10 Reasons Why Cosplay is Great

Cosplay. This form of performance art has taken the world by storm, and is continuing to grow. Though twenty years ago people barely recognized the term “cosplay”, it has become a cultural phenomena. One might say it’s become a…

Community

To make friends instantly because of a shared favorite movie or TV show is something rarely found. Conventions are a great place to meet all these people and talk to them about any and all things nerdy, whether you know the gritty details of the Batmobile or you just love watching Supernatural. Dressing up is one way of showing this love for what fandoms you are a part of, and it builds a fellowship where you can find other people who love the same things and they love to have…

Fun!

If you’ve ever seen cosplayers together you immediately know they’re having a great time. The free spirited kid in you gets to play and dress up, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so popular among young adults. Being these characters in colorful costumes with awesome weapons is always fun and is a great…

Stress Reliever

When you are cosplaying it’s a great way to have fun as well as leave your worries behind. To not stress about problems for a little while and escape into a character and take on a different persona is amazing. The entire process can alleviate stress; from deciding to portray one of your favorite characters to creating the costume to showing your creation to others. Other cosplayers are also…

Accepting of All

Being a part of this community means that all creations are appreciated and accepted. Everyone has different interpretations of their favorite characters, and overall, people are encouraging and friendly to other cosplayers. It’s a place where gender bent, homemade, new ideas, and all types of cosplay is accepted. You might say its very…

Versatile

The spectrum of cosplay varies far and wide. You can spend hundreds of hours and a whole lot of money to create the perfect version of Captain America, or you can have a look through your closet for a few minutes and have an apocalyptic warrior from The Walking Dead ready to go. There are even people who go to conventions donning a nerdy tee-shirt and a weapon, and it is still okay! But make sure your friends want to cosplay with you because…

Couples that Cosplay Together Stay Together

Or friends cosplaying for that matter. When you get your significant other or a bunch of friends to cosplay together as one group it suddenly goes from a cool cosplay to an amazing creation that is 1000% better. Just imagine being Darth Vader, but then having three or four Stormtroopers following you around and then running into another group of Jedi. When you coordinate a group to do these sorts of things, it creates an amazing bond between others. Also, age is not a factor in this because….

Cosplay is for Everyone

No matter what age, or what stage of life you are in, you can cosplay. It doesn’t matter what gender you are, what size you are, or what limitations you have because there is so much available to do. Not only is every nerdy fandom accessible to you, but all TV shows, movies, books, and even memes have started to show up as cosplay. With all these options there is a sense of…

Freedom

One can be whoever they want to be when cosplaying, and this is very freeing for people who often don’t feel like they belong. To express yourself through cosplay and have the freedom to create what you think is best is one of the biggest reasons why people love to cosplay. People love characters, because in some way you connect to them, and cosplay is a good way to portray what you love. Not only can it help expression but…

Cosplay Helps Battle Fears

As an introvert, cosplay has opened a new door for me to be social and not have anxiety around others. I don’t feel threatened or worried about what others think of me because, to put it simply, I’m not being me. Many others have expressed this as well and how cosplay helps them cope with anxieties, depression, and other types of fears. You can be behind a mask, become ten feet tall, or be a cartoon character and suddenly it becomes easy to interact with people. In fact, cosplay can…

Make Dreams Come True

This isn’t reserved for Disney anymore (though all princesses are welcome). To see one of your favorite characters come to life and be able to take pictures with them, tell the person how great their cosplay is, or even get a high five; that is something most cosplayers would agree is priceless. At the end of the day, after all the fun you’ve had with cosplaying, the memories are what sticks with you through the years. Meeting Link face to face, running away from a Weeping Angel, seeing Mario and Luigi chase after Peach, or seeing all the professors from Hogwarts casually walking around is incredible. To get a hug from a little kid because YOU are their hero, that is what dreams are made of.

Go create and cosplay away!

Why do you cosplay? Let us know in the comments below!