Derpy Cosplay Build
Award-Winning Original Character Design Inspired by Derpy from KPop Demon Hunters
Derpy Warrior is my original humanoid warrior reinterpretation of Derpy Tiger from KPop Demon Hunters. Instead of creating a direct creature adaptation, I translated Derpy’s recognizable features into a wearable fantasy armor design with bold blue striping, metallic gold accents, faux fur details, and his magpie sidekick on my shoulder, named Sussie.
This build won 1st Place Journeyman at Anime Riverside 2026 during my very first cosplay competition, after I applied as a Novice. It also placed 3rd overall after Best in Show and Masters.
Why I Chose To Cosplay Derpy
I fell in love with Derpy because he is expressive, strange, visually unique, adorable, and instantly memorable. I especially loved the flower pot scene, which is such a big part of why so many people connected with him.
I knew almost immediately that I wanted to cosplay him, but I also knew I had to find a version that made sense for my skills and style.
I had never made a full fur suit, and I did not want to create a direct creature adaptation. Instead, I asked myself: what would Derpy look like if I turned him into a warrior?
The goal was to keep the character recognizable through the headdress, eyes, blue fur, tiger stripe markings, flower pot detail, and his sidekick, Sussie, while turning the rest of the design into armor that felt dramatic, wearable, and original to me.
The First Version Of Derpy Warrior Cosplay
The first version of Derpy Warrior came together very quickly. I made the costume in about two weeks for LA Comic Con, including the headdress and Sussie, and went into the build with more excitement than planning. Because this was an original character-inspired design, I did not have a full costume reference to follow. I had the idea of turning Derpy into a humanoid warrior, made a rough sketch, and figured out a lot of the costume as I built.
That first armor version was rushed and imperfect. Some of the EVA foam pieces had visible seams, bulky shapes, fit issues, and attachment problems I did not know how to fully solve yet. A few pieces, like the hip armor and shoulder armor, were not properly heat-formed before assembly, which made them harder to curve and attach cleanly later. I also spent a lot of time adding raised foam trim and small round details (googly eyes), but some of those details kept popping off during the convention and had to be fixed throughout the day.
Even with all of those issues, that first version mattered. It was my first major armor build after getting back into cosplay, and it helped me understand what I wanted Derpy Warrior to become. The headdress, Sussie, corset base, belt, pants, and faux fur details all carried forward in some way, but the rest of the costume needed a stronger rebuild.
Later, I went back and reworked the armor with more time, more patience, and a much clearer understanding of the design. I refined the seams with foam clay, improved the painting, rebuilt major armor pieces, adjusted the silhouette, and made the whole costume feel more intentional. That first version taught me that sometimes the first build is the draft. You can wear it, learn from it, rebuild it, and turn the idea into something much stronger.
Refining Derpy’s Design Concept
When I rebuilt this Derpy Warrior Cosplay, I wanted the costume to feel more intentional while still keeping the parts that made the original idea work. Derpy Warrior was always meant to be an original character-inspired armor build, not a direct copy of his design. I wanted the final version to feel like Derpy had been translated into a humanoid warrior while still keeping the details that make him recognizable.
The headdress became the most important identifying piece. I designed it to immediately read as Derpy through the large eyes, blue fur, nose, teeth, tusks, and exaggerated silhouette.
The blue striping throughout the armor was inspired by Derpy’s markings, while metallic gold accents were added to create contrast and strengthen the fantasy warrior look. The gold also connects back to the warm tones in Derpy’s eyes.
Faux fur was used as an accent because I wanted it to connect the armor back to the headdress and original creature design without overwhelming the silhouette.
I included a flower pot as a belt medallion because it is one of Derpy’s most memorable moments. Even though the colors break from the blue and gold armor palette, the detail felt too important to leave out. I also made a magnetic version for the corset center so it can sit upright or tilt to reference the scene where Derpy knocks it over.
The wide pauldrons were designed specifically to support Sussie. I wanted to include his magpie sidekick as part of the costume’s storytelling and make the full design even more recognizable.
Award-Winning Cosplay
At Anime Riverside 2026, my Derpy Warrior cosplay won 1st Place Journeyman during my first cosplay competition. I had applied as a Novice, so hearing my name called for Journeyman honestly shocked me.
The build also placed 3rd overall after Best in Show and Masters.
The judges recognized my clean foam work, painting, headdress, and originality.
This award meant a lot because it showed that the design choices, rebuild process, late nights, and craftsmanship were translating to well other people, and judges.
Materials & Techniques
This cosplay used a wide range of costume fabrication materials and techniques, including EVA foam, foam clay, faux fur, feathers, 3D printing, Plasti Dip, acrylic paint, metallic paint, satin clear coat, gloss Mod Podge, Bondo glazing putty, elastic, Velcro, contact cement, magnets, and plastic bonder.
Techniques included plastic wrap and tape patterning, EVA foam construction, scored and heat-opened detailing, sanding and seam refining, black acrylic washes, edge shading, faux fur blending, 3D model modification, and hidden attachment systems.
Derpy Headdress
The headdress started with a modified Derpy 3D model from Bambu Handy, which I resized and edited in TinkerCAD to fit my head. I removed the lower jaw, 3D printed the base on my Bambu Lab P1S, and then sculpted the eyes, nose, and teeth with foam clay.
From there, I hand-painted the eye details, added a faux fur base, layered fur sections individually, trimmed and blended the fur, reshaped the tusks, added fur markings, and finished the eyes, nose, and teeth with gloss Mod Podge.
The inside was finished with foam padding, sweat-absorbing fabric, Velcro, and a headband attachment to help hold it securely in place.
Sussie the Magpie
Sussie was built as a handmade prop to bring another recognizable part of Derpy’s world into the costume. I started with an aluminum foil base to create the bird’s overall shape, then covered the structure with foam clay and sculpted the details by hand.
I added googly eyes to help with symmetry and dimension. The feathers were applied individually after studying real bird anatomy, which helped make Sussie feel more intentional instead of like a simple accessory.
The glossy surfaces were finished with Mod Podge, and I also added tiny elastic strips underneath the hat and tied them below the beak. Sussie was designed to sit on the shoulder armor so he would become a prominent part of the cosplay.
Corset Armor
The corset armor was self-patterned using plastic wrap and tape drafting, then built from a 5mm EVA foam base. I reshaped the lower edge to improve the silhouette and added 2mm foam detailing to create more structure and dimension.
For the updated version, I reworked the original armor design while reusing the base corset structure. The surface was sanded, refined with foam clay, and sanded again before painting.
I hand-painted the gradients and shading, sealed the corset with a satin top coat, and added interior faux fur trim. The fur edges were blended with thinning shears to help the trim look softer and more integrated. I also attached a magnet for the 3D flower pot detail.
Medallion & Flower Pot Details
The medallion was self-patterned from EVA foam and designed to include a 3D flower pot detail. I generated a concept reference, converted the flower pot into an STL using Meshy.ai, modified it in TinkerCAD, printed it through Bambu Studio, filled the print layer lines with Bondo glazing putty, sanded it smooth, hand-painted the floral details, and mounted it onto the foam medallion base.
For the smaller 3D flower pot detail, I dremeled magnet recesses into both the flower pot and corset center, then secured the magnets with contact cement. Later I put plastic bonder around the edge of the magnet to ensure it would not detach.
Hip Armor, Belt, & Tabbard
The hip armor started from a purchased pattern, while the belt was self-patterned using plastic wrap and tape. I transferred the templates onto 5mm EVA foam and mounted the foam belt onto a real support belt to give it more structure.
The seams were filled with foam clay and sanded smooth before attaching the hip armor and medallion directly to the belt. I created recessed trim lines using scored and heat-opened cuts, then primed the foam with Plasti Dip.
The finishing process included hand-painted gold detailing, blue gradients, a black acrylic wash for aged metallic depth, edge shading for contrast and dimension, and a satin clear coat finish.
Pauldron Armor
The pauldron armor was built using 5mm EVA foam. I refined the seams with foam clay and sanding, then added scored and heat-opened cuts for the stripe details.
The foam was primed with Plasti Dip before painting. I hand-painted the metallic trim and blue gradients, added a black acrylic wash for aged depth, applied edge shading for stronger contrast, and finished the pieces with a satin clear coat.
The pauldrons were also designed to hold Sussie. After testing magnets and Velcro, I mounted Sussie using hot glue reinforcement so the prop could stay secure on the shoulder armor.
Bracers
The bracers were built with 5mm EVA foam. I refined the seams with foam clay and sanding, then added scored and heat-opened cuts for the stripe and edge detailing.
After priming the foam with Plasti Dip, I hand-painted the metallic trim and blue gradients. I also applied a black acrylic wash, edge shading, and a satin clear coat to match the finish of the rest of the armor.
The inside of the bracers was finished with faux fur lining, and the fur edges were blended with thinning shears for a cleaner transition.
Leg & Shoe Armor
The leg and shoe armor were created with layered pieces using 5mm EVA foam. The sections were assembled with contact cement, then refined with foam clay and sanding.
I added recessed lines using scored and heat-opened detailing, sealed the foam with Plasti Dip, and hand-painted the metallic trim and blue gradients. A black acrylic wash, edge shading, and satin clear coat were used to create depth and match the rest of the armor.
The interiors were finished with faux fur lining, and the fur edges were blended with thinning shears to soften the transitions between the armor and fur accents.
Armor Attachments
I used elastic, 3mm foam, and contact cement for the internal armor supports. The bracers and leg armor were mounted with elastic supports, while the pauldrons were built with three adjustable elastic straps.
The purchased shoes were modified with removable Velcro-mounted armor, making the shoe armor more practical to wear and adjust. The corset was finished with grommets and satin ribbon lacing.
The medallion was attached with a hidden Velcro closure, and the tabard was secured with Velcro supports that attached to the inside of the foam belt.
Gok-do “Curved Moon” Sword
For the sword, I modified a purchased Mira sword prop into a Gok-do “Curved Moon” inspired weapon. I sanded the raised edges and blade surface smooth, then sealed the prop with Plasti Dip.
The blade was repainted with a metallic blue finish, and I added layered stripe detailing to better match the Derpy Warrior design. I hand-painted metallic gold accents, applied a black acrylic wash for aged depth, and finished the sword with gloss clear coat.
Derpy Cosplay Overview & Build Book
My Derpy Warrior Cosplay became more than just a character-inspired costume. It became the project that pushed me to rebuild instead of settling, compete for the first time, and trust that my original ideas could connect with people.
This build represents a lot of what I want Teea Cosplays to be: playful, recognizable, handmade, and built with a real creativity.
I also created a full Derpy Warrior Cosplay Build Book documenting the design concept, headdress, Sussie, armor pieces, medallion, attachment systems, materials, construction notes, and major design decisions. You can download the full build book below to see more process photos and a closer look at how the costume came together.