At the heart of every Apex Legends collection event are the cosmetics - limited-time items that can be purchased with either in-game Crafting Metals or Apex Coins (the latter of which can be bought with real money). While some of these cosmetics eventually make a return to Apex Legends, players looking to stand out as soon as possible can buy them to deck out their legends however they wish. Acquiring all the cosmetics rewards players with either a very rare heirloom pack or a prestige skin pack - hence why the events are called "collection events".
Apex Legends' upcoming Gaiden Event brings yet another set of cosmetics to the battle royale game. For two weeks, players can only acquire these cosmetics through special Gaiden Event Packs or by using Crafting Metals. Once the event is over, the Gaiden Event cosmetics will be added to the base cosmetic loot pool - where they can be unlocked with either Crafting Metals or by opening normal Apex Packs. Even though Respawn Entertainment hasn't admitted it officially, these new cosmetics (particularly the legendary skins) are based on some of the world's most famous anime titles.
Three Heroes And One Mecha
Four legends - Octane, Wattson, Mirage, and Revenant - all have a single legendary skin each that pertains to a specific anime. Octane's skin is most certainly inspired by Luffy from One Piece - as evidenced by the straw hat, red vest, and blue shorts that he wears. Both his banner frame and pose reinforce this, as the frame shows a pirate ship and Octane's pose has him punching with a stretched fist - exactly how Luffy pulls off a lot of his moves in One Piece. To keep with Octane's motifs, he still retains his goggles and mechanical legs.
Wattson's legendary skin is inspired by Naruto as well as its titular character. This is made obvious thanks to the headband and puffy collared vest Wattson wears. Wattson's blond hair also helps sell the fact that she is cosplaying as Naruto. The hand signs she performs in her banner pose are more akin to what Sasuke - Naruto's rival - does, but this must have been done to keep with Wattson's affinity for electricity.
Mirage's skin may look a bit weird, but is inspired by Izuku Midoriya (AKA "Deku") from My Hero Academia. Mirage's trademark beard has been covered by a mask to make him look younger, and his hair has been dyed a shade of green much like Izuku's. His costume mirrors that of My Hero Academia's protagonist - complete with the bunny-like ears on the hood. As for Mirage's banner pose, he can be seen pointing two of his fingers towards the screen - an obvious shoutout to the Delaware Smash move Izuku performs in the anime.
While the other legendary skins are inspired by famous anime protagonists, Revenant's skin is inspired by a mecha; Evangelion Unit-00, to be precise. Taken from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Unit-00 is not piloted by protagonist Shinji Ikari, but rather Rei Ayanami - one of the series' central characters and the first ever child to pilot an Evangelion Unit. Revenant sports Unit-00's original blue, white, and orange color scheme but is made to look more sinister with a meaner face and sharper features. His banner pose mimics the movements an Evangelion Unit makes when it jumps from place to place.
More Than Just A Pretty Face
In addition to the banner frames and poses, these four legendary skins have weapon skins that tie into their motifs. Octane gets a pirate-themed EVA-8 Auto skin, Wattson gets a slick Charge Rifle skin with a wooden grip, Mirage has his Wingman skin that matches his outfit, and Revenant gets a mecha-inspired Flatline skin. There will no doubt be other references that will make their debut in the Gaiden Event, and Japan enthusiasts will be delighted to see some of their favorite shows be represented in Apex Legends.
Apex Legends is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.