This year Halloween costumes for kids are all about characters: Hannah Montana, Jack Sparrow, and Zac Efron to name a few. Chances are your little tike obsesses dressing like their favorite character this Halloween season, and character costumes this year are very hot. Generic kids costumes (such as dainty princesses or secretive ninjas) take a swift dive downwards as more important characters rise to the surface. Here's what trends are hot this year in kids Halloween costumes.

Hot Trends Definitely Including Favorite Child Stars

Huge trends this year lean towards characters from your kids' favorite TV shows and movies. Expect to see many little tikes trick-or-treating as Hannah Montana or the infamous Jack Sparrow. Trends are going iconic this year.

Trends this year love singing sensations such as Hannah Montana or Zac Efron. In the last few years iconic characters rose to astronomical fame with all children, including singing sensation Hannah Montana. Kids watch this show religiously and many little girls want to be just like her. Expect to hear girls begging their mommies to allow them to wear Hannah Montana costumes this Halloween.

Also, there was the rise of a popular movie series called High School Musical. Zac Efron, one of the stars of High School Musical, is huge with kids today, especially love-struck girls. Kids will be screaming to be this Hollywood hunk this Halloween.

There's also the rise of other popular movies, including Pirates of the Carribbean. Expect to see kids wear stylish pirate costumes modeled after Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, and Will Turner. Jack Sparrow costumes are extremely popular with kids, with little girls ecstatic to dress like the beautiful Elizabeth Swann. Kids Halloween costume trends are definitely sailing to the seven seas this Halloween.

Not all trends are leaning towards the realistic this Halloween, however.

Anime-Influenced Halloween, Totemo Sugoi!

Not so fast, Hannah Montana! You're not the only character kids love this Halloween year. Trends this year also lean towards hot anime shows such as Naruto, Bleach, and Avatar.

Popular anime shows, the most popular being Naruto, are huge with kids this Halloween. All kids want to wear Halloween costumes modeled after their favorite characters, such as spikey-haired Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. Expect to see kids in these trends wielding their magic ninja skills.

There's also Avatar, a hugely popular series on Nickelodeon that many young kids watch obsessively. Kids will squeal when they dress like avatar Aang or the mysterious Earthbender Toph Bei Fong. Avatar will fly this Halloween when all kids don these anime-inspired costumes.

What's Not Hot

Hannah Montana and Naruto is in, but generic Halloween costumes are out.

Kids Halloween costumes this year won't be generic, such as the typical princess or ninja. Kids want to wear specific costumes modeled after their favorite shows and movies this Halloween. Your little tikes want to dress like Uzumaki Naruto and Jack Sparrow this year.

After this Halloween, trends point towards very specific characters. General costumes will die out. If you're thinking of putting your child in a generic costume, don't. They won't be happy about it.

So here's the scoop: Specific, popular characters such as Hannah Montana and Jack Sparrow are in. Generic typical Halloween costumes are very out. Until generic costumes get the boost they desperately need, kids will veer away from it and continue to dress like their favorite characters.