About
Riki LeCotey—fans know her as “Riddle”—is a Canadian-born cosplayer, model, and costume designer who turned a childhood passion for cartoons into a globe-spanning career. Widely praised as one of the standout talents in North American cosplay, she now calls Atlanta home and splits her time between convention stages and movie sets.
A quick look at her résumé shows just how comfortably she moves between fandom and film. LeCotey debuted on television in Heroes of Cosplay (Syfy, 2013-14), where viewers followed her meticulous build process. Off-screen, she has served as a specialty costumer on blockbusters such as X-Men: First Class, Captain America: Civil War, and Thor: Love and Thunder, solving on-set wardrobe puzzles that range from hidden zippers to superhero-sized capes.
In 2025, she remains as busy as ever, slated to headline Oz Comic-Con Melbourne, judge contests at DreamHack Atlanta, and headline cosplay workshops from Auckland to Dublin. Even after two decades in the game, she still hops online to share pattern tips and convention selfies with more than half a million followers.
Before Fame
LeCotey spent her teen years in rural Canada gaming on after-school afternoons and running the high-school anime club she founded with a few like-minded friends. That club doubled as her first sewing circle; borrowing her mother’s old machine, she reverse-engineered character outfits for local conventions.
Those early costumes—simple capes, vinyl boots, and the occasional cardboard prop—taught her that fabric, foam, and a bit of ingenuity could bring fiction to life. By 2006, she was traveling to American shows, networking with photographers, and refining the clean finishing style that would later become her trademark on national television.
Trivia
- Charity at Heart. In 2011, she launched Cosplay for a Cause, a photo calendar that rallied creators worldwide and raised more than $30k for the Japanese Red Cross after the Tōhoku tsunami. Subsequent calendars and auctions have pushed total donations well past the $50k mark.
- Wildlife Whisperer. Away from cameras, she volunteers as a wildlife rehabber, bottle-feeding injured baby squirrels until they are strong enough to return to the forest—an unexpected hobby that delights panel audiences almost as much as her costumes.
- Documentary Star. Before reality TV beckoned, PBS featured her build process in Cosplay: Crafting a Secret Identity (2012), where she discussed translating comic-book silhouettes to real-world fabrics.
Family Life
LeCotey was born on October 27 in Canada and later moved south to Atlanta, Georgia, to be closer to the booming film industry. While she keeps most personal details private, she often mentions how her parents encouraged artistic pursuits—from sketchbooks to that first sewing machine—and still cheer from afar when a new costume debuts.
Her chosen Atlanta “family” includes fellow costumers, rescued animals, and a rotating crew of international friends who crash on her sofa during Dragon Con season. She says the shared late-night crafting sessions and post-con pancake breakfasts are the secret glue of long-term creativity.
Associated With
Fans first spotted LeCotey alongside Yaya Han, Chloe Dykstra, Holly Conrad, and other genre favorites in the cast of Heroes of Cosplay, friendships that continue on today’s guest-judge panels.
On film sets, she has collaborated with Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo, contributing specialty builds for Thor: Love and Thunder and other Marvel titles where intricate armor and quick repairs are daily challenges.
Convention circuits also link her with rising stars she mentors, from prop maker Jesse Lagers to TikTok sensation Megan Coffey—proof that her influence now spans two cosplay generations and counting.
