The Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters fandom has produced some amazing content of their favorite anime series. Beautiful fan art; hilarious abridged videos, and, of course, stunning cosplays of their favorite characters.What makes the cosplay scene in Yu-Gi-Oh! so fascinating is that fans aren't limiting themselves to their favorite anime characters, but have expanded into cosplaying as their favorite Duel Monsters from the real-life card game. While some of these cosplays are based on the Duel Monsters that appear regularly on the show, such as the Dark Magician, others are more obscure. Here are 10 of the best monster cosplays in Yu-Gi-Oh!
10 Mystical Elf
French cosplayer Annie Redrosa Katsuhira adorns herself as the elfin spellcaster known as the Mystic Elf. Photographed by Steeve Li, Annie's cosplay of the Mystical Elf captures the elegance of the magical Duel Monster, as she quietly performs a mystical prayer.
"It was kind of a dream cosplay because I always thought she looked beautiful," Annie says, "but wearing her is tiresome. xD"
9 Exodia
Yami Yugi performed a miracle by summoning the legendary Exodia during his first match with Seto Kaiba, but Malaysian cosplayer Momo Rex performed a miracle of his own with this unbelievable cosplay of The Forbidden One.
With the help of prop maker JK Creative, Momo's larger-than-life cosplay of Exodia does the Duel Monster justice with his extraordinary presence. Pictured to the right is cosplayer pa_in89 as Yami Yugi in Pharoh mode; standing next to his iconic monster.
8 Dark Magician & Dark Magician Girl
Yugi's favorite Duel Monsters cards, the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, are an inseparable pair of powerful sorcerers. In 2016, Cosplayers @mayuco00 and @Fay198978Prince created incredible renditions of these iconic Duel Monsters for Comiket 91 at Tokyo, Japan. @mayuco00 cosplay of the Dark Magician Girl is not only a beautiful sight to behold, but it perfectly complements the handsome appearance of @Fay198978Prince as the Dark Magician.
The costume and prop designs for both female cosplayers look like they were ripped from the anime.
7 Blue-Eyes White Dragon
After profiling Yugi's favorite Duel Monster, it's only fair to do the same for his arch-rival Kaiba. After the Dark Magician, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is easily the most recognizable monster from Yu-Gi-Oh!
To cosplay as such as tremendous beast may seem intimidating, but cosplayer @dr.kairas_props rose up to the challenge with an incredible replica of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The cosplay captures the gigantic presence of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon with its astonishing details of the teeth, fangs, wings, and tail.
6 Eria the Water Charmer
While not as prominent as the Dark Magician or the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Eria the Water Charmer still has some great artwork. She's also an enchanting Duel Monsters in design.
It's no wonder why cosplayer May Sakaali chose Eria as the subject matter of her dazzling cosplay. Thanks to the fantastic work of photographer/prop maker Fano Guijarro, May glowed as brightly as Eria's staff.
5 Jinzo
The Red-Eyes Black Dragon may have been synonyms with Joey Wheeler during the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh!, but the psycho shocker known as Jinzo quickly took over that spot in season two and beyond.
The cool, yet, horrific design of Jinzo makes him an alluring Duel Monster to cosplay as. Cosplayer d-slim took on the terrifying task of bringing this horror monster to life and did it stupendously. As photographed by Peterson Sim, d-slim's Jiinzo's cosplay is a fantastic rendition of the intimidating Duel Monsters. The veins all over Jinzo's fleshy head is also a nice touch.
4 Kaibaman
Among the many badass moments of Seto Kaiba, creating a superhero Duel Monster card of himself ranks at #4. Cosplaying as the great Kaibaman is a real twofer, as you're not only dressing up as a funny superhero, but also dressing up as the billionaire duelist that inspired its creation as well. Cosplayer Reza Ali dressed himself up as the ridiculously awesome Kaibaman for Anime NYC 2018 and was photographed by @patrick_star92.
Reza Ali's looks sharp in his Kaibaman threads; proudly embodying the ally of justice with his spectacular Blue-Eyes White Dragon mask. Don't forget about the three Dragon Master Knights in his hand, the combination of Kaiba and Yugi's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Black Luster Soldier.
3 Harpie Lady
Among the many memorable Duel Monsters of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mai Valentine's Harpie Lady card is among the top five. According to cosplayer @tsundragon, cosplaying as the winged femme fatale was a dream come true. @tsundragon wonderful cosplay was a collaborative effort from @ariasdonedesign, @cornishcostumier, @aradanistudios, and herself.
Each one contributed to the lavish detail of the Harpie Lady costume, such as the latex wings and stylish wig. @mikabridgesphotography was responsible for the photography.
2 Yubel
In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, the Duel Monster Yubel served as a spiritual partner to Jaden Yuki, similar to Yugi's relationship with the Pharoh. The sinister and seductive appearance of Yubel is also a captivating view, which explains why cosplayer Scream-Queen-Cosplay considered the Duel Monster as a dream cosplay project.
"The makeup was pretty extensive with full head to do body paint." Scream-Queen-Cosplay wrote. "...Yubel was once a dream cosplay and I was so thrilled to actually be able to do this piece." Yubel has every right to be proud of herself, as her marvelous Yubel cosplay does the demonic monster justice. Photography was done by Happy Pause Photography, while Anigamer Creations and Purple Uniphants Cosplay provided additional aid in creating the costume.
1 Trickstar Holly Angel
Named after the hollyhock flower, Trickstar Holly Angel blesses Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS with her majestic presence. Cosplayer @josie4am uses her adorable presence to make the light fairy monster come to life.
While @josie4am looks terrific in her Trickstar Holly Angel, it's her amusic cardboard cutout of the card that really completes the look. @irlpear provided the photography of the cosplay.