I have always enjoyed Final Fantasy X. The characters, the story, the ART...it is all so inspiring. When Sunset Dragon Designs released a female drawing for Yojimbo I HAD to create it. I knew I wanted to make some modifications so I used Sunset Dragon's Art AND some Concept Art from Square Product Development.

I started this build in October of 2018 and finished (or THOUGHT I finished it) in March of 2019. I made A LOT of modifications to it between March 2019 and May 2019 (I will discuss why). There are still some changes I want to make (wearing this for 10 hours taught me some things) but it is an overall success in my book.

Estimated Cost for making this outfit = $400

Final Budget = $400

So enough about me, let's get to it!

Supplies

Here are some things you will need to make this costume...

TOOLS
- Fabric Scissors
- Cutting Shears / STRONG Scissors (for everything else)
- Exacto Knife and blades
- Utility Knife and Blades OR Sharpener
- Sewing Machine
- Seam Ripper
- Cutting Mat OR Safe Cutting Surface
- Paint Brushes
- Respirator (graded for particulates and paint)
- Goggles
- Gloves (I like Mechanic's Gloves with neoprene coating)
- Well Ventilated Area
- Sewing Pins OR Clips
- Hand sewing needle(s)
- Painter's Tape (for masking and patterns)
- Saran Wrap (for patterns)
- Markers, Pens, etc. Some sort of drawing implement
- Dremel or rotary tool
- Sand paper (low grit) OR Sanding stone
- A Heat Gun
- A Hot Glue Gun
- A Ruler and/or Yard Stick

MATERIALS
- Fabric (I used nearly 15 yards of fabric for this costume)
- Contact Cement
- Gorilla Glue Super Glue Gel (quick set in 10 seconds)
- Gorilla Glue High Temp Hot Glue Sticks
- Wood Glue
- KwikSeal (yes, the plumbing sealant)
- Plasti Dip
- Spray Paint
- Acrylic Paints (mid to high grade)
- Paint Brushes
- 2 MM, 4 MM and 6 MM EVA Foam
- 1 2x4 of MDF or Balsa Wood (or an equivalent)
- Sintra (3 mm)
- Worbla's KobraCast Art
- A cheap plastic circle serving tray (for the hat)
- Hair Clips (6 or more)
- 2 6 packs of Neodymium Magnets
- Double Sided Velcro
- Iron On Gold Vinyl
- Tulip Aerosol Fabric Paint (Gold Glitter, Gold, Red, Purple)
- Americana Fabric Paint Textile Medium (so you can make your own fabric paint)
- A pair of opaque blue tights
- A pair of red platform sandals
- Foam Clay
- Black Flat Nylon Belt Webbing (at least 1/2 a yard)
- Wide Gold Vinyl Trim (3-6 yards)
- Red Bias Tape (2 Double Fold Wide Packages)
- Narrow Gold Vinyl Trim (1-3 yards)
- 1 yard of purple ribbon
- A wavy green lace front wig
- Etc.

Additional materials may appear in each section as I review the methods for creating this outfit.

Step 1: Pauldrons

SUPPLIES/TOOLS

EVA Foam (2 mm and 6 mm)
Worbla's KobraCast Art (sponsored by CosplaySupplies)
Foam-Mo Foam Clay
KwikSeal
Wood Glue
Plasti-Dip
Cutting Shears
Ruler
Respirator
Heat Gun
Marker
Paints (we'll chat about that in section 5)

For those visual learners in the crowd I have included a video that summarizes this process. Below you will find the written version...

I start by cutting out strips of EVA foam so I can build up the shape of the pauldrons. Yojimbo's pauldrons have a mix of soft and hard surface modeling so I had to find a method of balancing that by layering my strips in angles. I laid out the strip design in foam first (using painter's tape as a stabilizer). Once I had the shape I wanted I took one strip of foam at a time, wrapped it in Worbla's KobraCast Art (using a heat gun on a low setting to heat the material so it was malleable) then held it in the curve I wanted until it cooled.

Worbla's KobraCast Art adheres to itself so, when warm, you can stick parts to one another. This made assembling the pauldrons a lot faster and easier than expected. I will warn that this thermoplastic has a MUCH LOWER heat activation than typical Worbla's Original Art. Be sure to test a few bits out. Thankfully it is just as reusable as the Original Art so if you mess up, just heat the piece up, roll it out, flatten it and let it cool.

To fill in gaps/holes I used Foam-Mo Air Dry Foam Clay. It will be a bit squishy after it dries but it is much faster then trying to use Bondo, Wood Filler or Caulking.

Once I had both pauldrons assembled wanted to smooth out the surface. Worbla's KobraCast Art, when stretched, creates this mesh texture. It also stretches REALLY far so there were a few bumps where I had knicked it or accidentally stuck it to something and stretched it out. To solve this problem I watered down KwikSeal in a paint palette then painted on a thin coat of the silicone sealant. I allowed this product to dry for 12 hours before applying two thin coats of wood glue. Allow your wood glue to dry overnight (8 hours) before proceeding with Plasti-Dip.

You DO NOT have to Plasti-Dip. I like doing this as it creates a clean painting surface for me. It also helps me add shadows.

And that's it. We'll discuss painting the pauldrons in Section 5 but I will say I used one coat of Metallic Gold Spray Paint and a WHOLE LOT of Metallic Gold Acrylic, Black and Red Paints.

Step 2: Sword

SUPPLIES/TOOLS

Dremel or Rotary Tool
Sand Paper or Sanding Stone
Marker or Drawing Implement
Ruler or Yard Stick
4 MM and 6 MM EVA Foam
Foam-Mo Foam Clay
Contact Cement
Worbla's KobraCast Art (sold by www.cosplaysupplies.com)
2x2x4 made of lightweight wood or other composite material
Masking Tape
Heat Gun
Wood Glue
Plasti Dip
Acrylic Paints (discussed in section 5)
2 or 3 mm Sintra
Respirator / Goggles / Gloves

For starters, I measured my height from below my chin to my feet. This gave me the proper length of the sword (since Yojimbo's sword is about as high as his chin). Next I cut out 1 piece of sintra that matched the height and width of my 2x2x4 piece of composite wood. I used the Sintra to add more height to the top portion of the wood composite (double or triple your Sintra for strength). The Sintra is secured to the wood with Contact Cement (I used two long pieces to overlap with the Sintra Handle and Composite Wood Blade for stability).

Now that I had the length correct I created a flat oval disc from foam and cut a slit into. This slid up to where I wanted my handle and sword to join. This would be where I created the guard on the sword. Once I was certain all adhesives were cured, I drew a curve onto the bottom of the sword for the blade and used a dremel to sand down the sides (NOTE: check with your local events to determine how "sharp" an edge may be). My edges were created to look dulled so they are considered con safe in my state. To remove the excess wood composite at the bottom, I used a cutting bit on my dremel (see this in the attached video).

Next I used a sanding stone to smooth out all rough edges and add a bit more definition to the handle. Please wear safety gear (respirator, gloves and goggles) when sanding, cutting and using power tools.

For the guard I used Foam-Mo and built up the shape. Next I use Painter's Tape to create a pattern which I transferred onto 4 MM foam. Finally, I wrapped the foam around the Foam-Mo and secured it with contact cement.

For the detail on the handle I followed these steps...

Wrap the handle in 4 mm foam (for padding)

Cut a BUNCH of scallops or half circles out from Worbla's KobrCast Art the match the width of the handle and are about 2-3 inches high at the arch.

Use a heat gun to warm up a scallop/half circle and stretch it around the handle

Repeat this step in a series of staggered patterns until you have the entire handle wrapped in Worbla's KobraCast Art

Apply the pommel design with foam or Worbla's KobraCast Art

When all items are created on the sword apply one thin coat of wood glue to the entire prop. Allow it to dry 3-4 hours before applying 1-2 coats of Plasti-Dip. Then you can paint the sword with acrylics, spray paint or airbrush paints.

Step 3: Breast Plate and Shirt

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

Worbla's KobraCast Art (sponsored by CosplaySupplies)
Painter's Tape
Saran Wrap
Breast Form and/or Mannequin and/or Yourself
Marker or Drawing Implement
4 Way Stretch Gold Spandex
Sewing Machine & Hot Glue Gun (high temp)
Gorilla Glue Hot Glue
Acrylic Paints
Fabric Paint Textile Medium

This was A LOT of fun to make. To get the shape correct you MUST have something with breasts on it (or a chest for the male persuasion). I am not overly busty and the female version of Yojimbo is VERY busty. So to pull this off I purchased a Breast Plate from BoobsForBoys on Etsy. The Breast Plate is made for men so I had to pull out a little bit of expanding foam from the back (this allowed my own breasts to sit behind the plate without warping its shape). I attached the breast plate to a sports bra for comfort and used makeup to have it match my skin tone.

You can avoid this complication if you ARE busty OR if you don't plan on making large breast armor. Using Saran Wrap and Painter's tape, you can create your own shape. I placed my breast plate on my dress form then wrapped it gently in Saran Wrap. Next, I tore off strips of Painter's Tape and slowly applied it in layers on the breast plate until both breasts were fully covered. If you have done this correctly the breast shape should still exist (DO NOT wrap the tape around as it compresses breast/skin and will shrink your measurements).

I drew on my Breast plate pattern with a marker then carefully cut out the back side of the saran wrap so I could gently pull off the full pattern without losing its shape. Next I cut out the pattern, transferred it to Worbla's KobraCast Art, cut the pattern out on the thermoplastic and FINALLY taped it to my breast plate for adjustment.

Once I was happy with the shape I pinned the thermoplastic to the back side of some 4 way stretch gold fabric and sewed along the outside of the Worbla's KobraCast Art (do NOT sew on the thermoplastic). Once you have a thread barrier created, cut off the excess spandex. Next, get your hot glue gun and carefully wrap the spandex around the edge of the thermoplastic (gluing as you go). Since Worbla's KobraCast Art IS heat activated you may have some warping occur. DON'T WORRY, this will cool and be hidden under the spandex.

When I finished covering my Worbla's KobraCast Art in spandex I let it cool as I quickly sewed a tank top. If you don't know how to do this, just use any old tank top, lay it out on your fabric of choice, and trace the pattern. Stretch stitch the sides and you're done! OR you can buy a tank top and not be all extra like me (seriously, buying a tank top is absolutely ok).

With my tank top ready I pinned the breast plate to it then added stitches along the underside. Finally, I used MORE Gorilla Glue Hot Glue to secure it to the shirt. Now that it was secure I was able to cut away the center of the shirt to create a boob window (the armor acts as a stabilizer).

The final steps are as follows...

Grab your Fabric Textile Paint Medium
Grab your acrylic paints
Mix your acrylic paint 1:1 with the medium
Congrats! You just made fabric paint!
Now paint your booby armor!
Allow it to dry for 24-48 hours
Heat seal it with a heat gun (6-12 inches away)
You're done!

The textile paint medium allows you to turn acrylic paint into fabric paint. This means your clothing is MACHINE WASHABLE. Now, I would suggest avoiding washing thermoplastic but if you must please wash on cold and air dry. You can also clean cosplays that are delicate with a mixture of 1 part Vodka, 1 part Water and 1 part fabric softener. This disinfects and freshens your cosplay.

Step 4: Hat

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

Dollar store serving tray (oval or circle)
2 MM and 4 MM EVA Foam
Cutting Shears or Utility Knife
Gorilla Glue Super Glue Gel
Hot Glue Gun (high temp)
Gorilla Glue Hot Glue
Marker or Drawing Implement
Painter's Tape
Hair Clips
Bun Clip
Rare Earth Magnets
Metal Washer
Plasti-Dip
Acrylic Paints
Heat Gun
Respirator
Wig
Rubberban with plastic case

This is actually VERY simple to create. So here we go...

Take your dinner plate and trim off any excess material so the oval/circle only has a very small "brim"
Wrap your plate in 2 MM EVA foam (use a heat gun to help mold it and wear safety equipment)
Cut out 2 circles (4 inch diameter and 2 inch diameter)
Cut out a BUNCH of strips (how many depends on you - mine were 2 inches wide by 12 inches long and I had 12 of them) in 4 MM foam
Place the 4 inch diameter circle in the center and glue it down with super glue gel OR hot glue
Place the strips around the circle evenly (I used painter's tape to figure out the placement of mine before gluing them down)
Glue down your strips (make sure they wrap over the brim so you can see them on top and in front)
Place the 2 inch diameter circle on top of the center circle
Cut out 12 1.5 diameter circles (I used a sewing thread bobbin)
Glue your small circles onto the front brim of each strip (one per strip)
Use your Heat Gun to Seal the foam

Wig / Clips / Securement

Take your wig and give it a high bun (I used a bun clip to create this)
Add your hair clip to the bun and glue on 2 rare earth magnets to the clip
Take your metal washer and glue OR sew it onto the front of your wig (right at the hair line)
Place the hat on top of the head at an angle and use a marker to mark where you need to glue magnets onto the hat
Use the marks and glue 2 magnets to each section.

That's it! Next is painting. Be sure to do the following...

Cover your magnets in painter's tape
Plasti-Dip the hat so your paint has a smooth surface to paint on
Use Spray Paint and/or acrylic paint to create your design

Version #1 of my hat only had red and gold paint. I added purple and blues to it later which punched up the color and effect.

Step 5: Painting

The video pretty much covers it all but here are the supplies and steps just in case you don't have time to watch :)

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

Acrylic Paints (in a variety of colors)
Plasti-Dip
Wood Glue
KwikSeal
Paint Brushes
Respirator
Goggles
Gloves
Paint Palette
Water Cup

Painting Pauldrons

Seal with one coat of wood glue (use paint brush)
Seal with one THIN coat of KwikSeal (wear respirator and gloves, use paint brush)
Seal with one more coat of wood glue
Apply one coat of Black Plasti-Dip (wear respirator and goggles)
Paint gold using Metallic Folk Art
Shade with reds, coppers and black (dry brush method)
Seal with High Gloss Mod Podge OR Plasti-Dip
1. NOTE: In hot climates the Plasti-Dip Glossifier FAILS spectacularly. Use Mod Podge if your average temperature is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit

Painting Sword

Apply 1-2 coats of wood glue
Apply 1-2 coats of black Plasti-Dip
Paint using Acrylics and/or spray paint
Seal with Mod Podge High Gloss Spray Sealant

Painting Hat

Apply 1-2 coats of Plasti-Dip
Paint using acrylics and/or spray paint
Seal with Matte Mod Podge Spray Sealant

Fabric Painting

Mix acrylic paint 1 part to 1 part with Fabric Textile Paint Medium
Paint Fabric
Allow fabric to dry for 24-48 hours
Heat seal with Heat Gun (6-12 inches away - quick once over)

NOTE: 3/4 of the way through the video is a recording breaking down HOW I painted the pauldrons.

Step 6: Capelet

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

1 yard of stretch polyester in purple
1.5 yards of ombre 4 way stretch YaYa Han Fabric in orange
.25 yards of gold vinyl trim
1 gold snap
Gold or Yellow bias tape
Tulip Aerosol Fabric Paint
Sewing Machine
Thread
Gorilla Glue Hot Glue & Glue Gun

For the capelet I wanted some structure underneath for support. I created a purple bolero. I used an old button up shirt as my pattern but you can follow THIS TUTORIAL for more on how to sew a bolero. You could also just buy a purple shirt and cut/alter it to become a bolero following THIS METHOD.

For the capelet itself I folded a 1.5 yard of fabric length wise and sewed down the middle. Then I folded it width wise and sewed the edges together (be sure the fabric is inside out). I left a small opening so I could flip it so the outside ombre was visible and I sewed up the little hole.

Next I sewed and glue the capelet to the bolero collar area, leaving some room for the gold design work that I created from scraps of vinyl trim.

After wearing this once (and getting professional photographs) I DID NOT like how vibrant the color was. I mean, Yojimbo is ANCIENT and he lives in a CAVE. So, I laid the capelet on a tarp outside and proceeded to spray horizontal lines across in different colors. I started with a light, glittering gold then moved on to a deep red, next was a deep purple and finally I used the gold again to blend the lines and edges.

The paint needed 12 hours to dry but once it settled NO GLITTER ESCAPED. That was AMAZING because glitter is scary to work with. Finally, I added bias tape to the collar and installed a snap at the hollow of my neck seam so I could easily remove the garment.

Step 7: Skirts

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

4.5 yards of deep purplish navy bridal satin
4.5 yards of red stretch knit polyester (heavy weight)
1 yard of metallic burgundy
3 packages of red bias tape (double fold wide)
2 yards of gold performance fabric
1 package of blue bias tape (double fold wide)
3 yards of gold vinyl trim
1 yard of purple polyester
LOTS OF THREAD
Sewing Machine
Fabric Clips and/or Pins
Double Sided Velcro (Sew on)
Fabric Chalk
Measuring Tape
Sewing needles
Fabric Scissors

Ok, this looks SUPER intimidating but it wasn't THAT hard. It's just A LOT of measuring and A LOT of clipping/pinning.

Outer Skirt

Go to THIS SITE and calculate a circle skirt. The over skirt is a FULL LENGTH circle skirt. That means you MUST get fabric that is 60" or wider or you won't have the proper length. If you can't find wider fabric then be prepared to add fabric to the bottom (which you have to do with this design anyways as the bottom is red).
You will need to create a Maxi length circle skirt in both the purple satin and red stretch (red is the lining and trim/bottom while purple is the outside).
Clip the waist of both together so the red is inside and the purple outside. Cut a line down the front center then pin your skirt to your dress form OR yourself (be careful).
Create pleats at the back so the front opening widens.
Take off the skirt and create the bottom trim (Mine is 4 inches tall)
Clip/pin the trim to the bottom and sew (DO NOT SEW THE WAIST YET)
Once you have the bottom and front side sewn, flip the fabric inside out so your seams are hidden.
Sew the waist by folding the fabric in and using a straight stitch at the top (this also sews your pleats in)

Inner Skirt

Create a 1/2 circle skirt using the metallic burgundy fabric and the purple polyester
Sew the bottom and edges together (leaving the front and waist open)
Sew bias tape everywhere except the waist (red bias)

Waist Belt

Using the remaining metallic burgundy fabric, create a waist band 4 inches tall by whatever your waist length is + 3".
Pin/Clip the inner skirt to the waist band and sew it on (do not start at the edge, you need 1.5" on either side available in the front)
Pin/Clip the Outer skirt to the waist band and sew it on (ditto)
Where the excess 1.5" on either side is sew on velcro. (under side for one flap and outer side for other flap)
Try on your skirt using velcro to keep it on

Underskirt

Measure your hips and draw a straight line on the fabric that matches that measurement
Make sure the skirt is as long as the over skirt (to your feet)
Cut out long rectangle
Hem bottom
Apply blue bias to front sides
Use velcro to create wrap around skirt style (should be big enough if you matched your hip measurements)

Final Details

Add gold Trim to outer skirt front edges using gold vinyl
Add small details using gold vinyl to inner skirt
Spray fabric with metallic gold tulip glitter spray

Step 8: Belt and Bandages

SUPPLIES / TOOLS

Fabric Scissors
Tailor's Chalk
Measuring Tape
1 yard of 4 way stretch nude spandex
.5 yards of polycotton blend in red
Iron On Gold Vinyl
Red Bias Tape (single fold)
Markers
Paint Brushes / Sponges
Fabric Paint Textile Medium
Acrylic Paints (brown and black)
Interfacing (mid weight)
Velcro
Bias Tape Red (double fold wide)
Paint Palette
Plain Scissors or Exacto Blade

Bandages / Waist

For the waist "bandages" I took a full yard of 4 way stretch nude spandex and made sure the width matched my waist measurement. I folded the fabric in half and sewed along all edges except where the two ends were to meet. I flipped the fabric inside out (so there were no raw edges) and sewed the two opposing sides together. When sewing I pulled the fabric taught so it would create pleating when I slid it onto the dress form. Essentially you are creating a tube with your folded over fabric.

Since the bandages are meant to look bloodied and old I used the Fabric Paint Textile Medium mixed 1:1 with acrylic paints. I watered down the fabric paint so I could layer the color and "soot" texture on the fabric. Once it was painted I allowed it to dry for 24 hours before machine washing it so it was soft when worn.

Crotch Cover Thing

For the front flap thing (I really don't know what to call this...it's not really a Sporran although it resembles one) I took .5 a yard of fabric and doubled it up (so I would not have to sew lining, the back WAS the lining). Next I drew a oblong shape and cut it out. I added some fabric interfacing to the top then sewed all sides except the top. I flipped the fabric inside out (so the interfacing was now inside) and used bias tape to seal the top.

Next I drew the swirly patterns onto some Siserweed iron on vinly in gold and cut them out. I carefully laid the patterns onto the fabric and ironed them on (be sure to use parchment paper on top of the iron on vinyl as direct contact with an iron can melt it). Once ironed on I added details with a purple sharpie and put velcro on the back.

To attach the "sporran" to the "bandages" I used spare Double Fold Wide Bias Tape in red and wrapped it around my waist twice. At the front I added velcro so everything could secure together.

Step 9: Armor Attachment & Getting Dressed

Armor Attachment

This is fairly easy. For the Pauldrons I used Nylon Belt Webbing and attached a 3 inch long strip to either side of the bolero shoulder under the capelet. Then I cut a small slit in the capelet on each shoulder and slid the webbing through. I glued on some velcro to the webbing and also added velcro to the Pauldron. Please see the 30 second video explaining how I did this for visuals or check out the image above.

Getting Dressed

This outfit includes the following parts...

Hat
Wig
Hair Accessories (just clip in)
2 Pauldrons
Bolero with attached capelet
Two Fingerless Yellow Opera Gloves
Tank top with attached Breast Plate
Breast Form
Waist "bandages"
Waist Belt Sporran Thing
Over Skirt with attached inner skirt
Under Skirt
Blue Opaque Tights
Geta
One Sword

Please watch the attached video showing how I attach/wear all of these pieces.

Step 10: Testing Fit and Appearance

I met my goal of completing this costume by March of 2019 however; after have professional photos taken of it I realized it was missing that Final Fantasy Grunge. So I made the following modifications between March and May of 2019...

I added MORE shading to the skirts. I even painted the INSIDE of them.
I painted the waist bandages as they were too plain.
I added MORE COLOR to the hat and increased the magnet count for stability.
I created a scabbard for my sword using scrap fabric and foam.
I painted the capelet with a more dingy gradient.
I changed the sealant on the pauldrons to Gloss Mod Podge after the Plasti-Dip Glossifier failed.
I changed my tights to blue from black for more color.
I changed my face makeup (and still plan on adding more detail the next go around).
I re-styled the wig and raised the bun up higher so the hat had a better tilt when I tipped my head down.
I added a waist pouch.

These improvements made moving around in this costume easier, increased my love for its design and truly met the vision I had in my head.

Step 11: Final Thoughts

Final thoughts? Well...I WANT TO WEAR IT AGAIN.

It was a TERRIFIC costume. I decided to NEVER WEAR GETA again. They broke while I was competing and I BARELY avoided face planting in front of hundreds of people. I have platform Geta inspired sandals that are MUCH safer that I will stick to.

I also want to add MORE White and Orange to my face paint. I want to mimic Yojimbo's mask from the game.

I also want to meet MORE Final Fantasy cosplayers.

Honestly...ALL positives. I learned lessons but they were worth. I also cannot stress enough how WONDERFUL COSPLAYSUPPLIES is. Seriously, go give them some love :)

Feel free to ask questions and happy creating!

Professional Photos taken by Kincart Photography and Zar Photo.