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Hyderabad’s HITEX Exhibition area turned into a pop culture playground on Friday as the 13th edition of Comic Con returned to the city. The three-day event, running alongside DreamHack India 2025, began with a riot of colour, cosplay, gaming and unrestrained fandom. This year, a clear shift was visible in the pop culture tide as anime has officially taken over. Stalls selling tee shirts, fridge magnets, posters and figurines featuring characters from series like Naruto, Demon Slayer and One Piece far outnumbered those with DC or Marvel superheroes. Even long-time staples like Batman and Joker were missing from the first day’s cosplay lineup. Only one Superman, armed with a soft toy of his dog Krypto, was spotted wandering the arena in search of fellow DC loyalists, without luck. Meanwhile, anime characters dominated the floor, with a handful of Marvel appearances, including a surge of Doctor Doom cosplayers after Robert Downey Jr.’s much-discussed return to the franchise after the death of Ironman. “Honestly, it feels like anime has taken over this year,” said Priya Nair, 22, who cosplayed 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 because of the Robert Downey Jr. announcement,” said Aditya Rao, 25, a Marvel fan from Secunderabad. “I thought I’d find a squad of Iron Men or Thors, but anime fans have completely hijacked this year. Still, it’s fun. The energy is unmatched. Let’s see how the weekend goes,” he said. Powered by Crunchyroll, the event opened in the presence of Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, who lauded the growing creative and gaming culture among Hyderabad’s youth. International guests included acclaimed writer and producer Mike Costa, known for his work on Netflix’s Lucifer and comic titles such as Venom, Transformers and G.I. Joe, along with artist J. Gonzo, celebrated for his vivid covers on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghost Rider and Alien. DreamHack’s presence added another layer of excitement to the weekend, pulling in some of India’s top gaming creators like Sensei IGL, Vanshaj, TraceGOD and Mr. Spike. From Tekken 8 to Street Fighter VI, battles were loud, competitive and endlessly cheered. The Red Bull Tetris Zone and BYOD tournaments kept gamers plugged in late into the evening, while the Retro and Board Games Zone provided a nostalgic counterpoint with Pac-Man and Monopoly holding their ground. Comic Con India CEO Shefali Johnson summed it up by saying, “Hyderabad fans have once again shown just how deeply passionate they are about pop culture. The energy here has been incredible. It is amazing to see how the city has embraced the spirit of comics, anime, gaming and everything in between.”
