One of the most popular seinen (mature) anime/manga series out there is Tokyo Ghoul, by Sui Ishida. This franchise blends horror, mystery, action, and poignant humanity into one story, where humanoid ghouls prey on innocent people to survive. Event the hero Ken Kaneki becomes a half-ghoul, and he finds himself thrust into a world of monsters, action, and more.
A hit series like this one is bound to inspire all kinds of cosplay and fan art, and we found some excellent cosplays of Tokyo Ghoul's best characters to show off. Cosplayers work hard to assemble the right clothing, props, wigs, and face paint to make a character come to life, and with a gory action series like Tokyo Ghoul, the results are eye-popping. Let's check out ten of the most recent cosplays we adore.
10 Close-Up
Why not start with the hero himself? Cosplayer Pugoffka-sama brings us a dramatic close-up of Ken Kaneki the ghoul, who has finally learned to embrace his ghoulish nature. At first, he tried to keep his humanity... until his mind broke and he fully accepted what he had become.
We couldn't ask for more in a Ken cosplay like this. The wig is soft and realistic looking, the mask is high quality, and just look at that unnatural eye and the blurred light effect! If ghouls were real, they would look just like that. And don't forget the eerie, blurry background and the Tokyo Ghoul title to fill in the negative space in fashion.
9 Craftsman
For our second entry, we chose cosplayer LALAax's remarkable Uta photo shoot. Uta is one of the first ghouls whom Ken met, a friendly but vaguely sinister punk ghoul who prides himself in creating all the unique masks that ghouls wear while out on the hunt.
Ghouls need to stay anonymous, and Uta can help. Our cosplayer, in loving detail, shows off not only Uta's cool punk vibe and casual attitude but all of his remarkable creations, scattered all over the place. We also like the crisp, clean black-and-white look, as though this is an art shop that's carefully maintained. Not all ghouls are messy monsters.
8 Bookish Girl
Don't let Rize's stunning looks fool you. She is a ravenous ghoul who has quite a reputation, and she is both beauty and the beast! Cosplayer Yumizu-Chan brought the monstrous Rize to life in spectacular fashion.
This pretty face is the last thing Rize's many victims ever see, and the cosplayer was careful to include Rize's soft violet hair, red ghoul eyes, and love of books into this shot. What is she reading? Feel free to join her book club... if you want to become a snack.
7 Touka's Modeling Gig
Along with Uta and Rize, Touka Kirishima is among the first ghouls whom Ken met, and at first, she scorned him... but she was convinced to let him join the ghoul cafe, and they became friends and partners in battle.
Cosplayer Kiara-Barry must have posited the question: what if Touka became more outgoing and decided to start modeling? She has the looks for it, and once she gets over her shyness, the results are stunning. She looks good in white to contrast with her dark hair, and the flower wreath is another charming touch. Is she going to end up on a calendar somewhere?
6 The Gentleman
Our fifth cosplayer is Krisild, who did a mighty fine job bringing Shu Tsukiyama to life for this shoot. Who is he? Tsukiyama is like the manly version of Rize; refined and sophisticated on the outside, a total beast on the inside. Don't be fooled by his looks or elegant restaurant.
For this shoot, the cosplayer went for a pose that would look just right on the cover of a Tokyo Ghoul volume, from his "I can see you" sideways glance and cruel grin to a hand over his heart and a long-stemmed rose in the other hand. This is how he looks right before someone gets torn apart!
5 Friends For All Time
For the sixth entry, we decided to bring the humanity back to Tokyo Ghoul in a touching way. For this shot, cosplayer killua93 showcased the friendship of Ken and Hide, and in this scene, it's easy to forget that ghouls are stalking the night and devouring people.
That's the remarkable duality of Tokyo Ghoul, the gory vs gentle and the monstrous vs delicate. Hide has no idea what he's in for, but at least he's having a good moment with his friend. Judging by that lighting, it's early evening, and the sun will set soon... be safe, Hide!
4 Piggyback
It's time for another two-person shot of Tokyo Ghoul cosplay, and at last, Suzuya (being carried) has made an entrance, courtesy of cosplayer euzuya and a friend. While Jason Voorhees isn't really a part of Tokyo Ghoul, we can totally imagine Suzuya hanging out with him.
All the details are looking good here, from Suzuya's casual but gory clothes and goofy posture, right down to that totally loony expression that Suzuya is making and the stoic, stern mask of Jason. Adding the Tokyo Ghoul logo in vivid red and blue hues was a fine idea, too.
3 The Hunger
We mentioned earlier that Ken went from total anguish to total acceptance of his new ghoul identity, and in this cosplay by KymanCheng, we can see that for ourselves. Ken is hungry, and with his kagune (once Rize's), he can catch just about anything.
We love the detail on Ken's costume, especially those two kagune props, which must have taken some serious effort to make (and it paid off). And the cosplayer's friend did a great job posing as a hapless victim, laying there stunned or dead as Ken begins his feast. Not a position to envy!
2 Inbound
Ken is such a cool character, we just had to include him again. This time, it is cosplayer KURA-rin who brought him to life, and this shot is like a frame straight out of the anime itself. Just look at the sense of motion and power, and the dramatic camera angle. It's like Ken's ghoul hunger will catapult him straight out of y0ur screen.
Not that the cosplay itself was sacrificed for dramatic effect. The wig and mask are looking quite good, and we like the intensity of Ken's one exposed eye. And look at the kagune! Are those props, or were they digitally added later? Either way, it's a stunning effect.
1 Cover Art
Our final entry pays homage to the first two manga volume covers, and it's a fine tribute to Sui Ishida's seinen manga. These cosplays come courtesy of NewmoondropCosplay, and any fan will instantly recognize these two poses.
On the left is Ken, who is still grappling with his newfound ghoul nature, and he's doing his best to look cool and composed. To the right is Touka in her school uniform, looking punkish and defiant in the face of all odds. These are some exemplary ghouls, all right.