A Highlight Reel Of 2018’s Biggest Cosplay Shows

Throughout 2018, our photographer and videographer Mineralblu travelled the US covering cosplay conventions. To celebrate, and to recap some of the amazing stuff spotted at the shows, he’s put together this 15-minute highlight reel.

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/12/some-of-the-best-cosplay-from-2018/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768,q_90/ov52oelirmoexxiusrlm.gif” title=”Some Of The Best Cosplay From 2018″ excerpt=”As the craft continues to grow, and its professionals become more professional, it feels like each year as we look back at the best cosplay from the last 12 months it gets harder and harder to pick standout examples from the crowd. Everything has just got so good.”]

There are 21 shows covered in all, from DragonCon to Comic Con to BlizzCon to New York Comic Con. Cons are shown in chronological order, and you’ll find links to our initial coverage of most of them below the video.

He’s even gone in and labelled most of the characters, in case you don’t recognise a particular cosplay!

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[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/08/the-best-cosplay-from-rtx-2018/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768,q_90/wjrqcsfbqze5oph55ujp.jpg” title=”The Best Cosplay From RTX 2018″ excerpt=”RTX, Rooster Teeth’s big annual convention, was held in Austin earlier this month, and amidst the panels and live shows was some very good cosplay.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/07/the-best-cosplay-from-anime-expo-the-hottest-show-of-2018/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768,q_90/qov2lw7kfyqrdpd0hizs.jpg” title=”The Best Cosplay From Anime Expo, The Hottest Show Of 2018″ excerpt=”Anime Expo is one of the biggest nerd shows of the year, but this year it was also the hottest. Literally. Held between July 5-8 in LA, temperatures soared during the con to reach well over 38C, which wreaked havoc with cosplayers and attendees alike.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/07/some-of-the-best-cosplay-from-the-2018-san-diego-comic-con/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/hmpiyetrar5lz8bctump.jpg” title=”Some Of The Best Cosplay From The 2018 San Diego Comic-Con” excerpt=”Comic-Con, the biggest nerd show on Earth, wrapped up earlier this month, and aside from over-priced toys and exhausting panel talks there was also a ton of cosplay present.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/08/the-best-cosplay-from-animefest-2018/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s8h1dzqquiqzshj6zoqu.jpg” title=”The Best Cosplay From AnimeFest 2018″ excerpt=”Over 10,000 fans packed in over the weekend to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel for AnimeFest, a convention run by a non-profit group who have been educating the masses about anime since the early 90s.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/09/the-best-cosplay-from-dragoncon-2018-one-of-the-biggest-nerd-shows-of-the-year/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768,q_90/rixplkzwsp60owsptkio.gif” title=”The Best Cosplay From DragonCon 2018, One Of The Biggest Nerd Shows Of The Year” excerpt=”DragonCon, which was held between August 30 – September 3 in Atlanta, isn’t just one of the biggest cosplay shows in North America, it’s now one of the biggest cosplay galleries we’ve ever run on this site.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/our-favorite-cosplay-from-the-2018-new-york-comic-con/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/vssrvczmxwcihzmvdudk.gif” title=”Our Favourite Cosplay From The 2018 New York Comic-Con” excerpt=”Around 200,000 people went through the doors of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center earlier this month, making the New York Comic-Con one of the biggest nerd shows on the planet.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/11/blizzcon-2018-cosplay-was-out-of-control/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/tnb8so0co8jpidwvkcv3.gif” title=”BlizzCon 2018’s Cosplay Was Out Of Control” excerpt=”Other shows might be bigger, but every year Blizzcon brings out the absolute best in cosplay.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/12/our-favorite-cosplay-photos-from-anime-nyc-2018/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_lfill,w_768,q_90/con4pqbwvwrhui0awpqz.gif” title=”Our Favourite Cosplay Photos From Anime NYC 2018″ excerpt=”Even though it’s only in its second year, Anime NYC is already the #1 show in the area outside NYCC, with almost 40,000 people coming through the gates of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center between November 16-18.”]

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/01/every-christmas-theres-a-cosplay-spectacular-in-florida/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/ykm3zl3y4vzarr6j0gt3.jpg” title=”Every Christmas, There’s A Cosplay Spectacular In Florida” excerpt=”Holiday Matsuri has quickly grown to become one of the biggest and best cosplay shows in the US. And it’s not hard seeing why: who wouldn’t want to escape the chills of a US winter for a resort in the middle of December?”]