39 Halloween Jokes: The 2016 “Pokémon GO & Stranger Things” Edition

In 2016, Halloween was a wild mix of augmented reality, “justice for Harambe,” and the realization that a group of kids on bikes is the ultimate defense against inter-dimensional monsters. It was the year we learned to “dab” away our problems and “check in” at the Upside Down.

The 2016 Top 10: “Pokéballs & Eggo Waffles”

1. Pokémon GO: Why were there so many people walking into trees on Halloween? Because they weren’t looking for candy; they were trying to catch a high-CP Charizard that was supposedly hiding in the neighbor’s bushes.
2. Stranger Things (Debut): Why were there so many kids in pink dresses with blonde wigs and boxes of Eggo waffles? Because Eleven was the breakout star of the year, and “friends don’t lie”—especially about where the good chocolate is.
3. Harambe: What was the most controversial costume of 2016? A gorilla suit with a halo, because “Justice for Harambe” became the internet’s most persistent (and weird) battle cry.
4. The “Dab” Craze: Why did the skeletons look like they were sneezing into their elbows? Because in 2016, “dabbing” was the only way to express joy, victory, or the successful acquisition of a King Size Snickers.
5. Suicide Squad: Why were there 500 Harley Quinns at every party? Because Margot Robbie made “Daddy’s Lil Monster” the official uniform for 2016, even if nobody could actually explain the plot of the movie.
6. The Killer Clown Scare: Why were people actually afraid of the “fun” costumes? Because 2016 was the year real-life creepy clowns started appearing in woods, making us all realize that Stephen King’s It was a documentary.
7. Deadpool: Why was the 2016 superhero so foul-mouthed? Because Ryan Reynolds proved that you can save the world while wearing red spandex and breaking the fourth wall to complain about the budget.
8. The Bottle Flip Challenge: Why was there a half-full water bottle on every porch? Because kids spent the whole night trying to land a “perfect flip” instead of actually ringing the doorbell.
9. Lemonade (Beyoncé): Why was the witch carrying a baseball bat named “Hot Sauce” and wearing a yellow ruffled dress? Because Beyoncé told us that if life gives you lemons, you make an iconic visual album and smash some car windows.
10. Game of Thrones – “Battle of the Bastards”: Why were the trick-or-treaters so muddy? Because Jon Snow survived a mountain of bodies, and we all learned that you should never, ever run in a straight line (looking at you, Rickon).

The Full 2016 Halloween Jokes Archive

11. Finding Dory: Why was the blue fish at the door again? Because she forgot she already visited this house three minutes ago. “Just keep swimming… to the next bowl!”
12. The “Damn Daniel” Video: Why was everyone complimenting the ghost’s footwear? “Damn, Daniel! Back at it again with the white Vans!”
13. Zootopia: Why was the sloth taking so long to give out candy? Because Flash was working the door, and by the time he said “Happy… Halloween,” it was already mid-November.
14. Ghostbusters (Remake): Why was the 2016 ghost so confused? Because there were four women in jumpsuits with proton packs, and the internet had a very loud opinion about it.
15. The Mannequin Challenge: Why was the 2016 Halloween party so quiet? Because everyone froze in place while “Black Beatles” played in the background, hoping someone was filming it for Twitter.
16. Arrival: Why was the linguist trying to talk to an octopus? Because Amy Adams proved that communicating with aliens involves a lot of whiteboards and “heptapod” ink circles.
17. Hodor (The “Hold the Door” Moment): Why was the guy crying while holding the front door open? Because Game of Thrones broke our hearts, and we’ll never look at a doorstop the same way again.
18. The “PPAP” (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) Song: What was the weirdest 2016 earworm? A guy in a leopard print suit sticking pens into fruit. We still don’t know why, but we couldn’t stop singing it.
19. Doctor Strange: Why was the guy in the cape moving his hands in circles? Because Benedict Cumberbatch introduced us to the Multiverse, and we were all trying to “open our eye.”
20. The “Arthur” Fist Meme: Why was the ghost clenching his fist so tightly? Because he saw someone put a toothbrush in his candy bag and he was trying to contain his 2016 rage.
21. Westworld (Debut): Why were the cowboys so existential? Because “these violent delights have violent ends,” and half the guests weren’t sure if they were humans or hosts.
22. Moana: Why was the demigod so shiny? Because Maui had magical tattoos and a catchy song, and we all realized that “You’re Welcome” for the candy.
23. The iPhone 7 (No Headphone Jack): What was the scariest thing about the new phone? Looking for the hole to plug in your earbuds and realizing you needed a “dongle” just to live your life.
24. Captain America: Civil War: Why was the “squad” breaking up? Because you had to choose between Team Cap and Team Iron Man, and the friendship ended over the Sokovia Accords.
25. The “Dat Boi” Meme: Why was the frog on a unicycle? “O shit waddup!”—the most nonsensical meme of a very nonsensical year.
26. Fantastic Beasts: Why was Eddie Redmayne looking for a suitcase? Because New York was full of magical creatures, and some of them were definitely hiding in the pumpkin patch.
27. The “Salt Bae” (Early Hype): Why was the vampire sprinkling salt off his elbow? Because he wanted his victims to be seasoned with style.
28. Don’t Breathe: Why was the 2016 haunted house so quiet? Because a blind man was hunting the intruders, and even a floorboard creak meant game over.
29. Rogue One (Hype): Why were the rebels so desperate? Because they were trying to steal the plans to the Death Star and remind us that “Hope” is built on sacrifices.
30. The “Joe Biden/Obama” Bromance Memes: Why were the two ghosts laughing in the corner? Because they were making up “inner monologue” jokes about the transition of power.
31. Sia – “Cheap Thrills”: Why was the witch dancing with a two-toned wig? Because she didn’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight—she just needed the beat and some candy corn.
32. The “Evil Kermit” Meme: Why was the ghost talking to his shadow? Because “Inner Me” told him to eat the entire bag of candy instead of giving it to the kids.
33. Sully: Why did the pilot land the plane in the river? Because Tom Hanks is the only person we trust to save us from a bird strike in middle of New York.
34. The “Hillary vs. Trump” Debates: Why were the costumes so political? Because 2016 was an election year, and the only thing scarier than a monster was the 24-hour news cycle.
35. The Conjuring 2: Why was the “Nun” so terrifying? Because Valak was the breakout horror star, and nobody wanted to look at a painting ever again.
36. The “Ken Bone” Era: Why was the guy in the red sweater so famous? Because for 15 minutes during a debate, he was the most wholesome person on the internet.
37. Lights Out: Why were the kids afraid to turn off the porch light? Because Diana only appears in the shadows, and 2016 was already dark enough.
38. The “Pokemon GO” Team War: Why were people shouting “Valor!”, “Mystic!”, or “Instinct!”? Because your choice of a virtual bird determined your social standing in the neighborhood.
39. The Final 2016 Vibe: Why was it a “Surreal” Halloween? Because between catching Pokémon and watching the world change through our screens, we realized that 2016 was the year the “Internet” and “Reality” finally merged for good.