Samus Aran, famed bounty hunter, intergalactic peacekeeper, and one of the most challenging cosplays to pull off.  Not only is the Varia Suit a full armor build, but it's high-tech aesthetic and form-fitting design leaves little room for error. Simply put, Samus in her fictional universe is the epitome of power, agility, and elegance.

So when Talaaya Cosplay revealed this amazing cosplay of Samus Aran, we had to ask some questions about how it was done: 

How long did it take you to craft your Samus cosplay?

It was a very long and arduous process over the course of about 5 years. I don't do this professionally so my time was limited to evenings and weekends. I lost count of the hours it took, but it's very likely it went into the thousands. About halfway through the project, it was sitting for around 600 hours.

What type of characters do you love to cosplay?

There are a few aspects to this: I love the illusion of looking like something other than human - it's a great challenge and so amazing to see how people react to it! Another is that I love to do characters that I have a personal connection with - nostalgia, love of the design, and how cool the character is. I chose Samus because Metroid Prime is my favorite game and on top of that she was the first strong female protagonist. I also like finding characters no one has done before or haven't been done justice yet.

What was the most challenging thing about crafting the armor?

Getting it to fit a human shape! Samus has extremely inhuman proportions: her head is tiny, her legs are crazy long, her waist is like a pencil, and she seems to have an extra joint in her super wide shoulders, among a myriad of other issues. The hardest specific part to make was probably the yellow torso section. Getting the craft foam to follow the contours while floating in open space was incredibly difficult (I couldn't attach it together on a mannequin). It's also my least favorite part and the weakest part of the whole costume (both visually and physically) so I hope at some point I can 3D print it in a flexible filament instead.

What is the most satisfying thing about Cosplay?

Finally completing it and being able to wear it to a con. The reactions from people when they see it is priceless, and it's wonderful that people get so excited to see it that they want a picture with it. That moment when you're putting it on for the first time for real after completing it, about to go to a con, feels fantastic. I also equally enjoy the challenge and problem solving of the build itself.

What first got you into cosplay?