Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

Baldur's Gate 3
RPGs Baldur's Gate 3 mocap director says Shadowheart actor's role in new JRPG Expedition 33 is even "better than her performance" in Larian's RPG
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Horizon Zero Dawn star Ashly Burch says she had no idea if she'd actually been cast as Aloy until she was suddenly in the recording booth: "It really hit me in that moment, like, oh this is a big deal"
NieR: Automata 2B
Action RPGs Yoko Taro jokes maybe he shouldn't have done the Nikke x Nier: Automata collab after all as cosplayers are now dressing up as Shift Up's characters instead of his own
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 dev points out that many of this decade's best RPGs so far, from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Elden Ring, feature something in common: Shadowheart's actor
MGS
Metal Gear Borderlands and Horizon voice actor Ashly Burch says Metal Gear made her realise voice acting could be a job: "I think it did open up to me what the possibilities of performance in games could be"
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
RPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs "knew within seconds" that Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart actress was the perfect pick for Maelle
A screenshot from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, showing a man named Verso covered in dirt and blood, looking into the camera.
RPGs "These kind of games don't come around very often": Being "careful" about their next roles, Final Fantasy 16 and Baldur's Gate 3 stars say 2025's most unique JRPG was perfect
  1. Games

Monika Lee Cosplay Spotlight

Features
By Lucas Sullivan published 13 October 2012

Gaming heroines made manifest

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A true cosplay chameleon

A true cosplay chameleon

What you're looking at is not, in fact, hi-res promotional artwork for BioShock--it's a Little Sister costumed designed and modeled by Monika Lee. This crazy-talented cosplayer expresses her love for video games by bringing their iconic characters to life; in the case of the Little Sister portrayal, it's almost so real, it's scary. It should come as no surprise that making cosplay look this good is hard work, but Monika makes it look easy in a wide array of outfits.

To get the scoop on the wonderful world of video game cosplay, we asked Monika to tell us a bit about herself and her hobby. Read on to find out her side of the story...

Page 1 of 22
Page 1 of 22
GamesRadar: Why did you start cosplaying? What was your first costume?

GamesRadar: Why did you start cosplaying? What was your first costume?

Monika Lee: I first started cosplaying in 2006, because I was really into anime at the time. I discovered cosplay through some YouTube videos, and the idea of dressing up as my favorite anime characters seemed like so much fun! As a result, I began dressing up as characters from Naruto [laughs].

Pictured: Female Wizard from Diablo III.

Page 2 of 22
Page 2 of 22
GR: What does cosplaying mean to you?

GR: What does cosplaying mean to you?

ML: Cosplaying is my ultimate outlet for creativity. Im always itching to create something, so taking that and my love for all things nerdy and merging the two is awesome! I also love the cosplay community and getting to dress up with my friends.

Pictured: Yuna from Final Fantasy X.

Page 3 of 22
Page 3 of 22
GR: How much of a time-investment is this? What do you like to do outside of cosplaying?

GR: How much of a time-investment is this? What do you like to do outside of cosplaying?

ML: It can be super time consuming. Ive spent months researching for a costume and another couple of months gathering materials, followed by months of creation. I dont mind too much, though, because its what I like to do in my spare time. Outside of cosplay, Im a student at Georgia Tech. But aside from that, I like to cook, eat delicious food, play video games, read, etc.

Pictured: Ada Wong from Resident Evil 4.

Page 4 of 22
Page 4 of 22
GR: What's the strangest thing (material, prop, etc) you've used to complete a costume?

GR: What's the strangest thing (material, prop, etc) you've used to complete a costume?

ML: Ive used the plastic covers from school binders to make a kimono bow! Ive also used a vintage 1940s gas pump for a prop.

Pictured: Rydia from Final Fantasy IV.

Page 5 of 22
Page 5 of 22
GR: How much do you worry, if at all, about getting the look exactly right, down to the last detail?

GR: How much do you worry, if at all, about getting the look exactly right, down to the last detail?

ML: Accuracy can be really important, especially with video games or anime/manga characters. However, I do a lot of costumes from artwork references, and I like to interpret them realistically--because as we all know, some of these designs just cant exist in real life and look good [laughs].

Pictured: Lara Croft from Tomb Raider: Legend.

Page 6 of 22
Page 6 of 22
GR: Whats your favorite video game?

GR: Whats your favorite video game?

ML: I play a looooot of video games, but BioShock holds a special place in my heart. The morbid art deco style of the game alongside the creepy jazzy music and underwater setting is just so cool to me.

Pictured: Little Sister from BioShock.

Page 7 of 22
Page 7 of 22
GR: How you do choose which characters to cosplay?

GR: How you do choose which characters to cosplay?

ML: Ill usually choose characters depending on what video game Im playing at the time. (For example, I want to do Maya from Borderlands 2 and Ada from Resident Evil 6!) I also prefer to cosplay with friends, so I always try to coordinate with them.

Pictured: Wedding Yuna from Final Fantasy X.

Page 8 of 22
Page 8 of 22
GR: Whats your favorite costume among the ones youve worn and/or made?

GR: Whats your favorite costume among the ones youve worn and/or made?

ML: As of late, I love wearing my Little Sister from BioShock and my Wizard from Diablo III. I worked really hard on all the details on both of those costumes so I could represent the characters as best as I could.

Page 9 of 22
Page 9 of 22
GR: What tips do you have for entry-level cosplayers?

GR: What tips do you have for entry-level cosplayers?

ML: Have fun cosplaying! I feel like the first thing you should love about cosplaying is recreating your favorite characters in real life. If you go about cosplaying simply so you can get attention, you aint doin it for the right reasons!

Pictured: Jill Valentine from Resident Evil.

Page 10 of 22
Page 10 of 22
GR: What's the ultimate cosplay costume youve always wanted to make?

GR: What's the ultimate cosplay costume youve always wanted to make?

ML: I really love Final Fantasy XII, and Ive wanted to do either Fran or Ashe, but Im super inexperienced with copious amounts of armor. Which is also why I can never do a Big Sister from BioShock 2 (another one Id love to do).

Page 11 of 22
Page 11 of 22
GR: What's your favorite board game?

GR: What's your favorite board game?

ML: Taboo! I come from a really loud, talkative family, so this is the perfect game to play. I also love Cards Against Humanity, its so hilarious.

Pictured: Wonder Woman from Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Page 12 of 22
Page 12 of 22
GR: Thanks for your time! Anything else youd like to add?

GR: Thanks for your time! Anything else youd like to add?

ML: If you want to check out my cosplays, head to facebook.com/London2191Cosplay and follow me on twitter at @mnikalee! Thanks for listening!

Pictured: Xianghua from Soulcalibur IV.

Page 13 of 22
Page 13 of 22
Costume quest

Costume quest

To see more of Monika's work, you can check out her Facebook page, Twitter, and Deviantart page, all of which are chock full of pictures of her amazing cosplay (including the aforementioned anime costumes). Go ahead and give her a shout-out in appreciation of her awesome craftsmanship! Weve included more of our favorite shots of Monika's video game cosplaying; browse 'em and be amazed at her superbly accurate ensembles.

Page 14 of 22
Page 14 of 22

Page 15 of 22
Page 15 of 22

Page 16 of 22
Page 16 of 22

Page 17 of 22
Page 17 of 22

Page 18 of 22
Page 18 of 22

Page 19 of 22
Page 19 of 22

Page 20 of 22
Page 20 of 22

Page 21 of 22
Page 21 of 22

Want more cosplaying goodness? Check out our previous appreciations of costuming perfection in the Crystal Graziano Cosplay Spotlight and the Zerina Cosplay Spotlight.

Page 22 of 22
Page 22 of 22
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation Xbox Platforms Mobile Gaming
Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan
Social Links Navigation

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them. 

See more Games Features
Read more
Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 mocap director says Shadowheart actor's role in new JRPG Expedition 33 is even "better than her performance" in Larian's RPG
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn star Ashly Burch says she had no idea if she'd actually been cast as Aloy until she was suddenly in the recording booth: "It really hit me in that moment, like, oh this is a big deal"
NieR: Automata 2B
Yoko Taro jokes maybe he shouldn't have done the Nikke x Nier: Automata collab after all as cosplayers are now dressing up as Shift Up's characters instead of his own
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate 3 dev points out that many of this decade's best RPGs so far, from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Elden Ring, feature something in common: Shadowheart's actor
MGS
Borderlands and Horizon voice actor Ashly Burch says Metal Gear made her realise voice acting could be a job: "I think it did open up to me what the possibilities of performance in games could be"
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs "knew within seconds" that Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart actress was the perfect pick for Maelle
Latest in Games
lea seydoux as fragile smoking a cigarette
Hideo Kojima altered certain Death Stranding 2 characters to better match their actors, which is why why Cliff and Fragile smoke and Higgs plays guitar
Monster Hunter Wilds
After fears it wouldn't, Capcom has addressed Monster Hunter Wilds' CPU issues on PC, but it's not out of the woods just yet
Palworld screenshot showing a young woman with tied-back red hair petting her Pal, a large white and purple Xenogard
Palworld is back in Steam's top 10 thanks to its Terraria update, but one dev is "sure it'll be branded a 'dead game' for the 100th time a week from now"
A zoomed-in screenshot from Deltarune Chapter 3, showing Susie, Kris, and Ralsei participating in the cooking show.
Deltarune Chapter 3 was originally supposed to be even longer, as the devs "made most of" a third TV Time gameshow round before it was cut
Sonic movie
Early test footage of the first Sonic movie shows how the original design could have been even worse than what we saw
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag artwork showing Kenway with a group of pirates
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake takes a step closer to reality as lead voice actor tells fans "you may have to beat it again"
Latest in Features
Toothless, Miles Morales' Mask, Battle Droid with STAP, and Nike Dunk sets divided from each other by white lines, with a 'GamesRadar+ New Lego' badge in the middle
New Lego sets for July 2025, including the perfect gift I think fans will go nuts for
Jan sadly presses a hand on a screen that says 'deceased' in The Alters
The Alters has changed the way I play games for the better, and after 18 years I can finally finish Mass Effect
Sam balances across a ladder high up in the mountains in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 is my favorite online game this year, even though you never directly see any other players
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
The Squid Game season 3 finale is a crushing but ultimately hopeful conclusion – and I wouldn't have it any other way
Resident Evil Requiem
I don't care what Capcom says, Leon not being in Resident Evil Requiem makes no sense
One-Punch Man season 3: Saitama punching while in mid-air during the anime One-Punch Man.
Anime Expo 2025: dates, announcements, and why One-Punch Man fans should be excited
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. M3GAN doll in M3GAN 2.0
    1
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  3. 3
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  4. 4
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  5. 5
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...