Star Wars Celebration told through the eye-catching cosplayers
Star Wars Celebration cosplayers. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Day 2
Hoth Han Solo and Princess Leia, above
Generally, when I take photos of cosplayers at cons, I say, “Give me your best pose!”
These two took me very seriously when I took photos at the Wintrust Arena ahead of Friday’s Vader Immortal panel. I’d wanted to take pictures because our Han, here, actually had the slightly heavier jacket that he sports in The Empire Strikes Back, as well as the yellow bloodstripes, while Leia has warm looking boots and the panels on her undershirt — a few key details.
What I got when I took pictures was the two of them basically encapsulating everything that Han and Leia do for the first half of that movie or so.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayers. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Sailor BB-8
Back on the show floor, this woman caught my eye because of her interpretation of how to represent BB-8. Why wouldn’t a human version be a magical girl, earrings, tiara, and all? Why not, indeed. You can spot all of BB-8’s sensors, and she even has the droid’s antennae as a headpiece.
Also, perhaps most important of all: she has flat shoes on. Convention floors are not the greatest for constantly being on your feet.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Jyn Erso
This Jyn Erso took her glasses off for this pose, and then, instead of looking directly at me, looked up and away — in a nod to one of the posters for Rogue One. She has all the details right, down to the hairstyle as well as the buckles on her boots. There was no doubt about it: she knew what she was about when she picked Jyn.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayers. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Gray Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, Nightsister, and Padmé Amidala
Padmé Amidala got a lot of representation at this event, but not every cosplayer went for such detail in terms of hairstyles as this cosplayer, who’s rocking the look from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Initially, I just took her picture, but she told me that she had a Nightsister coming.
By the time everyone was ready, I had more than just a Nightsister and Padmé; I got not one, but two Jedi, both of whom struck poses. Check out little Anakin’s scar, right by his eyebrow; it’s a tiny thing, but an important one.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn is not a short being; he’s been canonically depicted as taller than Anakin Skywalker, for instance. That’s what initially stopped me for this Thrawn cosplayer, since as much as you can channel a character in spirit and costume, sometimes it’s really just the physicality that makes something work. Even in a simple pose like this, you get the sense that Thrawn’s calculating.
(This guy was also carrying a super-cool lightsaber he seemed to have bought on the show floor. Yes, I was jealous.)
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Endor Han Solo
There are few who can pull off a camo duster. Harrison Ford does it on-screen for Return of the Jedi, and this gentleman decided to recreate the look for Star Wars Celebration this year. The half-smirk just makes this picture, but it was that duster that caught my eye, especially since you can actually see Han in Return of the Jedi in the mural behind this cosplayer.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Visas Marr
Not all Force-users are good, and Visas Marr starts her story out on the Dark Side as a Sith. In her appearance in Knights of the Old Republic II, she returns to the side of the Jedi. She’s a lesser-known character these days, but this cosplayer’s willingness to go for a character like this is deserving of a photo all on its own — even before you get into the excellent gold detailing.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayers. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Victorian Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and General Hux
See the above about physically embodying a character, then apply that to Phasma. Her compatriots were not slacking, however, bringing unique takes on the three biggest bads of the sequel trilogy.
Our Hux looks just as smug as you expect, and Kylo looks like she’s ready to take me out just for daring to stop them. (Don’t worry: they were super nice outside of posing, since apparently, I was one of the few who got what they were going for.)
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
Qi’ra
Qi’ra’s most iconic line, the one that was all over merch for Solo, was “We’re doing this my way.” Take a look at this cosplayer and tell me she could not deliver this line with all the confidence that it deserves.
Her cape also looked extraordinarily well-made, down to the length of it, and that was what caught my eye first as I wandered the show floor.
Star Wars Celebration cosplayer. Image taken by C Wassenaar
General Leia Organa
“No one’s ever really gone,” says Luke Skywalker in the trailer for The Rise of Skywalker. And though Carrie Fisher is no longer with us, General Leia is, thanks to this cosplayer, who had all the jewelry just so, the hair arranged neatly, and all the coat action that someone could ask for. I asked for her best pose, and she crossed her arms and channeled Leia. That’s how this shot came to be.