This One's for the Nerds
Whether you’re a seasoned convention-goer or are planning to attend your first comic con, cosplay is a fun part of any fandom. You can show off your love for your favorite characters or just dress up for the sake of dressing up. To help you out, here are 20 easy characters to start with.
1. Astarion
With the recent fame of Baldur’s Gate 3, you should expect to see plenty of vampire spawns roaming around the convention. The outfit is pretty easy to put together—you’ll need a white wig, a ruffled white shirt, a black vest, black pants, and, of course, some vampire makeup.
2. Zatanna
For superhero fans, Zatanna has always been one of the more approachable characters. As a powerful spellcaster by night and an equally powerful magician by day, all you need is a black tuxedo jacket, some fishnets, and a top hat.
3. Fallout
The latest Fallout show on Prime has reignited love for the series. With that in mind, you can don your own Vault-Tec jumpsuit, as the blue and yellow garments are sold all over at Halloween and costume stores.
4. Wolverine
The success of the Wolverine and Deadpool movie guarantees plenty of sightings of both heroes. For Wolverine, you can try to put together the yellow and blue suit or take it easy and make some claws to pair with a leather jacket and a wig.
5. Barbie
Barbie is still going strong and is one of the more versatile characters to cosplay as. She can look like anybody, and as long as you wear a pink coordinated outfit, you’re a shoo-in for the character.
6. Harley Quinn
There were years when you could spot 100 Harleys at any given convention. This adds up since the character is widely loved and pretty easy to dress up as. You can go for her usual “Little Monster” T-shirt with a blonde wig or opt for a black and red number.
7. Dune
The Dune movie has received critical acclaim, and you can show your appreciation by dressing up as the Fremen. All you need for this outfit are some black and brown robes that look like they belong in the desert and some deep blue contacts to match.
8. Deadpool
Speaking of Deadpool and Wolverine, we can’t forget about the red and black mercenary either. Luckily, many stores sell full Deadpool outfits, making it a pretty easy costume to get into.
9. Pikachu
For Pokémon fans, dressing up as Pikachu is pretty easy. You can paint on the iconic red cheeks and get some headbands for the ears. You could also just opt for one of the many Pikachu onesies out there.
10. Princess Peach
If you’ve got an elegant pink dress lying around, then all you need is a blonde wig to pair it with, and you’re basically Princess Peach. Just be sure to get her iconic gold crown and white gloves, or people may confuse you for Barbie.
11. Jedi
There are so many Jedis to choose from, but the basic idea is essentially the same. You’ll want brown and white robes and, of course, a lightsaber.
12. Lara Croft
For lots of people, Lara Croft is a super approachable character. All you need is a green tank top and brown shorts, and be sure to tie your hair into that iconic braid.
RyC - Behind The Lens from San Francisco, United States of America on Wikimedia
13. A Sim
If you want to dress up like a Sim from The Sims 4, all you have to do is wear whatever you want and stick on one of those headbands with a green plumbob attached.
14. Steve
With the release of the recent Minecraft movie, plenty of people will be wanting to dress like Steve. Luckily, it’s very easy, as all you need is a blue T-shirt and jeans. Bonus points for wearing a cardboard box head.
15. Tifa Lockhart
Tifa is one of the most popular characters to come out of Final Fantasy VII, and her outfit is both iconic and simple. All you need is a white tank top, black suspenders, and those statement fingerless gloves.
16. Harry Potter
You don’t actually have to dress as Harry specifically, as you can wear whatever house colors you prefer. Lots of stores like Spencer’s and Hot Topic sell Hogwarts uniforms you can make into your own.
17. Wednesday Addams
The Addams Family is going through quite the resurgence, and Wednesday stands at the forefront of that. All you need to do is tie your hair into braided pigtails and find a simple black dress with a white collar. For an extra oomph, you can stick a “Thing” hand puppet to your shoulder.
JOHN BEARBY IMAGES on Unsplash
18. Kim Possible
If you’re feeling nostalgic, another character known for her action-ready and easy look is Kim. This simple outfit relies on an orange wig, a black crop top, and green cargo pants.
Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA on Wikimedia
19. Nami
For fans of One Piece and anime, Nami is both super popular and easy to dress as. You need a beach top and some jeans and can even throw in a staff or an orange wig for extra marks.
20. Misty
Speaking of orange wigs, Misty is also a great choice for Pokémon fans. For this cosplay, you’ll need a yellow tank top and red suspenders. You can even hold a Togepi plush in your hands the entire time.
