WATCH: Comic Con Africa cosplayers bring favourite characters to life
· Citizen
Comic Con Africa has once again brought fans, creators and pop culture enthusiasts together in Johannesburg.
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The event celebrates gaming, comics, anime, movies and television through immersive experiences and creative displays.
Cosplay remains one of the biggest attractions, with fans transforming themselves into their favourite characters.
Cosplayers at Comic Con Africa 2026. Picture: Shaun Holland/The CitizenInspired by anime and gaming
Several cosplayers at the event spoke about the characters who inspired their costumes.
One attendee arrived dressed as The Terror from Genshin Impact.
The cosplayer said the character’s different forms inspired their costume.
They particularly focused on the Moon God form when developing the look.
Another attendee, known as Soft, drew inspiration from their own creative ideas.
A cosplayer named Light Shaddow also showcased their unique interpretation of a character.
Chainsaw Man was another source of inspiration at the event.
One fan chose to dress as Denji after recently watching the popular anime series.
The costume took approximately two days to complete.
Bringing movie characters to life at Comic Con Africa
For other cosplayers, inspiration came from popular film and television franchises.
Joshua Lange, known as Gothic Nerd King on Instagram, drew inspiration from Silent Hill Homecoming.
Joshua Lange, known as Gothic Nerd King. Picture: Shaun Holland/The CitizenHis cosplay took between three and four weeks to complete.
He hand-made and hand-painted the entire costume himself.
Dan Jordan chose a character from The Mandalorian and the wider Star Wars universe.
He used a 3D printer and scanned prop files to recreate the character’s equipment.
The pieces were sanded and primed to achieve a screen-accurate appearance.
Jordan said bringing his favourite Star Wars character to life was rewarding.
Handmade creativity
Megan White and her cosplay partner chose characters from the anime Witch Hat Atelier.
The pair enjoyed watching the series together before creating their costumes.
They made almost everything themselves, including the main costume pieces.
Only items such as leggings, shoes and the hair were not handmade.
The creativity on display highlights the time and effort behind Comic Con Africa’s cosplay community.
For many fans, cosplay offers a chance to celebrate the characters and stories they love.