Sui Ishida's horror/action franchise Tokyo Ghoul explores a dark alternate reality where flesh-eating beings, the ghouls, haunt the streets. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until he becomes a half-ghoul himself, and craves human flesh! Fortunately, he meets some friendly ghouls who take him under their wings, including Touka Kirishima.
Touka is a waitress and barista at Anteiku, a coffee shop that acts as a neutral zone for humans and ghouls alike. She's tough, cool, and has a compassionate side while also being a skilled fighter (for example, she took down Kureo Mado single-handedly). She was there to welcome Ken into the ghoul world (somewhat reluctantly), and she's gone on to become one of the series' best characters. So, here are ten fine cosplays of Tokyo Ghoul's Touka Kirishima.
10 Totally rad Touka
The Tokyo Ghoul anime takes place in the 2010s, roughly the present day, but this cosplayer opted for something a little more retro, and what a look! There's been a lot of 1980s nostalgia in pop culture for the past few years, from Stranger Things to IT to 2015's Terminator Genisys.
This cosplayer gives us a cool, punkish Tuyka who neatly captures the spirit of the ghoul world, the 1980s, and herself all in one! That neon triangle makes a nice frame for the cosplayer, and her aloof pose and expression are totally authentic to the character.
9 Rabbit avenger
Kind of like Bleach's Rukia Kuchiki, Touka Kirishima is a hard-hitting young woman with a thing for rabbits. But she's not exactly running a rabbit petting zoo. Instead, she dons a deceptively adorable rabbit mask on her hunts for ghoul investigators.
Most ghouls wear masks to remain anonymous, and Touka slew investigator Mado as "the rabbit," prompting Amon and the other CCG investigators to try and take down this vengeful warrior. This cosplayer brings us the mask, dark clothes (ghouls like to dress goth), and a gritty, graffitied background. It's Tokyo Ghoul, 100%.
8 Power and pride
Unlike Ken, who initially struggled with his ghoul nature (and cravings), Touka makes no apology for what she is. Both of her eyes turn dark when it's time for battle, and her kagune makes her look like a sort of dark angel.
This cosplayer opted for some special effects, to show us Touka's reddish kagune in exquisite detail. That, and her black leather clothes, side-swept purple hair, and vaguely flirty expression give us a Touka who's confident that she's about to kick someone's hiney!
7 Battle Angel Touka
Here is another cosplayer who gives us battle-mode Touka, and the character has never looked better! She opted for a relatively bright and ordinary setting, complete with some greenery. But that's the thing... sometimes, ghouls strike when and where you least expect it. They don't always wait for dark alleyways.
The cosplayer gives us a poster-worthy pose. This is a ghoul who's confident in her power (like in the above entry), and her goth rave club-style mask and prosthetic kagune wings are excellent accessories to complete the costume. CCG investigators beware!
6 The afterlife
Overall, Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy series, and a character here is much more likely to end up in hell than heaven! In fact, you could say that in the wards of Tokyo, it's already hell on earth.
This Touka cosplayer, though, went in a different direction, and it's got us thinking. Is Touka showing us her angelic and protective side, like how she looked after Hinami like a guardian angel? Or is this Touka lamenting her ghoul nature and bitterly wishing she could go to heaven as humans do after death?
5 A lot on her mind
It's time for a black and white cosplay, which helps bring the Tokyo Ghoul manga to mind. Did you read the manga, with all its stunning illustrations? Anyway, this cosplayer, like the one above, is exploring Touka's more vulnerable side.
She's not even fighting in this case. Rather, Touka is trying to process all the tragic things happening around her, from the death of friendly ghouls to Kaneki's bizarre transformation. With that expression, pose, and eye contacts, this cosplayer easily brings the Tokyo Ghoul manga to life.
4 Fleeting happiness
Even Touka ought to catch a break once in a while! In this shot, she and a Ken cosplayer are in a sunny forest, and the sun is starting to go down. That's a good idea; sunny to show a bright mood, but hint at the approaching night.
Both cosplayers are in good form here, and Touka is finally relaxed and in good company. It looks like she wants to smile and laugh, but it'll take time for her to get to that point. She's been through a lot.
3 Have a drink!
It's coffee time at Anteiku, and Touka is looking happier than ever. This cosplayer offers us a cup of joe, and she's got a warm smile and neatly brushed hair for a friendly and professional appearance.
After all, Touka is a responsible waitress, and she can make just about anyone feel welcome there. But now we're wondering if the character's smile is genuine, or if she's doing it for the patrons' sake...
2 Day and night
So far, we've seen Touka is a waitress who could pass for human, and as a battle-ready ghoul, a supernatural creature of the night. How about both modes, side by side?
Like vampires and werewolves, ghouls live double lives, and this cosplayer neatly delivers both halves of Touka's (indeed any ghoul's) lifestyle. Friendly waitress by day... blood-soaked devil at night!
1 Stairway to hell
And now, we wrap up the list with a cosplayer who also shows us Touka's dual nature, but in a single photo this time. Her schoolgirl uniform and polite pose are something you'd see in an ordinary photograph, showing us Touka's human-like side.
But the stairs are covered in dead leaves, and the sunlight doesn't make it to the cosplayer herself. She's in the shadows, and that makes this a great shot. What looks like a nice, ordinary high school student is anything but!