Allanon Costume

by Michael Bielaczyc

So I have started to plan my Allanon costume from the MTV Chronicles of Shannara. I always liked Allanon as a kid. There was something about his darker side that I understood, that hit closer to home that Gandalf’s laughter and fireworks. I like the updates to his costume that we have seen in the show so far, but I do wish they had stayed with earth tones more. After all he is a Druid.

I am enjoying Manu Bennett’s performance, so I am really looking forward to wearing this costume.

WIP

The Robe

The first thing I decided to focus on was the under robe.

Allanon Costume - Show — Manu Bennett as Allanon

I thought a nice thick linen, dyed to the burgandy purple we see above. Plus I fee linen will have that nice worn in feel that his robe has. Whitney Evans, our elf ear costumer from the Ohio Renaissance Festival, has decided to help me create the robe. First thing, sketch time!

Allanon - Robe costume sketch — Sketch for Allanon’s Robe

The Under Robe

Made by our friend Whitney, the under robe is dyed linen with red bias tape trim. I mixed red, purple and a touch of black when dying it. I had some issues with the color not being even, but then I thought that Allanon’s robe would be pretty weather worn, so I figured it would be ok.

Allanon’s Scars

Allanon has scars along the back of his head that glow when he uses magic (in the show). I plan on sculpting these with Monster Clay and molding it with Rebound 25. I wil then cast them in Dragonskin and apply with Prosaide.

Shannara-Chronicles Allanon — Allanon and a cool torch.

Leatherwork

Thanks so much to Tandy Leather Nashville for sponsoring the leather parts of this costume! Also our local store manager Keven for being so cosplay friendly. He will be teaching panels at Dragoncon, so be sure to look him up!

Bracers:

Dragoncon 2016:

Character History

He is the adopted son of Bremen of the Druidic Order, and he carries on his father’s legacy as last of the Druids, preserving the knowledge of ancient times, but knowing that it is dangerous.

Because of this, he is enigmatic and secretive; he appears only when needed, passing decades in a form of suspended animation called Druid sleep. He often calls on the aid of the Ohmsford family, the inheritors of the magic of Jerle Shannara, yet he is never completely honest with his companions. His words, which are few, are clouded in half-truths; his friends are always on a “need-to-know” basis. Some think he was the greatest of the Druids and the last Druid of the 2nd order.

In The Sword of Shannara, Allanon is described as “the mysterious wanderer of the four lands, historian of the races, philosopher and teacher, and practitioner of the mystic arts.”