Cosplay seems to be as much a core part of video game fandom as actually playing the games, and the last few years have seen hundreds of note-perfect recreations and creative reimaginings of gamers' favorite characters. In fact, it woudn't be much of an exaggeration to say that we're living through a Golden Age (not the Game Boy Advance games) of sorts for video game cosplay. From major characters in gaming's most beloved franchises to deep cuts from cult classics, these are some of the best cosplayers you'll find on the internet. In fact, these cosplayers wore it better than the real characters.
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00:00The past decade of cosplay yielded many contest-winning looks, bold creations,
00:04and fun takes on classic characters. Here are some of the best video game cosplay ideas of
00:09the last ten years. One of the most fun parts of cosplay is the ability to reimagine characters
00:15in a new setting. Two cosplayers did just that as the feudal Mario Brothers at the 2019 New York
00:21Comic-Con. These cosplayers restyled Mario and Luigi as Japanese feudal lords, complete with
00:26katanas and traditional robes reminiscent of the Brothers' iconic overalls.
00:40The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask brought a delightful weirdness to the early 2000s.
00:44Not only did it feature a complex mask trading system, but it was full of oddities that could
00:49make any gamer cringe and laugh at the same time, like a haunted toilet. One cosplayer at the 2017
00:55Birmingham MCU Comic-Con delighted fans with their turn as the impish Skull Kid, wearing,
01:00of course, Majora's Mask. The costume is incredibly detailed, featuring a tattered hat
01:05and a carved aged mask. Cosplayer Victoria Miller wowed the judges at the 2016 New York City Comic-Con
01:12with her Samus Aran getup. The outfit features intricate details of Samus' scuffed, worn armor,
01:18which tells its own story of her dangerous travels through space. Miller also included
01:23lights inside Samus' helmet, adding a realistic touch to the outfit.
01:27As fans prepare for Metroid Dread, this is a perfect cosplay to look back on.
01:33"'We are compassion."
01:35Even though Mercy doesn't always have the best skins in Overwatch,
01:38cosplayer Effie Mia brought a beautiful version of the support character to life
01:43at the 2018 London Comic-Con. Effie Mia competed in the Euro Cosplay Championships,
01:48coming in seventh place. Effie Mia used all of her costuming talents to create a look
01:53true to the cartoonish style of Overwatch.
01:56The graphically intense Assassin's Creed Odyssey might make your hardware cry,
02:00but Leon Ciro's Alexios cosplay from Milan Games Week 2018 might make fans weep with joy.
02:06The professional cosplayer and model brought Alexios to life with his lush cloak and,
02:10of course, his chiseled face. Ciro looked like he had stepped out of Assassin's Creed Odyssey
02:15itself, ready to do battle and slip back into the shadows.
02:19Deegan Fury portrayed the enigmatic Tyrande Whisperind at the 2016
02:24Eastern Championships of Cosplay at New York Comic-Con. While some gamers might
02:28be sick of World of Warcraft, the hardcore fan community is thriving now more than ever.
02:33As evidenced by all the wonderful cosplay tributes to the series, Fury's intricate,
02:37handmade armor and her flawless face makeup brought the high priestess to life.
02:42"...Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself.
02:46Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."
02:51The beautiful Ann Takamaki from Persona 5 entered the fray at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair.
02:57While Ann was unfortunately involved in a few cringeworthy scenes in Persona 5,
03:01there was nothing embarrassing on display in the cosplay at the book fair.
03:05This panther outfit featured an expertly molded mask, well-styled wig,
03:09and a fitted red costume perfect for stealing hearts.
03:13Pyramid Head is one of the creepiest monsters gamers can run into in the Silent Hills series,
03:17so it's only natural that he makes an impressive cosplay.
03:20One 2019 London MCM Comic-Con group dressed up as Pyramid Head and two undead nurses,
03:26all bloodstained and tattered from too much time in Silent Hill. The group looked weathered,
03:31grimy, and, let's face it, terrifying. They were a pitch-perfect recreation of the game's enemies.
03:37Journey is a graceful short trip through the process of pilgrimage for one devotee of an
03:41unnamed god. The game really only has one character, the stalwart traveler who takes
03:46the titular Journey, but one Norwegian duo showed up to the 2012 London Comic-Con as
03:51matching robed figures. The couple's costumes represented one of the core mechanics of Journey
03:55the ability for players to float in and out of each other's games online, helping one another
04:00along the way. Resident Evil is a franchise steeped in some of the most gruesome horror
04:05in gaming, and this William Birkin cosplay from the 2016 New York Comic-Con is no exception.
04:18Birkin's head and mutated torso are actually removable parts of the costume. Allowing the
04:23cosplayer to adjust the costume as needed will take a much-deserved break to come up for air.
04:28Mortal Kombat clapped back at critics who said the game was too violent by introducing
04:33friendships to the series, non-violent ends to gruesome fights.
04:36One Sub-Zero cosplayer at the 2016 New York Comic-Con had the bright idea of reminding
04:41the world that sometimes violence isn't the answer by proudly displaying a colorful friendship banner
04:46above his head. Not all of Link's armors are created equal, which is why the hero often
04:51finds himself scavenging for new pieces. One Hylian hero at the 2019 New York City Comic-Con
04:57sported new duds from Breath of the Wild. The ancient set protects Link from the machines
05:01scattered around Hyrule, but no one can keep con attendees from meeting this Link's piercing,
05:06battle-ready gaze. As fans wait for Breath of the Wild 2, it's good to look back and remember
05:11the Links of the past. Space pirates are iconic enemies seen throughout the timeline of the
05:16Metroid series, and one fan took their cosplay to news screen-accurate heights by creating a
05:212D costume for the 2019 New York City Comic-Con. The costume depicts the space pirates from older
05:27eras of Metroid games. While it was difficult to photograph,
05:30this costume displays the sheer creativity of the cosplaying community.
05:36"...legless torso of pure awesomeness!"
05:40Gage, the genius mech-romancer and breakout Borderlands 2 DLC character,
05:44wowed at the 2019 London Comic-Con. One cosplayer recreated Gage's look in photorealistic detail,
05:51closely matching the cartoony, cel-shaded aesthetic of the Borderlands series.
05:55From clever shading to a textured, synthetic wig,
05:58this fault hunter could have just stepped out of the wastelands of Pandora and into London.
06:03Vincent Valentine has a special place in the Final Fantasy VII timeline, as well as the hearts of
06:08fans, and one fan at the 2017 MCM Birmingham Comic-Con reminded everyone of Valentine's
06:14importance. From Valentine's red headbands to his intensely buckled jackets and boots — seriously,
06:19so many buckles — this cosplay had every detail just right. Honorable mention goes to this much
06:24more retro Vincent Valentine cosplayer. There are lots of Zelda cosplayers at any given con,
06:30but one attendee at the 2018 New York City Comic-Con brought a fiercely regal look inspired
06:35by Twilight Princess. The legend of Zelda has changed over the years, and Zelda has transformed
06:40right along with it. While the Twilight Princess version of Zelda might be darker or moodier than
06:45her appearances in other games, that doesn't make her any less stunning.
06:50Nier Automata was a strange game with an even more enigmatic creator,
06:54but there's nothing ambiguous about how beautiful these 2B and 9S cosplays were
06:58at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair. The cosplaying duo portrayed the two android warriors with grace,
07:04posing in a way that perfectly demonstrated the pair's closeness.
07:08The Brotherhood of Steel, as well as their special power armor,
07:11holds a particular place in the Fallout universe. One player went all out to create a power armor
07:16for the 2016 Birmingham Comic-Con by recreating the Brotherhood's bulky, sandblasted armor and
07:22a massive helmet to wear at the con. While it's unclear how the cosplayers saw where they were
07:26going when they were at the event, they certainly looked cool doing it.
07:30"...but the next time we meet…"
07:32"...challenge me again. Raise your hand, draw your sword, look at me the wrong way,
07:37and I'll kill you."
07:38While it's hard to say how many attendees tossed a coin to this Geralt of Rivia at the 2019 New
07:44York Comic-Con, it's safe to assume he deserves more than he got. This Geralt's piercing yellow
07:49eyes and sculpted beard added to the Witcher's mystique. Hopefully, great cosplayers will be
07:53able to satisfy fans until Season 2 of The Witcher premieres on Netflix.
07:58Cindy Oram might be best known for fixing cars in Final Fantasy XV,
08:02but she also looked great walking the floors at the 2017 Birmingham Comic-Con.
08:06Cindy's yellow jacket popped against her red hat and signature red wrench.
08:11The cosplayer's confidence added to the costume, and her easy smile brought Cindy to life.
08:15"...it was here you were born. It is here you will die."
08:21Fallout 5 might not be emerging from the Vault anytime soon,
08:24but fans still enjoy cosplaying as different versions of the game's underground Vault Dwellers.
08:28One cosplayer at the 2019 New York City Comic-Con had the idea of bringing a
08:33steampunk-themed Vault Dweller out to play. No one wanted to challenge the Vault Dweller's
08:38specially designed gun, which featured working lights and a retro, waist-beaten look.
08:43As a franchise, Street Fighter has gone through quite the transformation over the years.
08:47However, Cammy has steadily remained an icon, as well as a popular subject of cosplay appreciation
08:52at cons. This cosplayer at the 2019 New York Comic-Con portrayed Cammy with ease,
08:57crouching into fighting position whenever a photographer drew near.
09:02Ciri, the character who may connect The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077,
09:06"...people there had metal in their heads, waged war from a distance,
09:10using things similar to megascopes."
09:12...made an appearance at the 2017 Birmingham Comic-Con.
09:15Wielding her iconic silver sword, she made her way through the crowds of the con.
09:19Ciri's cosplayer clearly paid special attention to detail when sewing her costume,
09:24which includes faux fur accents and fine leather work.
09:28In Okami, Amaterasu is a sun goddess that takes the form of a wolf on Earth.
09:32A cosplayer at the 2017 Yorkshire Cosplay Convention
09:36decided to translate Amaterasu's wolfish style into a humanoid form. Amaterasu's red details
09:41became accents on a white kimono, but the character's ears stayed the same.
09:45Overall, the costume had an appearance similar to a humanoid wolf,
09:49which surely brought honor to the sun goddess. Okami might have been a huge flop when it first
09:54released, but this costume nailed the game's enduring appeal.
09:57M. Bison's red costume and menacing expressions remain one of the most iconic elements of
10:02Street Fighter character design. One cosplayer at the 2016 New York Comic-Con put a feminine
10:08twist on M. Bison by creating a gender-bent version of the famous villain. The cosplayer's
10:12blank white eyes and snarl complete the look, giving her the ears of a real supervillain.
10:17Honorable mention goes to this equally gorgeous and equally badass M. Bison gender-bent cosplay.
10:24Bungie's Destiny has many different options for players to customize their characters,
10:28and one gamer brought their specific hunter to life at the 2018 New York Comic-Con.
10:33The hunter's armor and jumpsuit are a brilliant and shiny yellow,
10:36replicating the game's vibrant color palette. Perhaps most impressive was the handmade weapon
10:41the cosplayer brought with them, which looks intimidating when slung over the hunter's
10:45shoulder.
10:46My species is monogendered. Male and female have no real meaning for us."
10:51Some fans despised Liara's romance story in Mass Effect,
10:54while others couldn't dream of partnering with anyone else. One Liara fan showed up to the 2015
10:59MCM Comic-Con in London in full blue paint and an impressive cap on their head, portraying
11:04Liara's full alien beauty. From the multi-toned shading in her makeup to the textured jumpsuit
11:10to the handmade weapon, this Liara easily stole the show — and probably the hearts
11:15of a few Commander Shepards.