Of all the pop culture Halloween [1] costume options out there, Game of Thrones has given us a ton of possibilities [2]. If you're worried there are going to be hundreds of Daeneryses [3] (Daenerysi?) and Jon Snows running around on Oct. 31, opt for some of the show's more unsavory characters? From Ramsay Bolton to Joffrey Baratheon, there are a whole bunch of Game of Thrones villains, big and small, that you can dress up as this year to terrify your friends.
Joffrey Baratheon
- What to wear: The former King of King's Landing was always decked out in the finest royal garb, so see if you can find a robe or tunic in a shiny or brocade fabric. Don't forget to wear a short blond wig and a golden crown, and if you want to go the extra mile, carry around a gold wine glass and paint some fake blood coming out of your nose to mimic his iconic death scene [4].
- How to act: Do you have an incredibly annoying younger sibling? Imagine their personality, mix it with that of a deranged sociopath or serial killer, and you'll have a vibe somewhat close to Joffrey's.
The Night's King
- What to wear: If you don't have the time or money to spend on fancy prosthetics, throw on a light blue swimming cap to cover you hair, and then paint the rest of your face and hands light blue (make sure it's dark blue or black around your eyes, though). Blue colored contacts would be a plus! To re-create those icy growths on his skull, wear a crown painted the same light blue as your face. As far as his outfit, get something as close to chainmail as you can (if all else fails, just spray paint small, silver squares onto a black shirt).
- How to act: The Night's King is a man of few words, so don't worry about having to be chatty this Halloween [5]. Instead, walk around whichever party you're attending with your arms extended wide in a "Come at me, bro," position, and glare menacingly.
The Shame Nun
- What to wear: You can buy a gray nun's costume [6], or just throw on a long-sleeved gray dress, and wrap a gray scarf around your head in the same way she does. To add the finishing touches, wrap a light-colored rope around your waist, and carry around a thick book and a bell.
- How to act: Strict and demoralizing. Look down on anyone who's having fun, and scream out, "SHAME!" at random intervals throughout the night while ringing your bell.
The Mountain (Zombie Edition)
- What to wear: Unless the person reading this is Shaq, we're going to go ahead and assume you're not nine feet tall, so don't worry about your size. This costume is a little tough, though, considering the undead Gregor Clegane rocks a full suit of golden armor. You can always wear a gold, long-sleeved shirt and pants, and then just buy a helmet if you want to keep things simple. Just make sure you make any visible skin look like the gray, rotting flesh of a corpse.
- How to act: Totally silent and totally terrifying.
Ellaria Sand
- What to wear: A long, gauzy dress (preferably in some shade of orange) and a short, curly brown wig.
- How to act: Like you're always one second away from stabbing the people around you. Roll your eyes every now and then.
The Waif
- What to wear: A short blond wig and some variation of gray pieces of clothing layered over each other. Feel free to carry a long wooden staff or fake dagger around with you in case you come across anyone dressed as Arya.
- How to act: To quote Jean Ralphio [7], the Waif is the WORST. She's rude as hell and will betray you at any moment. For instance, if one of your friends asks you to get them a drink, do so, but before you to hand it over to them, chug the whole thing while looking them dead in the eye, and then shoot them your meanest smile. Also, only refer to your friends and family as "the girl" or "the boy." They'll really enjoy that, we promise.
The High Sparrow
- What to wear: Honestly, you could just cut holes in the side of a large potato sack for your arms, and you'd have something akin to the High Sparrow's raggedy dress. If you don't have a potato sack lying around (understandable), just throw on your baggiest, drabbest, light-colored clothes, and get yourself a white wig. Go barefoot if possible, and feel free to carry a book around with the Faith of the Seven's seven-pointed star carved into it (or better yet, ask your friend to wear a black robe and paint the symbol on their forehead, and follow you around all night).
- How to act: Cocky and self-assured.
Melisandre
- What to wear: Melisandre is the Red Woman, so get yourself a long, crimson-colored wig (pull your hair back on both sides of your head at the ears), and a flowy, long-sleeved red dress. The most striking part of her look is her signature necklace [8], so try to find some costume jewelry that looks similar.
- How to act: Fierce as hell. Constantly discuss your love of fire and the Lord of the Light, and recite a few creepy spells.
Melisandre (Old Edition)
- What to wear: Well, there's not much to this costume, so that's a plus. The true, old version of Melisandre is butt naked, so get yourself a body suit that matches your skin tone and a stringy white wig. If you can use makeup to draw on a few wrinkles, you'll nail it.
- How to act: Exhausted and over life in general. Refuse all offerings of food, and avoid mirrors.
Olly
- What to wear: Rock a short brown wig with a black turtleneck, a black coat, a leather belt (or some kind of fabric to tie around your waist), black pants, and boots. Don't forget Olly's favorite accessories, either: a knife and a SNEERING, BACKSTABBING GRIN.
- How to act: Like a flaming turd. Scream "FOR THE WATCH!" at anyone who walks by.
Cersei Lannister
- What to wear: There are a lot of versions of Cersei that you can be. If you're going for OG Cersei, get a long, blond wig (work some kind of braid into it, somehow), and a long, belted dress in some shade of red, and carry around a glass of wine. Shame Cersei needs only a short, blond buzzcut, dirt smeared all over your face, and a potato sack similar to the High Sparrow's. For I-Just-Blew-Everyone-Up Cersei, wear short, blond hair, a crown, a long black, long-sleeved dress, and some kind of silver designs for your shoulders. If you want to go the extra mile, stick a bunch of fake swords to your back so it looks like you're sitting on the Iron Throne no matter where you are.
- How to act: Cersei always has the best, most cutting comebacks, so make sure you're on your game on Oct. 31. Also, have a glass of red wine to swirl around threateningly at any given moment.
Ramsay Bolton
- What to wear: Black pants, black leather gloves, a black jacket, and a long cape with fur at the collar. Wear a brown wig, and to add a special touch, carry around a few dog stuffed animals or a shield with the Bolton sigil [9] on it.
- How to act: We take back what we said about the Waif — Ramsay is actually the worst. He's more annoying and despicable than Joffrey, so amp up those tendencies, and remember to fawn over any dog you pass on the street.