When it comes to the best anime of the decade, Seven Deadly Sins (Nanatsu no Taizai) is up there with My Hero Academia and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Although the manga was very successful, its popularity took off with the anime adaptation. It pulled in a massive American audience when Netflix got the streaming rights of the series. It premiered in 2015, and two years later, Netflix Media Center announced it was the fourth most binge-watched show on the platform -- upon its release day!
Therefore, it should be no surprise that the #sevendeadlysinscosplay tag on Instagram has 25k posts. There was even an entire meetup for cosplayers of the show at this year's Anime NYC. From making screen accurate armor to styling wigs, their dedication to bringing these characters to life is astounding. So, in no particular order, here are 10 amazing Seven Deadly Sins cosplays that look exactly like the anime.
10 Armored Escanor
Considering the armor and weaponry are inspired by medieval knights, it's an impressive feat to translate that aesthetic. And Chris, (IG: escanorthelionsin) nails it as the past version of Escanor, the Lion's sin of Pride and one of the strongest characters in the anime. He built the armor, shield, and the weapon by himself, showing true artistic talent. The paint job is equally as impressive, and the sheer size of the weapon is outstanding. Victoria (Merlin) and Chris are actually husband and wife, and we love that they cosplay Seven Deadly Sins together as a couple! This shot was taken by Depth of Light Photography (IG: depthoflight.photo).
9 Orange Jumpsuit Diane
We have a giant love for Kenya (IG: kenya_g.love) as Diane, the Serpent's sin of Envy. Here, she wears the character's season one outfit, a one-piece orange suit. The two blue steel gauntlets, which Diane wears before she loses one in battle, look incredibly realistic, decorated perfectly with the silver studs.
The design and detail of the scythe resembles the anime perfectly, and it's just as giant as she is. And of course she has the signature brown pigtails. Kenya is a super fan of the show and she cosplays Merlin as well. This shot was taken by Michael Largé (IG: micheallargephotography).
8 Meliodas
Meliodas, the Dragon's sin of Wrath, is the main character in the series. In between his heroism and indecency (especially when taking advantage of Elizabeth), fans either love him or hate him. However, it's impossible to hate this Meliodas cosplay by Cele Riv, (IG: celeriv_).
It's a simple outfit, but all of the elements are there: the white button-down, the black vest, the loose tie, and the strap to hoist his weapon on his back. Even the blonde wig is perfectly messy. The pose captured in this shot is something Meliodas would definitely do, threatening his enemies with the broken sword, the Dragon Handle.
7 Season One Elizabeth
How can you not love Elizabeth? The third adoptive princess of the Kingdom of Liones is a polite, grateful, and caring individual who shows calmness and warmth. She prefers a peaceful approach, providing balance to Meliodas' rage. This cosplay done by Crystal (IG: the.crystal.shoe) best expresses her sweet and docile personality. The outfit is flawless, with the same buttons and ruffles as the anime. blue contacts make her eyes pop, and hair perfectly positioned over her left eye. This adorable shot was taken by Fernando Brischetto (IG: ferpsf).
6 Season Two Elizabeth (Season 2)
That's right, there are not one, but two cosplays dedicated to Elizabeth, and Audrey, (IG: audreyquinzel) does an excellent job. Not many cosplayers have done variations other than the waitress uniform, so we applaud her for her originality. The bang is accurately placed over her left eye, and her expression is cute yet curious, much like Elizabeth's personality. According to the caption on this post, Audrey made the cosplay herself. This cosplay was a part of a larger SDS group at Anime Expo.
5 Season One Merlin
It should be a sin for Victoria (IG: veerivscosplay) to look this good (pun totally intended) as Merlin, the Boar's sin of Gluttony. The outfit is simple, but it looks spot on, right down to the heart-shaped buttons. She even has Aldan, the floating orb she uses to wield her power and cast spells. Along with the classic look, Victoria cosplays Merlin from the Holy War Arc in the manga too. She also cosplays Gulia, another character from the show. We messaged her and found out she will debut an armored version of Merlin at Katsucon 2020.
4 Zeldris
Not many people cosplay the Ten Commandments, so we give kudos to Roy (IG: cyclistcosplay) for representing. He's cosplaying Zeldris, the brother of Meliodas and the commandment of Piety. The silver gauntlets look terrific, from their unique shape to the detailed and realistic shading. The wig is styled exactly like the anime, and we can clearly see his demon mark. Surely his talent and accuracy will inspire other fans to cosplay the Commandments. This shot was taken by Carlos-Israel Torres (IG: ctowershot).
3 King
King, or Fairy King Harlequin, is the Grizzly's sin of Sloth. Shane (IG: laleepop) cosplays King as a young boy. Their sweatshirt has the exact same pattern and color scheme as the anime. The prop of the green leopard pattern pillow is suited to his character, as its actually a transformation of his spear. The glitter on the cheeks is an appropriate touch since this is King's fairy form. This shot was taken by cosplay photographer Matt (IG: mrmattmadlypointless).
2 Gowther
Cosine (IG: lav.cos) quite literally brings this doll to life. Gowther is the Goat's sin of Lust, a doll created by a grand wizard with androgynous features. The combination of the bowtie and crop top of this cosplay show both his masculine and feminine side. What really stuns us are the effects, which the cosplayer did herself on this photo by Omar Ayanami (IG: cerberus_fotos). The edit of the glowing pink Herritt (also known as the Twin Bow, which is Gowther's secret treasure) is astonishing and appears as such in the anime.
1 Ban
Leon Chiro is one of the most famous cosplayers in the community. With over 300k followers on Instagram, he's known for his phenomenal anime cosplays, and is often featured as a guest at conventions. Judging from his cosplay of Ban, the Fox's sin of Greed, his talent is obvious. From the signature red jacket to the perfectly styled wig, Leon has done an incredible rendition of this character. His makeup skills are impressive as well, rocking contour and eyeliner, as well as a prosthetic for the neck wound. The red contacts and fangs to top it off makes it look like he walked right out of an episode.