It’s that time again; popular cosplay ideas for this year!

Wow! In terms of cosplay, 2022 was a great year. Because in 2020 when everything shut down, there was truly a time when everyone thought conventions would never ever return. In 2021, we slowly started to see cosplay conventions return, although with lots of restrictions. I honestly got so emotional watching Cosplay Music Videos back in 2021 and seeing cons happen again.

But in 2022, I’d say we finally got to see cosplay conventions TRULY return fully with everyone cosplaying their best outfits for the first time since we had shutdowns!

I would say that things aren’t completely back to the way like it was in 2019 (our last true normal year for cosplays and conventions). But I’m sure in 2023, we will continue to get things back together and move forward.

By the way, if you didn’t get a chance in 2022 to experience seeing the cosplays and conventions, check out this awesome Cosplay Music Video by Mineralblu as an example!

What will be the most popular cosplay characters for 2023?

If you’re reading this post, I’m sure you’d like to know what’s going to be popular and trendy in terms of cosplay for 2023. After all, it’s always fun finding the same characters to cosplay as others and not only do popular cosplays help you socialize with people who are into the same series, it’s also great for social media purposes. (If you want to learn the pros and cons of cosplaying popular characters, click here to read my article about that).

In this featured article, I will list the most popular cosplay ideas for 2023. Here’s how the list will look like:

  • The definite picks cosplay picks for 2023 that will for sure be popular this year
  • My bold predictions that I have a good feeling will become viral and popular
  • Characters or series that MIGHT be popular, but also the chance that they may not (longshots)
  • And for some characters from each series (with a few exceptions), I will list all the materials and accessories you’ll need to make that particular cosplay!

Of course, it’s always difficult to predict with absolute certainty what people will be cosplaying as; memes always pop up out of the blue (e.g. Bowsette, Among Us) and various series can end up being popular all of a sudden.

With that out of the way, let’s get started!

    DISCLAIMER: I have some affiliate links in this article if you’re looking to wear any of these cosplays. Either I myself have bought from those stores, or I believe they are fairly sweet deals. If you’re buying from these sites, you’re also supporting me and my hobby so I appreciate it!

Click here to read the full disclosure policy.

Definite Picks

1. Genshin Impact

The Electro Archon, Raiden Shogun! Cosplayer: serelliah. Photo taken by kystix.

Does this series need any introduction? Maybe you already know about it, or you know someone who has already cosplayed from it.

But in case you need a reminder: Genshin Impact has taken over the gaming world by storm! This gacha game has generated BILLIONS of dollars of revenue, and for good reason. For a game that can be played for free, Genshin Impact has it all; beautiful world landscape (similar to Breath of the Wild), lots of Waifus and Husbandos, addicting gameplay and quite the immersive story and quests.

It helps that the character designs are so beautiful and amazing.

I have an entire article dedicated to Genshin Impact cosplay ideas (including new ones for 2023). So if you’re interested in Genshin Impact cosplay ideas, click here to check out the list.

So to sum it up: Genshin Impact WILL be the #1 series in terms of most popular cosplay ideas for 2023.

Amber may be the worst character in the game, but she’s one of the best Genshin Impact characters to cosplay! Cosplayer: luckyelie3173.

What you’ll need to cosplay Amber from Genshin Impact:

  • Red coat, headband, details – you can thrift a cotton or polyester hoodie and alter to fit your body. Cut the shape to be similar to Amber’s M-shaped bangs to get the best effect.
  • Brown wig – One of my favourite wig stores is Wig Supplier and you can find an Amber wig or just a generic brown wig.
  • Belt and gloves – Dollar store gardening section all the way.
  • Shirt – get a brown shirt and a white hurt and hack them together to make a brown and white shirt! Fabric paint the details.
  • Gold embroidery – You can get puffy paint from your local craft store to achieve a raised effect and use craft foam for the base.
  • Brown shorts – Thrift store is your best bet to find some class brown shorts. Look in the pants section too and you might be able to find a steal.
  • Thigh-high boots – You need a cheap heel and some thigh-high socks. Cut a hole in the heel of a white thigh high sock and slip the heel though and you’ve got some DIY thigh-high boots.
  • Goggles – Amazon has some dank aviator goggles!

Cosplay ideas for Genshin Impact

Paimon Cosplay
Paimon is either the best travel companion…or emergency food. Cosplayer: mingmihoo.

Where do I even begin? There are so many characters to cosplay in this game that look fabulous and totally fun to cosplay!

If you’ve played this game, I’d say you should cosplay your favorite character if you can handle the difficulty. Pretty much every character has lots of specific detailing and embroidery with their clothing. So if you can pull it off yourself, you’re gonna look AMAZING.

But with that said, you can always do a casual version. For example, you can cosplay Kaeya and Diluc casually by wearing a blue or red wig and a dress shirt. Most Genshin players would recognize you, as both of those characters are really popular!

Other favourites are Amber, Lisa, Sucrose, Fischl, Venti, Mona and Bennett. Definitely the most recognizable would be Paimon, your fairy-sized travel companion/emergency food!

Again, if you’re looking for even more Genshin Impact cosplay ideas, click here to check out my separate article regarding that.

If you want to buy the costumes for Shenhe and Paimon, click below!

2. Chainsaw Man

Makima is one of the main characters of Chainsaw Man! Cosplayer: kamisamalisa. Photo by chriszeta_.

One of the breakout Anime hits of 2022, the popularity of Chainsaw Man has transferred over to the cosplay world! And why not? Chainsaw Man is quite the gory Anime series, with a little dark humor added in. It’s about a world populated by devil-like creatures, with main characters such as Denji hunting down these devils with his chainsaw-like abilities. It is quite crazy! But with interesting characters and an outlandish story, it’s no wonder why Chainsaw Man cosplays have become popular late in 2022, and will be into 2023!

What you need to cosplay Makima from Chainsaw Man:

  • Black Blazer
  • Black tie (make sure it’s long enough to reach the tip of your belt…fashion tip :))
  • White dress shirt
  • Black dress pants
  • Red-orange wig
  • Chains!

Cosplay ideas for Chainsaw Man

Cosplayer: chibiusagimx.

The nice thing about Chainsaw Man is that the characters are really easy to cosplay! Most of the outfit, you can use regular clothing and materials. This makes Chainsaw Man a perfect candidate for closet cosplays (if you want a list of closet cosplay ideas, click here to check it out.)

By far the most popular character to cosplay will definitely be Makima. She’s the leader of the Public Safety and the one commanding Denji to do all the fighting.

You can also cosplay as Denji himself. Either you can cosplay him with his orange hair and fangs, or go out all and make a chainsaw helmet!

Power is also another popular character. She is one of the main devils in the series, and she has many different outfits to choose from, including her signature devil horns.

3. Spy x Family

Yor Forger, the wife of Loid Forger who is secretly a professional assassin! Cosplayer: miichan.cosplay.

Spy x Family is another series that has taken off in popularity. You’ll definitely see a lot of cosplays in 2023 from this Anime! Spy x Family is about a man named Loid Forger who agrees to be part of a family in order to accomplish his mission as a spy. He marries a woman named Yor, who is also secretly a professional assassin. They also take care of a child named Anya, who is a telepath and can read minds. Put together a spy husband, an assassin wife and a telepathic child, and you get a funny and wholesome series that is Spy X Family!

What you need to cosplay as Yor from Spy x Family:

I would say to just buy the outfit for Yor online. Although it may look a simple black dress, there are many modifications such as the straps that make it more complicated than usual. And the dress also acts like a cape too. The gloves are also different as well. But you can buy knee-high black boots yourself and make the headband on your own.

Cosplay ideas for Spy x Family

Yor is by far the most popular character to cosplay from Spy x Family. Her outfit is so hot and who doesn’t want to dress up as a covert assassin?

You can also cosplay as Anya, the cute little child who can read minds. Everyone loves her!

And don’t forget about Loid, the main character of the series.

4. Demon Slayer

So when Demon Slayer first came out, I expected the hype to die down after a year or so. Boy was I very wrong! Because not only is Demon Slayer still popular to this day, with a new season coming out it’s going to be mainstream for a while.

And that means you’ll be seeing lots of Demon Slayer online and at conventions. This is why Demon Slayer is #4 on my list of popular cosplays for 2023. And why not, those Demon Slayer outfits look so amazing!

What you’ll need to cosplay Nezuko from Demon Slayer:

  • Yukata – Nezuko’s yukata is popular enough that you can purchase it online from MicCostumes, Amazon, or Aliexpress. I don’t recommend sewing one from scratch unless you really want to.
  • Bamboo muzzle – Many cosplays will come with this prop. However, if you want to upgrade, you can create a prop muzzle from craft foam or PVC pipes. Remember that anything going in your mouth should be sanitary – don’t eat paint! Make sure you seal your paint.
  • Shoes – Search for geta and geta socks.

Cosplay ideas for Demon Slayer

Nezuko is by far the most popular cosplay from Demon Slayer. But there are so many amazing and wonderful characters you can dress up as, including Tanjiro and Shinobu. Here’s a list of all the amazing Demon Slayer characters you should cosplay as!

5. League of Legends

KD/A cosplay
2022 will be another KD/A year in cosplay, and that’s totally fine with most of us. Cosplayer: nisaba_cosplay.

In my opinion, K/DA and League of Legends will still be one of the most popular cosplay choices of 2023.

Originally meant to just sell skins for League of Legends, K/DA has become a phenomenon that mostly everyone loves.

Ever since the first K/DA music video Pop Stars was released, the League of Legends world was never the same. Now you see cosplays Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai’Sa all the time! And that’s definitely not going to change in 2023, especially with the newest KD/A videos More and Baddest.

In addition to K/DA, Riot Games continues to release new music videos and skins for other League characters. In 2022, they even had a Netflix series, Arcane, to boost the series’ popularity. So not only will this game be relevant into the 2020s, so will the cosplays.

What you’ll need to cosplay Evelynn K/DA from League of Legends:

  • Black Trench Coat – If you’re looking for a closet cosplay, Evelynn might be something you and a few friends could put together by combining your wardrobes. The black trench coat is a closet staple, and if you don’t have one, I guarantee your local Goodwill or Value Village will.
  • Necklace – This necklace charm is super easy to make. All you need to do is loop a length of ribbon into an old earring. You can also find lots of similar charms at the craft store, corner store, or Ardene’s.
  • Earring – Evelynn’s earrings here are just small hoops, which you can find online for about $2 on eBay. These are also in the bargain section at Claire’s or Ardene’s.
  • Belt – A common black belt can be purchased at any corner store.
  • Wig – Evelynn’s cat ear hair is what gives her the iconic look in this K/DA version. I would recommend buying some strong hair spray and set aside an hour or so to twirl the hair in the same way. You can buy her wig right here (affiliate link).
  • Glasses – Glasses are a challenge to craft. The best hack for glasses is to find some similar frames and tint the lenses with see-through acrylic sheets such as soft binders, or photography gels.
  • Claws – Honestly, paper is the tried-and-true method for the most comfortable claws. You can also do foam for a longer effect. Paint with silver acrylic or Rub n Buff.

Cosplay ideas for League of Legends

Cosplayer: tutu_the_bunbun. Click here to buy Spirit Blossom Ahri cosplay. 30% off!

K/DA is obviously the first option. The Pop Stars outfit has been so popular for a while now, so you can definitely snag an outfit for very cheap now.

Ever since Arcane was released on Netflix, both Jinx and Vi saw a revival in popularity in terms of cosplay. Both look great in cosplay, so they’re definitely good options as well.

But you don’t have to go the mainstream route; there are several champions to choose from. League has tons of cool-looking characters to cosplay such as OG Ahri, Ashe and Ezreal. And there are a variety of looks to choose from; either you can cosplay the looks that the characters sported when the game first came out, or you can go for the more recent looks like the Spirit Blossom.

If you want more League of Legends cosplay ideas, click here to see a list of characters you should try!

6. My Hero Academia

Plus Ultra!

What’s there to be said about My Hero Academia (MHA) that hasn’t been said already? I hate to compare the two, but MHA is new the Naruto! It’s going to be the cosplay choice for both beginner and experienced cosplayers.

This top Shonen Anime has been superhot for the past few years and 2022 will be no exception. MHA characters have wonderful designs and the Anime is highly acclaimed.  All these things will ensure that MHA characters will remain a popular series to cosplay for a long time.

What you’ll need to cosplay Camie from MHA:

  • Black bodysuit – A full bodysuit can be purchased online on eBay or at any Halloween/theatre store.
  • Black hat – These kinds of police hats are super easy to find during Halloween season, so go early and stock up! Use a red ribbon (or rope) to add the detail and craft-foam for the emblem.
  • Wig – When you’re saving on the costume, it’s very important to be careful of the details. That’s why I will always recommend Arda Wigs for all my wig needs. Arda’s fibre blends look so realistic and they even have lace fronts! If you want to learn where to buy the best wigs, click here to see all the best cosplay wig sites.

Cosplay Ideas for My Hero Academia

The nice thing about MHA is that despite having a ton of characters to cosplay, they’re all unique in their own way with their “quirks.” And in terms of cosplay, every character is so cool-looking!

The main characters like Deku, Bakugo, All Might, Ochaco and Todoroki will always be a great choice. Season 7 is coming out in 2023 at some point, so be on the lookout for new characters. It may be the final season of MHA!

Since MHA is probably the biggest Shonen Anime right now, online cosplay stores are mass-producing costumes from the series. So it’ll be relatively cheap to buy one off those sites.

7. Cyberpunk

Cosplayer: myboo_cosplay.

You know, I actually predicted that Cyberpunk was going to be a popular series to cosplay from, back in 2020. But unfortunately, the game itself had a rocky launch when it first came out, and it got somewhat of a bad name because of it. And I think that translated into the cosplay world, so Cyberpunk didn’t become a popular cosplay because of the game’s issues at the time.

However, times have definitely changed! Not only has the developer fixed all of the game’s bugs and glitches, making it a now well-received game, but a new Anime series called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was released in 2022, bringing many people to being interested in the series. And now we have seen a lot of Cyberpunk cosplays at conventions!

Cosplay ideas for Cyberpunk

The cool thing about Cyberpunk is that you make your own avatar in the game. So you can really customize your cosplay to cater to the look you have in the game.

But if you want something more established, you can opt to cosplay one of the characters from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, including: David, Lucy and Rebecca.

8. Wednesday Addams

Thanks to the new Netflix series, Wednesday Addams has seen a revival in popularity! Cosplayer: susamiii.

For the longest time, Wednesday Addams was always a great choice as a closet cosplay idea. And who doesn’t love The Addams Family? 🙂

But in October 2022, Netflix released a new series called Wednesday, which specifically focuses on the character, Wednesday. Being a great original series, along with Jenna Ortega’s phenomenal acting, dancing and portrayal of Wednesday, and it’s no surprise that Wednesday is seeing a surge in popularity, especially in the cosplay world! If you’re a fan of supernatural and horror, then you gotta cosplay as Wednesday Addams!

What you need to cosplay as Wednesday Addams

  • Long black wig that’s braided on the ends
  • Black Mini dress
  • White dress shirt underneath with collar sticking out
  • Black eyelashes and lipstick
  • Black stockings or thigh high socks
  • Skull/poison bottle/hand to carry around!

9. Final Fantasy VII

Some of the characters in the remake have a new look, including Aerith. Cosplayer: zhang.mao.mao.cosplay. Photo by wolfsink.

Final Fantasy VII (FF7) is by far the most popular Final Fantasy game of all time. When the first part of the remake was released, there was renewed interest in cosplaying the most well-known characters like Tifa and Aerith.

And now with the 2nd part of the remake being scheduled for release in 2023, there will be even more FF7 cosplays to see. I’m hoping there will be newer design of characters. Only time will tell. 🙂

What you’ll need to cosplay Tifa:

  • Tank top – A white tank top can be easily purchased almost anywhere – just trim it to your desired length. For a battle damaged version, make sexy cuts.
  • Harness – Customize a pair of suspenders with craft foam pieces to imitate Tifa’s style. Depending on the version, some reference photos of her have more fancy suspenders than others.
  • Skirt – If you can’t find a skirt at the correct length, crop a full length skirt to your liking. Sometimes, cosplayers choose to alter costumes in a way that makes them more comfortable. You don’t need to have the exact length of skirt to cosplay Tifa, but if you want to, all the more power to you!
  • Black wig – A black wig is a staple in any cosplayer’s wardrobe. You can grab one from Amazon, or a quality wig from Arda.
  • Arm guards – Matching the colour of the gloves and the arm guards will be difficult with paint, so I suggest finding red pleather and making everything from scratch. You can find a simple glove pattern online. Then add the gauntlet bits with 5mm craft foam and cover with your red pleather.

Cosplay ideas for FF7

Final Fantasy VII has so many memorable characters that you have lots to choose from. The most notable ones will definitely be Cloud, Tifa, Aerith and Sephiroth. They’ve already gotten a new look in the remake/Smash Bros, so it makes sense to cosplay them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do the other memorable characters like Yuffie or Barret.

10. Attack On Titan

We thought that Attack on Titan would be over in 2021. But not yet; there’s a 2nd part to the final season of this wonderful series. Why would we want Attack on Titan to end anyways? It’s been an awesome fandom for the longest time and in terms of cosplay, AoT is perfect if you have a group of friends. You can all wear the military outfits! It’s great for beginner or casual cosplayers.

For this entire cosplay, I highly recommend just purchasing one from Taobao to save yourself the anguish of measuring and putting on 300 belts. Also, Attack on Titan is so popular that Season 4 has just finished, which means there is an adequate demand for costume makers to make versions of this costume.

If you’re looking for the best place to buy your Attack On Titan costume, click here to check out my best cosplay website guide.

If you insist on putting together your own version, you can actually purchase Attack on Titan embroidered patches. Add a pair of white jeans and a cropped brown suit jacket, and you’ve got yourself your own unique Survey Corps uniform. Not bad for some great cosplay ideas! 🙂

Cosplay ideas for Attack on Titan

While many of the characters wear similar outfits, each one has a slightly different style. There are a variety of characters, including Eren, Levi, Mikasa, Hange, Armin and more. And you can also cosplay the Titan demons as well; you can either wear a bodysuit or go all out with body makeup!

11. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is a relatively new manga series that started in 2018, and had an Anime adaption back in 2021. With the awesome characters and interesting story, Jujutsu Kaisen became a hit not only for Anime viewers, but also for cosplay. With a second Anime season being confirmed, we’ll be seeing more Jujutsu Kaisen cosplays in 2023.

Cosplay ideas for Jujutsu Kaisen

There are so many cool-looking characters from Jujutsu Kaisen, so you’ll have lots to choose from! Including:

  • Mahito
  • Maki Zenin
  • Satoru Gojo
  • Nobara Kugisake
  • Yuji Itadori
  • Sukuna

12. Love Live!

Love Live! cosplay
Love Live! is a safe bet for a popular cosplay idea in 2022. Cosplayer: Breathelifeindeeply. Taken by EvilSanity.

Can you believe that Love Live! is over half a decade old? Yet the series is still the classic idol Anime series that’s going to stay on top for a very long time. And who doesn’t love idol groups? Everyone seems to be starting or continuing idol groups based on Love Live! So unless a new series comes out that’s just as good as Love Live! it’s going to stick around for years to come.

The creators behind Love Live! continue to produce new content such as Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. So you can bet that Love Live! will be popular among cosplayers for a long time.

Cosplay ideas for Love Live!

Mahou Dreamers Love Live! Cosplay Group
Mahou Dreamers Love Live! Cosplay Group.

You don’t need any cosplay ideas for Love Live! because there are so many outfits and variations for every character and they’ll always be adored by many. Fortunately, Love Live! cosplays tend to be on the cheaper side.

You can buy the basic outfit for dirt cheap under $30 USD. However, some of the dresses (e.g. Arabian dancer) will be more expensive. So while you might pay more for some Love Live! costumes, all of them are still in the low and middle-end of cosplay pricing.

The easiest way to obtain this costume is to find one second hand or from Taobao. Love Live! Season 1, which was popular back in 2012-2014, was so popular that so many cosplay stores made their own rendition of it. However, if purchasing online is not an option, you can find the following items and put it together yourself.

Note that you’ll stand out even more if you have a group to cosplay Love Live! together with. If you want more group cosplay ideas you can do with your friends, click here for a list of 50+ ideas!

13. Star Wars

Photo by 7S Photography. Cosplayer: allure_cosplay.

You might not see too many Star Wars cosplays at an Anime convention. But rest assured, you’ll definitely a lot of Jedi’s and Stormtroopers at a comic con! Star Wars will forever be popular not only in general, but in the cosplay world as well. With Disney continually pumping out new content such as The Mandarlorian, you can bet that Star Wars cosplays will be prominent in 2023 and beyond.

Cosplay ideas for Star Wars

Photo by veryfrankpics. Cosplayer: allure_cosplay.

The amount of characters you can cosplay is as vast as the Star Wars universe. You have tons of options! However, if you’re looking for the most popular (in my opinion), they are:

  • Rey
  • Princess Leia
  • Darth Vader
  • Stormtroopers
  • Rebel pilots

14. Naruto

One of the most popular Shonen of all time deserves a spot in cosplay idea popularity. No matter which convention you attend, you’ll always see some sort of Naruto cosplay. Whether it’s a simple outfit like Akatsuki, or a cosplay couple such as Naruto and Hinata, there are tons of cosplayers who are into the series. And that’s not going to change in 2023!

What you’ll need to cosplay Sakura:

  • Pink wig – Sakura is a popular character, so you can her character wig anywhere, or get any pink wig and trim to length.
  • Red vest – Finding a red vest is going to be moderately difficult at a thrift store. But check out the suit and outerwear section and you’ll probably find something. You may need to cut off the sleeves and remake the neckline to get that turtleneck look. Add a white zipper from your local fabric store like JoAnn’s or Michael’s and you’re all set.
  • Pink skirt – If you’re looking for accuracy, it is best to find a tablecloth and make a circle skirt from scratch. However, cosplay is meant to be fun and finding a generic pink skirt may be easier than you thought at the thrift store.
  • Knee socks – If you’re looking to grab a pair of cheap knee socks, you can visit your local Ardene’s. They carry socks of all lengths and colours that are sure to fit the aesthetic we’re looking for. Alternatively, you may even find knee socks at other cheap online retailers such as Shein or Romwe.
  • Accessories – You can find some black gloves at the dollar store. For the hip pack, you can find either a fanny pack or a small wallet or utility case. Sew on some belt loops if your pocket doesn’t come with one.
  • Headband – While you can make your own easily from a piece of fabric and foam, there’s something nice about owning a metal headband from the leaf village. There are a ton of Naruto-themed headbands floating around the internet and you can get your own too on Amazon, ebay, or any other cosplay site.

Cosplay ideas for Naruto

The most popular cosplay choices for Naruto are:

  • Naruto (of course)
  • Sakura
  • Hinata
  • Sasuke
  • Kakashi

15. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been around for a long time. I believe the manga first came out way back in 1987 apparently! Ever since the acclaimed Anime in 2016 was released, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been a staple at Anime conventions for a while. But with a new Anime series (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean) airing right now, there’s definitely going to be a lot more interest for cosplays from JBA!

Cosplay Ideas for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Some popular characters from the series include:

  • Jotaro
  • Jolyne
  • Trish

16. Shield Hero

Okay last year I was wrong about Shield Hero being a popular cosplay for 2021 and 2022. While I did see a few Raphtalia cosplays last year, there weren’t as many Shield Hero cosplays like in 2019, when the 1st season came out. The 2nd season did come out in 2022, but without much hype.

However, I feel like if the 3rd season comes out in 2023, we’ll see some more Shield Hero cosplays, and it will be popular again in the cosplay realm.

If you want to learn how make cosplay props like Raphtalia’s sword or Naofumi’s shield, I made a guide for it.

Cosplay ideas for Shield Hero

There are really only 3 characters worth cosplaying in Shield Hero:

  • Raphtalia (best girl)
  • Naofumi (the main character)
  • Filo (the cute sidekick)

Raphtalia and Naofumi make for a good cosplay idea as a couple! If you want to know all the cosplay ideas you can with your partner, click here to see a list of 50+ cosplay couple ideas.

Bold Predictions

17. NieR Automata

2B has been a popular cosplay choice for many years, but I predict even more so in 2023! Cosplayer: ladynelitza. Photo by nesherben.

Now to be fair, NieR Automata has already been popular as a cosplay choice. And for good reason; the game is awesome, the characters are interesting and beautiful to cosplay!

But with a NieR Automata Anime coming out in 2023, I certainly predict that we’ll see another surge of popularity for the series. The animation looked great in the trailer, and the teams behind the production are really good at what they do. So you can be there’s a lot of hype for the NieR Automata Anime, which in turn we’ll be seeing more 2B and 9S cosplays!

18. Fire Emblem

Mercedes, one of the many great characters worth cosplaying in Fire Emblem: Three Houses! Cosplayer: ronantyche. Photo taken by Neha Mathur.

Fire Emblem will always be popular at conventions. Go to any scheduled group photoshoot at a cosplay convention and you’ll always see Fire Emblem cosplayers there. The games always have a great story with awesome characters and most importantly, the character designs translate beautifully into cosplay. Hence the continued popularity of Fire Emblem cosplays.

Now it has been a while since a new Fire Emblem was released; Three Houses came out in 2019. So that’s why I have Fire Emblem lower on this list in 2023. Still, there will always be Fire Emblem cosplayers at conventions.

With Fire Emblem: Three Hopes being released in 2022, we’ll probably see some renewed interest in the fandom in terms of cosplay, especially since a lot of them have new looks. And with Fire Emblem: Engage being released in 2023, I feel Fire Emblem will probably be a staple again at conventions!

What you’ll need to cosplay Mercedes from Fire Emblem: Three Houses:

  • White dress shirt – Hopefully you already have one of these lying around!
  • Shawl – Find a white fleece scarf and add fleece trim to the edges. It’s very important to do all of the details in fleece or embroidery to ensure that the material flows well and makes sense with the overall fit.
  • Black skirt – If you’re looking for accuracy, you might want to make a large circle skirt from a thick material. However, you might be able to find a long maxi skirt in the same colour. You can add some horsehair braid to the end to help the skirt stay flouncy and sharp. Don’t forget to wear a petticoat to achieve the cupcake shape.
  • Blue tights – I struggled with opaque tights for a long time but I finally discovered the Hue line that has tights in all the colours of the rainbow. Try Hue for quick shipping and hassle-free customer service.
  • Brown Shoes – these brown lace-up booties can be found at Brown’s or Aldo’s.

Cosplay Ideas for Fire Emblem

Fire Emblem group photo
Hopefully things will be normal again so we can go back to doing Fire Emblem group shoots! Marth: Myself. Celica: Jam. Tiki: kirankoncosplay. Roy: kuze_cos.

There are so many Fire Emblem characters to choose from, so you have plenty of options.

You can opt for classic characters like Marth, Celica or Tiki. Or you can go for newer characters like Chrom, Lucina, Tharja or Robin. The newest game, Three Houses, has some pretty cool characters such as Edelgard and of course Byleth. 🙂

Fire Emblem cosplays tend to be more on the mid-range to high-end in terms of cosplays costs (if you want to know more about how much cosplay generally will cost you, click here to read my article about it). Many characters have fine detailing and intricate design with their outfits, as well as embroidery and armor to help their costume stand out. Not to mention that many of them carry cool-looking weapons such as swords and staves.

So unless you’re going for a low budget or “beach/summer” version of a character, be prepared to fork out a bit more money to either buy or create a Fire Emblem cosplay.

19. Fate

You can never go wrong with F/GO characters like Scáthach! Photo by kxz Chen. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

There have been so many Fate spinoffs for several years! Not to mention the mobile game, Fate/Grand Order.

With that said, I feel the Fate cosplay hype is dying down. I haven’t seen too many Fate cosplays like I used to. So this series barely scratches the list. In fact, it’s on the bottom, borderline made it.

Perhaps a combination of new Fate spinoffs, on top of the mobile game (Fate Grand Order) and releasing new outfits will keep this series popular at conventions!

What you’ll need to cosplay Scáthach from F/GO:

  • Maid costume – Amazon, eBay, or any regular costume site are your best bet. If you have cosplay friends, chances are that they already have a maid costume lying around. Reuse when you can.
  • Heels – These black pumps can be found in any corner of the world. Head to your local shoe store for a relatively inexpensive option.
  • Thigh-highs – You can find lacy thigh highs with any maid lingerie set online, or you can buy them separately from underwear stores such as La Senza.
  • Wig – Search for a dusty rose colour or brown wig if you can’t find a specific Scáthach costume.
  • Purple gloves – this one is going to be a little bit difficult to find. One thing you can do is find some two way stretch spandex and create the gloves and matching ruffles.
  • Plate – just grab one from your kitchen!

Cosplay Ideas for Fate

There are several characters to cosplay from Fate you could cosplay. You could go for the favorites such as Saber, Rin or Archer. The mobile game, Fate/Grand Order, has spawned tons of different cosplays such as Scathach and Shielder. I suggest picking a character that either suits your personality or whether you like the character design. For example, if you want to be a nice lady knight, then Saber is perfect for you. Or if you rather be a character that’s simple to do, the cold-hearted Rin Tohsaka would be a great choice.

20. KonoSuba (Megumin in particular)

Megumin (cosplay ideas)
“Explosion!” Photo by 沅珅 蔡. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Explosion! Konosuba has been one of the most well-liked Anime recently. There may be a lot of isekai Anime these days. Basically that means our main characters get transported into a fantasy world where they must fight to survive and get out of that fantasy world! Does that sound familiar?

I am fairly certain that KonoSuba will a popular cosplay choice for 2023. Why? Because not only has a 3rd season of KonoSuba been officially confirmed. But we’re also getting a spinoff series featuring Megumin before she became the famous explosion artist! So I think we’ll be seeing more KonoSuba cosplays in 2023.

If you like female Anime characters like Megumin and Aqua, then click here to see a list of the top 25 Anime girl cosplay ideas.

Cosplay ideas for KonoSuba

The most popular cosplay ideas for KonoSuba are:

  • Megumin
  • Aqua
  • Kazuma

Longshot Predictions

21. The Legend of Zelda

Link as he appears in Breath of the Wild. Cosplayer: bigjonny13.

With the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel being released in 2023, I feel like we’ll be seeing some renewed interest in Zelda cosplays again! But it all depends if the game is released in time. If there are some especially awesome new characters in the game, then for sure we will see some new Zelda cosplays!

Cosplay ideas for The Legend of Zelda

Zelda is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. There are many awesome characters to cosplay as, including:

  • Link
  • Zelda
  • Ganondorf
  • Sheik
  • Midna
  • Malon
  • Skull Kid
  • And many more!

22. Bleach

Bleach is also another forgotten relic of the Anime past. If you went to an Anime convention over 10 years, you couldn’t walk around without seeing Bleach cosplayers! Well, those days might be coming back again. With a new Anime series being announced, we might see a renewed interest in Bleach cosplays again. It’ll be good times if it does happen!

Cosplay ideas for Bleach

The most popular characters to cosplay from Bleach are:

  • Ichigo
  • Rukia
  • Orihime

The nice thing about Bleach cosplay is they’re not hard to do!

23. Spy Classroom

I know what you’re thinking.

No, it’s not the same as Spy x Family! Although both series are about spies, Spy Classroom is different and definitely takes on a more serious tone. Spy Classroom is about a renowned spy named Klaus who tries to assemble his own team of spies by picking seven girls to be his team. However, those seven girls are quite incompetent at being spies! So it’s up to Klaus to teach them how to become good spies in order to overcome the adversity of espionage war.

I chose Spy Classroom as a potential series for being a popular cosplay. Not only has the spy genre really hot right now (mostly because of #3 on this list), the characters in Spy Classroom seem very relatable and characters to love. If this series takes off, I definitely can see some group shoots involving Spy Classroom characters, similar to Psycho Pass back in the day.

So Spy Classroom makes it on this list for that reason!

Bonus!

Black Canary: If the film featuring this DC character comes out in 2023, I can see Black Canary also being a popular cosplay choice, especially at comic cons. But we don’t know for sure if the Black Canary film will be released. Worth a mention though.

Summary

To sum it all up, here are the 23 cosplays ideas that will be popular in 2023:

  1. Genshin Impact
  2. Chainsaw Man
  3. Spy x Family
  4. Demon Slayer
  5. League of Legends
  6. My Hero Academia
  7. Cyberpunk
  8. Wednesday Addams
  9. Final Fantasy VII
  10. Attack On Titan
  11. Jujutsu Kaisen
  12. Love Live!
  13. Star Wars
  14. Naruto
  15. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
  16. Shield Hero
  17. Nier Automata
  18. Fire Emblem
  19. Fate
  20. KonoSuba
  21. The Legend of Zelda
  22. Bleach
  23. Spy Classroom

If you’re interested in more cosplay ideas, here are some of my other posts you’ll enjoy:

If you’re looking to attend some conventions, check out these posts:

Which cosplays you think will be popular this year? Do you agree with my picks? Let me know in the comments!

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