Today’s cosplay of the day is Anastasya Zelenova as Red Sonja.
Take a look.
Red Sonja was originally created by Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics back in 1973 and was based off Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino and Dark Agnes de Chastillon. She made her first appearance in Conan the Barbarian #23.
The character would crossover into novels in 1980s in a story written by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney.
Red Sonja would eventually get her own feature film and would be played by actress Brigitte Nielsen in 1985. There have also been television and animated adaptations.
Red Sonja’s character design is iconic with her bikini scale mail armor. However, Red Sonja did not originally have this design. It was actually a fan submission by Spanish artist Esteban Maroto. The iconic design seen in Anastasya Zelenova’s cosplay first appeared in Jim Steranko’s Comixscene #5. Maroto would depict Red Sonja in the costume in Savage Tales #3 and Savage Sword of Conan #1.
Robert E. Howard described Red Sonja:
“Tall, splendidly shaped, but lithe… with rebellious tresses that rippled red gold in the sun over her compact shoulders. She stood as a man might stand, booted legs braced wide apart, thumbs hooked into her girdle, but she was all woman.”
Red Sonja became the fierce battle warrior after her home in the Western Hyrkanian steppes was attacked and burned down by a group of mercenaries. Not only did the mercenaries kill her family, but they also raped her after she was unable to lift her brother’s sword to defend herself.
Red Sonja cried out for vengeance and her calls were answered by the red goddess Scáthach, who grants her supreme fighting abilities, on the condition she cannot sleep with a man unless he defeats her in combat.
A new Red Sonja film had reportedly been in the works from director Bryan Singer, but the latest reports indicate the film is currently on hold.
What do you make of Anastasya Zelenova’s Red Sonja cosplay?