In a gaming world dominated by male super-egos and muscle-heads, Bayonetta is the heroine we needed to break the mold on conventional archetypes. This ass-kicking femme-fatale, karate-chopped her way on-screen back in 2009. Since then, the leather-touting, gun-heeled witch has been showing demons and monsters who’s boss across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Nintendo Switch game consoles. The game has seen a widely popular sequel in Bayonetta 2, with a third iteration, announced back in 2017.
It's strange to think that the Bayonetta games have done so well. A strange, almost uninviting plot and extremely over-the-top gameplay likely turned off more than a few prospective players. What's more, the sequel was a Wii U exclusive, which means that only the truly dedicated Nintendo fans have played it. Bayonetta was interestingly enough added to Smash Bros. Ultimate, and she feels particularly out of place against all of Nintendo's cuddly, family-friendly first party mascots. That said, she has maintained her popularity, and the character's unique vibe and design aren't soon to be forgotten. She's also a super popular figure for cosplayers, as well!
The success of the Bayonetta franchise has led to a growing fan base, eager to replicate this sexy slayer through cosplay. Some, achieve such high levels of detail you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a photo straight from the game. Hold on to your hand-guns, we are about to backflip into 10 Bayonetta Cosplays That Look As Good As The Game
10 Oniksiya Sofinikum
Oniksiya Sofinikum is a talented cosplayer and model from Russia. Her various cosplays span a number of games and fandoms including Cup Head, Prince of Persia, Star Wars, and more. In this impressive photo, she re-creates Bayonetta (Cereza) with stunning accuracy. Check out those guns! For more awesome Oniksiya cosplays, check out her Instagram @oniksiya_sofinikum
9 Hagaren
Featured in this stunning black and white photo is cosplayer Hagaren. Based out of China, Hagaren has grown quite a following on Deviant Art for her stunning re-creations. Her profile currently has over 200,000 views and we can certainly see why. This photo in particular captures, in a perfect way, the beauty of the game in stark black and white. You can check out more of her awesome work here.
8 Lisa Lou Who
The only thing more stunning than cosplayer Lisa Lou Who is the gorgeous backdrops she uses for her Bayonetta shoots. This particular outfit is from Bayonetta 2 and is incredibly accurate to the source material. Lisa is a well-known blogger/cosplayer with a character list that's a mile long. Her designs have garnered her a large following and have even won her "Best In Show" from various conventions. Check more @LisaLouWhoCosplay
7 Daren Eichi
You'd be forgiven for thinking this next image is straight from the game. Japanese Cosplayer Daren Eichi is well known for her game inspired work being almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Many of her shoots not only feature intricate costumes and props but also settings that are true to the game worlds such as her Resident Evil shoot set in a real mansion. To see this and more Bayonetta shots, check out her Deviant Art page.
6 Giulietta Zawadzki
Our next cosplayer is unique. Not only does she absolutely nail many popular gaming and film characters in her cosplays, but England based Giulietta Zawadzki is also an incredibly talented artist. Her digital and graphic design work spans many genres and is truly stunning. You can check out her art here and for more cosplay head over to @BeauPeepCosplay
5 TraumaticCandy
Even though our next cosplayer claims this one "still needs a lot of work," we think she looks fantastic! This awesome take on Cereza comes from Natasha (TraumaticCandy), who is our first Canadian cosplayer on the list. The only issue we see is that you may want to stand a little further away from the building, because this cosplay is SMOKING. I'll see myself out...
4 Pugoffka
There are few words to describe how truly epic the work of our next entry is. Elena Kucheruk (Pugoffka) has an unmatched level of production value in all her cosplay shoots—and there are MANY). Her work features stunning costumes, amazing digital effects, make-up work, and truly jaw-dropping locations. She has been a special guest and cosplay judge at numerous conventions and events and even has a number of tutorials for those looking to break into cosplay. Don't take our word for it, check out her page @pugoffka.sama
3 Nebulaluben
Here is another epic Bayonetta 2 cosplay for you. This one comes from Laura Sanchez (Nebulaluben), a Spanish cosplayer and creator. Not only does Laura portray many awesome game characters, but she also makes all of her own costumes and props! Check out her shop to buy things like hand-crafted replicas of Bayonetta's earrings or her Deviant Art page for more awesome cosplays!
2 Fantasy Ninja
Our next entry comes from the Sunshine State! Fantasy Ninja, a.k.a. Indra Rojas, has been in the cosplay industry for over 15 years. She is a professional seamstress and makeup artist. In the past, she has been chosen to represent team USA in the CICAF cosplay competition. Through her cosplay work, she has also started the "MILK Movement", which is to Motivate, Inspire, Lift, and be Kind. Those might not exactly be principles the character herself would live by, but, hey Bayonetta is known for playing be her own strange set of rules.
1 Katyuska MoonFox
Our final cosplayer, Katyuska MoonFox, comes from Australia. Her work features some awesomely original takes on classic characters, including a number of gender-bends that are stunning (Dante from DMC is amazing!). Few can pull off the extreme proportions and ultra-cliche charm of a character like Bayonetta as well as Katyuska MoonFox, and it's plain to see that she has put quite a considerable amount of effort into her cosplay! Check out her page for more amazing cosplays like this one, just beware some of the content is NSFW! @KatyuskaMoonFox