Most popular characters to cosplay worldwide
New research reveals the most popular characters to cosplay, according to Instagram hashtags.
The research, by online gaming platform Hearts Land, examined over 150 pop culture characters and sorted them into four groups: superheroes and villains, anime, gaming, and film and TV characters. By analysing Instagram, the characters were then combined with the hashtags ‘cosplay’ and ‘costume’ to determine which characters are the most popular to cosplay.
The research revealed that Harley Quinn takes the top spot as the most popular character to cosplay worldwide. The term ‘Harley Quinn cosplay’ receives 11,000 average monthly searches worldwide, and the character has a whopping 758,449 combined hashtags on Instagram. Since making her live-action debut in the 2016 film Suicide Squad portrayed by Margot Robbie, the world has become captivated with the DC villainess. With the multiple Harley Quinn variants and portrayals through comics, film and animation, fans are spoiled for choice with cosplay options.
Spiderman is the second most popular character to cosplay worldwide. With a total number of 710,667 Instagram hashtags, Spiderman is the most popular Marvel character to cosplay and has more than double the number of hashtags compared to DC’s Batman, who ranks third.
The study revealed that Batman is the third most popular character for cosplayers, with a total of 347,639 combined hashtags on Instagram. Additionally, due to Batman’s unwavering popularity, the phrase ‘Batman cosplay’ receives an average of 8,600 monthly searches worldwide.
Following closely behind is supervillain and Batman’s nemesis, the Joker, with 321,166 combined hashtags. From Joaquin Phoenix in Joker to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, the character continues to be reimagined for different adaptations, giving fans plenty of iconic looks to draw inspiration from.
The fifth most popular character to cosplay is Deku, also known as Izuku Midoriya, from My Hero Academia. Deku also ranks as the most popular anime character to cosplay, with a combined number of 248,935 Instagram hashtags. Cosplayers often enjoy portraying Deku’s iconic green and black hero costume, complete with his distinctive hairstyle and signature freckles.
The study placed DC’s Wonder Woman next, ranking sixth, with 231,247 Instagram hashtags. The top ten is rounded out by D.Va ranking in seventh place, Deadpool in eighth, followed by Todoroki and Poison Ivy in ninth and tenth, respectively.
A spokesperson for Hearts Land commented on the findings: “Cosplay has gained widespread popularity over recent years, allowing fans to express their creativity and connect with like-minded individuals. With San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner this summer, these findings offer an intriguing insight into which characters we can expect to see the most.”
“These findings highlight that Harley Quinn cosplay is as popular as ever, which is truly a testament to the unwavering popularity of the beloved character. There is no doubt this popularity will only continue to increase, especially with the release of the highly anticipated Joker: Folie à Deux in 2024, with Lady Gaga taking over the iconic role.”
The most popular superheroes and villains to cosplay
DC characters dominated the top 10 most popular superheroes and villains to cosplay. Joining Harley Quinn in the top 10 are Batman in third place, the Joker in fourth, Wonder Woman in fifth, Poison Ivy in seventh, and Catwoman in eighth. On the other hand, Marvel secures four spots in the top 10: Spiderman in second place, Deadpool in sixth, Captain America in ninth, and Loki in tenth.
The most popular anime characters to cosplay
As anime and manga have become more mainstream in recent years, more people have become interested in cosplaying characters from their favourite series, as highlighted by the search term ‘anime cosplay’ receiving a whopping 84,000 monthly searches across the globe. Characters from My Hero Academia dominate the ranking, with five entries in the top 10, including fan favourite Deku in the top spot, and female characters take up seven out of 10 entries.
The most popular film and television characters to cosplay
Regarding the most popular character from TV and film, Velma from Scooby Doo takes the top spot, with 60,993 combined hashtags on Instagram. Velma’s iconic look consisting of an orange sweater, red skirt, and glasses is an easy costume for cosplayers to replicate. Following closely behind is killer clown Pennywise from It. Similarly, five of the below top 10 are iconic horror film icons; Pennywise, Michael Myers, Ghostface, Chucky, and Jason Voorhees.
The most popular gaming characters to cosplay
The most popular character to cosplay from a video game is Overwatch’s D.Va, followed by 2B from NieR: Automata in second place and Jinx from League of Legends in third. Two of the top 10 are characters from The Witcher, with Ciri in fifth place and Yennefer in sixth. From the comics, video game and popular Netflix series, there are many interpretations of these characters, providing cosplayers with plenty of inspiration.
