This Year’s Real Halloween Slayers? The K-Pop Demon Hunters, Obviously

Walk into any big box Halloween store right now and you’ll see it: chaos, glitter, and a lot of neon. But forget all those tired old vampire, witch, and Michael Myers outfits. This year’s hottest costume has wings, sequins, and serious main-character energy. Oh, yes. The entire world’s talking about K-Pop Demon Hunters (KPDH), and can you blame them?

The Netflix animated hit about three K-pop idols moonlighting as demon slayers is everywhere. Anyone who’s anyone around a screen, teen, or music streaming service can attest to this. And as NBC News recently pointed out, the film’s costumes are absolutely, positively taking over Halloween.

Retailers can’t keep up with demand for the official HUNTR/X outfits, and their bold, color-splashed performance looks worn by the trio Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. Just like the Squid Game craze a few Halloweens ago, the KPDH hype hit too close to trick-or-treat day for stores to restock. But fans aren’t letting that stop them. TikTok and Reddit are teeming with DIY tutorials of people hand-painting bomber jackets. They’re bedazzling crop tops. 3D-printing their own glowing light sticks.

Beyond the sheer style of it all, there’s something bigger happening here. This wave of KPDH costumes goes beyond fashion. It’s about representation. For many Asian American fans this is the first time they get to see themselves at the center of a global pop culture trend. Not just as a sidekick or stereotype, but as the hero.

“I remember, growing up, the struggle at Halloween to find a costume that felt ‘me,’” Jean Wang, a Boston-based fashion blogger,told NBC News. “It’s definitely refreshing and exciting to see the ‘it’ costume of the year, for people of all backgrounds, being a female Asian character.”

Whether you’ve got the official HUNTR/X light stick or representing with your own thrift-store Saja Boys gear, know that this Halloween, you aren’t just dressing up. You’re officially part of the zeitgeist, baby. So, get your glitter, strike that pose, and slay some demons (or a costume karayoke contest).

Oh, and just for fun, check out EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami performing Golden on The Tonight Show:

Photo by Spirit Halloween.