The Office: Ranking All Of Jim’s Hilarious Halloween Costumes

Though the characters on The Office usually have a lot of fun getting into the Halloween spirit, Jim Halpert’s Halloween costumes have often been memorable simply because of the lack of effort he puts into them. Jim has been known for giving the bare minimum in his job, preferring to chat up Pam at the reception desk or pull pranks on Dwight. He also takes the same half-hearted approach to his annual Halloween costumes, which, while not very fun of him, does make for some memorable moments.

From the Halloween Heists of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to the Treehouses of Horror of The Simpsons, Halloween has become a television staple over the years, cementing itself as one of the culture’s most popular and beloved holidays. On The Office, though, Halloween often served as more of a backdrop than anything — and no one took the holiday less seriously than salesman Jim Halpert. Over the nine seasons of The Office, the lack of care Jim put into his costumes was always one of the show’s most hilarious recurring gags.

Every Halloween Episode Of The Office

6. Chris Bosh

Season 8

In season 8’s “Spooked,” Jim Halpert’s only non-funny costume was presented. After a great deal of anticipation for what the latest installment in the lore of Jim’s costumes would be, there was a major letdown when Jim not only took part in a group costume but wasn’t even funny in the lack of effort. The episode aired during the 2011-12 TV season, which was also one of the peak years for the Big Three of the Miami Heat.

With the other sports fans of the office, Darryl and Kevin, dressed as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, respectively, Jim donned a Chris Bosh Heat jersey. Putting on a basketball jersey is certainly not an imaginative costume idea, but it is also not unimaginative enough to be memorable.

However, one saving grace aspect of the costume is that it’s perhaps the only one that’s related to something he is passionate about. Jim has always enjoyed sports and this even serves as a bit of foreshadowing to his decision to leave Dunder Mifflin in the following season to pursue his sports marketing company.

5. One Of The Men In Black Guys

Season 9

In season 9 there was a slight return to form for Jim’s Halloween costumes in “Here Comes Treble” which, despite an appearance from Stephen Colbert as Broccoli Rob, ranks as the worst Halloween episode of The Office. Yet, there was still a moment that allowed Jim to throw in one last lazy Halloween costume. With his attention more focused on his new business venture outside of Dunder Mifflin, Jim took a look at his everyday outfit and described himself to be “one of the Men in Black guys.”

While not overly memorable, it is made funnier by the fact that he didn’t even bother to take the time to choose which character from Men in Black he was. It is actually impressive for being the least amount of effort Jim has ever put into a Halloween costume on the show. However, this could reflect the fact that, at this point in the series, he was largely checked out of his job at Dunder Mifflin and was focused on his new venture.

4. Facebook

Season 6

Fans who revisited The Office on Netflix may have wondered how they missed this Jim Halpert Halloween costume, but there is a reason for it. The Office‘s Halloween cold open in “Koi Pond” was cut from Netflix, taking away the chance to see Jim’s unique take on Facebook as a costume. Simply writing “book” on his face is once again a funny lack of effort.

Though it was one of the more forgotten entries in Jim’s Halloween costumes, it remains one of his best. It is a perfect example of how Jim can charmingly put no effort into his costumes and yet somehow make them clever enough that they are entertaining.

3. Dave

Season 5

If there was a prize for the least amount of effort put into a costume, this Jim Halpert costume would be the victor over all others. He became Dave by slapping a sticker on his chest. It was a sticker that read, “Hello, my name is,” with a blank space for someone to write their name as an easy greeting. Instead, Jim co-opted it as a Halloween costume and scrawled in Dave.

While other costumes are funnier in their concept, the Dave costume is an original idea that perfectly captures how little Jim cares about dressing up while also maintaining his likable goofball persona. Once again, Jim is able to take an approach to Halloween that suggests he is above the whole thing only for his clever idea to stand out more than some of the other costumes that required real effort.

2. Popeye

Season 7

While it is fun to see the lack of effort Jim put into his costumes, the one time he actually got dressed up was for a sweet reason in season 7. At first, Jim goes along with Pam’s wish for a family Halloween costume (she’s dressed as Olive Oyl and their daughter, Cece, is Swee’Pea) by simply putting a corncob pipe in his mouth and shrugging, “I am Popeye.”

However, after Jim and Pam later force The Office‘s Danny Cordray into admitting he didn’t call Pam back for another date because he thought she was a dork, Jim decides to join her in her dorkiness. He returns home to put on the entire Popeye ensemble and retrieve Cece. Not only was Jim partially careless, but it also resulted in a sweet moment and a quick Popeye dance.

1. Three Hole Punch Jim

Season 2

While Popeye was undoubtedly Jim’s sweetest moment of the Halloween holidays, it was not his funniest costume. That honor goes to the first Halloween costume Jim ever donned on The Office. At first, Jim struts around the office with three black dots affixed to his shirt. He proclaims himself to be “Three Hole Punch Jim,” which is a deviation from “Plain White Jim,” apparently. The best moment, however, comes when one of his dots falls off and he becomes “Two Hole Punch Jim.”

It is a clever and funny idea that was thrown together without care, which is what fans look for in Jim’s Halloween costumes. It also gets extra points for sticking with Dunder Mifflin’s paper theme. It perfectly set the stage for the future of Jim’s costumes on The Office and what fans could expect from them — no effort yet a lot of originality all the same.

Jim’s Halloween Costumes Are A Perfect Look At His Personality

Jim’s Halloween costumes were a fun running gag throughout the series, but they also spoke to Jim Halpert as a character on The Office. From the first episode of the series, Jim is presented as a guy who doesn’t really care about his job. He has natural talent as a salesperson, but he isn’t willing to put much effort into the job that he feels no passion for. This is reflected in his choice of Halloween costumes as he seems to be aiming at putting in the least amount of effort possible so as not to participate too much.

The fact that the lack of effort makes these costumes more memorable also speaks to Jim’s personality. Though he doesn’t try very hard at work, Jim actually comes across as one of the better employees at Dunder Mifflin. He is liked by the corporate bosses, Michael sees him as the number two in the office, and he was even co-manager at one time. Meanwhile, Dwight cares deeply about his job and his Halloween costumes but never gets recognized in the same way Jim does.

Jim’s Halloween costumes on The Office also reflect what motivates him. When Pam wants him to actually dress up for once for a family costume idea, he puts aside his typical effortless approach and dresses as Popeye for the sake of his family. Indeed, when Jim is seen to care and is passionate, his family is always at the center of his motivation.