Some anime characters have been favorites for decades, while others became instant classics. Characters may be fan-favorites because of their complex personalities, character tropes, aesthetic, or a combination of all three. Whether their looks are simple or more baroque in design, their popularity makes them instantly recognizable.
Regardless of how long the characters have been around, they are popular for a reason, and it’s always a pleasant sight to see fans recreate their look at conventions. An upside to cosplaying a popular character is running into different versions of that same character at cons. It also makes it more likely that anime fans will run into other characters from that same anime, which always makes for a great group photo.
10/10 San’s Style Is Fierce And Beautiful
Princess Mononoke
San from Princess Mononoke is easily recognizable in her wolf coat and red clay mask. Her battle mask and stone dagger make for dynamic cosplay poses. San is such a complex and stout-hearted character that it’s no surprise she’s a Studio Ghibli favorite.
As she’s a steward of the forest in Princess Mononoke, a common photo spot for cosplayers are woodland settings and near riversides. Her costume can be as simple or complex as the cosplayer wants, and it’s comfortable for a long day of walking around in conventions.
9/10 Griffith Has The Allure Of A Fallen Angel
Berserk
Griffith is the main antagonist in Berserk, with a face and shining armor befitting that of a fallen seraph. Griffith wears several kinds of silvery plate body armor from his more simplistic medieval-style design to his ornate Falcon of Light armor.
A long silvery white wig with wavy fringe in the front lends an air of sweet elegance to the villain’s aesthetic. Birds’ wings are a common theme throughout each design, and cosplays featuring the bird-wing pauldron and breastplate pieces are particularly grandiose and beautiful.
8/10 Kiki Will Always Be The Cutest Witch At The Con
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Another classic at any convention that will never fall out of fashion is the witch Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service. The main costume is very simple, with a black knee-length t-shirt style dress and a big red bow on top of black bob-length hair.
The thing that makes a Kiki cosplay particularly sweet are her props, like her broomstick and floppy messenger bag, and her cat familiar, Jiji. While most conventions won’t allow non-working animals to attend, a black cat stuffy works just fine.
7/10 Ochako Makes A Great Choice For A Superhero Cosplay
My Hero Academia
Ochako Uraraka is one of the main protagonists of the wildly popular My Hero Academia. She has two distinct looks in the series; the one she wears to school, and her hero costume, and both are used often for cosplays.
Ochako can normally be seen wearing her gray and navy-blue school uniform with dark tights, penny loafers, and a scarlet tie. Her makeup is simple, and so is her short brunette hairstyle. Her hero costume is an adorable pastel pink and black jumpsuit, complete with a pink helmet and puffy pink knee-high boots.
6/10 The Sailor Scouts Are An Eternal Classic
Sailor Moon
The ever-popular Sailor Moon ensemble cast is always a crowd-pleaser and common photo opportunity. Each character has several iconic looks to choose from for cosplay, but the most common are the Sailor Scouts in their coordinated uniforms, and Endymion in his Tuxedo Mask getup.
Other common cosplays for the Scouts are the prince and princess form of Usagi and Endymion. Usagi wears a long bridal gown with gold accents, inspired by a classic regency-style Dior gown, and Endymion wears either a dark cape and elongated armor epaulettes, or his lavender wedding tuxedo.
5/10 Sasuke Uchiha Has Many Great Looks To Choose From
Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha is popular with the ladies in Naruto, and popular with cosplayers at fan conventions. His revenge arc and his arrogance make him an engaging character and rival to Naruto.
He has an elegant, devil-may-care sort of air in Naruto Shippuden, which seems to be his most popular outfit for cosplay. It features an unbuttoned white shirt, dark pants and a cloth that hangs from his waist, and a purple cord wrapped around his hips. Though, his forehead guard, dark blue cowl neck shirt, and long cloak are timeless looks, too.
4/10 Mikasa Ackerman Has A Complex Soldier Getup
Attack On Titan
Mikasa Ackerman, the deuteragonist of Attack on Titan, is one of the most admired characters in anime. She’s a soldier who always endeavors to do what is right, and cares very deeply for the main series protagonist, Eren Yeager.
Mikasa’s soldier uniform is intricate and commanding, including a gray bodysuit, thigh holsters, a cropped khaki jacket, tall brown leather boots, a red scarf, and dual swords. She also sometimes wears a green cowl-necked cloak and breastplate with her Survey Corps uniform. Mikasa Ackerman makes for a pretty badass cosplay.
3/10 Hak Has A Majestic Presence
Yona Of The Dawn
Hak is the tall, loyal bodyguard featured in Yona of the Dawn, as well as one of the three points in the series’ love triangle. He’s a noble character who will stop at nothing to protect Yona.
He has messy blue-black hair that falls into his blue eyes often, and wears a long dark blue robe underneath a cerulean overcoat. Woven ribbons act like gauntlets in battle, keeping his sleeves out of the way. Hak also has a very interesting weapon, a Chinese polearm with a wide glaive-like blade.
2/10 Roy Mustang Swaggers In Military Blues
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist‘s Roy Mustang is tall, dark-haired, and bombastic in nature with arrogant humor and a penchant for womanizing. On the surface, he’s not a particularly noble character and seems to act mostly for his own self-interest. Beneath his outward persona and swaggering attire, he is an accomplished tactician who’s devoted to his friends and compatriots.
Roy prefers to keep it classy with his look, and his military outfit is a popular source of inspiration for cosplayers. He wears a swooping blue overcoat with white accents and military epaulettes, matching dark trousers, black knee-high boots, and white gloves bearing an alchemical symbol.
1/10 Sesshomaru, Is The Ever-Beloved Villain
InuYasha
Sesshomaru, one of the main antagonists in InuYasha, is one of the most beloved anime characters of all time. Fans enjoy him not just for his unique, elaborate style, but also for his arc as an anti-hero. Even though InuYasha came out over twenty years ago, Sesshomaru is still consistently a popular cosplay.
Like his brother Inuyasha, Sesshomaru is also a powerful dog yokai with the same claws, fanged teeth, and snow-white hair grown out down to his waist. His dress comprises a white kimono, formal Hakama, spiked armor, an obi, and a large tuft of fur draped over his shoulder.