Russell Edgington & Talbot True Blood Halloween Costume Guide

If you're a fan of True Blood, then you've probably already considered what great fun it would be to dress up as a True Blood character. And what characters could be more fun to mimic then the Vampire King of Mississippi Russell Edgington and his lover for over 700 years Talbot?

Russell has a friendly façade that makes him seem like someone you can trust and believe but watch your back... He hasn't been alive for over 2000 years by being the good guy. No... Russell is as evil as they come. He sees everyone as a means to what he wants and what he wants is to have humans caged so he can be the leader of the world.

Talbot is his companion and was turned into a vampire by Russell. Talbot is beautiful to look at but has the temperament of someone who has been neglected for far to long (as Russell goes along with all of his evil plans and running the kingdom of Mississippi) and can be very snarky when he doesn't get his way or something he finds upsetting happens in his magnificent home.

This article will serve as your guide to putting together Russell and Talbot costumes. You can plan the costumes as a couple either with a significant other or a friend but the costumes will also work for each character alone.

Russell Edgington True Blood Halloween Costume

We get to see how evil Russell really must be when he goes to the Were Club (in episode 4 of Season 3) to help initiate Debbie into the "club." He looks quite sane as he looks around the room, biting his wrist and letting his blood flow into waiting shot glasses for the weres under his control to drink, all the while looking uber cool in his outfit.

What you'll need:

Black pants (think dressy, like suit pants)

Black shirt with at least two buttons at the top of the chest area (such as a Henley, example found here, though you can improvise with a regular black dress shirt)

Black sunglasses (like the ones here but look in your hometown for a cheaper version)

Black dress shoes

Black leather jacket (you don't have to have a real leather jacket, there are plenty of faux leather jacket's that run much cheaper then a real one)

Men's ring (think large so it will stand out on your finger and it does not have to match Russell's exactly, you can use the one at Overstock found here or pick one elsewhere)

Dark brown hair dye or short men's style wig (if your hair is not naturally short)

Fake blood (optional)

Putting it together:

Refresh yourself by watching episode four in season three so you can get a feel for Russell, proud Vampire King of Mississippi as he is in the were club. If you have to use a temporary dye for your hair, do it now as you don't want to chance it getting on your clothes. Now get dressed. Put on your dress pants and shirt. Next put on your leather jacket. Do not close it, just leave it open in the front. Don your shoes and look in a mirror. Getting excited? You should be. You're on your way to becoming one of the oldest vampires that has been shown on True Blood to date.

If you already have short brown hair, slick it back so that it slightly has a pouf. If you've dyed your hair, follow this rule as well. Wearing a wig? Make sure you get one that is at least someone close to Russell's hair style.

Place the ring on your left pointer finger. For an extra touch, use fake blood and wipe it on your left wrist to look like you've just bitten yourself to feed the scary weres. You can also apply a dribble to your chin area.

Put on your sunglasses and you're ready to take over the town.

Talbot True Blood Halloween Costume:

Talbot doesn't seem as evil as Russell but if you've been together for 700 years some of Russell's evilness surely has rubbed off. Talbot is a beautiful kept man which means he has been in charge of the manor, decorating and preparing "meals (flavored blood)" as well as being available when Russell wants him.

What you'll need:

Burgundy velvet dress jacket (such as the one found here though you can look on eBay or at local new or thrift stores to find one in your area for cheaper)

Black dress pants

Black belt

Cream colored dress shirt (example here)

Black dress shoes

Men's ring (try to find one with a circular shape on the top or you can use the one here)

Hair dye or wig to match Talbot's hair

Chest hair (optional, yes you really can buy your own chest hair. Click here to view)

Putting it together:

Use the picture of Talbot here for your inspiration. The first thing you should do is take care of your hair. If you already have medium length hair in a dark brown or black shade, then you don't need to mess with temporary hair dye or a wig. Instead use a little bit of hair gel and slick your hair back, crunching it towards the back so it will be wavy. If you have to dye your hair, style it the same way when you're done dying. For a wig, you need to get a style that is similar to Talbot's. You can search online or visit a Halloween superstore.

Next put on your pants, belt, shoes and dress shirt. Tuck in your shirt. You'll want to leave your dress shirt unbuttoned a little more then half the way to show off your chest. Talbot has a lot of chest hair. If you really want to go for the look and don't have chest hair of your own, buy some and apply it. Be sure to do it naturally so you won't look like silly.

Carefully slide on your dress jacket and leave it open. The jacket really completes the look and it is important to have it.

Place your ring on your left ring finger and you're good to go.

Talbot is dark and sexy and you can see the passion that vibrates underneath his skin. You want to achieve the same thing and you can if you dress the part and give smoldering pouty looks all night.