10 Cool Costumes That Impressed Us at Comic Con Honolulu 2018

Comic book, video game and pop culture fans rocked epic costumes this past weekend at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

Photos: Tien Enga

 

A few thousand comic book, video game and science fiction fans filled the Hawai‘i Convention Center for Comic Con Honolulu this past weekend. At this annual gathering of arcade and tabletop gamers, local artists and pop culture aficionados hosted film screenings, game tournaments, an artist alley and speaking panels. There were also autograph sessions with guests including Terminator and Aliens actor Michael Biehn, Harry Potter and Star Trek: Discovery actor Jason Isaacs, The Walking Dead alum Lennie James, and X-Men 2 and The Scorpion King actress (and former Miss Hawai‘i USA) Kelly Hu.

 

SEE ALSO: 10 Epic Costumes That Really Impressed Us at Comic Con Honolulu 2017

 

In comic convention tradition, many guests dressed up in costumes inspired by their favorite characters from movies, television shows, video games and comic books. Here are some of our favorites from this year’s event:

 

10. Nicholas Cabuco in Odogaron Armor, Monster Hunter

The armor of the powerful and fearsome monsters of Monster Hunter scavenge for carrion on which to feed throughout the poisonous Rotten Vale. Nicholas Cabuco is equally intimidating with an expressive mask, chest and arm plate armor, and a giant hammer.

 

 

9. Michael Holzemer as Crypt the Creature

Michael Holzemer invented his own character and costume with Crypt, a hybrid fur creature complete with a giant fuzzy tail and skull-themed gloves and mask. Like a monster you might see out of Pan’s Labyrinth, American Horror Story or some dark version of The Muppets, Crypt the Creature is something all its own.

 

 

8. Sara Ishizaki-Shinsato as Lettie Lutz, The Greatest Showman

Sara Ishizaki-Shinsato dressed as Lettie Lutz, “The Bearded Lady” of legendary carnival ringleader P. T. Barnum’s circus from last year’s musical film, The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman. Wearing a lavish purple dress and an elaborate wig (and beard to match), Ishizaki-Shinsato steals the show dressed as the performer who delivers the film’s iconic and Golden Globe-winning song, “This Is Me.”

 

 

7. Christian Marasigan as Kamen Rider Build, Kamen Rider Build

As the latest hero in the Japanese live action superhero television series Kamen Rider, Christian Marasigan designed this new Kamen Rider Build costume with the character’s signature red and blue color scheme, high-tech utility belt and spiky antennae eye goggles. He’s definitely ready to fight the villains from the show: monsters on Earth and mysterious aliens from outer space.

 

 

6. Bill Mukaida as Kaizen and Ally Kai as Lady Death, World of Warcraft

As two legendary combatants in the World of Warcraft video game series by Blizzard, Bill Mukaida and Ally Kai are decked out in shoulder armor, shin guards and impressive gauntlets. He’s got the cape and she’s got the giant shiny wings; they’re ready to bring down their opponents in style.

 

 

5. Yuki as Ryūko Matoi, Kill la Kill

In the 2013 anime series Kill la Kill, Ryūko Matoi is a serious high schooler on the search for her father’s killer. Yuki captures the look of this determined character from her cool costume ensemble to Ryūko’s signature scissor blade and that wild purple hair with red highlights.

 

 

4. Erica Brown as Aranea Highwind, Final Fantasy XV

Erica Brown’s dressed slickly as Aranea, a mercenary and commodore of the Third Army Corps 86th Airborne, with striking silvery hair and black dragonlike armor. She captures the sass and badassery of this dangerous boss from the video game Final Fantasy XV. (We want those boots.)

 

 

3. Heidi Shimada as Mei, Overwatch

We love this bright blue costume created by Heidi Shimada as Mei, the kick-butt climatologist from Xi'an, China, in the first-person multiplayer shooter Overwatch. In the game, this cold weather gear outfit is perfect for the polar regions she works in, and her gold endothermic blaster freezes (and damages) enemies in place. From Shimada’s boots to her utility belt to her having Snowball, Mei’s pet drone from the game, this costume is spot-on.

 

 

2. Kato Trooper as Spider-Man Samurai

Part web slinger, part medieval Japanese warrior: Kato Trooper pulls it off as this mashup of the comic character Spider-Man and a not-so-traditional armored soldier of Japanese nobility, complete with a red-and-black kabuto helmet, bamboo shin guards and Geta-like sandals. The genius of this costume is having the natural tile scales of traditional samurai plate armor blend perfectly with the checkerboard web pattern of Spider-Man’s costume design. Why can’t this be in the next Spider-Man film?

 

 

1. Ryenn Sotelo as M’Baku, Black Panther

Audiences celebrated the film adaptation of M’Baku in Marvel’s Black Panther, as the leader of Wakanda’s mountain-dwelling Jabari tribe that first challenges T’Challa’s seat on the throne, but who ultimately comes to his political rival’s aid. Ryenn Sotelo channels his inner warrior with this beautiful costume woven of faux fur pelts and grass pā‘ū in this Hawai‘i-inspired interpretation of M’Baku. We definitely wouldn’t fight him.

 

 

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