As October comes to a close and the Halloween spirit begins its annual resurrection, it's time to think about costumes. For many, it's a tough choice—do you want to be a pop culture reference or just downright spooky? For others, it might be difficult to even know where to start! If you're struggling, here's one place to start: villains. You have to admit that even if they're evil they've got some awesome outfits.

1. Maleficent

Arguably (not even) the best villain in all of Disney history. With a raven at her side and a wicked staff, she's not only the queen of entrances and magic, her title is literally the Mistress of All Evil. On top of that, she's one of the few villains who doesn't waste time with some silly musical number. No, she gets straight to the point. And if you're not convinced yet, let me just remind you that she turns into a dragon. A dragon. I wouldn't mess with her—but I sure as hell would like to be her.

2. The Joker

Recently the Joker has been getting pretty popular, garnering attention most notably in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" and again in the highly anticipated "Suicide Squad".And reasonably so, considering that he's completely insane yet an absolute mastermind in his own way. Not to mention, as far as costumes go, there are so many different versions of the Joker to choose from—or maybe you can even throw in your own twist.

3. The Wicked Witch of the West

If you're up for something a little more classic, the Wicked Witch of the West is definitely the way to go. Think about it: she manages to strike fear across all of the Land of Oz on her own. She's got a huge castle and she commands an army of flying monkeys. Her expanded story in "Wicked" makes her a pretty awesome witch to be this season. So as long as it doesn't rain on Halloween night, and you avoid anyone dressed as Dorothy, you should be good to go.

4. Agent Smith

If you're looking for a cult classic on the other hand, Agent Smith is the way to go. One of the principle antagonists in "The Matrix," Smith was so powerful that he almost destroyed the very program that the Matrix was built on and almost took over the real world. All you really need to be Agent Smith this year is a crisp suit, sunglasses, and an insatiable desire for world domination.

5. Evil Queen

Yet another pretty fearsome Disney villain is the Evil Queen. She was so determined to be the fairest in all the land, she literally had no qualms about taking out her own stepdaughter. She wasn't even afraid to take things into her own hands, going as far as finding and trying to poison Snow White herself. So if you go as the Evil Queen this year, I can't guarantee that you'll be the fairest in the land, but you'll be the fairest of all the party.

6. Darth Vader

Darth Vader. The very name brings to mind shiny black helmets, giant space battles, buzzing lightsabers—all in a galaxy far far away. Now just imagine seeing the Sith Lord himself. Decked out all in black with a fearsome lightsaber, you'll be ready to conquer planets in no time. Bonus points if you get a squad of stormtroopers to follow you around.

7. Yzma

Yzma is definitely the queen of best dresses. She's to the animated world of "The Emperor's New Groove" as Lady Gaga is to our world -- always in a flashy, fantastic outfit. So obviously she's going to be the most fun to dress as. Not to mention, if you manage to find your own Kronk, you can travel in extra style.

8. Magneto

Besides the fact that the great actors Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender have portrayed him, Magneto is a really cool villain. He can manipulate magnetic fields — which basically allows him to control anything with metal in it. His superhero uniform is very recognizable, especially that special helmet he uses to basically stop Professor X from reading his mind. Also, if leader of the Human Mutant Rebellion is something that tickles your fancy, then Magneto is the villain for you.

9. The White Witch

Let me put it this way: the White Witch was so powerful that she was able to lock all of Narnia in an eternal winter. She also basically ruled the whole land with an iron fist and led a huge army into battle in the final scene. On top of that, she can make food out of snow and turn her enemies into icy statues. Her outfits are also made of ice and fur, so you can really feel like the queen of snow this Halloween — and stay warm, too.

10. Hannibal Lecter

Really, his name itself should be reason enough. But if it's not, let me explain to you why Hannibal would be the perfect villain to go as this Halloween. Notoriously creepy yet classy, Hannibal is pretty much recognizable anywhere with his cool, high-class demeanor and infamous mask. Not to mention you'll be just a notch above the rest if you can be scary and sophisticated
— just try not to emulate his rather macabre taste in cuisine.

11. The Hunter from Bambi

There's nothing like dressing up as the worst villain of our childhood: the hunter that unjustly took Bambi's mother from him. All the villains on our list may be evil, but there's nothing quite as wicked as being the scoundrel who not only left Bambi alone for the winter, but also pretty much set the forest on fire and tried to hunt the rest of the innocent animals of the forest.