Top 10 Famous Cosplayers

While she began her cosplaying career at the age of 14 when she won multiple awards in her native country the Philippines, Myrtle Sarrosa’s career didn’t explode immediately. It wasn’t until after her win on the “Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition 4” competition that she began to take on the cosplay world on an international level. Since then, Sarrosa has moved from just cosplaying to helping others with their own cosplays, by becoming the judge of “iCosplay,” the first cosplay competition in the Philippines. Not yet convinced of her cosplay cred? She also is the official anime jockey for “Hero TV, “a Filipino network that hosts Filipino-dubbed Japanese anime.

In order to be taken seriously as a cosplayer, you need to design your own costumes. Costume and fashion designer turned model Marie-Claude Bourbonnais stormed onto the cosplay scene in 2009. Since then, she has made numerous appearances in high-profile magazines such as People, FHM Philippines and PlayStation Official Magazine, sporting whatever new character she has become. Lucky for you, Marie-Claude also creates her own custom costumes, merchandise, and collectibles for your enjoyment. On a side note, Marie-Claude is one of the models featured in the “Cosplay for a Cause” calendar that was put out to raise money for the Japanese tsunami relief effort. Talk about dedication.

If we need some characters gender-swapped, we ask our next entry. Working by day as a Community manager, Meagan Marie is a gender-swapping cosplay princess by night. Marie is known for her female renditions of iconic characters such as Batman adversary Two-Face and Nintendo mascot Mario, but her ability isn’t limited to just that field. She has also blown the minds of fans with the likes of Frozen’s Queen Elsa and San from “Princess Mononoke.” There is absolutely no limit to Meagan Marie’s ability.

With over a decade of experience in the world of cosplay, our next entry is far from being an amateur. Recognized as a cosplay icon around the world, Alodia Gosiengfiao has made numerous appearances in magazines, commercials, and even the Comic con documentary “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope.” What are some of the choices on her roster that helped her nail such success? Alodia can be found sporting characters from “Final Fantasy,” “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” and even “G.I. Joe.” Her success definitely isn’t showing signs of slowing down either, as she is also now widely considered one of the most influential women in the Philippines.

We promise: our next entry doesn’t bite. Also known as Vampy Bit Me, Linda Le’s career started early: she dove head first into cosplay at the ripe age of 12. Le rose to popularity after Japanese toy manufacturer Kotobukiya featured her cosplay photos when she was a teen. She has since developed a cult following and even launched her cosplay and geek chic clothing line. While Vampy’s signature character is the X-Men Psylocke, it has yet to grow old as she has cosplayed as almost every version of said character. Luckily, some people just don’t grow out of childhood habits.

It’s time to acknowledge the fact that the Internet can make people famous. Best known as the “Internet’s Deadpool,” D Piddy is what happens when pure irreverence is embodied by one crazy individual. While he has kept his real identity anonymous, D Piddy has since pushed the popularity of Deadpool to an all-time high, making fans go absolutely crazy for the character. He has also secured a following like no other, with fans worldwide waiting for his next convention antics video to be released.

Our fourth place performer shows just how much exposure an amateur can gain. A newcomer to the cosplay world, Lisa Rosenberg began parading in costume in 2012. She made national headlines with her cosplay of “Frozen’s” Princess Anna, being mentioned by name by both Disney and TIME magazine as proof of the film’s overwhelming popularity. If you are interested in her designs, she is also the purveyor of the “Rarity’s Boutique” Etsy store, where she makes and sells custom designs. You want a cosplay success story? You’ve found it.

Sometimes the only way you can make cosplaying better is with a team. Composed of South Korean cosplayersTasha, Doremi, and Ssol, the Spiral Cats are a common sight at many conventions. Stylized similar to a K-Pop group, the Spiral Cats instead recreate iconic characters and images from various manga and comics. By far one of South Korea’s most popular exports, the Spiral Cats’ work astonishes cosplay fans all around the world. Want a recreation of your favorite anime? Spiral Cats have you covered.

Our previous entries may be expert cosplayers, but our silver medal goes to the expert who judges the experts. Initially discovering cosplaying at Anime Expo in 1999, Yaya Han has come a long way from her roots. A frequent judge at cosplay competitions around the world, Han has even broken into the world of television with frequent appearances on “King of the Nerds” as well as being featured on Syfy’s “Heroes of Cosplay.” Han is also considered a cosplaying pioneer for her endless line of costumes. If you need inspiration for your next design, you don’t have to look very far.

Before we cosplay as our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Anna Faith & Lexie Grace
Riki ‘Riddle’ Lecotey
Angela Bermúdez
Megan Golden
Katyuska MoonFox

Move out of the way, peons, and make way for the Queen of Cosplay. Starting her cosplaying career in 2009, Jessica Nigri has repeatedly won award after award and quickly gained Internet stardom. Perhaps the most controversial cosplayer on our list as well, Nigri has been criticized for her costumes being exploitative of women and consumers, most notably her portrayal of Juliet Starling from the video game “Lollipop Chainsaw.” Despite this, Nigri’s popularity has only skyrocketed - to the point that she was hired by the likes of Ubisoft and Kadokawa Games. Sometimes being risqué pays off.

Do you agree with our list? Who is your favorite cosplayer? For more impressionable top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.