Black Friday is amateur hour. In San Francisco, we celebrate Thanksgiving with Fan Expo San Francisco, a weekend-long convention dubbed "the ultimate geek paradise." That geek paradise has a suggested dress code of being everything you want to be- inclusive of kick ass cosplay. Here are ten of our favorite cosplay fits from Fan Expo San Francisco 2025:
This pair went as two characters from the frontrunners for this year's GOTY, Expedition 33: Clair Obscur. The baguettes REALLY did it for me. This was cosplayed by @egreenito and a friend.
This one is WILD. We've got full symbiote Venom crossed into the world of Star Wars with Darth Maul. Absolutely incredible work by @hummin_h2, who also met Darth Maul actor Ray Park in character. 10/10, so cool.
How often do we see love for the criminally under-appreciated Judy Alvarez from Cyberpunk 2077? Not enough! Cosplayer @lingqiupetrel stepped up to live out one of my personal favorite characters from the game. Her Instagram has some fantastic photography of her in character as well.
I've seen some good vault dwellers before, but these two really killed it on all the little details, which felt so impressive. These cosplayers lay low on social media, but the Pip-Boys and weapons were all handmade with love, and I love that.
Ghost of Yotei dropped in October, but this cosplayer jumped on it quick! The swords, the war-worn hat, everything was on point and perfect. They also absolutely nailed the pose.
For a silent protagonist, this guy's causing quite a conversation lately. With rumors of Half-Life 3 swirling more than the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, I was impressed to see such a good Dr. Gordon Freeman on the show floor. This cosplayer is @orange_boss, and he let me play with the crowbar. Thanks man, that was awesome.
The way I beelined to talk to @edwin_fabian was maniacal. This cosplay was larger than life- the headpiece is incredible to see in person. Finding the hoverboard alone is quite a feat for cosplayers, let alone creating such an accurate jacket. The flyhead was a showstopper and was wildly impressive.
We love Link! This cosplayer is @gothboy_blackout, and their Instagram is full of absolutely gorgeous cosplay work. The sword and shield are beautifully crafted, and the whole look absolutely hit.
I loved seeing Mono and Six walk during the Fan Expo SF cosplay red carpet. They hit some poses and strutted through in extremely accurate cosplay. I don't have their social, but I do have all the respect for the Mono headpiece.
Have you ever wanted to be a cowboy, baby? Cosplayer @enzo_took_a_picture did and nailed this Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. The hat really sells the look, and it was perfect.
They were absolutely golden. These are only a few of the incredible cosplayers that showed up to the K-Pop Demon Hunters meet-up, but look at them. The Rumi raging in her jammies (choo choo!), the demon Jinu, the ABS. I felt the honmoon sealed over San Francisco with this one.
Talk about a terrifying cosplay, right? Cosplayer and artist @atrixch's wicked sense of humor came out to shine with this one and had me rolling on the floor.
We've also got video footage of even MORE of our favorite Fan Expo San Francisco cosplayers on our social pages. You can check out Couch Soup's YouTube page here for more.
What's your favorite cosplay? Let us know and tag us in your cosplay so you can show off!
P.S.- Fan Expo, thank you for the press passes, we love you!
