50 Funny And Fierce Feminism Halloween Costumes For Badass Women

LADIES. We are in the fourth wave of feminism and it is a revolution. No more sexy bunnies (okay, sometimes sexy bunnies are fun) and honestly BE WHAT YOU WANT. Halloween is the time of year you can be anyone or anything you want. You can be sexy or silly or funny or fierce or quirky or whatever you darn well please. Your costume, your body, your choice! Personally, I’m a big ole feminist fan of Halloween. I go all out every year, but I always try to do something sort of off the grid, something a little unexpected (but still adorable). This past year, my roommate and I decided to be the chick and the duck from Friends and we just went out in full onesies. It was a total blast.

Why not dress up as your favorite cartoon character? They’re funny, they’re fierce, and they’re the ultimate cosplay. If you’re going to a Halloween party, you’ll be the talk of the town dressed as a cute feminist animated icon.

1. Louise Belcher

Louise Belcher from Bob's Burgers is a badass feminist. She's clever, she's cunning, and she's the ultimate brains and humor of the show. Plus, she's voiced by one hell of a female comedian, Kristen Schaal. Or, cosplay the entire Belcher fam for the ultimate party stopping costumes. Tina is also a fierce female who knows what she wants and will do anything to get it, and all the characters are as funny as animated comedy gets.

2. Princess Carolyn

Princess Carolyn may look like a cute kitty, but she's a sweet-talkin' persuasive AF Hollywood movie agent, repping one of the most difficult clients imaginable... Mr. Bojack Horseman. The show itself is clever, quirky, and oddly depressing for a cartoon, but it's one of the best adult cartoon shows out there. Show your smarts, your funny side, and your fierce side with this feminist costume.

3. Hungover Girl by @cartoonsbyhilary

Throw on some shades, grab a coffee cup, and voila! You're a perfect replica of @cartoonsbyhilary's "Hungover Girl". Plus, it's the perfect costume if you're hungover, because you can just literally be yourself.

4. Ms. Frizzle

Remember Ms. Frizzle? Did you remember that she's actually voiced by Lily Tomlin, aka Frankie in Grace and Frankie, aka a super fierce feminist icon? Plus she's not just any teacher. She's a cool teacher who teaches her kids by showing and doing, not just telling! A great example for kids, women, and people - put on a cute solar system dress and you've channeled her whole essence.

5. Angelica Pickles

Look, I don't know about you, but as a 90s kid, Angelica Pickles was my hero. Sure, she was a little mean, but she was fierce! She knew what she wanted at FIVE YEARS OLD, and if that's not an inspirational, yet funny, icon, then what is???

6. Leslie Knope

Ah, the many versions of Leslie Knope. This hilarious Parks and Rec true feminist icon encourages us to be socially and politically active but also FIERCE AF. And shows us that having friendship, love, and your dream job can STILL be funny. Pick any version of the wonderful Knope! She's always killer.

7. Liz Lemon

And of course, if Amy Poehler : Tiny Fey, then Leslie Knope : Liz Lemon. She is smart and funny, and a feminist icon working in the TV and media industry. She's everything we aspire to be and more, so who better to be for Halloween than the winning Liz Lemon?

8. Buffy Summers

Red leather pants, black leather jacket, some sexy boots, and you're the sexy AND fierce Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Who wouldn't want to cosplay a Sarah Michelle Geller costume?

9. Danaerys Targaryen

(or Arya Stark, or Sansa Stark, or Cersei Lannister, or Liana Mormont, or Brienne of Tarth, or ANY OTHER FIERCE GAME OF THRONES LADY) The ladies of Game of Thrones are fighters, warriors, queens, leaders, the fiercest feminists you can imagine. To cosplay any of them is the ultimate challenge, and the ultimate party stopper.

10. Mickey from Love

Channel your inner Mickey Dobbs - throw on a red one-piece swimsuit or leotard, some blue skinny jeans, and a flannel. Don't forget your cigarette or coffee, and you're a regular Gillian Jacobs character! She's a fierce example of a woman who knows who she is and isn't afraid to say it - even if that means she's a little "messed up" sometimes (although I think we're all a little messed up in our own ways!)

11. Ruth aka Zoya the Destroya

You can be your own Gorgeous Lady of Wrestling with a kickass Zoya the Destroya costume! Women can look good AND fight! Cosplay this look to feel like the fiercest version of yourself.

12. Cheryl Blossom

If you ever needed an excuse to dye your hair a fiery red, this is it! Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge got nothin' on Riverdale's Cheryl Blossom, the most dog-eat-dog female character (who only sometimes shows her true feelings). She's a powerful woman who's not afraid to show it!

13. Mrs. Maisel

Put on your funny hat, your extravagant coat, and maybe carry a bottle of liquor with you to your favorite comedy spot to exude the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The Amazon series took the world by storm this past fall, and Mrs. Maisel proved to be a new feminist icon for us all. As a funny, quirky, aspiring stand-up comic and recent divorcee in the 1950s, she's a fierce lady any of us can turn to in times of distress.

14. Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn is the ultimate cosplay joy. If you're a killer makeup and hair artist, and like to get down and look good, this is the feminist costume for you this Halloween. Plus she has a little bit of that spooky Halloween vibe too.

15. Wonder Woman

Look, Wonder Woman's been around for years, but this past year, Gal Gadot's version of her inspired a Wonder Woman renaissance. She is the OG comic book superhero, the HBIC, the most kickass lady there is. Who better to cosplay than her?

16. Elle Woods

Put on your pink suit and channel this Reese Witherspoon iconic leading lady from Legally Blonde for Halloween. She proved to everyone that just because she's feminine and loves her pink and her puppy Bruiser, she's still smart enough to get into Harvard law, be at the top of her class, and win a seemingly impossible case. A hero!

17. Ray from Star Wars

Where my Star Wars fans at? The age of Princess, I mean, GENERAL, Leia will always be remembered (RIP Carrie Fisher), but we have entered a new age with Ray as our heroine. She is one with the force, fights for good, and is a damn good fighter.

18. Tonya Harding's mom

Put on that fur coat, maybe a parrot on your shoulder, and voila! You're Tonya Harding's mom. Now maybe she's not the beeeest role model, but she didn't take anything from anyone, and she worked insanely hard as a single mother so her daughter could skate. Plus, if you're the I, Tonya version of her, Allison Janney won a well-deserved Oscar and took the year by storm.

19. Ladybird

Put on a pink cast, your best schoolgirl outfit, and dye your hair pink-ish, and you're the lady(bird) of the year! This girl wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, plus you'll be repping the first movie with a female director, the wonderfully brilliant Greta Gerwig, to be nominated for an Oscar. Let's break that glass ceiling!

20. Hela, Goddess of Death

Look, Thor: Ragnarok might've been my favorite movie of the year. But there were some awesome female characters in the flick! Hela, the Goddess of Death was sexy and wouldn't take no for an answer. If you want to be a villain that's on people's minds and have the means to make that super cool headdress, put on your Cate Blanchett wear and be Chris Hemsworth's nemesis. Or, be the Valkyrie! I loved her. She was funny AND fierce. Dressing up as her for Halloween would be a definite win at any party (especially because she happens to like her booze).

21. Billie Jean King

Put on your specs and your tennis garb, and dress up as the feminist Billie Jean King. She still speaks out for women's rights, and you might've been hearing a lot about her because of the recent Emma Stone and Steve Carell flick, Battle of the Sexes, which tells the story of her challenging Bobby Riggs to a tennis match to fight for women's equality in sports. She's a lady any adult should look up to.

22. Patti Smith

She's a feminist punk rocker, writer, alternative poet, playwright, artist, etc. She came up in the underground alternative movement in NYC, and if you have a chance to read her memoir, Just Kids, you'll learn how she went from starving artist to prolific artist. You may not have known her until you were an adult, but now just put on your best blacks, your most punk rock outfit, and you're on your way to becoming your very own version of the icon.

23. Isadora Duncan

She changed the face of dance, a mother of the modern and contemporary dance forms. Put on some flowing garb and dance the night away!

24. Hillary Clinton

Rep your pants suits and short blonde hair and you are THE Hillary Clinton (or Leslie Knope). She's the first woman who ran for President, and she worked damn hard to get there.

25. Tonya Harding

Last year, Tonya Harding took the world by storm once again with the release of I, Tonya. We remembered how she came up from an abusive family to overcome the odds as America's "ugly duckling" and be the first America woman to land the triple axel. She competed in the Olympics with very little money and the odds stacked against her. Only until the media pitted her against Nancy Kerrigan was her career sadly ruined. Pick your favorite skating outfit or her everyday wear to contrast the expected ice princess demeanor she was told to wear.

26. Susan B. Anthony

Okay, Susan B. Anthony might not be your top pick when you think "hot", but she was ON FIRE. She was the leader of the Suffragette movement in the early 1900s that secured women's right to vote! If that's not a hot Halloween costume, what is?

27. Amelia Earhart

Sure, no one KNOWS for sure what happened to her, but she is the ultimate mysterious woman and role model! She inspires us to do anything we set our mind to, even if it has never been done before. And if you disappear into the mysterious abyss while doing it, just know that everyone will still be talking about you years later.

28. Beyonce

Beyonce has always taught us to be fierce AF feminists. But for this Halloween, channel her most recent album, Lemonade, and Hold Up the party! Throw on your NoLA yellow dress, grab your baseball bat, and kick some patriarchal ass.

29. Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus, as a conversation, has been pretty controversial... but all the best women are. I like to say she uses her art for good. With the money she's made, she started her own foundation called the Happy Hippie Foundation, which helps homeless LGBTQ youth, she's promoted up and coming artists on Soundcloud, she protests and rallies for good causes, and she speaks out for women's freedom of choice. Plus, as an artist, she follows the projects she wants and makes it happen. Go old school Bangerz Miley with white pants and sports bra, maybe some Creepers, and don't forget the pigtail buns! Or be any version of Miley you please.

30. Frida Kahlo

Y'all, if you are an adult woman, you should know Frida Kahlo. A latina artist, she was a role model and changing force for women in art. Paint on her iconic unibrow, and wear your best Mexico-inspired dress, and you'll be the most beautiful (and awesome) artist at this year's Halloween party.

31. Rosie the Riveter

Sure, she is the stereotypical feminist costume, but who cares?! Denim is IN, and so is Rosie the Riveter. We CAN do it, and bringing that message back into the party is never a bad thing. Plus who wouldn't want to be the cutest most hard-working woman of all?

32. Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill

Kathleen Hanna was a major leader of the feminist movement in the early 90s as the lead singer of Bikini Kill, and progressing through her career to Le Tigre and now Dear Julie. She's known for the song Rebel Girl, and saying "Girls to the front" at all her punk shows to encourage women to be part of the punk movement. Because what's more punk than feminism? She liked wearing provocative outfits at her shows, such as bikinis, and bodypainting words onto herself like "slut" or "incest" to make people really think about the words they use when they talk about women. She also began the zine, riotgrrrl, so if you don't know it already, get into it, and dress up as Kathleen for your favorite adult Halloween party.

33. Woman Laughing Alone with Salad

Yes. This comes from all those magazines with pictures of beautiful women laughing alone with their salads, because that encourages us to eat healthy and be happy perfect pictures of women, right? Ha ha. Okay, make fun of this trope, grab a salad, and dress up in your healthy active wear for a Halloween look that slays.

34. Woman Who Has It All

You mean, I can really have it all? My dream job, a million children, the perfect husband (who does nothing around the house), the perfect look, and sanity???? REALLY?????? Dress up as the unrealistic "woman who has it all" and get creative! Put on your pants suit, sports bra, and paste pictures of babies to you, or something like that. Add in salad and laughter for an added bonus.

35. A dude who wears his pants too low

Look, men are ALWAYS talking about what we wear, so let's do the same thing to them for once! And that once... is Halloween! Get your pants sagging, the lower the better. Show your whole boxers. Men do it, why can't we?

36. Cat Calling

A super cute and feminist way to still be a sexy kitty if your heart so desires.

37. An Actual Salem Witch

Halloween is typically for witches, ghosts, and skeletons, so make your own feminist twist on that by dressing up as and celebrating a Salem Witch... basically the women who were chastised because men were afraid of the power of the female. Prove em wrong and be the most badass witch at the party!

38. Barbra Streisand and her clone dog

Barbra is an icon. She can sing, she can act, and she defied Hollywood's odds and became a major star. This year, she famously cloned her dog, so get all your pups together, and imitate the famous Hollywood icon.

39. Angelica Schuyler

First of all, she's originated by the awesome Renee Elise Goldsberry, but also, Hamilton tells the story of our American forefather's by bringing it into modern day music and portrayals by people of color. If you don't know it yet, get on it! All the music by Lin-Manuel Miranda is on Spotify and will change your life. And with lines like, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, Imma compel him to include women in the sequel... WERK!" Angelica is the ultimate feminist of Hamilton.

40. Fearless Girl

This statue in NYC's Financial District wasn't supposed to stay forever, but the Fearless Girl statue was so popular that the city decided not to tear it down. She faces the bull head on and proud - what adult wouldn't want to idolize this fearless girl? Throw on a simple dress, a ponytail, and stand strong for Halloween!

41. Hipster Disney princess

What do you get when you cross a Disney Princess with a feminist? Probably a hipster Disney Princess! Pick your favorite, get those wide-rimmed glasses, and hipsterfy.

42. A “Pizza” Feminist History

Look, my mind has gone to some weird places, and one weird place is bad puns. Dress up as a piece of pizza, and instead of "normal" toppings, paste on pictures from feminist history - the suffragettes, the riot grrrls, the protests, the women's march... and voila! You're a "pizza" feminist history.

43. Feminist Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper wrote, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" which is TRUE but now we've emboldened it by saying girls just want to have funDAMENTAL RIGHTS! Be your best feminist Cyndi Lauper, dress like her in the 80s and throw up your protest signs, or get your shirt that supports Planned Parenthood. Either way, you'll be the talk of the town.

44. Banksy’s Girl with Balloon

Banksy makes statements, and no one even knows who he (or she) is! Banksy's street art is well known and highly valuable all over the world, so dress as one of his/her art pieces and show how alternative and well-versed in the street art scene you are.

45. Orphan Black Clones

Some of the most powerful, smartest, and badass women are all played by one actress - the fierce Tatiana Maslany! Doing a group costume with your girls? This one honors some of the greatest female characters currently in Sci Fi. Plus, with Barbra's new clone dog, clones are in now.

46. The Supremes (Court Justices)

The Supreme Court Justices are awesome role models, starring the Notorious RBG aka Ruth Bader Ginsburg, they are feminist icons for all to look up to in political advancement and social justice.

47. The Supremes (with Diana Ross)

But also, Diana Ross and the Supremes were also pretty fierce. As women of color in a time before women or POC had anywhere near as much equality as they do today (and there is still so much work to do!), they were still able to become internationally regarded musicians and change the face of music.

48. First Wives Club

Okay, if you haven't seen First Wives Club starring Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Middler, go watch it. Right now. It's about three women who come together over their divorces, and realize they don't need a man but having each other's support can go a long way, so they begin the "first wives club". It's ultra-feminist and still relevant, and this dance is iconic. Put on your white skirt suits and pants suits, go with your two best gal pals, and you will be the ultimate hit of the party.

49. Sanderson Sisters

If you're looking for a more extravagant Bette Middler role, go for the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus. They might be kind of silly and witchy, but they are all powerful and again, don't need men! Yay for not needing men!

50. Female Ghostbusters, or really... Female ANYTHING

If there's anything we learned from the female remake of Ghostbusters, it's that females can be ANYTHING. So be a group of female WHATEVER with your friends, and when people say, "nice costume" you say thanks, one day being a female alien won't be such a reach.

Hopefully, if anything, this article just inspired you to come up with your own feminist Halloween costumes! Share your own ideas below, and this Halloween, don't be afraid to dress up as your truest fiercest and funniest self.