Browse through all of the Onward character costumes and cosplay guides. Pixar’s 2020 fantasy adventure follows two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, who set out in their van Guinevere to finish a spell that could bring their late father back for a single day. Dress like the anxious wizard Ian in flannel, blue hair and a wooden staff; his heavy-metal brother Barley in a patched denim vest and beanie; their mother Laurel Lightfoot; or dad Mr. Lightfoot in a puffer vest and orange sunglasses. Whether you want an Onward Halloween costume or a convention cosplay, each guide breaks the outfit into pieces you can buy — elf ears, face paint and wigs. Our animation costume ideas cover the genre.
Ian is the shy younger brother who discovers he can cast magic, and his is the easiest Onward costume to build. Start with a blue flannel shirt and jeans for the everyday suburban-elf outfit, then add the pieces that make it read as Ian: elf ears, bright blue hair dye or a curly blue wig, and blue face paint where his spell scars glow. Carry a wooden staff for photos and finish with blue sneakers. Keep it lightly worn, not polished — this is a teenager’s clothes, not a wizard’s robe.
Barley is the loud older brother obsessed with the game Quests of Yore, and his outfit is all layers and attitude. Begin with a black t-shirt and green cargo shorts, then throw a denim vest over the top and cover it in pins for the patch-covered look fans recognize. Add elf ears, blue hair dye and a little face paint, plus a spiked bracelet and a blue beanie. Finish with white socks and black Converse. It is a comfortable, thrift-store build that works for a party or a convention.
Onward is a gift for cosplayers because almost every piece of the characters’ wardrobes is real, everyday clothing you can buy or already own. Ian and Barley shop the same suburban stores you do — flannel, denim, cargo shorts and sneakers — so the only genuinely costume-specific parts are the elf ears, the face paint and Ian’s wooden staff. That makes Onward one of the cheapest Pixar cosplays to pull off, and the blue hair and pointy ears make the group read instantly in a photo. Build it for Halloween, a convention, or a family-group costume.
Everything you need to know before you build an Onward costume, from the easiest character to start with to how to get the elf ears and blue hair right.
Ian wears a blue flannel shirt, jeans and blue sneakers, with elf ears, blue hair dye and blue face paint for the magic look. A wooden staff completes the outfit.
Barley wears a black t-shirt, green cargo shorts and a pin-covered denim vest, finished with elf ears, a blue beanie and black Converse. He is the more colorful, layered brother.
Barley is the easiest, because most of his outfit is everyday clothing you can layer from your own wardrobe. Add elf ears and blue hair to finish it.
Any of the Lightfoot family works, but Ian and Barley make the best Onward Halloween costume as a pair. Go as the two brothers together and the group reads instantly.
Yes — the pointed ears are the single detail that turns a normal outfit into an Onward character. A cheap pair of elf ears does more than any other accessory.
Use temporary blue hair dye or color spray for a one-night look, or a curly blue wig for a convention when you want it to survive a full day.
An Onward costume is one of the cheapest Pixar builds, because most people already own the shirt, jeans or shorts. Budget mainly for the elf ears, face paint, hair color and a staff.
Yes — Laurel wears a knit sweater, jeans, cat-eye glasses and elf ears, while Mr. Lightfoot is a blue puffer vest, grey sweater and orange sunglasses.
Absolutely. The four Lightfoots — Ian, Barley, Laurel and Mr. Lightfoot — make a ready-made family group costume, and you can mix and match characters.
Onward is a 2020 animated fantasy film from Pixar, directed by Dan Scanlon. Set in a modern world of elves and fantasy creatures where magic has faded and technology took its place, it follows two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, in the town of New Mushroomton. When they receive a wizard’s staff that belonged to their late father, a spell briefly brings him back — but only from the waist down — so the brothers set off in their van Guinevere to finish it before the day ends. It was inspired by Scanlon’s own experience of losing his father when he was young. The film features the voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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