a princess. Although they actually are wearing costumes, this still references their lives in Major Land.
Ellen’s alter-ego is Siren, a cat fairy who had been controlled by Mephisto. Likewise, Ako really is the princess of Major Land. During the holiday festivities, Ako even plays along with two boys who want to play-act a hero saving her from a monster. For their part, Hibiki goes as a pirate and Kanade is a witch.
3/10 Laura & Koharu Prove It’s Best To Think Outside The Box
Aikatsu Stars!
In Aikatsu Stars! “Halloween Magic” episode, Four Stars Academy does Halloween a little differently. First-year students trick-or-treat with upperclassmen and teachers. Whoever collects the most candy is crowned Halloween Princess. Naturally, the contest is harder than it looks, with the girls having to fight for candy.
Many of the girls attend dressed in cute costumes. Laura, however, goes in a taiyaki costume, effectively looking like a giant fish-shaped cake. Laura’s large costume initially comes in handy when blocking attacks, although it’s not much help when a pile of jack-o-lanterns gets dropped on her. Then again, Koharu’s mustached fairy costume gets her crowned Halloween Princess.
2/10 America & England Are The Comic World’s Favorite Duo
Hetalia
In Hetalia: The World Twinkle‘s “Surprise Halloween!,” America is hosting a Halloween party with a costume contest. England, who arrives dressed like Sherlock Holmes, was kept in the dark about the whole thing. Meanwhile, many countries came in groups, mostly dressing like characters from classic literature, like Peter Pan or One Thousand and One Nights.
It turns out that America wasn’t trying to exclude England from the contest: he wanted the two of them to be partners. Viewers get to see their costumes with the rest of the party when they appear on stage as Batman and Robin.
1/10 The Host Club Even Get Backup Costumes
Ouran High School Host Club
The Ouran High School Host Club Halloween special, “Until the Day it Becomes a Pumpkin!,” mostly revolves around the school hosting a test of courage for Halloween. However, early on, Tamaki transforms the Host Club into a more seasonal Vampire Club. The club members are all dressed like vampires. With Halloween on the brain, Tamaki even introduces himself with “Trick or Treat.”
Unfortunately, the test of courage event keeps Haruhi and the twins busy, messing with Tamaki’s plans. Meanwhile, Nekozawa has other plans for the club members to dress up like monsters for the event. Tamaki himself gets cast as the Clocktower Witch.