PAX East isn’t just an event, but a celebration of the community brought together with their shared passions. Cosplayers are a part of that community that go above and beyond to express their love for the industry.

With the curtains closing at the 2025 PAX East, I’ve met and talked with multiple talented artists who work to bring these characters to life. The following are stories told through their own words along with the stunning work they’ve done.

(@Foxiimoxii on Instagram)

“I cosplay because I love to connect with people over our shared interests. Whether it’s through interest of craftsmanship, creative brainstorming, or simply the love of the character or media franchise. I love being able to bring a character to life and truly wowing people when they see something they might not have been expecting in reality.

I chose to cosplay Ranni the Witch from Elden Ring because it was a bit out of my comfort zone in some ways. However, I’ve grown a lot through this build, and she is well worth the work!

I would also like to add that the cosplay community at PAX is composed of some of the most supportive, loving, and inspiring cosplayers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. It’s for that reason I intend to return as often as I can!“

Glenn (@Fearl3ssferret on instagram)

“My first convention was PAX 2012, and it left a sense of wonder at the talent, bravery, and kindness of all the awesome cosplayers I saw. Whenever I went back to PAX my favorite thing to do was to see all of the people that suited up each year, but I wished I had that kind of talent and could make something.

I discovered YouTube channels dedicated to showing the creative process and they too have been amazing, but I could never do something like that. Could I? In 2023, I was at a League event watching the cosplay segment and mentioned to my friends that I wished I could do that. They asked why not, and that was enough for me to finally tell myself that the only thing stopping me was myself.

I chose Jayce from League of Legends since it’s one of my favorite games, and I wanted to pick someone I’d feel I matched enough visually to be more comfortable and since I had a love for big props, a hammer would be more than enough. My wife (@brynn.macflynn on Instagram) agreed to help me put together Jayce and that the following year we would put together Vi since she was her favorite character.

The cosplay community has been inspiring me for years, and as I put on my first costume and ask myself if I was out of place, they welcomed me with open arms. I hope that now that I have completed some costumes, I can inspire more people to give it a try. Everyone can cosplay, even those that think they can’t. Everyone starts somewhere, but no matter where you start people want to support you. If you have questions, or want pictures, cosplayers love to talk to people in and out of costume, and I’ve made many new wonderful friends.”

Kristen (@queenofcoatscosplay on Instagram)

“I’ve been cosplaying for about a decade as a way to have a creative outlet as someone who works in healthcare. For me, the best part of cosplay is doing group cosplays with my husband and best friend.

This year, we went with Elden Ring as it is one of my husband’s favorite games. I chose the Night Maiden as I love to pick cosplays that allow me to learn new skills and challenge me. For this one, I was super intimidated to make the double horned hennin head piece, but it ended up being the most enjoyable part of the build figuring out how to pattern it from a scratch. As a shy person I love that I can meet new people based off a shared passion for a game, character or the craftsmanship.”

Nana (@nanaakaonasis on Instagram)

“Why I do cosplay is [that] it is [a] form of self-expression. You become a character who you want to be or hold a connection to. It’s a great way of expressing yourself because of that. My biggest thing is bringing that sense of happiness and excitement by simply walking around a convention in costume as a character that could not make a lot of sense.

I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z, and so I’ve done cosplays of those characters, but I’ve pulled off funnier cosplays like Dora the Explorer as well. Because I’m a body builder, cosplaying characters like that shouldn’t make sense but it’s something I still do. I’ve done Mickey Mouse as well, and that whole experience was funny to go through.

One of my personal favorite cosplays I’ve done is SpongeBob. How that transpired was when I bought a yellow compression shirt, it wasn’t quite the right color I wanted so I thought to turn it into maybe a SpongeBob. So, cosplays that have that silliness to them have always been a hit for me. I’ve done all sorts of cosplays too, from the Dragon Ball Z to the Demon Slayer. It’s the ones that are unexpected that I have the most fun with.“

Sisu (@sisucosplayandcraft on Instagram)

 “I originally started cosplaying because my best friend’s husband was really into it, and so she wanted a friend to join in. Here we are ten years later, and we’re still at it. We’ve been doing video game cosplay primarily; this year we did Elden Ring with my cosplay being the Azur Glintstone armor set from the game. It’s been a really fulfilling hobby and we’ve made some great friends through the years both in the cosplay and the gaming community.

I think online communities can get a bad rep, but from my personal experience, it’s been so positive and supportive. And when it comes to PAX East, where we got our start a decade ago, it really does feel like coming home every year. I love it!“

For more on PAX East and other news, please check out bossrush.net. Were we’ve got more exciting content coming up. 

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