Is Halloween or Con season fast approaching? As one of the top holidays/seasons among nerds, especially cosplayers, Halloween & con season are a chance to become your favorite geeky character! Solo costumes are great, but are generally easy to decide upon. That being the case, below I will discuss great costume ideas for nerdy groups, geeky couples, and awesome best friends!

Choosing and building a solo costume can be fun…but add in a best friend or significant other, plus a combined theme, and everything gets significantly more fun. When you think of classic nerd duos, who comes to mind? Of course you have Mario and Peach or Luigi, Han Solo and Leia, Superman and Wonder Women or Lois Lane, as well as Aragorn and Arwen.

Today we’re going to branch out a little further with some costume ideas that are hopefully a little more unique and seen less often (but still easily recognizable) to help get the creative juices flowing. While the below lists could potentially be endless, I will attempt to stick with costumes that are slightly less complex and easier to put together…

1. Dr. Who and TARDIS:
Choose your favorite doctor (the eleventh doctor in the case of the reference image) and find a blue dress to add details to.

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2. Walt and Jesse -Breaking Bad:
While this duo has been a little more common, I include it in the list because it’s a super simple Halloween costume to put together, especially if you’re crunched for time or money.

Fox News

3. Pokemon trainer and Pokemon:
The trainer Ash and his favorite Pokemon, Pikachu, are a familiar pairing, but don’t be afraid to mix it up! There are numerous trainers and gym leaders to choose from (including Erica, May, Guy, or even Team Rocket) and hundreds of Pokemon now too! Choose your favorite and get creative.

4. She-Ra and He-man:
Bring these childhood characters back to life and relive Saturday mornings.

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5. Kiki and Tombo:
Anyone enjoy Hayao Miyazaki’s works as much as I do? Dress up from Kiki’s Delivery Service. (Potsu and Sheeta from Castle in the Sky would be another great option too).

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6. Banjo and Kazooie:
Another Nintendo classic that doesn’t receive quite enough recognition.

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You think a couple’s Halloween costume was fun? Try a group Halloween costume. If you’ve never done a group Halloween costume, I would definitely recommend it! Not only is it fun building your costumes together, but acting the parts at a Halloween party can be a great time, not to mention an attention grabber.

1. Tetris:
What’s more nerdy than a bunch of Tetris blocks running around?! Besides, this group ensemble couldn’t be easier to construct!

AL.com

2. Mario & friends:
You’ve seen Mario and Luigi and Peach…what about the whole gang at once? Get your buds together and recreate this classic Nintendo cast. Bonus points if your group adds in a theme such as MarioKart or Mario Tennis.

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3. Despicable Me:
Once again, minions like to roam free, but when have you seen the other main characters come to life in costume? Easily put together outfits for Gru, Edith, Vector, and Margo too.

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4. The Big Bang Theory Cast:
Another fun one to enact with friends.

coolest-homemade-costumes.com

5. Characters from Clue:
Enjoy murder mysteries and fancy parties?

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6. Magic the Gathering Planeswalkers:
Do you and your friends walk the Multiverse? Dress up as the legendary planeswalkers from Magic the Gathering -Jace, Liliana, Elspeth, Ajani, Nissa, Chandra, Gideon…

gatheringmagic.com

Still need ideas and inspiration for a Halloween or convention costume?

1. Halloween & Convention Spirit – Remember to just have fun! It’s about spending time with your best bud, significant other, or group of friends. Don’t get too caught up on the tiny details; enjoy deciding on outfits, shopping around for supplies, and getting artsy.

2. Get creative -Don’t be afraid to mix things up! Have a favorite character that you feel has already been done? Mash them with another genre or style! Take your favorite Disney princess and turn her into a warrior…Take your favorite superhero and recreate them in the style of one of your favorite artists…Do an actual costume mashup (i.e. Finding Captain Nemo or Charlie Chaplin Brown).

3. Shopping – Some of the best places to shop for Halloween costume pieces and accessories are often overlooked. At the top of this list would have to be your local thrift store (i.e. Salvation Army or Savers). They have all kinds of goods ( at great prices) perfect for recreating characters and designing outfit pieces. I would also recommend checking out the dollar store. You can’t be the prices, but it may take some imagination (see my Squirtle outfit to the right! I created that outfit from the Dollar Tree using only $5!). Finally, if you’re on Facebook, search for online groups in your area that have to do with ‘online garage sale/rummage sale/trading etc.’ Great place to pick up things for a good deal again.

4. Research -Once you decide on a costume, don’t be afraid to search around the internet for specific tips and tricks related to your costume. Reference images are a must, so be sure to hit up Google images. instructables.com is another great site for finding costume tutorials.

Who have you decided to dress up as this Halloween or con season?
While I can’t describe in detail how to make each of the above costumes (don’t we all wish we had more time 😉 ), I’d love to help you guys out! Have a specific character in mind but struggling with the design/build? Leave a comment below and I’d be happy to throw out specific ideas and techniques.