Everyone loves cosplay; it’s a cool and creative way that gives fans a chance to really show off their love for their favorite series. The best part about it is that anyone, no matter what they look like or how they identify can be part of the fun. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how good your cosplay looks, just that you had fun being your favorite character! That being said, there are still some people who take this hobby very seriously and put a ton of effort into their looks. Since this is also an extremely creative platform, it’s also very cool to see how people like to take original characters and add their own unique take on them.

One way you might see this in the cosplay community is when people decide to cosplay characters opposite of their gender identity. Sure, anyone can dress as any character regardless of how they identify, but sometimes, it’s fun to see what a canon character would look like in a different gender. Everything from their outfits to the way they style their hair could be completely different than what we know as canon. We’ve decided to look at cosplayers from the DC fandom and see what they’ve done when it comes to gender-bending cosplays. These cosplayers didn’t come to mess around and play games; they’ve brought their A-game with the perfect twist on classic DC characters, villains, and heroes alike.

19 WHO KNEW JOKER WOULD LOOK SO GOOD?

The Joker is one of the most well-known villains to come out of the DC universe, so it should be no surprise that there are plenty of gender-bent cosplays of him. Out of the many we found, this one certainly takes the cake! This female Joker, by Dark Incognito, looks both treacherous and captivating.

Perhaps the best part of this cosplay is that lipstick; the Joker’s smile is pivotal to the character, and we like that she could do both the iconic look while also making it fierce. If the Joker were a woman, she would definitely want to have a strong lipstick game.

18 THIS MALE HARLEY IS GIVING US LIFE

If we’re on the topic of popular DC villains, it’s only fitting we add another iconic character: Harley Quinn. She’s one of the best characters to gender bend because there are so many classic ways to recreate her outfit to fit any identity. If you do it right, you’ll always be recognized.

NipahDUBS got incredibly creative with the outfit by using her classic red and black look and creating a sweater vest and tie to accentuate the punk aesthetic. Even  the makeup is on point! But, the real selling point for this cosplay is definitely the Harley Hammer.

17 WONDER MAN!

The Wonder Woman movie caused a huge frenzy for the hero once again; not that she ever went anywhere, but that she certainly gained more fans. You don’t have to be a woman to cosplay the famous Amazon, you just have to be committed to justice!

This male cosplayer, Dynamite Webber Cosplay, made the best rendition by creating fitted armor and even a matching cape. The best part is that he still has her skirt, which is basically a necessity if you’re looking to pay homage to the original character, even in gender-bent form. Remember, you can wear anything you’d like, just  make sure it fits properly, like this cosplayer’s armor!

16 THIS GREEN ARROW IS READY TO KICK BUTT

Whether you’re a fan of the show or the original comics, the Green Arrow is always a character worth cosplaying. Between his iconic weapons and tight outfit, there’s a lot of cool details that go into the overall look. We’d recommend any gender cosplays him, especially after seeing how amazing Its Raining Neon did!

The hood and padding look incredibly comfy, but she went the extra mile in adding all the belts and loops required to complete the outfit. We can all agree that the bow and arrows are the real important part of this entire cosplay. What would this character be without them?

15 IF YOU LOVED THE NEW AQUAMAN MOVIE, YOU'LL LOVE THIS COSPLAY

If you haven’t already, you need to see the new Aquaman movie. While you’re waiting, take a look at this amazing cosplay of the character in female form! Certainly, there are plenty of Mera cosplays out there, but to cosplay Arthur is a totally different feat.

You can tell that Cosmic Cosplay did the entire outfit by hand and included all the little details in the armor. Not only is this method incredibly time consuming, but it tends to be a huge process that includes tons of different materials. This cosplayer even included plenty of creative details to the trident to make it a bit more original.

14 CAN YOU ANSWER HER RIDDLES?

Going back to some original DC villains, you really need to take a look at this Riddler cosplay. Obviously, the iconic green and purple outfit is a must if you’re going to cosplay the iconic character. This cosplayer, who's mother (Kaz107) made the cosplay, included everything from purple gloves to a fitted question mark cane to pull the look together.

However, the dress is definitely the centerpiece of this cosplay. Of course, she could have just worn a regular green suit, but she decided to take it the extra mile. This dress is extremely attractive and still includes a jacket that fits the original look while still being more fitted as a women’s blazer.

13 THIS ROBIN IS STELLAR

Robin’s suit is one of the most iconic outfits within the DC universe. The red, yellow, and black just seem to really pop, making a memorable image. This woman, photographed by Estrada photography, made her Robin cosplay totally unique while still maintaining the original design. The cape looks exceptionally well-made, but the belt and glove details are absolutely stellar!

Regardless of what a character’s weapon is, you can always equip a great item to compliment your outfit by keeping in touch with smaller details. Robin isn’t really known for having a huge weapon, but her staff is certainly a cool object to have on hand by keeping the matching colors to compliment the rest of the outfit.

12 RAVEN AS A BOY LOOKS JUST A BROODY!

Since we’ve already talked about Robin, it only seems fitting that we talk about another Teen Titan! There are no shortage of Raven cosplays in the world, but this gender-bent one by NipahDUBS is certainly one of the most perfect renditions we’ve seen yet.

Keeping in touch with the original character, everything from the hood to the red center stone is perfect. Also, when you’re cosplaying a character with an odd skin color like Raven’s light gray, it’s important to find the perfect body paint. Some might appear splotchy or it can be a totally different shade than what the character is accustomed to.

11 EVERY RAVEN NEEDS A BEASTBOY

You almost never see a Raven without a Beastboy, so it only makes sense we find the perfect female beast(girl?) to partner with the previous cosplayer. If these two were to meetup, they would be the powerhouse of the convention hands down!

Much like Raven, you can tell that Beastboy is a tad difficult to cosplay because of the deep green skin. In fact, it’s even harder because Beastboy’s complexion is all color coordinated; every shade of green seems to compliment the hair, skin, and lips. This cosplayer, Geek Girl Elle, did an excellent job selecting, and putting together everything from the suit to the makeup!

10 WHEN DID ZOOM EVER LOOK THIS GOOD?

Who says only guys can cosplay Zoom? This super villain is an absolute force as a female! Done by Katy DeCobray, the suit itself is extremely form fitted and probably not the most comfortable, but it’s totally worth it if you get to look this cool.

Suits, like this one, are becoming more and more trendy in the cosplay scene. They’re easy, fairly detailed, and usually a one-stop shop for everything you’d need to complete a costume. You don’t really need anything other than small details like this mask. If you are thinking of getting one of these, though, be prepared for the obvious tightness.

9 DEATHSTROKE IS BOTH BEAUTIFUL AND DANGEROUS

Who would have thought Deathstroke could look so fierce? KRKNess looks like she’s been through a couple of battles and knows exactly how to take you down! The best part about this cosplay isn’t only that it’s easily recognizable, even though the gender has been switched, but all the little details that give off a sense of formidability.

When making armor, consider adding scratches, dents, or shading dirt into the build so that it looks worn. This not only adds to the effect of battle and helps people appreciate your hard work, but it also allows your armor to look aged, realistic, and distinguished.

8 A MALE HUNTRESS IS THE ANTIHERO WE DESERVE

There are some characters that will look good no matter what gender they are, and Huntress is certainly one of those characters. Since she has distinct elements, such as her mask and weaponry, it’s easy to switch over genders without the presence of too much conflict in style or design.

Honestly, if you thought you wouldn’t cross the Huntress as she was, this cosplayer, photo by foodbyfax, will seriously make you regret crossing paths! No matter the Huntress’ identity, she’s a classic and strong character that will always look good when it comes to cosplay. Is anyone else getting some Robin vibes off this look?

7 THIS GREEN LANTERN IS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE'S VERSION

Much like Zoom from earlier in our list, this cosplayer also decided to go with a simple suit and some classic elements. The giant lantern is undoubtedly a nice touch and, with the help of editing, it makes the whole look seem incredibly supernatural!

We know that Ryan Reynolds is still upset over his Green Lantern movie, and we can understand why, seeing as it wasn’t that great, but maybe the next time we get a live-action film, we should consider making the Green Lantern a woman. This cosplayer, Maid of Might, would certainly do the job justice in bringing the character to life!

6 DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE BLUE BEETLE?

As a smaller character that we haven’t gotten to see much of outside the comics, seeing any cosplayer of any gender dressing like the Blue Beetle is an absolute gem! Unfortunately for the character, he has yet to make an appearance on the big screen and tends to have less of a fan following.

Cosplayer Marlene decided to show some love to the character by creating a female version of the superhero, and she looks amazing! While her suit is perfect, we have to say our favorite part of this costume, overall, is definitely the backpack. It’s super noticeable and lets you know exactly who she is!

5 BRRR, DID IT JUST GET COLDER IN HERE?

You’d be bonkers to go against Captain Cold under any circumstances as he’ll freeze you without a second thought, and this Captain Cold by Florencia Sofen definitely looks like she’s not going to hold any negotiations with you. If you’re the Flash, you better run as fast as you can!

If you’re feeling discouraged when looking at cosplay photos, make sure you recognize where artistic uses of photo editing are being used. In this situation, you can tell that the hands were obviously altered and the other aesthetic additions, such as the red streak and background, were also included to make this photo so stunning. In real life, we’re sure it’s amazing, but a little editing certainly goes a long way for cosplay!

4 IS IT POSSIBLE FOR PENGUIN TO LOOK EVEN MORE MENACING?

The Penguin in general is a relatively hard character to cosplay. Between his long nose and stout, cartoonish figure, it’s hard to get a solid costume down for him, but  there are a few options you can do. Certainly, there have been a few different versions of the Penguin, for example, his character in the television series Gotham looks completely different and can be easier to pull off.

The other option would be to add elements that fit the character’s personality and look. This cosplayer added tights as a nice touch to the rest of an already completed ensemble. She looks ready to take out Batman and anyone else that stands in her way.

3 THE WOMAN OF STEEL

We know DC already technically has a version of Superman as a woman (Supergirl), however, you can tell that this suit isn’t supposed to be regarded as Supergirl. It’s based off of the Man of Steel design and the rest of Alexis Cozombolidis' outfit clearly looks more like Superman’s apparel than anything else.

What can be hard with some gender swapping is the fact that there may be characters that already match your identity while simultaneously being opposite of another character. For example, if you’re a woman and want to cosplay Batman, people may tell you to just go with Batwoman instead. We say, do what you want!

2 BATWOMAN HAS NOTHING ON THIS GENDER-BENT VERSION OF BATMAN!

Just like with our Superman entry, we have a female Batman: cosplayer damilyn, who’s ready to protect Gotham with all she’s got! You can clearly tell that this cosplayer wasn’t going for a Batgirl look when she put together her costume. In fact, the best part about this look is that she kept Batman’s original mask, which is the only real way to cosplay the Bat in the first place.

The other stellar elements that should be admired is certainly the matching cape and boots. She clearly put together her armor, adding a unique touch to the classic Caped Crusader, and that bat symbol looks amazing, but then again, every piece seems to compliment each other perfectly.

1 WE NEED A FEMALE SHAZAM

If you’re as excited for the new Shazam! movie as we are, you may feel the urge to get the nearest red tights possible and create a cosplay of your own. SamanthaFlynn_Cosplay had the right idea by making a notable female version of our favorite sort-of teenage hero!

In fact, if we didn’t know who Shazam was, we might feel inclined to think that this design was for an original character. Even though this isn’t what Shazam would wear, it still looks like your typical superhero outfit and could in fact work for any kind of stand-alone identity.