Halloween 2025 has taken on a new look across the United States, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Alabama. Forget your classic witches, vampires, or even last year’s viral meme costumes—this year, the nation’s obsession has a distinctly K-pop twist. According to data released by Google’s Frightgeist on October 20, 2025, the most sought-after Halloween costume nationwide is Rumi, the purple-braided, demon-slaying heroine from Netflix’s animated sensation KPop Demon Hunters.
For those who haven’t yet been swept up in the pop culture wave, KPop Demon Hunters exploded onto Netflix on June 20, 2025. The film follows the K-pop superstar trio HUNTR/X—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—who double as demon hunters by night. The movie, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, features a star-studded cast including Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Ken Jeong, and Daniel Dae Kim. The film quickly shattered streaming records, becoming Netflix’s most-watched animated original of all time with a staggering 236 million views by late August, surpassing even mega-hits like Red Notice and Squid Game, as reported by Netflix Tudum and Fast Company.
But it’s not just the streaming numbers that reveal the movie’s cultural force. Google’s Frightgeist, which annually analyzes costume search trends using Google Trends data, showed that Rumi and her bandmates have swept the top five most-searched costumes for 2025. Rumi’s iconic look—a purple mohawk braid, denim shorts, white crop top, yellow crop jacket, and combat boots—has become instantly recognizable, not just on screens but on streets and social feeds nationwide. The top five Frightgeist rankings are dominated by KPop Demon Hunters characters: Rumi, Zoey, Mira, Jinu, and Baby Saja.
Zooming in on Alabama, the trend is even more pronounced. In major metro areas like Mobile, Birmingham, and Huntsville, Rumi tops the list of costume searches, while characters like Mira and Derpy the Tiger (also from KPop Demon Hunters) are close behind. Montgomery’s list is a bit more varied, with classics like Tinker Bell and Coraline still making appearances, but the K-pop demon slayers are undeniably everywhere. According to Gannett/USA Today’s Jennifer Lindahl, “the scariest thing in Alabama might just be how hard it is to find a purple wig and demon slaying boots.”
So, what’s driving this unprecedented costume craze? Multiple factors have converged to make KPop Demon Hunters a phenomenon. The film’s late June release gave fans months to plan their Halloween looks, and Netflix stoked the fire with merchandise partnerships and a limited theatrical sing-along event that grossed $18 million. Spirit Halloween wasted no time, launching official costumes in early October. Adult versions sold out almost instantly, with prices set at $69.99 and the signature purple wig retailing separately for $26.99. Kids’ costumes, priced at $59.99, are still available—but only in physical stores, as reported by Fast Company.
The soundtrack, meanwhile, has dominated the Billboard charts with four songs in the Top 10 at the same time, and the hit single “Golden” reaching the number one spot nationwide. TheWrap described the film as “a force everywhere,” and NBC News highlighted the cultural significance of seeing Asian characters front and center in mainstream media and merchandise. The excitement isn’t just about catchy tunes and flashy outfits—it’s about representation. Boston fashion blogger Jean Wang told NBC News she was thrilled to see her daughter choose Rumi as her costume inspiration, reflecting back on her own childhood struggles to find costumes that felt authentic. Filipina American model Ella Pereyra, who posed for Spirit Halloween’s Rumi costume campaign, shared, “I feel grateful they made a movie about people who looked like me.”
It’s not just the kids who are excited. Parents across the country, especially in Asian American communities, have celebrated the normalization of diverse characters in mainstream pop culture. Professor Young A Jung of George Mason University explained to Variety that the characters’ complexity—particularly Rumi and Jinu—resonates across demographics, blending action, music, and mythology into a universally appealing story.
Retailers have certainly noticed. The National Retail Federation predicts a record $13.1 billion in Halloween spending this year, with fast-fashion giants like Shein and AliExpress offering unofficial versions of the costumes. The demand has been so intense that even AMC Theatres, once resistant to Netflix releases, will screen Halloween sing-along versions of the film from October 31 to November 2 at 400 locations across the U.S. and Europe. Regal and Cinemark are also joining in, capitalizing on the film’s massive popularity.
With KPop Demon Hunters holding firm on Netflix’s Top 10 charts for 15 straight weeks, the franchise’s future looks bright. Netflix has already greenlit a sequel, and a short film titled Debut: A KPop Demon Hunters Story was released in September, suggesting that Rumi and her crew will be inspiring costumes for Halloweens to come. As the streets fill with purple braids and demon-hunting trios this October 31, it’s clear that the days of traditional witches and vampires ruling Halloween may be over—at least for now.
Social media is buzzing with anticipation, and parents are scrambling to secure the last few costumes on store shelves. The question on everyone’s mind: will your neighborhood have more HUNTR/X members than pumpkins this year? One thing’s certain: 2025’s Halloween is a landmark moment for representation, pop culture, and the power of a catchy tune.
As the credits roll on Halloween night and the last echoes of “Golden” fade from the speakers, this year’s costume craze will be remembered not just for its style, but for the way it brought new faces—and new stories—into the spotlight.