10 Cosplayers Utilizing Masks in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Written by Aesthel
As the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged on across the world, many people have been feeling the effects of it. While we always advise staying indoors and away from others as much as possible, we have also been so impressed by the ways that we have seen cosplayers recently incorporating protective masks into their costumes this year! The use of these masks not only protects the cosplayer and those who may be around them, but seeing images of cosplayers wearing their masks online also helps to promote mask usage and could potentially help influence others to make sure they have a mask on at all times!
The use of protective masks in cosplay is also a really great creative outlet! We have seen so many cosplayers making unique takes on their masks and not just wearing plain ones, which makes it all the more interesting to see! We love the ways that some cosplayers have sewn custom masks to match their cosplays or gotten masks that fit the character they are dressing as and what kind of mask that character would be likely to pick out for themselves.
Today us here at Cosplay Realm want to take a moment to celebrate these awesome and creative cosplayers and show you all some of our favorite ways we have seen protective masks used in the world of cosplay recently!
Dragon Hoard Cosplay as Drifloon
Dragon Hoard Cosplay was recently featured in the 2020 Nintendo issue of Cosplay Realm Magazine in their Drifloon cosplay from Pokémon! They told us with these photos;
“I've adored Pokémon since I was very young and I take a lot of pride and joy in playing with designs to translate my favorite Pokémon into cosplay!”
And we have to agree! They did such a great job translating Drifloon’s design into this cosplay, and the mask was a perfect way to include the x design on Drifloon’s face into this cosplay!
Cosplay by: Dragon Hoard Cosplay ( Instagram, Twitter )
Photography by: @Hustographyphoto
Lily Archer Creative as Luna
Lily Archer Creative made this gorgeous mask to go with her cosplay of Luna from Sailor Moon! Originally crafted for Anime Expo’s #MaskYourMasquerade online cosplay contest, Lily said that they wanted to make masks a more regular element in their cosplays for the time being. Lily’s mask is so incredible because of the way the colors tie into the rest of the cosplay and the character, and the really beautiful materials that were used in crafting it!
Are you just as impressed with Lily’s crafting skills as we are? They currently have commissions open, so be sure to go check those out!
Cosplay by: Lily Archer Creative ( Website, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook )
Horror Queen Cosplay as Ann Takamaki
Horror Queen Cosplay perfectly encapsulated the aesthetics of Panther (Ann Takamaki), the Phantom Thieves, and everything else Persona 5 in this mask!! Not only is this mask the iconic red of Panther’s bodysuit, but they also incorporated some other themes from her design into the mask like the panther teeth and roses! Most importantly are the adorable embellished gems on the mask, and Horror Queen Cosplay even told us their best advice?
Just add crystals!
All in all, this mask seems like exactly the type of mask that Ann would pick out to wear!
Cosplay by: Horror Queen Cosplay ( Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube )
Spooky_spaghetti94 as Princess Zelda
While this mask doesn’t look like one that could be found in the universe of The Legend of Zelda games, it is still nevertheless SO perfect for this cosplay! Here Caroline (spooky_spaghetti94) is cosplaying as Princess Zelda herself, with a protective fabric face mask that reads one of the most iconic lines from the series;
It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this!
In addition to this mask being so perfect for Zelda and fans of this beloved game series, we also love the message behind her in the photo! Through the door frame windows behind Caroline read the words “Stay Safe” spelled out in colorful papers and designs, a bright reminder for everyone in these dark times.
Cosplay by: Spooky_spaghetti94
Photography by: Stephen Hallam ( Instagram ) and Julia Hallam ( Instagram ) of Fresh Perspectives Photography ( Instagram )
Bep Cosplays as Asuka
Bep is such a talented cosplayer, and we love seeing the way that her talents with crafting and sewing have translated so seamlessly into mask designs! Pictured here is Bep cosplaying as Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion, but this is only one of the many masks that she has designed herself! Bep recently opened up an Etsy shop where she has been listing her original fandom inspired mask designs for sale in limited drops! Some of the other fandoms that she has made masks inspired by include Hero Academia, Avatar, and Promare! She has also done a bunch of other completely original designs too!
Be sure to check Bep’s Etsy store front every Sunday at 7PM EST to see new anime inspired mask drops!
Cosplay by Bep Cosplays ( Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Etsy )
Oreo Kami as Gengar
Oreo Kami did such a great job capturing the energy of everyone’s favorite Ghost type Pokémon Gengar in these casual cosplay photos! His casual Gengar gijinka was inspired by this awesome button up shirt, and his mask looks JUST like the big toothy grin of Gengar who is pictured on the shirt along with the other evolutions in it’s line. The darker purple toned vibe of these pictures helps even more to evoke the idea of something spooky in the air!
Cosplay by: Oreo Kami
Plus Verb as Kelly
One of the most truly iconic things to come out of 2020 was the return of Kelly (“Shoes”). The original viral song “Shoes” was released in 2006, and Liam Kyle Sullivan (the creator of Kelly) released new songs through until 2009 before seemingly stopping with the character. That was why when the “Shoes” parody song “Masks” came out this year so many people were surprised! Not only was this a throwback to an old viral meme that many people grew up with, but the new song also encouraged mask wearing, social distancing, and other COVID-19 safety precautions!
Pictured here is Andie of Plusverb cosplaying as the “Masks” version of Kelly! We saw these photos circulating around Twitter recently and it made us so happy to see them! Andie was posting these photos along with their participation in #DragonConGoesVirtual , which was an awesome way for the convention to still engage with their attendees without being in person!
Nicoletters as 2B
Nicoletters is another amazingly talented cosplayer on our list today! Nicolette does a lot of crafting, and we are totally blown away by the care and detail that went into these Nier Automata inspired face masks! She is pictured here in a casual 2B cosplay wearing one of the self made masks. These 3D style masks are made with full embroidery and are lined with cotton for extra protection! Nier is just the right amount of post apocalyptic to get us through 2020, so a Nier inspired mask seems really fitting for this year!
Do you need to get your hands on one of these masks for yourself? You can find these gorgeous masks in limited quantities through Nicolette’s Etsy shop! In addition to these really detailed masks, Nicolette has also made standard fabric face masks in their shop too!
Kayoss Cosplay as Maya
Kayoss Cosplay did such an awesome job making this custom mask to match the art style of the Borderlands games to go with their Maya cosplay! Borderlands cosplays are already so awesome on their own, and much of that is due to the cell shading style of the game and the way that many cosplayers choose to incorporate that aesthetic into their costumes through paint and makeup. So of course this face mask in the art style of Borderlands was a perfect fit to go with Kayoss Cosplay’s Maya, and their mask even has cute lining on the inside and a pocket for mask filters!
Yaya Han as Mulan
Yaya Han is one of those iconic world renowned cosplayers that has been an inspiration to the community for many years now. Pictured here is her cosplaying as Disney’s Mulan with a self made fabric face mask that matches the aesthetic of the character!
More importantly than Yaya’s cosplay though, is all of the incredible work she has done with her handmade masks! Yaya has really done SO much to raise awareness about mask wearing, and has also made a massive amount of masks herself that she has donated! Besides making masks, selling masks, and donating masks, Yaya has also shared resources to teach others how to make masks themselves and hopefully encourage others to also make masks to donate as well!
Cosplay by: Yaya Han ( Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Shop )
How did you like seeing these cosplayers not only incorporate, but thoroughly embrace the idea of masks with their cosplays? Does it give you inspiration to craft your own unique mask designs? We really love seeing the ways that these and many other cosplayers have used their talents, skills, platforms, and audiences to promote healthy living, protective mask usage, social distancing, and all of the other important things we all must keep in mind as we are currently living in a COVID-19 world. In addition to masks being a great finishing touch for a cosplayer to keep themselves safe, they are also a great way to show off your fandom in everyday wear too! And with so many cosplayers that are also crafting masks for sale or donation, they all give us so much hope! These cosplayers have taken their passions to new lengths, been creative through hardship, and has truly inspired us all!