We all know Jack the Clown, Lady Luck, Paulo Ravinski, and Dr. Oddfellow. The Icons at Halloween Horror Nights have turned heads at the event since the early 2000s, when Jack – the first ever HHN Icon – made him frightful debut and took over Halloween Horror Nights for decades to come, making himself the face of the event. And while we’re all familiar with the laughing maniac who just signed his residency over in Las Vegas, many Universal Orlando Resort guests may not be aware that events overseas have their own original Icons, as well – like the creepy cute HamiKuma. The original Icons in Universal’s overseas parks tend to go all out, and none more so than one of the most beloved (and marketable) icons from Universal Japan.
HamiKuma made waves in Japan during the 2021 as a mascot featured in the Gothic Killer Cuties scarezone; a year later, back by popular demand, HamiKuma got to host the first of his very own Halloween Horror Nights events as the most adorably deadly icon to ever bring the scares to Universal’s HHN event.
HamiKuma, a man which derives its parts from the Japanese “Hami-” meaning “sticking out,” and “-Kuma,” which means “bear,” is well designed for his namesake, as you can see colorful guts and gore sticking out of his stomach.
Legend has it that HamiKuma used to be the main star of a traveling circus; his fellow performers, jealous of his popularity and incensed by the rumor that he wasn’t even a real bear, ambushed him and slashed open his stomach in an attempt to figure out what he really was. Burning the circus down to cover their tracks, they left HamiKuma to his demise, where he was resurrected by an underworld Parasite called Death Bringer.
Undeterred by his newfound friend and grizzly fate, HamiKuma returned to performing when he returned to the world of the living, kicking off the HamiKuma Psycho Circus show in 2022.
Now, this adorable bear mascot has made his way to the states with official Universal Japan merchandise landing in stores across Universal Orlando Resort this season.
“The overall assortment this year is bigger and bolder than ever with new apparel, souvenirs, homeware, collectibles, accessories and more at Universal Studios theme parks globally,” Universal Orlando Resort’s press department stated, and gave excited fans a sneak peek at some of the upcoming merchandise that will be featured at this year’s event, including multiple new HamiKuma keepsakes.
Check back soon, as Theme Park Shark will continue to report on all the details released on this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event, including food, merch, scarezones, and house rankings. In the meantime, check out Theme Park Shark on your favorite social media platform, like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and expect to see plenty of scares this season, as well as theme park news from Disney, Universal, and theme parks from all across the world!
