The burly Instagrammer says he’ll continue to dress as the female character because he doesn’t need closed-minded followers.

One of the best things about the world of cosplay is the fact that it opens up opportunities for people to become anyone – or anything – they’ve ever dreamed of. No matter what your size, age, gender, or financial situation might be, cosplay is an outlet that everyone can enjoy, and how far you take it is totally up to you.

For French cosplayer Leo Bane, his muscly physique makes him a natural choice for a whole range of burly characters, and he’s been proudly giving life to some of them over the years, posting photos of his cosplay on his Instagram account since 2015.

▼ Some of the male heroes in his portfolio include King Leonidas from the movie 300

▼ Disney’s Hercules

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🇬🇧️ This pic was made when I was guest in Tunisia for the @japeventstunisia in #Tunisia, I met there a lot of #incredible #artists and I never expected of this. That's why I love #travel and I'm so #happy to get the opportunity to travel to other country thanks to the #cosplay. From your own country you only have the feedback of others and from the media, what I saw in Tunisia and Dubai or #Poland are for example totaly differents from what was taught me. I can't wait this week-end for the south of #Spain thanks to #Almeriago and for the next week-end thanks to @vieccviennacomiccon, my first time in Austria and I'm excited about this. — 🇫🇷️ Cette photo a été faite en Tunisie lorsque j'ai été invité à l'event @japeventstunisia, j'y ai rencontré tellement d'artistes de fou et je ne m'attendais pas du tout à cela. C'est pour cela que j'adore voyager et je suis tellement heureux d'avoir l'opportunité grâce à cette passion de pouvoir voyager dans différents pays en tant qu'invité. De France on a le retour uniquement de nos proches et surtout des merdias eh medias, ce que j'ai pu voir et vivre à #Dubai, en #Pologne ou ici en #Tunisie par exemple est totalement différent de ce qu'on a pu m'apprendre sur ces pays auparavant, je suis tombé de haut plusieurs fois. Me tarde ce weekend pour le sud sud de l’#Espagne grâce à #AlmeriaGo et le week-end suivant en #Autriche grâce à la comic con de #Vienne, ma première fois en Autriche, me tarde ! — #Costume & #Model : @Leobane Cosplay #Photographer : D-Stifler ======================== JOIN THE PHALANX : #Facebook : leobane cosplay #Twitter : leobanecosplay #Deviantart : leobanecosplay @cosproagency : leobane

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Kratos, the “Ghost of Sparta”, from the God of War video game series…

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[KRATOS – GOD OF WAR] 🇬🇧️ For this pic we put my blades on fire 🤣. Four years ago when I did this costume I wanted something big for #Kratos and this shoot is like a conretization for me and this cosplay 😌 – ▶️Do you like this pic', do you want more ? 🤔 ▶️Feel free to tag all you friends that like #GodofWar 💪. – 🔜SHOOT: I will soon made some photoshoot and received many pictures for #Dovahkiin, #Hercules, #Crixus, #Leonidas, #KhralDrogo, #Shanyu 😄. 🔜NEXT COSPLAY: I've also already announced you #Gaston and #Kenshiro and #JosephJoestar on my list but be sure to follow me and my stories this week-end because I'll work on them and also show you what costumes are coming later 😜. – Thanks again to the whole team that worked on this #pic, my #friend @zdenek_riha from @creative.wolves and @kingakunzmakeup for their #incredible skills. — #Costume & #Model : @leobane #Photographer : @creative.wolves #MakeupArtist : @kingakunzmakeup #Fire (yes, that's Real fire!) : @mate_playingwithfire Taken : FotoCon ======================== #Facebook : leobane cosplay #Twitter : leobanecosplay #Deviantart : leobanecosplay

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▼ Udyr from League of Legends

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🇬🇧 When I choose to find a character from #LeagueofLegends, my first choice was #Pantheon because he is a spartan you know but finally I choosed Udyr. First he have my body-type but I stayed on Udyr's choice after watching a lot of videos on the creation of this character and his history. Then I played him and I was decided. Regardless of his body, his mind, his strenght and his dedication were the principals point of this choice. I'm one of them who think that roleplay and the personnal attraction to the character we do is important. ▶️And you, how do you choose a character ? did you already do a LOL cosplay and which one ? :D — 🇫🇷 Quand j'ai choisi de faire un perso de League of Legends, mon premier choix était d'abord Pantheon, car c'est un spartiate tavu mais j'ai finalement choisi #Udyr. Premièrement nous avons le même body-type mais je ne me suis pas décidé via cela, j'ai ensuite regardé pas mal de vidéos en fr/en sur la vie de Udyr, sa création, son histoire, ses motivation, son but. Je l'ai ensuite joué également et j'étais décidé. Indépendamment de son physique, c'était réellement son âme, sa façon de penser, d'agir, sa force et ses convictions ainsi que son dévouement à sa cause qui m'aura fait m’asseoir sur ce choix. Je suis l'un de ceux qui pense que le #roleplay, l'attirance que l'on a avec le personnage sur ce plan là, sont vraiment important. ▶️Et toi, comment choisi-tu tes perso ? aussi as-tu déjà réalisé un cosplay de #LOL et lequel ? :D — ▶️ If you like my work, consider to LIKE/SHARE/COMMENT or TAG your friends to fight against the decline of organic Facebook reach. ◀️ — #Costume & Model : @Leobane #Photographer: @carmen_photo_cosplay #Edit: @asato_carnivean ======================== JOIN THE PHALANX : #Facebook : leobane cosplay #Twitter : leobanecosplay #Deviantart : leobanecosplay @cosproagency : leobane

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🇬🇧 I'm happy to share with you this wonderful pic that Konrad made during the last Fotocon, I've another one that I should share with you later, I hope you like it this first one ! 😄
Some things, I'm working hard on some project and I can't wait to show you all of that.
I created today my Vero account, I'll try it and give you my own feedback next week, if you have an account, follow me there : "leobane" 💪 . — 🇫🇷️ Je suis super content de pouvoir enfin vous partager cette superbe photo que Konrad a pu faire lors du dernier Fotocon, j'en ai une seconde et je vous la partagerai une autre fois, j'espère que vous aimez cette première ! 😄
Quelques trucs, je bosse hard sur pas mal de choses, vie privé, vie professionnel et passion, j'vous en dirai plus plus tard.
J'ai créé un compte sur Vero aujourd'hui, je vais essayer cela et vous en faire mon feedback perso la semaine prochaine, si vous y êtes déjà vous me trouverez ici : "leobane" 💪. — #Cosplayer : @Leobane
#Pic: @zurawiczek Event : FotoCon by Techland – ————– JOIN THE PHALANX :
#Instagram / #Vero : leobane
#Twitter / #Deviantart : leobanecosplay

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▼ And Khal Drogo from the Game of Thrones TV series.

▼ He’s also been known to share some of the photos behind his impressive transformations.

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Makeup : @kingakunzmakeup Cosplayer : @Leobane — 🇬🇧️ Ahou spartans, so Hercules makes a buzz each time and that's also because of the awesome work of all the photographers and of the amazing makeup artist @kingakunzmakeup. I wanted to sharing with you again this pic that can show you all the incredible work she made on me, please give her a like because she really deserve it ! So perfect isn't it ??? :p — 🇫🇷 Ahou les spartiates, Hercules rencontre du succès à chaque fois et c'est grace au taf des photographes mais aussi du travaille de guedin qu'à fait la maquilleuse @kingakunzmakeup du coup je voulais vous partager à nouveau cette photo qui vous montre plutôt bien le taf qu'elle a fait sur ma tronche ce jour là, si vous aimez alors suivez la, elle le mérite vraiment ! Il est parfait hein ??? :p — #Makeup : @kingakunzmakeup #Cosplayer : @Leobane ======================== JOIN THE PHALANX : #Facebook : leobane #Twitter : leobanecosplay #Deviantart : leobanecosplay

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🇬🇧️ As you liked my Kratos costume, take in consideration that with no makeup artist, no Kratos ! ;p I wanted to show you again the #awesome work of @KingaKunzMakeup on this Kratos ! She is so skilled, go check her work ! Thank you so much Kinga ! :D ——- 🇫🇷️ Comme vous avez l'air d'aimer mon costume de Kratos, je voulais vous rappeler que sans #makeup #artist, il n'y a pas de Kratos ! ;p Je voulais donc aussi vous montrer à nouveau le taf de guedin de @KingaKunzMakeup sur ce #Kratos ! Elle est vraiment douée, allez vous sa page ! Merci beaucoup Kinga ! :D ======================== JOIN THE PHALANX : #Snapchat : leobane #Facebook : leobane cosplay #Twitter : leobanecosplay #Deviantart : leobanecosplay @Cosproagency : leobane

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Despite having more than 200 photos in his online collection, there’s one particular character that seems to divide Bane’s fans: Sailor Neptune.

His muscly body might not match the physique of the female warrior from the hugely popular Sailor Moon franchise, but that hasn’t stopped him from baring his thighs and stepping out in Sailor Neptune’s high heels.

When asked why he chose to crossplay as Sailor Neptune, Bane says he didn’t want to limit himself to characters who simply matched his physique. He wants to encourage cosplayers around the world to take a chance and seize the opportunity to become whatever you want to be through the magic of cosplay.

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🇬🇧️ Why this cosplay? I don’t remember why, I think it was because somebody challenged me and I was enough crazy to do it or it was for a duo with my bro @gatz_cosplay , honestly I don’t remember. What is sure is that I could limit myself to share with you only one picture so why did I continue? 😏 Because I want to show you that okay I’ve the body of the characters I choose to cosplay but this is not something that should stop you, this is my point of view! 👊 If you love Superman or Thor or even Hercules and are skinny af: DO IT. If you are black or white and want to cosplay a character from the opposite skin color: DO IT. I’m muscular with big guns and legs and I wanted to become Sailor Neptune, a sexy female character: I DIT IT. 😘 Don’t limit yourself, cosplay give you the opportunity to become whatever you want to be, take this chance! What is your point of view ? 🤔 — Cosplayer : @Leobane Pic: TaiG —- ✅Turn post notification 🔥 ————— JOIN ME : IG / Vero / @cosproagency : leobane Facebook : leobane cosplay Twt / Deviantart : leobanecosplay

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Interestingly, Bane says that each time he posts a picture of his Sailor Neptune crossplay, he notices that he loses a number of his followers. To this, he says, “You know what? I will continue on this way because that means I’m losing some closed minded people and I only need crazy badass and open minded spartans in my phalanx.

If some people are turned off by his crossplay, others are celebrating it, heaping praise on Bane’s creative images and leaving comments in awe of everything from his brilliant thighs to his animated poses. But more than anything, his fans are loving the message he is sending out to the world.

As long as Bane and other crossplayers around the globe continue to stand up to the naysayers and break free from the confines of traditional gender norms, the future for breaking stereotypes in the real world will continue to look bright as well.

Featured image: Instagram/leobane