Cosplay conventions are a fun place for geeks and anime enthusiasts to meet other like-minded people. Apart from exclusive merchandise, meeting voice actors and seeing special performances, these conventions are also a great platform for seasoned and amateur cosplayers to showcase their skills and talents by dressing up as their favourite characters.
One of the most popular and biggest anime conventions we have in Malaysia is Comic Fiesta so for those of you who may want to try your hands at cosplay at the event for the first time but can’t decide on a character other than your favourites, we’ve got some recommendations. For this list, we’re gonna focus mostly on characters from newer releases (and maybe some of our personal favourites) so here are some ideas to consider:
1. “Zenless Zero Zone” Characters (Video Game)
Hoyoverse, a famous video game company in China, recently released their brand new gacha game called “Zenless Zero Zone (Z.Z.Z)”. The same company that brought you “Honkai Impact”, “Genshin Impact” and “Honkai Impact: Star Rail”, this new addition to the family has already made a lot of buzz online.
Since the game is very new and fans are still choosing their favourites, we don’t have a specific character in mind to recommend but we do predict that any character from “Z.Z.Z” will certainly stand out at conventions.
2. Haruka Sakura from “Wind Breaker” (Anime/Manga)
Released back in April, this anime is currently one of the most-watched animes this year. Of course, most people would want to cosplay as the main character Haruka Sakura, especially if they’re very athletic and possess great gymnastic skills. However, other characters like Hayato Suo, Ren Kaji, and Jo Togame are also expected to get a lot of attention. Cue the selfies.
3. Laois Touden from “Delicious in Dungeon” (Anime/Manga)
Otherwise known as the Japanese title “Danjon Meshi (ダンジョン飯),” this anime adapted from a manga of the same name is also one of the most-watched animes this year. Some scenes from the show have gone viral and become memes on social media.
Laios Touden is one of the most popular characters in the anime/manga series as he’s known for his eccentric personality and enthusiasm for the knowledge of mystical beasts. So if you’re looking for a reason to approach those cosplaying as monsters and mythical creatures for a photo op, dressing up as this particular tall man could earn you brownie points.
4. Elf Senshi from “Delicious in Dungeon” (Anime/Manga)
Also from “Delicious in Dungeon”, this beloved character is from the Dwarf species in the fantasy anime but there was one episode where he and his friends woke up to find themselves having switched species and thus Elf Senshi was born. As you can see from the photos above, the short character magically turned into a majestic tall man so if you’re confident enough to pull this off, then you’re gonna have people in the convention screaming over you.
5. “Sasaki & Miyano” (Anime/Manga)
This pair counts as a package and you can’t be one without the other. The “Sasaki & Miyano” anime received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans all over the world ever since it was released back in 2022. Although it may not be the most popular among Malaysian crowds, this slice-of-life BL anime and manga will definitely catch the eyes of those who are huge fans of Shō Harusono’s work. So if you’re a couple or just want to match cosplays with your friends then this is the one for you -who knows, you might even make some new friends along the way.
6. Frieren from “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” (Anime/Manga)
Who doesn’t love dressing up as a fantasy character? The main character Frieren from this popular anime has been a fan favourite ever since the manga was released back in 2020. We’ve already seen a few people cosplaying as this Elf mage at smaller conventions, and we even saw one at the IQOO Z7 series launch event earlier this year. Since this character is already making appearances around town, there’s no denying their popularity.
7. “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Movie)
We’ve seen plenty of Deadpools and Wolverines over the years at cosplay conventions, especially Comic Fiesta but with the new movie coming out starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, we’ve yet to see these two iconic Marvel characters together. Once the movie is out, you can bet fans will recreate some scenes from it – so why not join in on the fun? If you’re planning to stand out more then, of course, you can dress up as the other characters like Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead or Yukio.
8. Joker & Harley Quinn from “Joker: Folie à Deux” (Movie)
Ever since “Suicide Squad” was released, many have cosplayed as Jared Leto’s Joker and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. The troubled DC lovebirds have always been a fan-favourite despite their very toxic relationship. Although we have yet to watch Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s characters together in cinemas, we’re gonna predict that a lot of couples will go as the latest versions of the crime prince and princess of Gotham for conventions this year.
9. “Wuthering Waves” Characters (Video Game)
One of Hoyoverse’s biggest competitors this year, “Wuthering Waves” by Kuro Games, has gotten everyone hyped up since the teasers were released. Now that the game is out, we’re already seeing a surge of cosplayers dressing up as a few of the most popular characters like Linyang, Scar and Jiyan. Who knows, you could even partake in a Kuro Games vs Hoyoverse cosplay “battle”, but please don’t actually get yourselves hurt.
10. Rafayel, Xavier and Zayne from “Love & Deepspace” (Video Game)
Who says you can’t fall in love while hunting aliens? If you want the ladies at these conventions to instantly fall in love with you, try cosplaying as the men from “Love & Deep Space” – Rafayel, Xavier and Zayne. Apart from their usual work uniform, there are tons of skins for players to choose from. Just be sure not to go to conventions wearing only a towel (IYKYK).
Bonus
1. “Genshin Impact” & “Honkai Impact: Star Rail” Characters (Video Game)
There’s literally no escaping Hoyoverse. Whether or not you’re sick of seeing them, you can’t deny that someone will surely to dress up a character from these games. We are always delighted to see cosplayers dressing up as the newer characters from the games and with new ones about to be released soon, we’re looking forward to see what fans will come up with.
2. “Spider-Verse” Characters (Movie)
You can never really go wrong with Spider-Man cosplay. There are countless of Spider-Men from the Spider-verse to choose from and if you can’t choose, you can make up your own! Who’s to say that your Spider-Man isn’t part of the Spider-verse?
