The Best Villain Halloween Costumes for a Wicked, Devious Look

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Whether for a holiday like Halloween or Purim, a fan convention, or a costume party, it’s fun to dress up. And our favorite costumes are, naturally, villain costumes. Because while we know they’re evil, they’re also the most entertaining characters in any story! Pirates, witches, scoundrels, rogues, vampires, sadists — it’s fun, every now and then, to cast off the constraints of what we should be to try on (in a safe and not actually evil way) to be wicked!

So, to inspire you to take a walk on the wild side, we’ve gathered our favorite villain Halloween costumes drawn from movies, books, fairytales, and, of course, Disney cartoons. We let you know what’s included in each costume and what you might want to include to make your villain costume truly devious. Look your best while dressing up as your worst with one of the best villain costumes on our list!

Winifred Sanderson Costume

Dress up as everyone’s favorite Sanderson sister from the Hocus Pocus films with this Winifred-inspired dress. Complete the look with a wig, a spell book, and a black candle. This costume can also be a part of a group villain costume if you have two friends who can dress up as Sarah and Mary Sanderson.

More: 51 Best Halloween Costumes for 2023 That Are a Guaranteed Win

Catwoman Costume

If you're looking for a Batman villain costume that’s both equal parts evil and fierce, this is it. Inspired by Anne Hathaway’s character in The Dark Knight Rises, this Catwoman costume has everything you need to recreate the look from the movie: a fitted black jumpsuit, eye mask, cat ears, and a belt.

Little Mermaid Ursula Costume

Poor, unfortunate souls, watch out! This Ursula costume includes her iconic sea shell necklace, and the bottom of the dress inflates at the bottom for more realistic-looking tentacles. Plus, reviewers say that it’s comfortable to wear. You'll just need a white wig and some blue eyeshadow to complete the Disney sea witch's look.

Chucky Costume

Go to your next Halloween or dress-up party as the world’s most frightening doll with this creepy Chucky costume. It comes with an easy-to-wear jumpsuit with an attached long-sleeve shirt and, of course, the oh-so creepy yet iconic Chucky face as a mask. Add some tennis shoes and a toy knife to finish the look.

Voldemort Costume

With this ensemble, you can transform into the villain Harry Potter fans love to hate: Lord Voldemort. This costume includes a long, dark robe and a mask that captures Voldemort’s disfigured face. Don’t forget to pick up a wand to add to the costume — after all, what’s an evil wizard without his wand?

Zalgo Costume

Want to haunt everyone’s dreams (or nightmares) at your next Halloween party? Dress up as the popular Creepypasta villain, Zalgo, with this costume.

Even if people don’t recognize the character, they’re still likely to be impressed with the creepiness of the look. It includes a bodysuit, mask, and extra-creepy long-fingered gloves.

Beetlejuice Costume

Celebrate the Tim Burton-directed classic horror film with this Beetlejuice costume. It consists of a black and white striped jacket and pants, plus a white shirt and attached tie. All you need is a wig and a ghoulish white face to look like Michael Keaton’s iconic character in the 1988 movie.

Freddy Krueger Costume

You can literally slay the holiday this year with this Freddy Krueger costume. You’ll receive the Nightmare on Elm Street villain’s iconic striped red sweater as well as a foam face mask. You’ll just need Freddy’s signature hat and claw-like gloves, plus some black pants, to round out the look.

The Riddler Costume

Dress up as one of Gotham City’s most notorious villains this Halloween. This Riddler costume includes a green suit jacket, matching pants, and a purple tie, all emblazoned with the Riddler’s signature question mark logo.

Consider spraying your hair with some orange temporary dye to channel Jim Carrey’s look from the classic movie Batman Forever.

Erik Killmonger Battle Suit Costume

You'll definitely stand out amongst all of the other Black Panthers on Halloween in this villain costume. Plus, it'll look like you have the body of Michael B. Jordan, thanks to this stretchy Killmonger bodysuit. Take note: You’ll likely need some help getting the costume zipped up in the back.

Alex Costume From A Clockwork Orange

Dress up as Alex (or one of his droogs) from A Clockwork Orange with this gender-bending costume. Just add your own bowler hat, some boots, and, of course, a single eye’s worth of false lashes to the costume’s white cane and body suit, and there will be no mistaking what villain you’re channeling this Halloween.

Deadly Ninja Costume

Whether you’re one of the assassins in Kill Bill or a Mortal Kombat character come to life, this ninja costume will let everyone know that you’re a deadly force to be reckoned with. Included with the costume are a jumpsuit, arm warmers, and a red sash. Add your own boots and sword for an extra-fierce look.

Loki Costume

Thor's evil brother doesn't always don his green, horned costume. Put on this slightly more human-esque getup from the recent Loki series on Disney+. The costume features a jacket with the word “Variant” on the back, plus a shirt, tie, pants, and belt. If you want to go the extra mile, add a long, dark wig.

Cruella de Vil Costume

Emma Stone knocked it out of the park as Cruella de Vil in the film Cruella, and you can steal her chic looks from the movie this Halloween. This half-and-half number comes with the dress and gloves, so all you'll need are some red shoes and a wig to complete the look.

Maleficent Costume

Inspired by the live-action Maleficent movie starring Angelina Jolie, this villain costume will be sure to scare everyone at the party. The included headpiece features horns that reviewers claim will stand tall all night long. The dress also includes a detachable brooch. Pair it with boots for an extra scary look.

More: The Top Trending Costumes for Halloween This Year

Death Eater Costume

If you're a Harry Potter fan, this will be an instantly recognizable costume. To become a Death Eater, all you'll need to do is put on this costume (that includes a mask and robe) and maybe add a wand to complete the look. This costume also includes a Dark Mark skull and snake temporary tattoo.

Yzma Hat and Collar Kit from Emperor's New Groove

When it comes to Disney villains, people sleep on The Emperor's New Groove's Yzma, the wicked royal advisor who schemes and poisons her way to the throne of the Incan empire (for a while). And when she turns into the cutest villain cat? Forget about it!

Her villain costume is so simple: Just pair this hat and collar with a simple black maxi dress!

Hades Costume

You can’t get much more OG villain costume than the Lord of the Underworld himself. This costume is based on the design worn by the fast-talking Olympian in Disney’s Hercules. (We love the skull clasp on the toga and the blue accent on the neckband and shoulder!) Costume includes robe and shirt.

Slytherin Costume

OK, OK, we know: No house in Harry Potter is “bad,” blah blah blah... “Merlin was a Slytherin,” yadda yadda yadda… but we all know Slytherin is full of villains.

Let’s embrace that with this Hogwarts uniform robe featuring the Slytherin patch. There’s even space for your wand (not included) inside the robe.

Cersei Lannister (-Inspired) Costume

Shame! Shame! Shame! What we love about this villain costume is that it’s so deviously versatile.

While we imagine this medieval-style gown as perfect for Westeros’ favorite bad girl Cersei Lannister (just pair it with a blonde wig!), there’s no reason this couldn’t be used for, say, Lady Macbeth (add bloody hands) or Arthurian villainess Morgan Le Fay.

Wicked Witch Costume

No matter how the musical Wicked attempted to reform her image, we still think of the baddest witch in all of Oz as a villain — and celebrate her wickedness!

This villain costume comes with a dress, petticoat, hat, and hat scarf and is a great facsimile of the costume Margaret Hamilton wore in the movie.

Classic Pennywise Costume

You’ll float in this creepy villain costume! We know there’s a new Pennywise now, but this is the scary clown who haunted our dreams as kids!

This OG Pennywise costume comes with a long-sleeved jumpsuit with a vest and collar attached, white gloves, and a character mask with bright red hair.

Nazgûl Costume

The Nazgûl or Ring Wraiths aren’t the baddest baddies in the Lord of the Rings series, but they sure did give those poor hobbits a hard time! You can buy pieces of this villain costume separately or opt for the complete look that includes a cloak, helmet, gauntlet, and sword.

Grim Reaper Costume

Come join the dark side in this eerie grim reaper costume. It comes with a hooded cloak, face mask, and sash. It's made of 100% cotton and is great for layering underneath, so you'll be ready to scare all Halloween night. If you want to complete the look, grab a scythe.

Nurse Ratched-Inspired Costume

Nurse Ratched, the callous warden of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a truly chilling character. This villain costume includes a dress with an attached belt and nurse cap.

Remember, the difference between a generic nurse and Nurse Ratched is all in the details: Don’t forget her severe hairstyle from the movie, as well as a stony demeanor!

Classic Vampire Costume

If you ask me, it’s high time we got back to our scary season roots: Bring on the Frankensteins, mummies, witches, and, yes, vampires! This costume is perfect whether you’re going for Dracula or a more updated Anne Rice-style bloodsucker. This villain costume comes with a shirt (vest attached), a collared cape, and a cane.

‘Squid Game’ Goon Costume

The South Korean survival drama Squid Game took the world by storm in 2021, and while the acting, writing, and premise all played a part, we also think the stark, iconic, creepy-but-also-playful villain costumes had something to do with it.

These pink jumpsuits come with a black mask that boasts a painted white triangle on the front.

Two-Face Halloween Costume

Take over Gotham City as one of the creepiest-looking villains to come out of DC Comics. This costume comes with a jacket with attached shirt and tie, pants, and Two-Face’s infamous double-headed coin that he liked to taunt his enemies with. The included grimace mask is the perfect finishing touch to this Batman villain costume.

Darth Vader Costume

Undoubtedly, one of the most famous villains Of All Time is Darth Vader of Star Wars. Grab a lightsaber and get ready to practice your deep Vader voice for this one. It comes with a suit, cape, and mask, so all you'll have to add are shoes and the saber.

Harley Quinn Costume

For the ultimate villain costume this Halloween, opt for this Margot Robbie-inspired Harley Quinn look that includes the colorful jacket with an attached top, shorts with a belt, and fishnet tights.

Throw on a pair of boots and pigtails, and you’ll look like you just stepped out of a scene from Birds of Prey or Suicide Squad.

Evil Queen Costume

This Evil Queen costume comes complete with the dress, capelet, extended collar, and crown headpiece. Add some heels and stark makeup to really nail the evil queen look. You'll look like you stepped straight out of Snow White.. No looking at your reflection or reciting “mirror, mirror” to yourself required.

Roman Sionis/Black Mask Costume

Some villains pull off dapper very well, like Roman Sionis from Birds of Prey, who would don a black mask and transform into a crime lord.

This criminally handsome costume comes with a suit jacket (and attached shirt), pants, monogrammed gloves, and a mask. Add some oxfords, and you'll be good to go.

Thanos Costume

Transform into one of the evilest villains the world has ever seen (i.e., Thanos, the supervillain from the Avengers franchise) with this costume. Inspired by his Avengers: Endgame look, it comes with a bodysuit, mask, gauntlet, and boot covers, so no one will know if it's you under all that power.

Wicked Witch Costume

Being a witch doesn't mean you have to wear all black. This wicked witch costume has pops of green and some frills for a more folksy, medieval take on the basic black dress. Grab a broom and ride your way to the next Halloween party in this dress and matching hat number.

Kylo Ren Costume

Join the dark side this Halloween! This Kylo Ren villain costume is complete with both the suit and the mask. Reviewers say the costume fits really well and is an almost exact replica of the outfit from the Star Wars franchise. Just don't forget to add a lightsaber to top off the look.

Ursula Costume

Poor, unfortunate souls, watch out! This Ursula costume includes her iconic sea shell necklace, and the bottom of the dress inflates at the bottom for more realistic-looking tentacles. Plus, reviewers say that it’s comfortable to wear. You'll just need a wig and some blue eyeshadow to complete the Disney sea witch's look.

Gaston Costume

The narcissistic, bad-boy hunter from Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast serves as a slick Halloween costume this year. Transform into this burly villain with his trademark red shirt, yellow hunting gloves, and black ponytail wig. Pair the costume with some black pants and tall boots to complete the look.

Captain Hook Costume

OK, we know this isn't the Captain Hook from Peter Pan, but it's one of the best pirate costumes you'll find. It comes with everything you need: an oversized pirate hat, a coat with a lace neck tie, and, of course, a hook accessory for your hand. Add a toy sword to the look to complete it.

Joker Costume

Sorry, Jared Leto, but nothing will compare to Heath Ledger's iconic portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight or Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal in Joker.

With very little effort, you can transform into Batman’s arch nemesis, thanks to this costume. It comes with it all: jacket, shirt, pants, vest, tie, gloves, and mask.

Wicked Stepmother Costume

This vintage-looking dark red dress with its attached green brooch is based on the evil stepmother from the animated film Cinderella. Whether you have a costume party to attend or an evening of trick-or-treating, this Halloween look will reign supreme. Add a gray wig (and a lap cat), and you're set.

DC Comics’ Poison Ivy Costume

As one of the most iconic and evil Batman villains, Poison Ivy is a winning Halloween costume. This villain costume includes a dress, tights, mask, boot covers, and gloves.

We suggest splurging for a red wig to fully drive the look home. Note: You may want to size up, as reviewers have said that the costume runs a bit small.

Venom Costume

Going as the new adaptation of Venom? This villain costume will do just the trick. It includes a hockey jersey-style shirt and a mask. Pair it with jeans and sneakers for a villainous but casual Halloween costume. However, if the mask isn't intense enough for you, there's an even larger one with a giant tongue hanging out.

You Might Also Like

• The Paris Hilton Housewares Collection Brings ‘That’s Hot’ Energy to Your Kitchen

• 16 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Perfect for Rocking Out in Quiet Bliss

• Beyoncé Uses This $26 Amazon Product for Her Glossy Blonde Hair