15 TV Halloween Costumes That Made History, Ranked: Best Looks From Wanda to SpongeBob | TVLine

Costumes with character

The strongest TV Halloween costumes do more than look good. Some are built around a pun, while others help drive an episode’s story or capture a past Halloween moment. A costume can also make a character’s distinctive traits visible.

“WandaVision” stands out for its comic-inspired outfits. Billy and Tommy Maximoff wear costumes that hint at their superhero futures, while Evan Peters’ Pietro appears in a comic-accurate Quicksilver costume.

Wanda’s comic-book transformation

Wanda, played by Elizabeth Olsen, wears a “Sokovian fortune teller” outfit modeled on Scarlet Witch’s original comic design from the 1960s. The look anticipates her transformation into the Scarlet Witch in the finale.

The show’s team initially considered a subtler tribute like Vision’s costume, but Olsen pushed for the comic-accurate headpiece. The result became one of the series’ most memorable moments, after fans had waited nearly six years to see Wanda wear the iconic crown.

Frank’s mistaken identity

In “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the gang’s first Halloween episode arrives in Season 6, Episode 7, “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” The mystery follows conflicting memories of a party as the group tries to work out who got Sweet Dee pregnant. Dennis and Charlie remember Frank, played by Danny DeVito, wearing a shabby Spider-Man costume. Frank corrects them: he was Man-Spider, a similarly low-effort outfit with a confusing spider emblem. The joke turns the familiar embarrassment of an unrecognized costume on its head.

SpongeBob’s frightening reveal

“Scaredy Pants,” the first holiday episode of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” has SpongeBob dress as the Flying Dutchman after Squidward scares him. His costume is a sheet with eye holes, and it fails to frighten anyone in Bikini Bottom.

SpongeBob decides his head shape is the problem and asks Patrick to shave it round. The change reveals SpongeBob as a brain with eyes, a cartoon body-horror moment that finally scares the Krusty Krab crowd, including the Flying Dutchman.