Highlights

• The best armor setup in Dark Souls depends on a player's build and playstyle.
• Some players prefer wearing a complete armor set for style points, while others mix and match different pieces for maximum benefits.
• The Chester Set, Ornstein's Set, and Artorias' Set are highly coveted armor sets due to their unique designs and strong defensive capabilities.

If players were to ask the Dark Souls community which set of armor they should slap onto their Chosen Undead, chances are the vast majority of responses are going to end up being some variant of "it doesn't matter." And that's half right. What set of armor will end up working to a player's advantage is largely going to revolve around their build and play style. In fact, a lot of players can get by just fine with no armor at all!

If players want to maximize the benefits of every piece of equipment, then it's likely that their best armor setup isn't going to consist of a singular matched set of armor at all, but rather a mixture of different pieces from different sets. But that's usually ugly, and some players prefer wearing a complete armor set in Dark Souls for style points.

Updated February 18, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls is one of the greatest video games ever made, with players loving its interconnected level design, tense combat, and amazing lore that isn't shoved in their faces like most other games. Players will wholeheartedly enjoy this title and everything it has to offer once they get into this one-of-a-kind video game, with FromSoftware becoming a household name mainly because of how much success this game enjoyed.

Given how important it is to minimize damage of all kinds in this title, players must ideally wear the best armor sets that keep their health as high as possible while also making them look infinitely cool in the process.

14 Chester's Set

Dropped By Marvelous Chester

Players who want to look like a character straight out of Bloodborne will love what the Chester Set brings to the table. It's a piece of clothing that may look completely out of place in the dark fantasy aesthetic of Dark Souls, but this is precisely what makes this unique-looking piece of armor something that most players covet in the game.

This outfit is dropped by a character who hints at time travel, making many people assume that Marvelous Chester is a time traveler who hails from the realm of Bloodborne. If this is true, then Miyazaki is a genius for thinking about Bloodborne years before this amazing game would even grace a player's PlayStation 4.

13 Ornstein's Set

Obtained After Defeating Super Ornstein

The dual boss fight of Ornstein and Smough makes for one of the hardest boss fights in video game history. Players must put their skills to the test against a duo that takes no prisoners, with both characters complementing each others' movesets to make for an incredible showdown. Players who decided to focus on Ornstein and take his lightning-quick attacks into account will find themselves in for a rude awakening when Smough comes out of nowhere to wreak havoc. Similarly, trying to whittle down the health of the brute first will lead to Ornstein ravaging the Chosen Undead in no time,

If players like how awesome Ornstein looks, then they must defeat Smough first to trigger the fight against Super Ornstein. This is the harder variant of the two, which is why players must be wary during this battle and not get greedy. Successfully defeating the souped-up version of Ornstein will help players unlock his set, which certainly looks amazing. Some people find it inferior to Smough's armor, but the fact that it doesn't weigh a ton certainly helps things.

12 Artorias' Set

Purchased From Domhnall Of Zena After Defeating Artorias The Abysswalker

FromSoftware has made a name for itself when it comes to crafting quality pieces of DLC content, and this reputation was established with the release of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. It's a huge spike in difficulty, and players will become more than aware of just how tough this piece of additional content is when they decide to tackle the first boss of this DLC, who happens to be none other than Artorias himself.

The Abysswalker is no joke, with his aggressive moveset and quick attacks making it imperative to dodge and move around as quickly as possible to evade his damaging attacks. To make things worse, Artorias buffs himself over and over again during this battle, reaching a point where a single hit from his blade can one-shot the Chosen Undead. It's not a battle for the faint of heart, which is why so many players will relish beating this boss. As a reward, players can acquire Artorias' Set, making them look similar to this tragic knight whose story will make players weep.

11 Xanthous Set

Found In The Painted World Of Ariamis

Based on stats alone, the Xanthous Set isn't anything to write home about. It's an above-average set at best, and players pursuing the best stats would prefer better gear. However, when it comes to looking as unique as possible, the set has no equal.

The helm is so ridiculously large that some players will find the screen blocked by this massive headgear, which is oddly hilarious. There's a reason why multiplayer vets love this set because of how endearing the entire look is.

10 Iron Golem Set

Purchase From Domhnall Of Zena After Defeating The Iron Golem

The Iron Golem is a boss that stands in the way of the player and the glorious castle of Anor Londo. The fight itself is pretty trivial, with players having to knock down the Iron Golem by swinging at its feet before either making it topple to its doom or placing it in a vulnerable position where players could wail on it until the boss' health bar is decimated.

Defeating this boss allows players to purchase and wear the Iron Golem suit, which looks pretty cool, barring the weird-looking helm. However, the armor's effectiveness is hindered by its equip weight. Most people would just opt for Havel's Armor instead if they wanted to strike a balance between good defenses and evasion.

9 Silver Knight Set

Found In Anor Londo

The Silver Knights are some of the toughest enemies in the game, and players will need to figure out a proper strategy to deal with them by the time they reach the legendary Anor Londo. The melee enemies are imposing as is, and the archers who try to hit players on the rooftops are especially notorious.

That being said, their armor looks pretty neat and is worth taking for players who want to look like a proper knight. It's not the best set in the game, but players can still wear the armor and take on most baddies without breaking a sweat if they're skillful enough.

8 Smough's Set

Purchase From Domhnall Of Zena After Defeating Super Smough

Smough is one of the two legendary bosses whom players have to face off against in the legendary castle of Anor Londo. Even reaching this boss is a pain in itself. Trying to fight this duo without taking on some serious damage is one of the toughest things players can accomplish in the game.

However, if players manage to defeat Ornstein first and then tackle the super-powered version of Smough, they'll be able to acquire this executioner's armor set. While it boasts excellent defenses, the equip load of the set is so high that most people don't consider it to be worthwhile, unless players don't mind fat-rolling to kingdom come.

7 Black Knight Set

A Rare Drop From Black Knights; Also Found On A Corpse In The Kiln Of The First Flame

The Black Knights are some of the toughest and most fear-inducing enemies in Dark Souls. They hit like a truck and boast some of the best equipment in the game. It's easy to see why most players would prefer to just avoid this enemy, especially in encounters where they don't need to risk their lives to tackle this imposing foe.

However, players who want to obtain great equipment early should farm these enemies, especially if they have the skills to take them out. These enemies have a chance of dropping rare armor and completing the set this early will net a piece of armor that can carry players to the end. The only other way to obtain a full set is to loot it in the Kiln of the First Flame, which is the final area of Dark Souls.

6 Elite Knight's Set

Near The Sealed Door Of Darkroot Garden, Guarded By Two Stone Knights And Four Ents

The Elite Knight's set isn't the best armor in Dark Souls, but a lot of factors contribute to it being more desirable than many other options. It's easily accessible, offers considerable poise, and has one of the better weight-to-defense ratios in the game.

It isn't exactly light in the weight department, but it is easily surmountable for those who want to maintain their mobility without sinking too much investment into it. Its well-rounded statistics, modest requirements, and relatively early appearance in the game make it a remarkably solid go-to for newcomers.

5 Paladin Set

Kill Paladin Leeroy And Find His Corpse In The Gravelord Nito Boss Room

The Paladin set is one of the heavier "medium" armor sets in the game, but it offers a lot to make up for its somewhat unwieldy amount of heft. It boasts high defensive statistics and a little more poise than the comparable Elite Knight's set. Most importantly, it has excellent curse resistance, which can save quite a bit of a headache when facing enemies capable of inflicting it.

The player will need to defeat the red phantom of Paladin Leeroy to get their hands on it, which can be a little tricky as this encounter is triggered in the Tomb of Giants, after having placed the Lord Vessel. This means obtaining it early is usually not going to be in the cards, but it's well worth the wait and the effort.

4 Black Iron Set

On A Corpse Near The World Of Ariamis Painting In Anor Londo

The Black Iron set is the most well-rounded of the big boy armor sets, offering a wide variety of extra benefits in addition to a surprisingly accessible weight value. It features solid poise, good physical defenses, the highest fire resistance of any armor set in Dark Souls, and a smidgen of curse resistance for good measure.

It is also one of only two heavy armor sets that can be upgraded through reinforcement. Once upgraded fully, it offers some of the highest physical defenses in the game, exceeded only by the upgraded Giant's set. It can be located just outside the painting and provides transportation to the Painted World of Ariamis, within Anor Londo.

3 Catarina Set

Purchase From Crestfallen Merchant

Despite having great resistances across the board, most players would be surprised to learn that the Catarina Set doesn't weigh all that much. This makes it great for players who want to wear heavy armor without being weighed down and forced to fat roll. It helps that the unique design of this armor makes it a must-have for players invested in having the most fashionable character around.

This armor set is worn by Siegmeyer of Catarina, one of the most beloved characters in Dark Souls history. Players who want to become besties with this character will love twinning with him in the game.

2 Havel's Armor

Found In Anor Londo Next To A Mimic Chest Behind An Illusory Wall

It's big, it's ridiculous, and it was once the bane of the Dark Souls PVP scene. Boasting some incredible defensive statistics and the highest poise rating in the game, encountering an invader decked out in full Havel's armor is sure to elicit a well-deserved groan.

As one might guess, the main drawback of Havel's armor is the fact that it is incredibly heavy. In fact, heavy is a total understatement, and it'll take no shortage of effort to overcome it. The set is located behind an illusory wall in Anor Londo, assuming that gets past the infamous Silver Knight archers that keep the area locked down.

1 Giant Set

Purchase From The Giant Blacksmith In Anor Londo

Once upon a time, preceding a certain patch, the top spot would've gone to Havel's set, in keeping with a once-popular build. However, the Giant's Set is now the most desirable (and likely overused) set in Dark Souls, offering superior defensive capability at the cost of some poise.

Though its poise rating isn't quite as monstrous as Havel's, the Giant Set still offers a sturdy amount of it alongside its better defensive statistics once upgraded. It can be obtained from the Giant Blacksmith for 26,000 souls, and though this list refers specifically to complete armor sets, swapping the helmet out for a particularly fatherly mask (and a few other choice accessories) might just cause one to become unstoppable.