Hyper Light Drifter
Oct. 2022
This costume is based off the main character in the action role playing video game “Hyper Light Drifter”. Cosplays from this game are interesting to see since this game has a retro, 16-bit art style, and the characters don’t have a ton of detail.
As a result, I’m able to create my own interpretation and truly make this costume my own.
Photos by: Keaton Punch
This DIY costume simply turned out too cool for me to show it off with one photo, so I created two more awesome photos!
I wanted the fabric edges of my cape to look weathered and shredded. I learned a new technique to achieve this look by taking a hammer and beating the fabric against concrete. This destroys the fibers and gives a more organic, random torn effect.
I used EVA foam to create the headpiece. This material is flexible, durable, and easy to cut. I shaped three main parts to hot glue together, then used a rotary tool to carve the inner details. After that, I was able to apply an acrylic paint job.
The glowing necklace gemstone was my favorite detail to create. I needed green translucent material, so I cut apart an old Xbox 360 game case to form the gem shape. Then I placed a battery powered LED light inside, surrounded by cotton to diffuse it even more.
The sword was tough to figure out since I wanted it to glow from the blade. After watching several YouTube tutorials, I decided to hide a LED light strip in the blunt side of the blade, and hide a USB power bank in the handle of the sword. It functioned well for photos, but the form was definitely weak.
Camera: Panasonic Lumix GH5
Editing Software: Adobe Photoshop
Check out this video for a more in depth explanation on how I crafted this costume!