HomeFeaturesEntertainmentThe Best of PAX East 2016 -- Part 3: Cosplay

The Best of PAX East 2016 — Part 3: Cosplay

The final installment in Best of NJ‘s PAX East recap trilogy has arrived. (In case you missed the first two parts, you can check them out here and here.) This time around, we’re selecting our picks for the best cosplays at this year’s Penny Arcade Expo. What’s that you say? You’ve never heard of “cosplay”?

Well, now’s as good a time as any to learn all about it, wouldn’t you say?

The term cosplay comes from a union of the words “costume” and “play,” so when merged together you get Voltron cosplay. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines cosplay as “the activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction (such as a comic book, video game, or television show),” and that’s basically all there is to it.

At most video game, comic book, and anime conventions, a large number of attendees dress as their favorite characters. Many of them design their own homemade costumes, and just about all of them are more than happy to stop and pose for some pictures. With the definition out of the way, let’s take a look at The Best Cosplays of PAX East 2016:


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Quiet (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain)

Quiet Cosplay


Orc (Orcs Must Die! Unchained)

Orc Cosplay


Chun-Li  (Street Fighter series)

Chun-Li Cosplay


Mario & Luigi (Super Mario World)

Mario Cosplay


Ciri (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)

Ciri Cosplay


Zangief (Street Fighter series)

Zangief Cosplay


Assorted Group Photo (Various Series’)

Group Cosplay


Soldier: 76 & Tracer (Overwatch)

Overwatch Cosplay


Jax (League of Legends)

Jax Cosplay

Want to see more highlights from the best New Jersey events? Catch up on our recap series, The Best of!


Hero (Top) Feature Image (and Additional Images): © Vinny Parisi / Best of NJ

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