Yoshi Cosplay has claimed the top prize in the Masters division of the Craftsmanship Cosplay Contest at Tampa Bay Comic Convention 2025—a major win that places her among an elite tier of cosplayers. Outside of Megacon Orlando, few Florida conventions carry the same nationally significant weight, making this a milestone moment. For Yoshi, it marks her first Masters-level victory—and it’s a big one. (seen above with award-winning cosplayer and competition judge Avera Cosplay).

The winning cosplay: Tigrex from Monster Hunter. “I love the game Monster Hunter,” she said. “You can spend hours hunting, gathering, making armor—it’s immersive and inspiring.” That passion fueled a build that took more than 900 hours (she quit counting at 900) over more than six months. “The character’s colors are vibrant and crazy,” she added (editor’s note: If you know Yoshi Cosplay, then you know that she also is vibrant and crazy-lol).

What makes this win even more impressive? The entire build cost just $200. As an example, she constructed the wings using cardboard (free), 3mm foam ($10), expanding insulation foam ($5), and aluminum foil ($2).

The physical therapist assistant from Spring Hill, Florida, has shown yet again that budget-friendly brilliance can be more important than a big budget. Learn more about her wing build and other examples of her talent on her Instagram. 

What’s her next competition? Anime St. Pete on September 27-28 where she’ll be presenting an original character called “Key Lime.” You won’t want to miss it!