HalloweenAngel

An Inigo Montoya costume makes a brilliant choice for Halloween and also cosplay too. Who wouldn't want to dress up just like an incredible and distinctly dashing swordsman.

Inigo Montoya is a complex character, often inebriated yet also described as a magnificent sword-fighting and swashbuckling Spaniard. Read on and see how to completely transform yourself into this sword fencing hero.

This is one of my favorite characters from the amazing and hugely popular The Princess Bride as written by William Goldman. Inigo is acted out in the movie by Mandy Patinkin.

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This is the Inigo Montoya Costume from the Princess Bride Movie

This is the whole Inigo costume look you're aiming for.

Image Credit: Shared by Roland Tanglao from Vancouver, Canada on Wikimedia with a CC License

If you follow all my steps below, you should look just as suave and dashing. I have seen some rather bad Inigo Montoya cosplay outfits which look kind of cheap and nasty. There are also some costume t-shirts available too.

The only officially licensed Inigo Montoya costume set I have seen available is this one from HalloweenCostumes.com. It includes almost everything that you need to look like this sword fighting hero.

This set includes a laced neck shirt, pants and vest, belt, boot covers, wig and mustache. The sword is not included but you really should get one as an extra accessory.

This child's costume has the look of Inigo Montoya about it. Add on a costume mustache, some facial scars with face paint, some boots and a toy sword to nail the look.

Many of the ready made options don't do this cool character any justice at all. After all, he's a dark and handsome Spaniard, even if he is just worn around the edges.

Make sure you put together an outfit for cosplay or Halloween that really does justice to this dark-haired and super-fit male hero. It will then get you noticed for all the right reasons.

Step 1: Start With Inigo Montoya's Shirt

Get a Renaissance Style Shirt, Choice of Colors at Amazon.com

UK Readers get a Pirate Shirt from Amazon.co.uk

This isn't, of course, his actual shirt. Any long sleeve, off-white, cream or muted brown plain shirts are the best color options for his costume.

You're looking for a simple Renaissance style like this with some laces at the front and rather plain long sleeves. This one pictured is a pretty good look, even better if you can get something similar in a cream, off-white or gray color.

Inigo's clothes never actually look clean in the movie. He's pretty shabby and unkempt. This is totally in keeping with the fact that he drinks a bit too much.

Like a Renaissance shirt would be, his top is laced up at the front just along the neckline area but not too low down. He wears this shirt in a very informal manner. It is left open at the top with cord dangling down. Look for off-white, gray or brown shirts to get the muted look you need for an Inigo Montoya costume.

Add on a Renaissance Jerkin or Vest Over the Top of the Shirt

Over the top of Montoya's long sleeve shirt is a medium brown, sleeveless renaissance jerkin or vest. This one shown below comes in lots of different colorways and is also reversible so you could use it for many other costume outfits and cosplay events too.

Buy a Brown Jerkin from Amazon.com

This jerkin is fully reversible with a different color on the inside. Alternatively, you can make or get someone else to sew up a jerkin or a vest for you.

If you lose the stripes on the Butterick Sewing Pattern B4574 and choose a plain, medium brown fabric then it will look pretty similar to what this character wears. You should be able to source that pattern online.

Remember that Inigo's Princess Bride outfit all looks rather worn and well lived in. His shirt is never bright white. You can opt to buy or use a white shirt and then discolor it so you get a much more realistic off white using some strong, hot tea as a dye.

Step 2: Inigo Montoya Rapier, Every Swashbuckler Needs a Sword!

You will struggle to find a fencing and musketeer style of rapier that looks just like Inigo's own sword from The Princess Bride.

The real Inigo Montoya rapier is particularly spectacular and has an intricate and ornate gold basket and ivory leather wrapped handle on it. There really is "no sword of its equal" just as Westley said in the book.

Image Credit: Shared by Theresa Arzadon-Labajo on Flickr with a CC License

This photo shows Inigo's sword on the left along with his enemy Count Rugen's sword and six finger glove. Inigo confronts Count Rugen with the words: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

This sword I picked out here may make for a particularly good costume prop accessory but they are actually real functioning swords as well. So you do need to take great care with the sharp point on this.

Other people have used these to great success when dressing in their own costumes and, I think, it looks so much better to use a real rapier rather than a toy, plastic version.

Buy A Rapier Fencing Sword from Amazon.com

Note that Inigo's actual sword has intricate gold color metal work at the top. You might find one like that hard to find. An alternative could be to buy a cheap rapier and use gold color spray paint to get the right look.

There was an actual prop replica made of this sword which was based on the actual movie but it was made as a very limited edition. I don't ever see this up for sale anymore although you could try eBay.

You would probably not want to use it for cosplay or Halloween, however, because it is a collectible item and best used as a display piece. However, you can find photos of it in Google or Bing Image Search if you want to look for a fencing sword that really is just the part.

Westley said: I have never seen its equal.

Frog Belt Hanger: Carry Your Costume Sword in Style

Of course if you're going to use a sword as part of your costume or cosplay outfit, you'll need to carry it properly. That's where a leather rapier sword frog comes in handy. You add this item on to your belt and carry your rapier in style, just like your swashbuckling hero!

Get a Frog Belt Hanger to Carry a Costume Sword on Amazon.com

UK Readers get a Sword Belt Hanger from Amazon.co.uk

This frog belt hanger slides onto a normal belt. A brown belt would work well with this outfit choice.

Inigo spends the majority of the Princess Bride tale determined to avenge the death of his father by a six-fingered man, nonetheless! He starts out as a bit of a slobbering and embarrassing drunk but transforms into a hero.

He becomes a hero who saves Westley, aka the Man in Black, from an untimely death and also helps to reunite him with his one true love.

Step 3: Inigo Montoya Cosplay: Walking in Montoya's Shoes

Inigo wears long, brown boots which look like suede. They are not dark brown but a much lighter tan shade. You may have some long boots to use or you can look for some brown boot tops to fit over some existing shoes.

It is far less expensive to buy a boot top accessory than to get a whole new set of boots. Boot tops pull over the top of an existing pair of shoes and they appear as if you are wearing long boots instead. Wear the long boots over some tight fit brown pants, Inigos look like brown leather pants.

The amazing duel between Inigo and the Dread Pirate Roberts. You can check this out for a sense of the costume you are trying to emulate and just because it is fun to watch over. You can also check out the boots that he wears for his duel with the Dread Pirate while you're at it.

Step 4: Inigo's Facial Scars and Mustache

Inigo was scarred for life by the evil Count Rugen, otherwise known as The Six Fingered Man. Inigo has two rather straight scars down either cheekbone where Rugen, slashed him down the face with his rapier to teach him a lesson.

You might want to reflect these particular scars in your costume. You can purchase some fake scars and stick them to your face using liquid latex or spirit gum. Some of these costume scars tend to look rather fake unless it is done very well.

You can create fake scars with a special scar liquid product but as with any kind of make-up, do a test patch first in case of allergies. Or you can paint some scars on using costume makeup like Snazaroo which is what we use. You must have the mustache to look just like this character. Inigo's striking tash points downwards and it is a dark brown color.

Step 5: The Spaniard's Hair Style and Wigs

Unless you opt for an officially licensed version wig, now very difficult to find, it is not easy to find a particular wig for this character. His hair is a very dark brown, almost black in shade and is parted down the middle.

Inogo has short bangs in place which are also parted in the middle and the length of his hair comes down to his chin. His hair is wavy and curly. The nearest alternative look I can find is to opt for a shaggy 70's style wig in either black or brown. If you have longish hair, you could curl it yourself and style it to look just like him.

The Essential Run-Down of an Inigo Montoya Cosplay Costume

Inigo's standard look and styling is a mostly brown colored affair.

Image Credit: Shared by Clinton Steeds on Flickr with a CC License

His long sleeve shirt top looks like it is an off-white pale brown color. It's not a bright white and the shirt looks pretty grubby and well worn. These are the important points to note. A bright white shirt would look very wrong on a character like this who portrays a bit of a depressed drunk.

Choose a pale color shirt if you can that has long sleeves. Leave it carelessly open at the neck just like he does. The sleeves on his shirt are slim and narrow and do not balloon out like his companion Westley's Man in Black costume. Inigo's shirt also has a simple brown cord fastening at the neck.

Over the shirt, he wears a darker medium brown vest or jerkin (waistcoat for UK readers) around which is fastened a plain brown belt.

He wears shiny dark brown pants (trousers) which appear like they are fashioned from a rather tight fitting leather.

Over the top of these pants are some lighter color brown suede boots that look well worn and scuffed.

Nothing about his whole outfit looks new except for his rather amazing and glistening fencing sword with a gold color metal handle.

It is fair to say that Inigo is indeed a man who possesses many talents. If you want to get this character to perfection with your costume or outfit, you could also learn to say a few phrases along with a Spanish accent.

I hope you really enjoy looking like this totally suave and cool character.

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Page Last Updated: August 21st, 2018