Downtown Phoenix became a cosplayer playground over Labor Day weekend, thanks to the costumed attendees of Saboten Con 2025.

The annual four-day celebration of anime, manga, gaming and pop culture packed thousands into downtown Phoenix’s Sheraton and Renaissance hotels from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. Fans hit up panels, attended J-pop concerts and anime raves, got autographs from guests like “Overwatch” voice actress Charlet Chung and sang karaoke.

But one of the biggest spectacles at Saboten Con was the cosplay. On-point outfits were seen everywhere, most of which were inspired by anime, cartoons and video games like “Chainsaw Man,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Genshin Impact.”

Inspirations spanned the full spectrum of J-culture. One group of friends rolled into Saboten Con 2025 as characters

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