Cosplayers dressed as characters from popular fantasy and pop culture universes at the Hyderabad Comic Con held at Hitex in Hyderabad on Friday (October 31). | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
Hyderabad’s HITEX exhibition area was transformed into a pop culture playground on Friday as the 13th edition of Comic Con returned to the city. The three-day event, held in conjunction with DreamHack India 2025, kicked off with a riot of colour, cosplay, gaming and unbridled fandom.
This year saw a clear shift in the tide of pop culture as anime officially took over. Stalls selling t-shirts, fridge magnets, posters and figurines featuring characters from series such as Naruto, Demon Slayer and One Piece far outnumbered those featuring DC or Marvel superheroes. Even long-time staples like Batman and Joker were missing from the day one cosplay lineup. Only one Superman, armed with a stuffed toy of his dog Krypt, was seen wandering around the arena with no luck, looking for other DC loyalists. Meanwhile, anime characters dominated with a handful of Marvel appearances, including the rise of Doctor Doom cosplayers following the much-discussed return of Robert Downey Jr. to the franchise after Ironman’s death.
Cosplayers dressed as characters from popular fantasy and pop culture universes at the Hyderabad Comic Con held at Hitex in Hyderabad on Friday (October 31). | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
“Honestly, I feel like anime has taken over this year,” said Priya Nair, 22, who was cosplaying as Nezuko from Demon Slayer. “Last time I saw Batman and Spider-Man everywhere. This time it’s all about One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan,” she added.
“I came as Doctor Doom for Robert Downey Jr’s announcement,” said Aditya Rao, 25, a Marvel fan from Secunderabad. “I thought I’d find an Iron Men or Thors group, but the anime fans have completely blown it this year. Still, it’s fun. The energy is unmatched. We’ll see how the weekend goes,” he said.
Powered by Crunchyroll, the event was launched in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, who appreciated the growing creative and gaming culture among the youth of Hyderabad.
International guests included acclaimed writer and producer Mike Costa, known for his work on Netflix’s Lucifer and comic book titles such as Venom, Transformers and GI Joe, along with artist J. Gonzo, celebrated for his live covers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghost Rider and Alien.
Cosplayers dressed as characters from popular fantasy and pop culture universes at the Hyderabad Comic Con held at Hitex in Hyderabad on Friday (October 31). | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
DreamHack’s presence added another layer of excitement to the weekend, attracting some of India’s best game developers like Sensei IGL, Vanshaj, TraceGOD and Mr. Spike. From Tekken 8 to Street Fighter VI, battles have been loud, competitive, and endlessly hyped. The Red Bull Tetris Zone and BYOD tournaments kept players connected late into the evening, while the Retro and Board Games Zone provided a nostalgic counterpoint with Pac-Man and Monopoly holding their own.
Comic Con India CEO Shefali Johnson summed it up by saying, “Hyderabad fans once again showed how deeply passionate they are about pop culture. The energy here was incredible. It’s amazing to see how the city has embraced the spirit of comics, anime, gaming and everything in between.”
Published – 31 Oct 2025 21:07 IST
