Halloween Costume Guide
Belle Bottom betrays Wild Knuckles mid-heist and takes over as leader of the Vicious 6 in the opening sequence of the film, and the transition takes approximately ninety seconds. The massive black Afro and purple romper are what create recognition at a party. Minions: The Rise of Gru opened on July 1, 2022 (Wikipedia). Taraji P. Henson, who voices Belle Bottom, received an Academy Award nomination for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) (IMDb). The visual design is distinctive enough that the costume reads as a specific disco villain character even to people who have not seen the film.
Affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The Afro is the first thing people see and it needs to be full and round. A deflated or asymmetric Afro undermines the costume before anyone gets close enough to register the romper. Shape it at home and check it from eye level, not from above, because the shape looks different from above than it does to people you are talking to. The faux fur coat is the most dramatic visual element of the build, but it is also impractical at an indoor party after about an hour. The feather robe is the smarter indoor choice and still reads correctly for the character.
Belle walks into young Gru’s audition at the Vicious 6 headquarters, looks at him, and tells him he is too small and too young to be a real villain. She shows him the Zodiac Stone to taunt him and suggests he come back when he has done something actually evil. She says this in the same tone a recruiter would use to say the position has been filled. She does not expect him to steal the Stone. This is the last underestimation she makes in the film.
Choose the Coat or the Robe Before You Leave
Items 7 and 8 are two different outerwear options for the same costume. You cannot reasonably wear both at once. The faux fur coat is the more accurate choice but gets hot indoors after an hour and catches on everything in a crowded venue. The tulle feather robe is lighter and moves better in a crowd. Decide which event type you are attending and commit to one before arriving. Switching at the venue is possible but involves removing the Afro wig to get the coat on and off, which is not ideal.
Maintain the Afro Shape Through the Night
Afro wigs lose their shape faster than most costume wigs because the volume is structural rather than just length. Avoid leaning against walls or sitting in chairs with high backs, both of which compress the shape from behind. If you are in a smaller venue, check the wig in a mirror every hour or so. A compressed Afro still reads as the right character but looks noticeably less intentional than a full round one.
Duo Idea
Strong duo with a very specific dynamic. Wild Knuckles is the Vicious 6 founder who Belle lets fall off a ledge in the opening sequence so she can take his position. The visual contrast between Belle’s flamboyant purple disco look and Wild Knuckles’s older, grittier villain aesthetic is substantial. People who know the film will understand the betrayal reading immediately. People who do not will see two very different villains who clearly have history.
Duo Idea
Strong pairing built on the main conflict of the film. Belle dismisses Gru as too small and too young to be a real villain, and he responds by stealing her Zodiac Stone. The duo has an interesting villain-vs-aspiring-villain dynamic that reads immediately to anyone who has seen the film and reads as “experienced villain vs underdog” to anyone who has not.
Group Idea: The Vicious 6
Excellent group for a Minions crowd. Belle leads the team and each of the five members has a distinct visual identity rooted in their name. Jean-Clawed has a giant crab claw. Svengeance is dressed in Nordic-influenced gear. Stronghold has super-strength arms. Nun-Chuck is a martial arts nun with nunchucks. Belle is in purple disco gear with the Afro. The visual range across all five is exceptional and the group reads as clearly deliberate at any event.
Group Idea: Animated Villains
Might work, but the connection is loose and the aesthetics are wildly different. Ursula is a sea witch with tentacles. Maleficent is in a dramatic black sorceress robe. Cruella is in extreme black-and-white fashion. Belle is in 1970s purple disco gear with a massive Afro. The group holds together as “iconic animated villains” which most people will understand, but the visual range is enormous and nothing unifies the four costumes except the meta-concept of villainy.
The Afro wig and the faux fur coat are the two items where quality affects the outcome most. Everything else in this build is forgiving. The wig needs structural integrity to hold its shape. The coat needs the pink fur trim to be clearly pink against the purple, not blended.
Belle is confident, commanding, and has no patience for people who are wasting her time. She is not aggressive unless provoked. She runs the meeting and everyone in the room knows it, including her.
Purple formal V-neck sleeveless romper with extreme bell-bottom legs. Massive black Afro wig. Large 14K gold hoop earrings. Collar necklace choker. Multi-layered gold chain belt at the hips. Closed square toe patent leather heels. Long leather faux fur coat with pink trim over the romper, or the tulle feather robe as a lighter indoor alternative. The Afro and purple romper are the two items that create recognition.
Yes, for animation and Minions fans. The Rise of Gru released July 2022 and has been widely watched on streaming. The visual design is distinctive enough that the costume reads as a specific disco villain even to people who have not seen the film, which is a low-recognition-risk build for a character from a relatively recent animated film.
“Let’s get ready to rumble!” before leading the Vicious 6 into action. “Goodbye, old man. Out with the old, in with the bad!” as she betrays Wild Knuckles. “The Vicious 6 are looking for a new member… someone vicious.” during young Gru’s audition. These three cover the most recognizable moments of the character.
Taraji P. Henson, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). She voices Belle Bottom with authority and energy in the 2022 film.
The Vicious 6 is the world’s leading villain collective during the 1970s. Belle Bottom takes over as leader in the opening sequence by abandoning Wild Knuckles. The other members are Jean-Clawed, Svengeance, Stronghold, and Nun-Chuck, each with a villain persona built around their name.
She uses the Zodiac Stone during the Chinese New Year festival in San Francisco to transform into a massive traditional Chinese dragon with purple scales and a hot-pink fur mane that mirrors her civilian coat. She is defeated by the minions and transformed into a small rat along with the rest of the Vicious 6.
A disco ball mace on a gold chain, which she uses to distract or strike opponents. It is both a weapon and a design pun on her disco aesthetic. A novelty disco ball pendant on a chain works as a prop version at a Halloween party.
What does Belle Bottom transform into when she uses the Zodiac Stone in the film’s finale?
Who did Belle Bottom betray to take control of the Vicious 6?
What is Belle Bottom’s primary weapon in Minions: The Rise of Gru?