Why I Chose Arsenal

I really struggled to find characters I connected with in the TV show Arrow. I enjoyed the show quite a bit but I just wasn’t getting into a character enough to cosplay them. Then I saw Roy Harper pick up the red arrow. 

Roy’s version of Red Arrow, Arsenal, was by far my favorite of the show. The jacket, the weaponry on his belt, all of it. His story also really had me hooked in enough to connect with the character. So I knew if I was going to cosplay from Arrowverse, it had to be Roy. I do get a lot of people who will call it Speedy but there is a lot of key differences between the two’s costumes. I very distinctly stuck to the Arsenal costume. 

How I Made Arsenal

This costume was a lot of fun to make. The arrows leds to me experimenting with using wooden dowels to create more realistic props. I also spent a lot of time sewing with pleather to modify a jacket, completely hand sew pants and all the belt harness pieces. 

I used a lot of foam to create my mask, quiver base and props such as the arrow’s tips. The bow itself does use EVA foam but also incorporates wire to give it stability and Worbla to lay over it. 

The shoes were a pair of plain black sneakers that I customized with red paint and silver fabric to make the patches. 

I did also incorporate PVC pipe to make the batons and magnets so the arrow tips can be removable for cons. 

Arsenal Cosplay Picture

Final Thoughts

This project took a lot out of me to make. But it led to amazing results and even a free cosplay ebook for others looking to create better props. I got to debut this cosplay at C2E2 in 2023 and it really helped make all the hard work worth it to see the responses of con attendees and other cosplayers.