13 Cosplay Experts Tell Their 3 Favorite Cosplay Character Ideas 2021
Everyone knows that great feeling of choosing and making their next Cosplay character costume, are you looking for ideas or inspiration?
Sometimes I think how great it would be if I had a special power to know all someones favorite Cosplay characters beyond the one they are wearing at the time. Well the second best thing is to just ask!
Next time you are at a event I encourage you to ask your fellow Cosplayer for their favorite 3 characters to play. There is always more than one and it is a great conversation starter for exploring and fulfilling curiosity maybe even getting some more ideas for yourself.
Well I asked 13 of my favorite Cosplayers who their 3 most favorite Cosplay characters are.What they told me went beyond face value uncovering more than a love of dressing up and ideas for looking fantastic only. That one character is just the tip of the iceberg. All their replies are given below:
1 |
Tom – Carbon Costume |
2 |
April – POP CULTURE |
3 |
Heather – The Valkyries |
4 |
Jamie – The Comic Vault |
5 |
Roger – rogersenpaiu.com |
6 |
MaeBerry – MaeBerry Cosplay |
7 |
Matt – Geek-Pride |
8 |
Mikey MacWolff – www.mikeydoescosplay.com
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9 |
Heather – exeliax
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10 |
Chris – Cosplay Chris
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11 |
Stephanie – http://stephanieyanez.com/
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12 |
Mercedes – https://www.cosplaystitchandseam.com/
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13 |
Bianca –Bunny iinchou
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1.
Tom loves D.Va, Stormtrooper, Harley Quinn
Tom –
` It also shows the strength of community`
Tom wants to bring Cosplay to the masses by educating on how to modify everyday off the shelf costumes into the rare Cosplay characters using just modifications.
“My top 3 are:
D.Va: D.Va has so my varieties to pick, from bodysuit that’s as accessible a costume as you can find, to gremlin D.Va who loves Doritos and Mountain Dew, to the intricate Hanbok traditional Korean dress, to the mech suit taped together from cardboard boxes.
Stormtrooper: Stormtroopers are the OGs of cosplay. The humble Stormtrooper shows the depth of cosplay, where you can go from an off-the-shelf costume and still look good, to getting down and dirty with accuracy to screen and lore. It also shows the strength of community, seeing huge battalions of Stormtroopers enjoy the camaraderie.
Harley Quinn: The DC universe has iconic costumes, with Batman and the Joker at the very top. But for me, Harley Quinn takes the last spot. In a stinker of a movie, Margot Robbie’s version rose above and left a mark on pop culture. However, the jester version from Batman: The Animated Series, even though it’s a less common cosplay, would be my pick.”
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2.
April loves the people behind the costumes more than the costumes – what a amazing answer!
April –
` It’s not the characters I like as much as it is the people portraying them.`
April is a Cosplayer and owner of PopCultHQ a professional media web page with a focus on the “Three C’s” – Comics, Cosplay and Conventions and does not have a overall favorite explained below.
“I like to see some of the more obscure and lesser known characters, but I can’t really say that I have a particular favorite character I like to see Cosplayed. I truly appreciate them all for the time, skill, and thought that went into them.
I love the big flashy Cosplays and huge armor builds. Living with a builder, I know what goes into them. They are spectacular show pieces and frequently a testament to someones skills and devotion to their art. The costumes I enjoy the most aren’t always the best looking out there or the most accurate.
They are frequently cobbled together by amateurs who want to show their love of a character and have fun. These are quite often the ones with minimal budgets, time, or knowledge that put together pieces or buy a Halloween costume.
I truly love the look on someones face when you recognize their character and ask for a photo, especially when they’ve convinced themselves it will never happen because they think their costume is crap. It’s not the characters I like as much as it is the people portraying them.”
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3.
Heather loves Geralt of Rivias, Fallout vault dwellers, Family cosplays
Heather –
`I don’t think cosplays have to be like pin point accurate, I like seeing gender bends or blended characters I.e modern versions or punk versions etc. `
Heather is the founder and creator of The Valkyries, she is an avid player of games, reader of comics, watcher of films and drinker of brews! Big into horror movies and video games, she is always down for a discussion about why horror movies the god tier of all move genres and a beer! Heather loves Geralt of Rivias, Fallout vault dwellers, Family Cosplays read below:
“So in terms of cosplay, I just like to see some imagination and passion. I don’t think Cosplays have to be like pin point accurate, I like seeing gender bends or blended characters I.e modern versions or punk versions etc.
But! My top 3 to see at conventions are always:
Geralt of Rivias- The Witcher 3 is my all time favorite game, so love seeing the white wolf, and with the Netflix show you just get more, often tossing coins which is always a laugh.
Fallout vault dwellers, extra bonus points for power armour or homemade pip boys! I did a vault dweller for Halloween one year complete with homemade pipboy using the fallout 4 app you can get that does a screen. It was a hit!
Family cosplays- so I saw an amazing family doing Alana, Marko and Hazel from the Saga comics series which was incredible!”
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4.
Jamie loves Red Hood(as you can see aboove!), Nightwing, Deathstroke and Thor
Jamie –
`It’s given me confidence and serves as a reminder of overcoming adversity in my own life `
When Jamie is not geeking out over comics you’ll find him walking the streets of Manchester, England with a novel in hand. He is a DC, Marvel and WWE fanboy and also a short story writer and poet, his stories having been published by Hyperion and Theia, Colp, EastLit Magazine, Liquid Imagination and more. Jamie loves Red Hood, Nightwing, Deathstroke and Thor
“I’ve only cosplayed as Red Hood but would enjoy cosplaying as Nightwing, Deathstroke and Thor in the future. The reason why Red Hood is my favourite is because I find Jason Todd’s story as a survivor relatable to my own journey. From the beginning, Jason wasn’t afraid to follow his own path and do what he thought was right, even when it went against what Batman had taught him. He continued to fight for what he believed in and that takes a lot of guts and courage.
When dressing as Red Hood, it’s felt like putting on my own suit of armour and feeling connected to the story of the character. It’s given me confidence and serves as a reminder of overcoming adversity in my own life and I think that kind of feeling is extremely powerful from a mental health perspective. Cosplaying can become a valuable part of a positive mental health routine.”
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5.
Roger loves Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist, Sebastian from Black Butler and Marth from Fire Emblem
Roger –
`Cosplaying them allowed me to meet other people who were into the same series. Some of these people are my close friends today. `
Roger a veteran Cosplayer likes to help the Cosplay community sharing invaluable information and guides including creating Cosplay on a budget
“By far my 3 favorite cosplays are: Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist, Sebastian from Black Butler and Marth from Fire Emblem. I generally like these characters because they’re amazing characters in the actual Anime/video game.
On top of that, all three of them are relatively easy and comfortable to wear (I’ve had other costumes where they’re really uncomfortable after a while). And best of all, Cosplaying them allowed me to meet other people who were into the same series.
Some of these people are my close friends today. So if I had to pick 3, it definitely would be Roy, Sebastian and Marth!”
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6.
MaeBerry loves Carmilla Movie ballgowns , Ghostbusters (Holtzmann and Yates),Monster High
MaeBerry –
`Our Ghostbusters (Holtzmann and Yates) cosplay is our most expensive build and likely took us the most amount of time. It was also our first “professional” cosplay, which holds a special place in our hearts. `
MaeBerry Cosplay is a cosplay couple based out of Albuquerque, NM specializing in body positive portrayals of LGBTQI+ characters. They love Carmilla Movie ballgowns, Our Ghostbusters (Holtzmann and Yates),Our Monster High
“Our top 3 favorite cosplays are as follows:
1) Our Carmilla Movie ballgowns are our most intricate cosplay to date. We spent so much time and effort in extensive detail for our first, period piece. We were unable to find purple and black striped fabric so we had to dye the many tresses of Carmilla’s gown.
The crimping on the bodice of Laura’s gown was also tedious with much starch and ironing. Plus, many of the fabrics were hard to soure for authenticity to the time period, along with the desired weight and colors.
2) Our Ghostbusters (Holtzmann and Yates) cosplay is our most expensive build and likely took us the most amount of time. It was also our first “professional” cosplay, which holds a special place in our hearts.
3) Our Monster High cosplay predates our 1st cosplay and was our first group cosplay. We created Robecca Steam and Spectra Vondergeist. The hand-painted corset and bodice for Robecca was extreme detail work by hand and it was our first corset build so there was a big learning curve.”
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7.
Matt loves The Space Marine, The Night Elf, Boba Fett
Matt –
`Boba Fett- One of the coolest bounty hunters in the Galaxy. He may not be a Mandalorian but he’ll jet pack his way straight out of the sarlac pit and straight into your heart. `
Matt`s website `Geek Pride` offers the latest on comics, television, film, gaming and random geeky shenanigans. Run by geeks for geeks… all of them!
“Over many years of watching Cosplayers craft, make and wear some amazing costumes we at Geek Pride have seen many amazing recreations of great characters from Tv, Film, games and more.
3 of our favourites though would have to be…
The Space Marine( WH40K) – Genehanced super soldiers who’s loyalty is to the Imperium of man and The God Emperor.
The Night Elf ( WoW) – A deadly warrior, trained to kill with blades and Bow.
Boba Fett- One of the coolest bounty hunters in the Galaxy. He may not be a Mandalorian but he’ll jet pack his way straight out of the sarlac pit and straight into your heart.”
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8.
Mikey loves – Tenzin, Hestu, Ashnard
Mikey MacWolff –
`Don’t get me wrong, I cosplay mostly for myself because I really enjoy showing some love to my favorite characters, but it’s also really nice to make those connections with other fans of the same series!`
Mikey is a Cosplayer, crafter, nerd, animal lover, steampunker, gaymer, dancer… all of these words pretty accurately describe`s his life. `On a day-to-day basis you’ll most likely find me on the floor of my house in northeastern Ohio either playing video games, painting, sewing, or making goodness knows what.
Mikey loves Tenzin from Legend of Korra, Hestu from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , Ashnard from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
“Of my own Cosplays, I’d say these are my top three, all for their own unique reasons.
1) Tenzin from Legend of Korra [Photo by Lydia Joy Palmer,
Tenzin is one of my favorite Cosplays to hang out at conventions in (when we were still having conventions, anyway). He was one of my favorite characters from Legend of Korra and I’ve always identified myself as an “airbender,” so it’s a good fit for my personality.
It’s also one of the most comfortable Cosplays I have; there’s no bulky armor, no big props to carry around, there’s not even a wig! It’s also nice because it’s one of the more widely-recognized characters I cosplay, so I tend to have more interactions with people when I’m wearing it than some of my other, more obscure characters.
Don’t get me wrong, I cosplay mostly for myself because I really enjoy showing some love to my favorite characters, but it’s also really nice to make those connections with other fans of the same series!
2) Hestu from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Photo by Eric Kosino]
Hestu might be my number one favorite of all the Cosplays I’ve made thus far. It’s not overly complicated or detailed, but its just so much fun to wear. My first time playing through Breath of the Wild, I met Hestu and he immediately became my favorite character.
He’s just a goofy, dancing forest spirit who helps Link out on his adventures, and so he speaks directly to my soul. The interactions I get with people when I wear him are great, some people just shout “Yahaha!” at me (which is what the koroks say in the game when you find their hiding spots), or ask me to dance for them, which of course I’m always happy to shake my maracas and dance around for people!!
3) Ashnard from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance [Photo by Rose Stierna]
Ashnard is another of my favorites for more technical reasons; it’s one of my more impressive Cosplays as far as details go, with embroidered designs on his tunic, a number of unusual belts that I had to make myself, detailed armor pieces, a cape truly fit for a king, and a giant sword with a really cool design.
The cape is one of my favorite parts because it’s the type of cape that will keep you warm in a blizzard (though you’re likely to sweat when you’re inside at a convention). It’s made with two layers of velvet and trimmed with faux fur, meaning its about 10lb worth of fabric, but the velvet flows so nicely and it really just makes me feel regal wearing it. My other
favorite part is his giant sword, Gurgurant; prop-making, particularly fantasy weapons, are one of my favorite things to do for cosplay, and his sword is one of the most impressive weapons I’ve made for myself thus far.
It’s pretty heavy to carry around, which when combined with the cape and the armor pieces means that Ashnard is certainly not the most comfortable cosplay to wear for an extended period of time, but whenever I wear it I remember all of the time and work I put into making the cosplay and I’m really proud of how it turned out! Also, it’s just fun to be a villain sometimes!
Picking 3 of my favorites out of all the awesome Cosplays out there is going to be a bit tougher, but I’ll do my best to come up with a good selection.
1) Cloud & Tifa from Final Fantasy VII Cosplayers: Multiverse Cosplay (https://www.facebook.com/themultiversecosplay); individually Cloud: CorgisandCurls (https://www.instagram.com/corgisandcurls/) and Tifa: Lyssalalaa (https://www.instagram.com/lyssalalaa/) Photo by Madster Photo (https://www.instagram.com/madster.photo/)
I know I cheated a bit on this one, but Multiverse Cosplay comes as a pair and that’s just how it is. Not only are they incredibly talented Cosplayers but they’re also some of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. Their Cloud and Tifa Cosplays are some of my favorites, partially because Final Fantasy VII means a lot to me and partially because they fit the characters so well and did such beautiful work making their props and costumes.
2) Semirais from Fate/Apocrypha Cosplayer: Nekoyasha (https://www.instagram.com/nekoyasha09/) Photo by Lazy Fox (https://www.facebook.com/LazyFoxMI/)
There are a lot of awesome Semiramis Cosplays out there but Nekoyasha is one of my favorite! I think a big part of it is because she’s got a lot of attitude and personality that she serves up whenever she’s in cosplay so photos always turn out beautifully, and then she also provides us with a lot of goofy meme photos too!
3) Azura from Fire Emblem: Fates Cosplayer: Lady Reshi (https://www.instagram.com/ladyreshi/)
Photo by Headphone Studios
Lady Reshi always looks so elegant in all of her Cosplays but Azura is one of my favorites! The way the cosplay flows as she moves is awe-inspiring, which works well considering the character Azura is a performer.”
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9.
Heather loves Aika, Eleanor and Eiko
Heather –
`I love how these costumes look, but I also adore the characters; being able to wear costumes to represent a series I love is really important to me!`
Hello! My name is Heather, known as Exelia!
I live in North East England and has been Cosplaying since 2005. I am self taught and have made over 100 costumes for myself and others. I love making cute, classic costumes, experimenting with different materials and techniques.. and of course, bringing my favorite characters to life!
“I’ve made a lot of costumes, so it’s hard to pick just 3! But if I really have to choose, it would have to be Aika (Skies of Arcadia), Eleanor Hume (Tales of Berseria) and Eiko Carol (Final Fantasy IX). I love how these costumes look, but I also adore the characters; being able to wear costumes to represent a series I love is really important to me!
Aika is from Skies of Arcadia, my favorite video game – it’s old and quite obscure. Aika’s design is very striking, so my costume is like a visual “hello!” to other fans – it’s amazing to meet people who love the game as much as I do!
f the “Tales” Series! I’ve done a lot of “Tales” costumes and have met so many friends through the community. Eleanor’s costume is bold, comfortable and easy to wear so it’s a great costume to take to events.
Eiko is from Final Fantasy IX. When I played the game for the first time I loved Eiko and wanted to be just like her, so she had always been a “dream costume” of mine! It was also the costume that took myself and my friend Yuka to Japan to compete in World Cosplay Summit, the biggest cosplay competition in the world which is.. pretty awesome.”
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10.
Chris loves Batman, Captain Boomerang and Captain America
Chris –
`It’s always a good feeling seeing people’s faces light up when you’re in these suits. You just have to let the suits do the work and brighten people’s days!`
My name is Chris Stanley and I am a Geek from Down Under. I’ll be covering all things cosplay, movie reviews, prop building and collectible reviews!
“So my top three characters to cosplay as are Batman, Captain Boomerang and captain America! It’s always a good feeling seeing people’s faces light up when you’re in these suits. You just have to let the suits do the work and brighten people’s days!”
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11.
Stephanie loves Sailor Moon, Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, Tomoyo from Cardcaptor Sakura
Stephanie –
I’m Stephanie Yanez: Known as an American Jpop singer, Official Song & Music Video w/ Hatsune Miku, Anything Miyazaki, also loves cats, Japanese Fashion and music, and everything kawaii!
“My three favorite Cosplay characters. Sailor Moon, Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service, Tomoyo from Cardcaptor Sakura. Have a good one!”
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12.
Mercedes loves The Wander, Aloy, Carja Blazon Armor, Link from Legend of Zelda
Mercedes –
Vermilion Fire, also goes by Mercedes, is always looking to level up her skills in just about anything. She carves wood into swords and shields, makes PVC pipe bows, leather-crafts armor, metal works details, and more. She has won many craftsmanship and performance awards across the Western United States and judged at various conventions and events.
VFire founded the Cosplay Stitch and Seam Podcast and Blog to share her love of the culture and creativity in cosplay. Cosplay has been a huge part of her life for making new friends and trying new things. The hobby has helped her become more confident in herself and she seeks out others to help them find their inner strengths through crafting.
`This costume pushed my skills to the limit and then some. It was so much fun assembling the over 60 pieces of leather armor and adding on cool “machine” parts. `
“Picking three is so difficult! I love silly characters such as Break from Pandora Hearts, but also complex armor sets such as Shiek from Super Smash Brothers Brawl. After much deliberation… My top three favorite cosplay characters could be…
1) The Wander: Shadow of the Colossus. This is also my all time favorite game and I just enjoy stepping into this character’s shoes. The game allows for epic scenery and really fun photoshoot ideas, while also being a challenge to create the different bits of clothing. The costume is also one of my most comfortable to wear and easiest to put on, while also looking really well put together.
The sword is my favorite part about this costume set. It is elegant and ancient looking. I did a custom design based on how I saw blade before the remake came out. It is all chipped and worn from stabbing literal mountains but has a magical aura about it. I currently have it on display on my wall in my project space.
2) Aloy, Carja Blazon Armor: Horizon Zero Dawn. This costume pushed my skills to the limit and then some. It was so much fun assembling the over 60 pieces of leather armor and adding on cool “machine” parts.
Capturing the game’s aesthetic was so much fun and I technically live in the game’s setting, just a few hundred years too early, haha! I got to try new things and in the end, I feel awesome wearing this armor set.
I have never felt more empowered than when wearing this cosplay and the character is really inspiring. Aloy is an incredible individual and I look forward to the sequel!! Plus more armor to create!!
3) Link from Legend of Zelda. This one is cheating because I am including every outfit I have made for Link. I love being the hero character and with Breath of the Wild, I was able to make more looks for my favorite fairy boy.
The Zelda series has always been my favorite and I really love adding simple details, or even complex embroidery, to add character and depth to the outfits. I have been down many lore trails around the zelda series and have a deep admiration for the games and their stories.
Adding a neat little detail to each armor set or piece of clothing that reminds me of a scene or the gameplay just makes my day. I tried quitting making Link builds, but it only last two minutes, haha!
Thank you!”
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13.
Bianca loves Setsuka Heel from the Skip Beat manga, Hoshizora Rin from Love Live,My Yang Xiao Long cosplays from RWBY
Bianca –
https://br.pinterest.com/bunnyiinchou/_saved/
http://hotglue-me.blogspot.com/2019/07/rwby-emerald-sustrai-trial-error.html#more
https://www.facebook.com/hotglueMe
Socially awkward penguin learning the art of cosplay one costume at a time…
`As someone who was just exploring the community, this cosplay was the turning point for me.`
“I love all the cosplays I make because I pour all my heart and passion in every craft I do so choosing top 3 among them is tough but after some deliberation, these three are probably my favorite:
– Setsuka Heel from the Skip Beat manga. She was the very first cosplay that I put together myself. As someone who was just exploring the community, this cosplay was the turning point for me.
I used a lot of unconventional materials in building this cosplay and it got harder to maintain overtime so I had a hard time letting it go once it’s already starting to fall apart and beyond repair. Since then I vow to myself to redo this cosplay in the future with a much better craftsmanship.
– Hoshizora Rin from Love Live. Coming from an idol anime, the character itself has many options to choose from but I fell in love with the little devil one because of its aesthetic and details. I live in a place where we don’t get much resources unless you buy the entire costume online so I had to start most of it from scratch.
It was a very tedious process but detailing has always been therapeutic for me. Looking at the final photos and thinking about all the times spent working on it makes me really proud of myself.
– My Yang Xiao Long cosplays from RWBY. I love Yang so much and she’s my favorite character from the series so I already made a promise to myself that I’m cosplaying all her outfits. So far I already finished two and I love both of them so much.
As someone who’s just learning and being self taught, her costumes are a nightmare to begin with, from structuring to detailing and prop-making.
These were the times where I couldn’t even picture the endgame because of all the trial and error I had to go through. Completing them was truly rewarding and something I feel really proud of.
Thanks and have a great day.”
Wow! What an amazing collection of preferences and insights. This shows there are more characters out there than Wolverine can shake his claws at, Judge Dredd can judge or a Steampunker can show his pocket watch to. So many to learn about and experiment with in your costume.
Now I want to turn it over to you:
What are your favorite Cosplay characters? Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
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