20 Reasons Why Jessica Nigri Will Always Be The Cosplayer To Beat
Matthew Barrera Quick Links
Cosplaying has been around for a while. It’s obvious in how fans love to dress up as their favorite characters from movies, television, comic books or video games and get together. In the 2000s, it’s taken off as conventions are now packed with contests to decide the best looks and fans going wild for it. That includes quite a few ladies who do their best to stand out with outfits. Among them, Jessica Nigri may well be the best. Since 2009, the Reno native has carved a path at conventions as well as one of the first to use social media and You Tube to push herself up. Today, she is recognized for her drive, her inventiveness and of course, her very cool style.
Indeed, quite a few of Nigri’s outfits can easily fall under the too revealing to show label. But Nigri is truly talented at this and has proven herself in how well she makes these outfits. She can go into lavish detail to make the costumes stand out even without baring her body too much. Indeed, often Nigri’s design is what gets hails far more than just looking hot. No matter the fandom, she goes all out to make sure the costume stands out more than others so it is no wonder why fans flock to her social media pages in droves. Here are 20 outfits that prove why Nigri is the cosplayer to beat no matter what and sets the standard others follow.
Wild and Out
Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most revered names in animation. The Oscar-winner has been hailed for his beautiful fables which are among Japan’s biggest hits like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and many more. The movie that helped make him famous was 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The title character is a princess protecting her post-apocalyptic kingdom from monstrous creatures with the aid of animal friends. Beloved for its animated style and story, the film is still a major favorite for anime fans.
Nigri pays tribute in her own way with the character’s trademark blue top and white pants, form-fitting but also functional. The brown hair is the perfect hairdo for the princess and she even adds on a plus animal sidekick. The short sword also fits with the gloves and the snowy woods look just like some of the environments of the film. It’s a wonderful tribute to one of the most groundbreaking heroines of anime and Nigri bringing her to life nicely.
the Reaper
Even for Nigri, this is a daring look, more so as it totally covers her face. Among the more bizarre of the already wild Overwatch game cast, Kawaii Reaper basically looks some sort of evil alien dressed like a girl going to a picnic party.
The sheer sight of a weirdo alien mask offset by a bright pink and white dress makes the character popular and Nigri manages to capture that well. It’s great with touches like the hearts on the boots and the right frill for the skirt. She also has the sharp pointed claws the character uses to carve up enemies. The detail of the mask is excellent and again, the contrast of it to the dress makes it stand out. Usually, Nigri makes sure to show her beauty off but this costume proves even without flaunting her face, she can be a cosplayer few others can touch.
Arresting Catwoman
Selina Kyle has worn a lot of outfits over the years. From her early appearances in the 1940s onward, Catwoman has always gone for a feline motif in her costumes, usually with long tails and a mask. There have been countless versions from the comics to the 1960s TV show and the various movies, all of which have become favorites of cosplayers. For this one, Nigri goes for the look popularized in the late 2000s where Selina did a “back to basics” approach.
Thus, she goes for a simple latex suit to fit her like a second skin. She keeps her bullwhip and goggles while unable to resist cats’ ears on her head. What makes this a great pic is Nigri having fun at a convention by showing Selina “arrested” by some security. She’s having fun with poking out her tongue and giving the hint Selina can easily get out of this. It just shows how easily Nigri makes this outfit the cat’s meow.
DV
One thing fans love about Overwatch is the sheer goofiness of some of the characters. They can range from adults to kids with humans, aliens and various other creatures abounding. D.Va is a teenage girl whose major weapon is a giant mecha suit that she can hop into with enough weaponry to take out a city block. The character herself is funny and her quirky lines are a favorite of fans.
Nigri manages to capture the look so well, you’d swear she stepped right off the game screen. The variety of colors mixing together are great, with the mostly blue giving way to white and she even gets the decals right (including the bunny at her chest). There’s the special headset she uses in her mech and the pistol if she has to go outside it. Nigri tops it all off with blowing a bubble of gum, a constant of the character. It all comes together to a near-perfect rendition that brings this popular character to lovely life.
Gearing Up
If you own an Xbox 360, it’s likely you own at least one Gears of War game. The series was hailed for redefining a third-person combat game, focusing on a pack of hard-bitten soldiers taking on a monstrous alien race invading Earth. Most of the characters are male but Anya is a good character, who soon join them in combat.
Nigri does a good job capturing the character’s look which includes the massive armor and weaponry used by the soldiers. She nicely gets how “bigger is better” with the game, thus giving us the massive buckles, ammo clips and more at her hips as well as the huge metal brace around her armor. There’s also the gun with a chainsaw which gamers love to use in combat. We also get the short blonde hair and harder expression for Anya too. The games are known for hard combat but Nigri makes them look good to play too.
Thelma
There’s just no getting away from Scooby-Doo. For decades, the cartoon of a pack of meddling kids and their talking dog solving mysteries has enthralled viewers. It’s seen versions from pure camp to a kid version to even one making it darker and realistic. But the main ingredients of comedy and solving crimes of guys dressed like monsters makes it remain a hit. Thelma has long been among the more popular characters, the Brainiac of the team who’s usually the one who puts together the clues to solve the mystery. Between her glasses and her “Jinkees!” catchphrase, she’s gotten some followers to the point of many calling her better than Daphne.
This pic is one of the tamer ones from a shoot Nigri did as the character. While others may flaunt themselves, she goes for the simple look of that brown hairdo, the sweater and glasses and even the right amount of freckles on the face. We’ve seen some live-action Daphnes before but Nigri helps show the beauty behind the brains.
Hammer Time
The popular online first person shooter Overwatch has hordes of fans who adore the often wild characters of the game. One of the most popular is Reinhardt, a warrior in a massive suit of armor that can fly and uses a huge hammer to smash apart enemies.
Nigri manages to put a very cool spin on the outfit which naturally can’t be fully replicated in real life (as it would be about ten feet tall and weigh several tons). Instead, she captures the feel of it with its massive metallic tones and points for putting on the numbers and other details to match the character. Then there’s the hammer, which looks as big as the woman herself is and the makeup with different colored eyes. Having this shoot in a yard of some sort gives the perfect background and proves Nigri’s fantastic mix of detail and heat makes her a hit.
Crawling Walls
There have been a few ladies to take on the mantle of Spider-Woman in the comics. Jessica Drew is the most famous while Julia Carpenter had a run, each with their own specialized costume. There have been versions from a future where it’s Peter Parker’s daughter to various alternate realities of everyone from Mary Jane Watson to Aunt May.
For this version, Nigri doesn’t seem to be channeling any specific character, just herself in the costume with pink hair. But you don’t mind because of how amazing that costume is. The detail is fantastic in the webbing and style, perfectly matching any of the movie versions and a throwback to the classic comic look. For once, Nigri doesn’t try to alter it, she lets it stand on its own. It just goes to show the classics still work.
Wicked Wicket
The Ewoks are controversial among Star Wars fans. Many see them as just added on as toys and are mostly just kind of annoying. Others seem them as fun and think it fits the saga for the tiny woodland creatures to beat the more advanced Imperials. Either way, you rarely think of them as anything close to good looking, in any setting. But Nigri manages to beat that with her version of main Ewok Wicket.
True, much of it shows her skin, but it's still fun. She wears the standard hood all over and the tiny little nose is equal parts adorable and flirty. She even has contacts to fit the Ewoks’ dark eyes. Again, some Star Wars fans may not appreciate championing these critters but Nigri manages to make even an Ewok something to capture people's attention.
Kindred
Nigri does a lot of cosplay but tends to love stuff from League of Legends. The massively popular online roleplaying game has gamers taking on warriors in a magical realm and doing a lot of combat and exploring. It’s packed with some ladies and Nigri has often dressed as them, many of the outfits very risqué. This Kindred costume may be tamer in the look but does let her go all out. Called “The Eternal Hunters,” these avatars of death hunt other players down.
This costume is lavish with a fur top and matching shorts. The makeup is just as detailed, considering her contacts, dark blue lips, and the various decorations add to it. The weapons also match and make the character stand out more. The Kindred may mean death but leave it to Nigri to bring it to amazing life.
Ahoy!
For some time, the Assassin’s Creed franchise was quite successful with stories set throughout history. They usually centered on a character dressed in hoods and a complex outfit in settings from the Crusades to Renaissance Italy. Black Flag changed it up by taking place in the 18th century, the height of piracy. Thus, the main character had the usual Assassin outfit changed to a pirate motif that’s become quite popular. This is one of two versions Nigri has worn (the other one far more risqué) and shows her eye for detail.
The tight pants with knee-high boots are packed with buckles and buttons to fit the era. A pistol is in one hand with an axe in the other to show her character as ready for combat and even a holder on her back for anything from arrows to other items.
Awesome Ash
Just when it looked like the craze of Pokemon had died out, it exploded right back into the limelight in 2015. Racing out of Japan in the late 1990s, this video game/card playing game focuses on “catching” various animals that can burst out of small container balls. It soon became a hit anime series, complete with movies, that got attention. It seemed relegated to the nostalgia bin but then a new phone app allowed you to “hunt” for Pokemon around and made it a hit all over again. The central character has been Ash, the main “trainer” and center of the animated series. With his fun attitude and drive, he’s still around as the series continues to pull in a new generation of fans.
Nigri does a good job capturing the character, a spin on his usual outfit of a tank top with a jacket and the cap pulled over a pointed hairdo. The character usually has jeans but her skirt flaunts her legs and mid-riff and she still captures the nice attitude Ash has to make this one of the better “gender bender” outfits about.
Super Cos
If you’re a blonde-haired cosplayer, sooner or later you do Supergirl. It’s practically a rule of law. So yes, Nigri takes on the Girl of Steel but leave it to her to put her own spin on it. Rather than the classic costume from the comics or the current TV show, Nigri picks the version from the 1990s animated series (which was used in the comic for a time).
Thus we have a t-shirt featuring the iconic S-Shield on the front. Then a blue mini-skirt to complete it. The white gloves keep to the character along with the red cape. Topping it off is the headband atop her blonde hair. It’s a terrific look for her, keeping to the character’s power but selling her as still young and enjoying herself a bit. Overall, a fine spin on a cosplay trope which Nigri excels at.
Zelda
In video game fandom, Zelda is a very magical name. The Legend of Zelda pushed the NES to the forefront of gaming, the title character a beautiful princess that has to be rescued by hero Link. Over the decades, more games have followed with Zelda shifting from the damsel in distress to more of a goddess and queen. The character has had a variety of looks but this version is based on the popular Breath of the Wild entry.
The light dress is lovely, not too much showing off and the green sash standing out nicely. The golden armlets flow upward and the pointed ears are perfect for the character. Nigri has her blonde hair flowing down to frame her face and add to her unworldly beauty. Having the shoot be outdoors complete with a horse, also adds a nice flavour to it. Overall, it’s a fine way to bring Zelda to life better than any of the games and Nigri perfect as the princess.
The Doctor
For over 50 years, Doctor Who has been one of the icons of science-fiction. The British series focuses on the Doctor, an alien traveling across time and space in a “ship” that’s the size of a phone booth on the outside but massive on the inside. The reason the series has lasted so long is that every now and then, the Doctor “regenerates” into a new form, allowing a new actor to take over. 13 actors have played the part and this year will finally answer the wishes of fans as Jodi Whitaker plays the first woman in the role. Fans love to debate on who the best Doctor is as each has their own unique touches.
For this cosplay, Nigri seems to be channeling the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. She does well with the long brown coat, large tie and even the glasses he would occasionally wear. True, Tennant went for trousers and not a suit with a miniskirt but it still captures the character. She also has the always trusty sonic screwdriver and while we’re getting a real female Doctor on TV, Nigri is a fine substitute.
Darling Deadpool
The key thing of Wade Wilson is that the treatments that give him a super-healing factor (to the point he can literally pull himself back together from pieces) also unfortunately didn't make him so good to look at. However, the comic has played with it as every now and then you’ll find a “Lady Deadpool.” It can be anything from an alternate reality version of a mercenary in the costume (Deadpool even ran his own team at one point) and it’s an intriguing idea.
Here, Nigri does her spin, wearing the now-iconic red and black costume and looking great in it. The twin katanas are perfect as well and she leaves the mask off to show her lovely face. The contrast of her beauty with this outfit is what makes it work out so well and proves Nigri is great with any character.
Lady Link
Since 1985, Link has been one of the most iconic talents in all of video games. The Legend of Zelda introduced a new wave of gaming involving puzzles and maps as well as various dangers. It made the Nintendo a must-buy game system and a huge hit. Thus, every single new generation of gaming has introduced a new Zelda game with unique touches.
At the heart of it all is Link, a young hero who goes on countless quests to save his kingdom from various evils. While some games may shift it about, the character’s look has basically remained the same and become a cosplay favorite. Instead of trying to make it too much to handle, Nigri makes it authentic with her dark green outfit with white pants and brown gloves. The cap is perfect on her long blond hair with the pointed ears and she even gets Link’s sword right. The sheer detail is what makes this shine.
Cinder
Nigri is known for her cosplay but also achieved fame on the popular anime series RWBY. The title refers both to the main characters (Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang) and the colors each wears (red, white, black and yellow). They are four teenagers pulled into learning to be hunters to protect their kingdom from various monsters. Nigri voices Cinder, a fire-wielding witch who’s part of one of the various cabals fighting against them, ruthless in a fight despite her beauty.
It’s no surprise Nigri has taken to dressing as the character a few times at conventions and does a great job with it. This looks just like the character stepped off the screen, a red dress with gold trims and a jewel-like blue touch at the hem. The black gloves are great with the gold armbands and the black wig is offset by lovely makeup to highlight her eyes. Thus, Nigri proves she can not only voice the character but act it out in person to showcase all her wonderful talents.
Spider-Gwen
Every now and then, Marvel Comics introduces a character meant for a brief appearance but becomes a hit. Such a case was in 2015 when a massive storyline has Peter Parker meeting the various “Spider Champions” of numerous alternate realities. One of these is an Earth where instead of Peter, Gwen Stacy was the one bitten by the radioactive spider. When her Peter died, this Gwen took on the mantle of a Spider-Woman although “Spider-Gwen” is the name given to her by fans. The character took off to the point where she now has her own monthly book. Helping was her great costume which instantly became a cosplay favorite.
The hood over her nearly white hair is great, as well as the black coverings on her gloves to mimic Gwen’s special “webs.” This version seems inspired by a storyline of Gwen infected by her world’s version of Venom and thus the black spider logo on her front is balanced by colored contacts. It comes together for a terrific look that proves how nicely Nigri brings comic faves to life.
Sith
Once, in Star Wars lore, the Sith were just Darth Vader and the Emperor. But the mythos has expanded that to showcase the Sith as an ancient evil group, former Jedi who turned to the Dark Side. The books and comics talk of how the Jedi and Sith waged war for centuries until the Sith were seemingly wiped out. Instead, they hid with the rule of only a master and apprentice and seeking revenge. It’s a popular costume now for cosplayers and Jessica is no exception.
Her take is fantastic with the leather outfit. The sash to it adds to the motif of the cape to flow about her and give her an exotic air. Aiding is her white hair and dark makeup highlighting her eyes (with great red contact lenses) that gives her an alien air. The background also helps with a dark forest straight out of the movies and it all combines into a fantastic outfit that showcases the inventiveness that Nigri brings to cosplay which few others can match.
