Dress Up Like Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead

If you are looking for a good Captain Rhodes costume for Halloween or a big cosplay event, here’s the winning formula for creating the most exciting outfit of the party! Let’s see how to dress up as Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead.

Costume Guide For COSPLAY & HALLOWEEN

Costume-Captain Rhodes-Day of the Dead

Captain Rhodes from Day of the Dead Costume Guide

Can any Halloween or horror filled dress up event be complete without the mention of zombies or an impending zombie apocalypse. But instead of simply just going as a zombie why not create your own Captain Rhodes Costume. Find inspiration from the design work of Barbara Anderson, the costume designer responsible for all the looks in The Day of the Dead (1985).

Dress Up Like Captain Rhodes - Day of the Dead
The psychotic tyrant, Captain Rhodes, is just as much a danger to the people in the bunker as the zombies on the outside are, in The Day of the Dead (1985). United Film Distribution.

The Unsettling World of Captain Rhodes

The Day of the Dead is the third film by writer and director George A. Romero in his Night of the Living Dead series. The 1985 post apocalyptic zombie horror follows a group of scientists who think they are safely hunkered down in an underground bunker working on a cure, with the backing of the military personnel sent to protect them. What they don’t know is that being inside the bunker with Captain Rhodes is almost as dangerous.The unstable, psychotic tyrant with a happy trigger finger is just as much trouble as the zombies. 

How to get the Captain Rhodes Look 

To recreate the look of our U.S. Military Captain you will need to start with a matching jacket and cargo style trousers, in a dark army green color. Add in a short sleeved t-shirt also in the same army green, to go under your jacket and a pair of black lace up combat boots, to replicate that military look you are aiming for.   

Your Captain Rhodes costume is going to need all of the paraphernalia that you would expect when you are tasked with protecting a bunch of scientists, in an underground bunker. So firstly get yourself a shoulder holster to hold your guns, and since we are on the subject of the guns get a couple of fake revolvers to put in it.

Essential Accessories for Captain Rhodes

When it comes to stopping the zombies, the unstable Captain Rhodes, believes the more violence the better. So as well as your fake revolvers you have tucked away in your holster, you are going to need a fake rifle to carry around with you too. Wear it around your neck so that it is within easy reach at a minute’s notice. 

But with such a happy trigger finger Captain Rhodes always needed plenty of ammo. Throughout the movie he can be seen with a bandolier worn across his body. For your costume, replicate the look by getting the kind of bandolier where you can see each individual bullet and make sure it is full of fake ammo to really enhance the effect.

The scientists and other soldiers in the bunker realize that Captain Rhodes is unhinged and just as dangerous as the zombies.  

Finally pop on a black tactical belt and a set of military dog tags to finish the look. Now that it has all come together your Captain Rhodes costume will give off the air of power and someone in control, so it’s up to you and your acting skills to bring the drama and the full psychotic tyrant attitude to the character that is needed.   

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