Look at any major video game franchise character these days, and fans are likely to find one thing: the adventures and hardships they endure are lethal to the average human being. While most video game heroes are exceptional in most aspects, some of their invincibility must be credited to the armor they usually wear into combat. In some cases, changing into the finest piece of armor is a necessity before facing the ultimate boss or simply progressing in the story.
Whether their second skin is simply strong, bestowed with superpowers or artificial intelligence, or just pleasing to the eye, a video game hero's armor is likely to become every bit as famous as their name. There are endless suits to choose from, but here's our list of the coolest video game armor sets.
Updated on September 29, 2023, by Adrián Tomé López: Tons of great armor designs have become iconic over the years thanks to new video games. It doesn't come as a surprise that the total number of entries in this ranking has doubled. The emergence and popularity of the Souls franchise, great video game sagas, and others that managed to reinvent themselves have, as a result, introduced iconic armor sets that will be remembered for a very long time. Some of these newer contenders are even worthy of challenging the position for the coolest video game armor ever.
20 First Civilization Armor - Assassin's Creed Odyssey
The Assassin's Creed franchise is not what it was when it started, but it still managed to deliver its coolest-looking armor set with the DLC The Fate of Atlantis: Fields of Elysium for Odyssey. Bringing a sci-fi style to Ancient Greece was a massive success. This armor inspired and forged by the Isu completed one of the best if not the best DLC of the Assassin's Creed saga.
Apart from looking amazing it also contributes to the game by boosting all kinds of stats including critical damage, a lot of assassin damage, and damage with swords. It's the ideal armor to wear in order to become a true unstoppable assassin.
19 Havel's Armor - Dark Souls
The Havel's Armor is one of the most recognizable sets in all of Darks Souls' lore. Present in Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3, this heavy armor came to the rescue of many players who were overwhelmed by the fierce attacks of some of the strongest and most difficult bosses ever. Thanks to its stats players can take more blows than usual and deliver powerful parries, making sure any enemy can be defeated.
Often in the conversation for the best armor sets in the franchise, this armor combines an attractive design with an important effect in the gameplay. However, it does require a very specific style of play since one becomes incredibly slow while wearing it, which doesn't work very well with those who prefer evading over parrying. Still, it was a nightmare to face in PVP.
18 Daedric Armor - Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
It might seem ridiculous to select just a single suit of armor from those available to either purchase or craft in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim since players were free to assemble their own suits based on whatever criteria they chose - style, strength, magical properties, or weight. But when taking the intimidation factor, value, physical attributes, and time taken to unlock it, the Daedric Armor is hard to top.
Named for the mystical inhabitants of Oblivion that occasionally cross over into the game's world, the Daedric Armor is about as demonic as a Dragonborn can get. With its sharpened spikes and hellish glow, dragons may simply surrender once laying eyes on this rig.
17 Yharnam Hunter Armor - Bloodborne
The looks that are commonly viewed as the face of Bloodborne are perfectly encompassed in this armor set. The Yharnam Hunter set represents all that Bloodborne is. It's a fantastic attire for beginners, cheap to get at the start of the game, and with decent stats. Its value mainly comes from how iconic it became and how long many players treasured this armor throughout their playthrough. But even without the sentimental approach, the Yharnam Hunter look is as cool as it gets.
This set is slightly different for male and female characters, with the female version having a small cape around the shoulder. It's sold by the Messengers at Hunter's Dream from almost the beginning of the game for a fair price.
16 T-51b Power Armor - Fallout
As the real world marches more and more toward advanced, mechanized armor on the battlefield, it's likely that eventually something along the lines of the T-51b Power Armor will be created. The iconic set of armor used in marketing the Fallout series was a standard issue for American infantry prior to the Great War, found in several games.
It is true that the TX-28 MicroFusion pack used to power the armor's hydraulics isn't exactly the safest option, but then, this is a series whose premise is based on the irresponsible use of nuclear technology. Unlike most entries on this list, both the T-51b and its predecessor, the T-45d power armor are seen multiple times, worn in number by members of the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave. Normally that might harm the armor's novelty factor, but even with the extra training required to operate it, nothing beats the stares when entering a room.
15 Hammer Suit - Super Mario Bros
Any fan of the Super Mario Bros. Series knows that the titular siblings have more than a passing interest in extensive wardrobes. When it comes to special suits, power-ups, or unique abilities, they are the undisputed experts. But rarely can the term 'armor' be applied to Mario or Luigi's bonus clothing - except in the case of the Hammer Suit.
First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, the suit turns either Mario or Luigi into their Hammer variants, modeled after the Koopa enemies known as Hammer Bros. With a fireproof shell, an indestructible helmet, and a set of hammers to hurl at enemies, the Hammer Suit shows Mario in a whole new light. With extra style points awarded for the black color scheme, fans can't help but love one of the few mental images of Mario heading into battle sporting actual armor instead of overalls.
14 Drachen Alpha Armor - Monster Hunter: World
This is probably the best armor in Monster Hunter: World and definitely the prettiest. Amazing stats and boosts mixed in with a beautiful design make the Drachen Alpha Armor a perfect attire wished for by every player who comes across the lands of the New World.
As could be expected from this type of armor set, it's very hard to get, having to fight some of the most powerful monsters in the game. The reward is more than worth it, not only because of how good it looks but also for the 92 max defense and increased airborne damage.
13 Raging Wolf Armor Set - Elden Ring
Elden Ring has left a huge impression on the gaming world, and of course, their epic armor sets are part of the reason. This armor set, in particular, serves as the face of Elden Ring from the moment it was shown in the trailer, which created an uncanny level of expectation for the latest Souls entry. However, this default Tarnished look is not easy at all to get in the game. The Raging Wolf Armor can be acquired after completing the Volcano Manor quest line.
The original owner was Vagram the Raging Wolf whom the player kills and is one of the first Tarnished to ever reach the Roundtable and therefore a key piece of the game's lore. Any fan that followed Elden Ring from the beginning was dying to get this armor when it finally came out.
12 Augmented Reaction Suit - Vanquish
It could be said about many of the armor sets on the list that the suit itself is the hero's greatest weapon. However, in the case of Vanquish, the sentiment is a literal one. Instead of building futuristic guns, DARPA invested in the Augmented Reaction Suit (ARS) to turn an everyday soldier into a walking tank.
Besides heightening the user's strength, endurance, mobility, and speed (negating any need for developing a "supersoldier serum"), the suit's BLADE system puts an entire arsenal at the user's disposal. Able to scan any battlefield weapon and essentially recreate it out of the suit's own parts. Assault Rifles can switch to Sniper Rifles, to Rocket Launchers, and back again at the press of a button. That special ability alone offers a deadlier suit than simple body armor, but its ability to slow down time makes it one of the most underrated armors on the list.
11 Lich King Armor - World of Warcraft
Wrath of the Lich King offered not only an intricate and exciting storyline but also one of the coolest armors of all time. The only same about this one is that it exclusively belongs to the Lich King himself, so not being playable it's obviously a major downside. Still, it makes for a memorable villain forever tied to this fearsome-looking armor. If it was possible to obtain it, it could easily contend for first position in this ranking.
This attire that looks inspired by Sauron from The Lord of the Rings became so iconic that even gamers who don't play World of Warcraft have seen it at some point. For the actual fans of World of Warcraft, it doesn't need an introduction. Its cultural importance in the video gaming world is immeasurable.