The latest installments in the Pokemon franchise finally released to the world on November 15, and to celebrate their Nintendo Switch debut, we’ve gathered the top 10 best Sword and Shield cosplays.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the franchise’s eighth generation of games, and are set in Galar – a region based loosely on the United Kingdom.
The addition of the Galarian Pokedex brings with it many new Pokemon, as well as modernized forms of older Pokemon such as Ponyta, and Farfetch’d.
Nintendo Switch players spent months dying to get their mitts on the latest games, and cosplayers have been going haywire creating and dressing up as their favorite characters from the Nintendo Switch releases – here are our top 10 favorites.
10. Scorbunny
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvHaABtjJfY/
Scorbunny is one of Gen VIII’s three starter monsters, and is a Fire-type Pokemon. It has a rabbit-like form, and appears to have a Band-Aid stuck across its nose.
Sevan from Royadevon Cosplay loved Scarbunny so much that they created an entire outfit based on the creature, and it’s super cute.
The Canadian-based cosplayer’s take is simple but effective, and sees them using a white wig with foam and cardboard ears to pull off the look. They’ve even stuck a patch on their nose for extra accuracy. You can find Sevan on Instagram at @royadevon_cosplay.
9. Gym Leader Bea
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Bea is a Gym Leader exclusive to Pokemon Sword, and she specializes in the Fighting type. She was shown off in the first trailer for Dynamax battles, and fans fell in love with her at first sight.
Cosplayer KrispyPeach decided to take on the lovable boss, and shared her take on her Instagram, where she wowed fans of the series.
The Texas-based designer completely nailed Bea’s outfit down to every little detail, and even included the various decals on her clothing, along with her signature headband. You can follow KrispyPeach on Instagram at @haruka_hourou.
8. Galarian Ponyta
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Ponyta’s Galarian form has proven to be one of the most popular new additions, with the fanbase going absolutely crazy due to its charming My Little Pony-esque features.
Female cosplayer Karli ‘Karlibra’ loved the cute pony so much that she brought it to life with an incredible look that truly does look like the Pokemon in human form.
Not only does the designer channel Ponyta’s gorgeous flowing hair, she even recreated its ears and horn for picture-perfect accuracy, and complemented the look with some elegant makeup. You can follow Karli on Instagram at @karlibra.
7. Sonia
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Sonia is the granddaughter and assistant of Sword and Shield’s professor Professor Magnolia. She spends most of her time researching Pokemon, and also grew up alongside the region’s League Champion Leon.
California-based blogger Carisse Iris showed off her recreation of the whimsical female, and captured her spirit perfectly with her design.
Not only did the cosplayer nail Sonia’s massive hair to a tee, she also posed with a journal to really pull off that researcher look. You can find Carisse on Instagram at @carisseiris.
6. Female Trainer
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Pokemon Sword and Shield’s playable female Trainer protagonist is canonically known by the name Gloria, and melted the hearts of fans straight away with her cutesy look.
Artist Stella Chen recreated the popular female with her own spin on the character, and even included a little plush of Scorbunny and a Pokéball to tie the look together.
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The cosplayer’s clothes are an almost exact replica of the starting outfit in the games, and the wig is an incredibly accurate addition, too. You can follow Stella on Instagram at @stella_chen_yui.
5. Wooloo
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Wooloo is Sword and Shield’s new Normal-type sheep monster, and proved insanely popular with fans when it was first shown off during a Nintendo Direct back in June 2019.
So popular, in fact, that cosplayer Phoebe from Chiefy Creates threw her own spin on the animal, using a wig to recreate its iconic braids, and to house its horns.
Her makeup is on point, too, and really ties the whole look together, making Phoebe look like the human version of the lovable sheep. You can follow her on Instagram at @chiefy_creates.
4. Nessa
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Nessa is Sword and Shield’s Water-type Gym Leader. Unlike Bea, she’s not exclusive to one version, so all players will encounter her at one point or another.
Amazingly talented cosplayer Kay from ‘pixelghosts’ dressed up as the fierce fighter, and looked truly badass with her gorgeous costume design.
The designer even added the Leader’s signature blue streaks to her wig to make it look as real as possible, and matched it up with some shocking blue eyeshadow makeup to make the whole look pop. You can find her on Instagram at @pixelghosts.
3. Sobble
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Sobble is another one of Sword and Shield’s three starter Pokemon. The Water-type is small in size, and features a yellow fin on the top of its head.
Ivy from Tokidoki Cosplay dressed up as the pint-sized creature, and somehow made the monster look even cuter than it already is. She used a wire headband to achieve the fin shape, and also wrapped cloth around her hands to imitate the amphibian’s sticky feet.
What really ties everything together, though, is the beautiful makeup that mimics its markings. You can follow Ivy on Instagram at @tokidoki_cosplay.
2. Zamazenta
this dog in pokemon shield cosplay is the highlight of #PAXWest imo pic.twitter.com/dO6DCLjmK9
— Andrew Goldfarb (@garfep) September 1, 2019
Zamazenta is one of Gen VIII’s Legendary dog monsters, and is the mascot for Shield. It houses a giant shield on its head and chest, which it uses to reflect attacks.
In what is probably the most adorable cosplay we’ve ever seen, shiba inu dog Isabelle dressed up as the majestic pup for PAX West 2019, where she delighted passersby with her cuteness.
While dogs in outfits are super cute anyway, the fact that Isabelle cosplayed an actual Pokemon was enough for the mutt to move to second place on our list. You can keep up with her adventures on Instagram at @isashibe.
1. Grookey
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2AQELcDFZD/
Grookey is another one of Sword and Shield’s three starter monsters available at the beginning of the games. It’s a Grass-type, has markings like a yellow mask around its eyes, and keeps a stick in its hair.
The top spot on our list goes to Chrissy from Chrissy Plays Dress Up as her take on the adorable creature is just simply amazing, and truly looks like the Pokemon in human form.
Our favorite part of her outfit is the wig, as it’s creatively shaped like the critter’s ears, and even houses the stick. The talented cosplayer even sports glasses to mimic the creature’s facial markings – a 10/10 from us. You can follow Chrissy over on Instagram at @chrissyplaysdressup.