It’s incredible that Pac-Man has been chomping his way through Halloween for the past 46 years. That’s most of my life-time. I remember seeing Pac-Man gobble his way through my elementary school with more than one kid putting on the costume. I was always the M&M or the Fry Guy. But I’ll admit, I was envious of the best Pac-Man Halloween costume. He was perfect for the holiday, because the poor guy was always being chased by real-life ghosts. Now, here in 2026, the big yellow urinal biscuit is still invading the holiday as he Waka-Wakas his way into Spirit Halloween with a bunch of costumes and new merch. The dude even made a video about it.
Turning the tables on his ghost pursuers, Pac-Man is more than ready to gobble up some Halloween treats. The iconic video game character has teamed up with Spirit Halloween to put some Waka-Ween spirit into this year’s spooky season, with the official Pac-Man account pointing fans toward the retailer’s collection of themed costumes and merchandise.
“Time to get into the WAKA-WEEN spirit!”
Pac-Man himself has invited fans to browse the collection ahead of Halloween night. Spirit Halloween’s online search page currently lists seven PAC-MAN-related items, although the selection and availability may change. We’ve got a fleece blanket, which is just a total nightmare at the beach. There’s a lenticular sign, which is tons of fun. And best of all, we’ve got an official Pac-Man costume along with Halloween costumes for Inky, Blinky, Clyde and Pinky. Forget couples costumes. 2026 is all about squad goals.
It’s a fitting seasonal appearance for a character who has spent more than four decades chasing ghosts through a maze. Pac-Man first arrived in Japanese arcades in 1980 before making its way to the United States that October, where the game became a cultural phenomenon. The little chomper soon escaped the arcade cabinet and turned up on everything from merchandise to television. And you can believe once he showed up for his first Halloween, he never went away.
Pac-Man even got his own animated series in 1982. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, the show brought Pac-Man, his family and those familiar ghosts to ABC, giving the maze-running character a life beyond the game. He even had his own dog, which might be the best Halloween costume of all time, but you’ll have to make Chomp-Chomp yourself.
More than 30 years later, PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures introduced a new generation to the character through a computer-animated series that began airing in 2013.
The franchise has made its way to the big screen, too, though not quite in the way fans might expect. Pac-Man appeared as one of the classic video game characters brought to life in 2015’s Pixels, the Adam Sandler comedy about arcade games attacking Earth. A standalone live-action Pac-Man movie was announced as being in development in 2022, but it has yet to become a released feature film.
For now, Pac-Man’s latest real-world adventure is a little closer to home: finding a place in your Halloween plans. Whether you’re looking for a costume inspired by the classic arcade icon or simply want to add some Pac-Man gear to your collection, Spirit Halloween is giving fans a place to start their search.
You can browse the PAC-MAN collection at Spirit Halloween’s official website and see what might help you get into the Waka-Ween spirit. Just keep an eye out for ghosts. Old habits die hard.
