Cosplay - Final Fantasy
Cosplay is a portmanteau of the words costume and play, and refers to a kind of performance art in which participants dress up in costumes and use a variety of other accessories to represent or imitate the appearance of a specific character. Final Fantasy, a popular role playing video game series developed by Square Enix, has introduced a number of popular characters and beings that have become popular choices at Cosplay events and among cosplay fans. Popular choices for Final Fantasy cosplay include iconic Fantasy characters such as Cloud Strife,Squall Leonhart, Tidus, Noctis Lucis Caelum and many others. Many cosplay events, such as KupoCon, are exclusively designed for Final Fantasy cosplay. Final Fantasy cosplay goods can be found online and at a number of street shops and the prices of merchandise vary widely.
Cosplay Outfits
Final Fantasy Cosplay costumes and accessories are sold as ecommerce on a variety of hobbyist websites. Ecommerce sites offer different variations of popular costumes from the Final Fantasy franchise such Tifa Lockhart, and even iconic model weapons, in example a replica of Noctis Lucis Caelum’s sword. Accessories as well as wigs matching the hairstyles of Final Fantasy characters are also usually for sale. The prices of these fan made costumes and accessories are negotiable due to not being an official product by Square Enix and depends entirely on the creator.
Famous Japanese Final Fantasy Cosplay
Final Fantasy has been a popular series for cosplayers and Anime Otaku in Japan, due to the unique and visually stimulating costumes that each character of the games wears. One famous cosplayer who picked up Final Fantasy was Japanese cosplayer Masan. He gathered 6 other of his cosplayer friends to reenact the main hero party of Final Fantasy X. The cosplayer party included the popular cosplay lineup of Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri-Ronso, Auron, Rikku and P.
Famous Global Final Fantasy Cosplay
Final Fantasy has not only been a hot topic with cosplayers in Japan, but also around the world. One of the most famous is Alyson Tabbitha. Alyson’s mom was a professional performer and from a young age, she made Alyson’s Halloween costumes for her every year, sparking her interest in cosplay. In 2014, Alyson Tabbitha became a professional anime cosplayer and has become famous at Anime Conventions for her realistic cosplay. Also she is famous globally for doing more than just anime, but also characters from famous movies such as Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Her most popular Final Fantasy cosplay is Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII, Yuna from Final Fantasy X and Lighting from Final Fantasy VIII.
KupoCon
KupoCon is an unofficial Final Fantasy event organized by and made possible for the fans, but not officially endorsed or sanctioned by Square Enix. It can be described as a “Final Fantasy themed” party for attendees. The event takes place in various locations around the world, mainly in Europe and North America, with various events around Asia. Starting with a low following, KupoCon has amassed quite a crowd and following among fans and is continually supported by international planners and event organizers. According to the official website, it is a nonprofit event for the fans of Final Fantasy.
Eternal Fantasy Cafe
Eternal Fantasy Cafe is an event that takes place in Downtown Los Angeles based on cosplay and Final Fantasy. Maids and butlers serve final fantasy inspired drinks and food and Final Fantasy inspired games are offered. The event is for a mature audience, is cosplay friendly, and includes a number of live performances, music, and various entertainment including guest appearances.
Global Final Fantasy Cosplay Influence
The website ranker.com made a list of 27 incredible incredible Final Fantasy cosplay appearances. The website noted that it is very difficult to make a realistic Final Fantasy outfit. The site allows viewers to cast a vote and the cosplayer with the highest number of votes ascends to the top position of the ranking. As of February 1, 2020, the top five positions on the ranking are Rikku Thief from Final Fantasy X-2, Summoner Yuna from Final Fantasy X, Kuja from Final Fantasy IX, Paine from Final Fantasy X-2, and, in fifth place Vanille from Final Fantasy XIII.
Another website, thegamer.com, features another list of 25 popular Final Fantasy cosplays. According the author of the pieces,
“Some buy their cosplays. Some thrift them. Others put hundreds of hours into their work. Regardless, there is absolutely no wrong to either of these methods as cosplay can be approached in any way. Since the Final Fantasy series has been around for more than 30 years, there’s a wide variety of cosplay to do as well. With 15 main games and many prequels, sequels, and spin-offs, there are a lot of options for cosplayers to look into. And when it comes to Final Fantasy, people do it all.”
-Liz Shepherd
Links
Alyson Tabbitha Instagram
Masan Cosplayer Twitter
KupCon Event
Eternal Cafe