Anime superfan creates largest Gundam cosplay in the world
Costume designer and builder Thomas DePetrillo did it again!
Having achieved his first record title for the tallest mobile superhero cosplay costume at New York Comic Con in 2015, assembling a majestic Iron Man Hulkbuster, the American cosplayer and his team at Extreme Costumes have added another record-breaking creation to their arsenal.
After breaking records in 2017 for the tallest mobile cosplay costume based on a videogame (with Overwatch's tank hero Reinhardt) and the tallest mobile cosplay costume (with everyone's favourite Camaro, Bumblebee, from the Transformers franchise), it was time for another jaw-dropping cosplay.
This time, the giant creation is a replica of the original RX-78-2 Gundam. Designed by pioneering mecha designer Kunio Okawara, the iconic prototype was introduced in the 1979 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.
The suit stands at 3.12 m (10 ft 3 in) tall and is the dream of every anime enthusiast.
This giant version of the "White Devil" took three to four months for Thomas and his team at Extreme Costumes to build, and they tried different scales of the design until they found the best balance of size and mobility.
After that, they created a special double joint for the elbows and knees so that Thomas could easily control the suit's movements while wearing it.
Looking at their work, Thomas shares that this is not only their biggest creation, but also the most accurate one.
And what better way to pilot a Gundam than wearing the mask of Char Aznable, the anime's first and most famous antagonist?
Unlike its original counterpart (Luna Titanium alloy might be a bit difficult to find in real life!) the cosplay was mostly made with EVA foam, aluminium, and plastics.
A team of four expert cosplayers spent hundreds of hours making sure the huge suit could move while Thomas was wearing it.
“The placement of myself within the suit and the exact size of the suit was a work of several hundred hours,” Thomas explains. “We scaled up and down until we found what I felt was the best balance of size and mobility.”
As it’s easy to imagine, the process of taking the suit on and off is everything but straightforward: it takes five minutes and a skilled team of experts to climb in and out of the cosplay, and the mecha also requires maintenance with every use.
However, people love to see the mobile suit at cons and anime fairs.
Thomas adds that “some guests literally jump up and down with joy.”
When he realized that this cosplay would be the largest Gundam suit his team – or anyone else in the world – had ever built, Thomas decided to apply for a Guinness World Records title.
Looking at his life before cosplaying, Thomas confesses that he has always been creative.
He told us that he still needed an outlet for his creative urge even when he used to work “typical” jobs: from mini Dungeons & Dragons sets to Halloween costumes, he was always assembling something new.
“I started as someone who made Halloween costumes, and climbed to the top of competitive contests,” he explains.
His costumes became more and more elaborate and larger with each competition: Thomas remembers that he won hefty prizes for his creations, earning more than $33,000 in just one week.
I am autistic, and that colours everything else in my life.
I love comics, anime, cyberpunk culture, giant robots, cosplay and Dungeons and Dragons. I chase these hobbies with the same passion I do with everything in my life.
– Thomas DePetrillo
For a while, he continued to dedicate his time to award-winning costumes.
Things changed in 2009, when his daughter asked him to take her to an anime convention.
“There, I saw thousands of amazing costumes worn by people who loved the same things I did,” Thomas says. “I realized I had found my people: their name was cosplayers.”
Today, he owns a thriving business that creates amazing cosplays and costumes.
The best part of Thomas’ work is that he “gets to make impossible things come to life.”
The cosplayer is also grateful for the chance to travel the world thanks to his job: he can enjoy a profession he's passionate about while also meeting amazing artists, celebrities and fellow cosplayers.
As a further testament to his drive and enthusiasm, 90% of what Thomas creates today was self-taught. With zeal and a keen eye for detail, he turned his hobby into a record-breaking business.
"I train all of my employees," he adds. "Today, many of my artists already have great skills when I hire them."
In the future, he hopes to further expand Extreme Costumes and create more incredible designs.
“The most difficult part is taking a break,” he confesses.
“Also, wearing a 130-pound costume and dancing on stilts does not get easier as I approach age 60,” he jokes.
But Thomas' cosplay isn't the only Gundam prototype that can boast a Guinness World Records certificate.
The largest mobile Gundam ever created was a faithful life-size replica of the Unicorn Gundam, which stood at a majestic 18 m (59 ft) tall and was located at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama, Japan.
Developed by GUNDAM GLOBAL CHALLENGE (Japan), the replica of the RX-78F00 suit was a temporary attraction created to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the 40th Anniversary of the Gundam franchise.
Crowds of fans from all over the world could visit the 1:1 replica, which was located at the entertainment complex Gundam Factory Yokohama.
After breaking the record in December 2020, the majestic attraction closed its doors to the public after three years, in March 2023.
Gundam represents one of the best franchises in the world, inspiring model builders, anime viewers and dreamers alike. I dreamed of one day I would get to represent for them.
This build is not just the tallest costume we have ever made, it is the most accurate and to scale.
Thomas says that his friends and family take pride in this new record-breaking achievement, and are proud of all his accomplishments.
His wife and children, as well as the beloved family pets, are another major focus in the record holder's life. Although his workload can be extremely demanding at times, Thomas knows that his family is part of this dream.
He adds that global achievements such as world records showcase his accomplishments and help validate his lifestyle – one that not everyone might understand or appreciate.
“It’s living proof that you can take your dreams and make them a reality,” he adds.
I have already been lucky enough to build some Gundam for Bandai, Transformers for Hasbro, and Zords for Power Rangers. I am already living out my best dreams
Thomas’ records are featured in Guinness World Records 2025, crowning one of Thomas' childhood dreams.
The cosplayer recalls collecting the Guinness World Records books growing up.
Back then, he says, he and his friends used to dream about breaking records... but he never guessed that he would enter those same pages with numerous record titles!
Now, he never fails to mention his records to new Extreme Costume clients, and also adds that being in the book is “a major bragging point and a great way to start a conversation.”
Being recognized by Guinness World Records is also an inspiration to his team, and the “proof that the business is moving forward.”
To those who are just starting to explore the world of cosplay, Thomas suggests being patient and striving to learn and improve as much as they can.
“Expect failure, expect you will not be satisfied with your work,” Thomas says.
“Expect friends and family to reject your dreams and be prepared to try over and over before you see any success.”
We don’t ever sit on our laurels; we use our success as a stepping stone to make bigger and better plans for the future. [...]
Nobody ever said being epic would be easy!