19 Cosplay Costumes to Crush It at the Conventions
You’ll see a lot of Darth Vader and Klingon cosplayers. The key is to add a twist to make your cosplay costumes your own and stand out.
When you’re considering a new cosplay costume, there are so many options that it’s easy to become paralyzed by choice. Do you want to make a cosplay that you’ve never seen at a convention before? Or maybe put your own spin on a cosplay classic? What if you could create your own original character. Whatever path you are on, here are 19 cosplay costumes that can help get your creative mind in motion.
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How to Make Cosplay Costumes
There’s no right or wrong way to make a cosplay costume. No matter your budget, your timeline, and your skill level, there are always going to be cosplay options for you. Each of the below cosplays can be made on a budget or with money being no object.
The point is, do what is comfortable for you and make it fun along the way.
Superheroes
Caped crusaders are all the rage these days after the proliferation of Marvel and DC movies. Here are some classics that will really stand out.
1. Spider-Man Cosplay
Spider-Man is a great cosplay choice because there have been so many iterations of the costume—from both the movies and the comics. No matter which era you decide on, starting with a morph suit and painting on details is an easy way to go.
2. Black Widow Cosplay
Black Widow cosplay is a nice opportunity to practice your sewing skills. Attaching battle gear to a basic bodysuit allows you to customize your look and make it stand out from other Black Widows.
3. Wonder Woman Cosplay
There are a few iconic pieces to a Wonder Woman costume: the red, white, and blue suit, her royal tiara, bracers, and the lasso of truth. Adding armor or a sword is a fun way to stretch your cosplay muscles.
4. Iron Man Cosplay
Making an entire Iron Man suit is a huge undertaking, but it’s definitely doable, thanks to the magical material known as EVA foam. The flexible rubber is easy to find and manipulate, so with enough patience, you can be fully suited up.
Also, Iron Man has had so many different suits throughout his career, so you can really get creative with the look.
5. Captain America Cosplay
The original Captain America outfit is another chance to put your sewing skills to good use. The costume consists of several big blocks of color that can easily be patchworked together from other pieces of clothing.
When it comes to the shield, here’s a helpful hack: Use a saucer sled. It’s the closest thing to the shape of the shield you can easily find. Add some metallic paint, and no one will even know the difference.
6. Black Panther Cosplay
Black Panther cosplay is another instance in which starting with a morph suit is the best choice. From there, you can add details by painting them on or sewing them into the suit—a good way to attach his claws.
And don’t forget: Black Panther is royalty. Adding official regalia to the standard battle suit look will give your Black Panther a unique flavor.
Star Wars
You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to dress like your favorite Star Wars characters. Compared to the superhero cosplays, the Star Wars cosplays are easier to replicate by using clothes you can find in your closet.
7. Princess Leia Cosplay
Leia’s look in the first film is instantly recognizable, and 50 percent of it is in the hair—if you can pull off side buns, you’re nearly finished. The white dress is an easy sewing project—it’s not particularly form-fitting, so you can make it with just a few seams.
If you want to be slightly more adventurous, try the “slave Leia” costume. The simplest way to construct this cosplay is to work with a bikini base and add the golden details using EVA foam and metallic paint. Just make sure to have a sweater nearby—convention centers can get kind of cold!
8. Jedi Cosplay
A Jedi cosplay has a simple motif that can facilitate countless variations, making it so that no two Jedi ever look the same. The tunic on top can be made from a bathrobe—adding fabric and leather details for customization makes them look unique. Add a comfortable pair of pants and some boots, and you’re nearly good to go.
The Jedi’s weapon—the lightsaber—is another place where you can customize your cosplay. Creating the handle out of EVA foam or cardboard is a totally viable option. If you’re feeling more daring (and have some advanced cosplay craft skills), try making the handle out of metal and add electric wiring for the blade part.
9. Darth Vader Cosplay
Darth Vader is the granddaddy of all cosplay costumes. Creating the helmet, chestplate, and belt is an extremely complex process that would probably be far beyond the capabilities of EVA foam. You might want to invest in those pieces from a costume shop.
Despite that, making all the clothing pieces is certainly possible when you pull out that trusty sewing kit. Finding patterns online for cape, tunic, and gloves will significantly cut down on the costs of acquiring all the costume pieces for this Sith lord.
10. Rey Cosplay
Rey, a character from the new Star Wars movies, became an instant favorite for cosplayers because she’s an awesome protagonist. Her costume is also easy to make since it’s mostly fabric.
Her shirt and pants can be modified from clothes in your closet, and the arm coverings can be replicated with Ace bandages. For the longer piece around her shoulders, you can experiment with dyes on a bed sheet. And her staff is a mop handle with fabric and foam details added to it. Pretty simple!
11. Han Solo Cosplay
Han Solo has to be the simplest cosplay you can do—most of it can be made by upcycling from a local thrift store.
Where you can get into the nitty gritty is in the blaster and holster. Han’s blaster is infamous—he did shoot first, after all—and recreating it out of EVA foam is a super fun project. The holster can be approximated by using a few spare belts and leather scraps.
12. Luke Skywalker Cosplay
Like Rey’s costume, Luke’s cosplay is straightforward. In the early movies, he sported a short white tunic that can be pieced together with a bathrobe or scrubs. He also went through his “moody Sith phase” when he dressed in all black to fight Darth Vader—that includes the one black glove.
In the later movies, he wore a burlap-looking robe with a hood and a longer tunic—as his hair grew longer, so did his facial hair.
Entire manuals have been written on Luke’s lightsabers, so find a good reference online before you dive in on it. Cardboard, foam, metal—all are fine options for making a lightsaber, so do what feels right to you!
13. Grogu Cosplay
If you need a cosplay option for your kid or your dog, Grogu—a.k.a. Baby Yoda from the new Mandalorian show—is a fun choice. All Yodas are defined by their ears, and there are several ways you can make them.
First, you can stick with sculpted EVA foam that’s painted green. Or, you can create a wire frame that you cover with green felt. Or, if you are feeling especially crafty, crochet the ears over that wire frame. You can even crochet the rest of the costume for a unified look.
Make Your Own Cosplay!
Learn to Make EVA Foam Armor for Cosplay
Lord of the Rings
If your mission is to throw the One Ring into the fiery pit of Mount Doom, you can’t head out from the Shire without being properly dressed.
14. Aragorn Cosplay
Aragon has two primary looks: Strider’s ranger outfit and King Aragorn.
Strider dresses for comfort—padded leather armor, muted colors for easy hiding, and the billowing elven cape. Two pieces really stand out—the elven cape holder and his sword. Recreating both with EVA foam is very possible.
King Aragorn replaces the travel clothes with a royal, plush tunic and crown, which can also be constructed with EVA foam. The nice part is the sword remains the same, and you can use it for either costume.
15. Legolas Cosplay
If elves are more your thing, Legolas is a great choice. His armor is light but intricate, maintaining function while also being beautiful. Layering triangles of very thin EVA foam over a cloth mantle will allow you easy movement. Bracers, bow, and daggers all can be made with EVA foam, too.
The real fun here is in the intricate detail designs featured on all parts of Legolas’ outfit. Using metallic paints to draw onto the weapons and embroidery to sew into the fabrics, you can elevate this cosplay to be worthy of the big screen.
16. Arwen Cosplay
Arwen is Aragorn’s one true love and, while she does have some action moments in the series, she’s mostly involved in the Elven royalty of Rivendell. Because of that, she dresses regally in long, flowing dresses with beautiful embellishments.
Many of her dresses are inspired by Renaissance-era clothing, so use those as a reference. If you can find an inexpensive costume dress in that style, you can alter it to fit the style of Middle-Earth—wide sleeves and golden embroidery.
Star Trek
Star Trek cosplay has been around longer than any other, so fans have had way more time to perfect it. Being a member of the Federation is fun, but here are some other choices from this science fiction classic.
17. Klingon Cosplay
The Klingon character Worf is a fan favorite from The Next Generation who’s inspired legions of Klingon cosplay. The Klingons wear battle-ready uniforms with strong chest and shoulder armor. But the real defining feature of the Klingon cosplay is the forehead.
Special effects makeup is a tricky skill to get right, but it is something you can do at home. You start by making a clay sculpture of the forehead, adding as many ridges as you want. Once that is complete, you use that as a mold for latex. You can get liquid latex and paint it onto the mold in several layers. After it’s set, gently peel the latex piece off the mold. You can now put it on your head and paint it accordingly.
This is a very basic way of making latex special effects, so make sure to do your research before jumping into it.
18. Borg Cosplay
Part human, part machine—that is the Borg’s modus operandi. As they assimilate other alien technologies, they gain more advancements both to their Hive and their bodies.
When constructing armor pieces with EVA foam for a Borg cosplay, take a trip to your local hardware store and peruse the tubes, wires, and ducts aisles. Or, dig out that box of random cords in your apartment or garage. These random pieces that you’d normally have no use for are now essential additions to your cosplay.
19. Vulcan Cosplay
The most famous Vulcan in Star Trek lore is Spock, the USS Enterprise’s science officer. But he comes from an entire race of people as varied as any other.
The Vulcans are known for their distinctive eyebrows and pointy ears. Making the ears on your own is another tricky skill that, like the Klingon forehead, can use liquid latex. You could also make them out of foam and attach them to your ears with spirit glue, but they will lack some of the definition you get out of latex.
An Unexpected Journey
Hopefully, this list of cosplay ideas will set you on the right path as you plan your own costume. And, whether you go with one of these or something completely different, always remember that cosplay is a fun way to express yourself and connect with other fans over your favorite characters. Go boldly where no cosplayer has gone before!
Make Your Own Cosplay!
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