When one talks about excellent open-world games, the last name that anyone would've thought of before 2017 would be Nintendo. While the developer is certainly one of the greatest and most important gaming companies of all time, they were known more for experimentation with new gameplay forms and opposed to conforming to established norms. However, this perception was turned on its head with the release of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, which just might be the greatest open-world game ever made. The combat, difficulty, progression, story, and wondrous sense of exploration are just a few of the many elements that this game has executed with the highest level of excellence.

With the sheer number of armor, weapons, shields, and bows—among other things—in the game, players would obviously want to obtain the best equipment possible. Armor is especially in demand in this regard, since it's the only piece of equipment that doesn't have a durability stat attached to it. The best sets of armor in Breath of the Wild provide a wealth of bonuses while letting Link absorb more damage, which is imperative in a game where high-level players can spell one's doom in no time flat.

Updated on February 22, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: While many people agree that Tears of the Kingdom is a superior game from a mechanical and technical standpoint, it didn't come even remotely close to having the same level of impact that Breath of the Wild did upon its launch. Nintendo's attempt to make a true open-world Zelda game was incredibly fruitful, with players loving the sense of freedom and discovery this game helped them enjoy without relying on the same old tired tropes that have made this genre of gaming as stale as they come. Throughout his journey, Link will discover numerous sets of armor that enhance his defenses and let him enjoy some unique bonuses to boot.

22 Worn Set

Base Defense: 2

• Full Set Bonus: None
• Upgradeable: No

Link starts off with the worst armor set in the entire game, which is understandable. The whole point of the Worn Set is to be replaced with other valuable armor in the game, after all.

That being said, Link looks pretty neat in this set, if nothing else. Of course, fashion doesn't equate to defense, and Link would definitely be taken down in one fell swoop by any powerful enemy if he's caught with this set of armor.

Where to Find

Found at the very start of the game in two chests within the Shrine of Resurrection.

21 Tingle's Set

Base Defense: 6

• Full Set Bonus: Night Speed Up
• Upgradeable: No

Another armor set that comes from the DLC of Breath of the Wild references one of the funniest characters in the series. Tingle is a pretty unique character that players get to interact with in Majora's Mask, with this person being rather creepy at times.

It doesn't help that his outfit is pretty goofy, and seeing it on Link can be quite hilarious. That being said, the armor set is pretty weak, and the bonus isn't really all that great since all it does is increase Link's movement speed at night.

Where to Find

Found in three metal chests submerged in water. These areas are the Exchange Ruins, Castle Town Prison, and Mabe Village Ruins.

20 Dark Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Night Speed Up
• Upgradeable: No

The Dark Set is one of the coolest-looking armor sets in the game. The player needs to put in a ton of effort and get lucky with the appearance of Kilton's shop to gain this sinister armor.

Wearing the full set unlocks greater night speed for Link, which is a minor yet appreciable buff. Unfortunately, the fact that the Dark Set can't be upgraded really takes it down a notch when it comes to protecting Link.

Where to Find

Purchased by Kilton at Fang and Bone after completing the four Divine Beasts.

19 Royal Guard Set

Base Defense: 12

• Full Set Bonus: Charge Atk. Stamina Up
• Upgradeable: No

The DLC for Breath of the Wild is pretty great and jam-packed with content, giving players another excuse to play this game...not that they needed one in the first place. Everything from new quests, challenges, and equipment is added to the game courtesy of these DLCs.

While the armor sets introduced in the DLCs may not be the most powerful around, their unique look and stat boosts more than makeup for their lack of proper defense. The Royal Guard set is a great example of this, with the armor set only having a cumulative strength of 4, which is truly pitiful. However, players can still wear this set because it decreases the amount of stamina used by Link for a charge attack. The fact that he looks pretty cool in this armor is also a plus.

Where to Find

This armor set is part of a DLC, marked by a quest called EX Royal Guard Rumors. All three parts of this set can be found in Hyrule Castle.

18 Gerudo Set

Base Defense: 3

• Full Set Bonus: Heat Resistance (also gives players access to Gerudo Town)
• Upgradeable: No

The Gerudo Set is a necessity for Link to get into Gerudo Town disguised as a woman. However, aside from this function, it doesn't really have any other purpose.

While it does give some resistance against warmer temperatures when worn as a full set, it's still nowhere near substantial to warrant it being a good set of armor. It doesn't provide a lot of protection against attacks. doesn't help that this set of armor can't be upgraded either.

Where to Find

Players need to get this set in Kara Kara Bazaar if they wish to secure entry into Gerudo Village without being thrown out for being a voe.

17 Hylian Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: None
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Hylian Set is another set of armor that definitely looks neat, although it falters quite a bit when it comes to promoting defense. As a result, players won't really have a reason to use this armor after the early game.

The materials required to upgrade this armor aren't really all that expensive, but making that effort seems like a bit too much. After all, the player will have other pieces of armor to focus on instead.

Where to Find

Can be purchased from Enchanted in Kakariko Village and the Ventest Clothing Boutique shop in Hateno Village. The trousers can also be obtained in a treasure chest in the Great Plateau, northeast of the Temple of Time.

16 Desert Voe Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Heat Resistance, Shock Damage Resist
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Desert Voe Set can be described as an upgraded version of the Gerudo Set, which isn't speaking much given the relatively low bar it is set against. Just like the Gerudo Set, wearing it gives resistance to warm temperatures too.

Unlike the Gerudo Set, this armor can be upgraded at a Great Fairy Fountain. However, given the other sets of armor that Link can use in the game at this point, it must be wondered why anyone would bother with upgrading the Desert Voe Set in the first place.

Where to Find

The full set can be purchased from either the Gerudo Secret Club in Gerudo Town or Rhondson Armor Boutique in Tarrey Town.

15 Radiant Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Blend in with Stal Enemies, Bone Atk. Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Radiant Set is another piece of armor that is pretty unique but is more of a light show than anything else. That being said, it's a pretty entertaining light show.

The entire set can be upgraded and gives Link two welcome perks. It lets him blend in with Stal enemies and also enjoys a higher attack with Bone weapons. However, these benefits are rather situational and pale in comparison to the other armor on this list.

Where to Find

Can be purchased from the Gerudo Secret Club in Gerudo Town.

14 Salvager Set

Base Defense: 15

• Full Set Bonus: Increasing Swim Speed, Swim Dash Stamina Up
• Upgradeable: No

It's odd that Breath of the Wild collaborated with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but it does make sense given the exclusivity of both games on Nintendo hardware. The Salvager Set was added in an update for the game and is pretty powerful in its own right.

Sure, it can't be upgraded, but fans will find this to be a worthy alternative to a weaker variant of the Zora Armor. Swimming around with this set is as easy as it comes, and players can cross most water bodies with ease while enjoying a decent level of defense.

Where to Find

Follow the red shooting starts that can fall in random locations around Hyrule.

13 Phantom Set

Base Defense: 24

• Full Set Bonus: Attack Power Up
• Upgradeable: No

There's no denying that the Phantom Set is one of the coolest-looking armor sets in Breath of the Wild. It's also the strongest armor added by the DLC, and players who find it early on will love the Attack boost provided by wearing the full set.

However, even a 24 armor rating isn't enough to compete with the other armor sets of Breath of the Wild. This is because this set can't be upgraded, which hurts the longevity and effectiveness of the Phantom Set in the game.

Where to Find

Found in three chests in Hyrule Field — namely, the Coliseum Ruins, Sacred Ground Ruins, and Hyrule Garrison Ruins.

12 Soldier's Set

Base Defense: 12

• Full Set Bonus: None
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Soldier's Set has one of the highest armor ratings in the game, allowing players to achieve high defense ratings early on. This makes it ideal for fighting enemies like Lynels.

However, the one drawback when it comes to this armor set is that there's no set bonus attached to the same after increasing the armor levels by two or more. This makes the Soldier's Armor largely irrelevant in the longer run, especially when other armor sets can reach the same armor rating and provide set bonuses as well.

Where to Find

Can be purchased from the Ventest Clothing Boutique shop in Hateno Village.

11 Rubber Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Electric Resistance
• Upgradeable: Yes

There are three major elements in Breath Of The Wild — Lightning, Ice, and Fire. Each element has a piece of armor that either reduces or negates the damage caused by these elements, with the Rubber Armor being a good set to resist electricity.

Boosting this armor from a Great Fairy allows for Link to become completely shock-proof as well... although this buff's importance is negated somewhat once the player realizes that the Thunder Helm does the same without having to upgrade the same.

Where to Find

The helm is obtained after completing the Thunder Magnet at Lakeside Stable. The armor is obtained in the Toh Yahsa Shrine. The final piece, the tights, is found in Qukah Nata Shrine.

10 Zora Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Increasing Swim Speed, Swimming Up Waterfalls, Swim Dash Stamina Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Zora Armor is a great piece of armor to equip for players who wish to make Link's aquatic journeying around Hyrule easier. The armor allows Link to travel up waterfalls, while the helm lets him do a spin attack in the water — a boon that prevents players from being totally helpless in the water.

Unlocking the set bonus of this armor allows the player to swim incredibly fast, with the stamina consumption of dashing underwater reducing heavily as well. The fact that this armor is only useful in water is a bit too selective, which is why this armor doesn't rank very high in terms of usefulness.

Where to Find

The helm is found in a sunken chest in Toto Lake. The tights are obtained for completing the Lynel Safari quest. The helm is the easiest piece to obtain, given by King Dorephan during the main quest to subdue Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

9 Flamebreaker Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Flame Guard, Fireproof
• Upgradeable: Yes

Death Mountain is an absolute pain for most gamers to get through when they reach this area for the first time, with everything burning up at a moment's notice...including Link himself.

The Flamebreaker Armor is a massive help in this regard, allowing Link to bear the heat emanating from Death Mountain and also preventing him from any damage that he might incur from fire attacks.

Where to Find

Purchased from the Ripped and Shredded armor shop in Goron City.

8 Snowquill Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Unfreezable, Cold Resistance
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Snowquill Armor has pretty much the same stats as the Flamebreaker Armor, with the obvious difference of combating Ice instead of Fire. Fully upgrading this set prevents the player from being frozen, which is quite helpful in certain situations.

Honestly, both the Snowquill and Flamebreaker armor are useful in their own ways, but Breath Of The Wild has more regions that are afflicted by cold, as opposed to heat. This makes Snowquill armor a tad bit more useful than its flameproof counterpart. It certainly helps that Link looks way cooler while wearing this set.

Where to Find

The full set can be purchased in Rito Village.

7 Hero Of Time Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Master Sword Beam Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

Ocarina of Time is one of the greatest video games ever made, helping The Legend of Zelda evolve in a new direction that fans were more than happy to see. With the amiibo support for Breath of the Wild, it's easy to see why Nintendo decided to add the clothes from this game in Breath of the Wild.

The Hero of Time set can take a while to farm but is well worth the effort of doing so. Players can look like their favorite version of Link in an armor set that is upgradeable and makes the beam attack of the Master Sword stronger.

Where to Find

Scan the Ocarina of Time Link amiibo to spawn a chest with a small chance of housing one of the items from this set.

6 Stealth Set

Base Defense: 6

• Full Set Bonus: Bonus to Stealth, Night Speed Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

At a glance, the meager defense bonus of the Sheikah armor might deter the majority of players from ever trying this set out seriously. However, veteran players of Breath Of The Wild will stand by the fact that the Shiekah Armor is easily one of the best armor sets in the entire game.

The stealth bonus is incredibly useful if players wish to get rid of a camp without alerting anyone, with the added set bonus of being faster in the night also being a welcome bonus for exploration purposes.

Where to Find

The full set can be purchased in Kakariko Village.

5 Climbing Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Climbing Jump Stamina Up, Faster Climbing
• Upgradeable: Yes

However, when one talks about bonuses for exploration purposes, nothing comes close to the excellent utility afforded by the Climber Set. After all, with the sheer level of climbing that Link performs in the game, it's imperative to find a set that can speed up this process, which can admittedly get somewhat arduous at times.

The best part about this particular armor set is its set bonus, allowing for jumps while climbing to take way less stamina than usual — an incredibly helpful bonus that makes climbing an absolute breeze in Breath Of The Wild.

Where to Find

Each part of the Climbing Set is found in a Shrine. These include the Ree Dahee Shrine at Dueling Peaks, the Chaas Qeta Shrine at Tenoko Island, and the Tahno O'ah Shrine at Mount Lanayru.

4 Hero Of The Wild Set

Base Defense: 12

• Full Set Bonus: Master Sword Beam Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

The Armor Of The Wild is easily one of the best armors in the entire game, providing the highest defense boost in the game along with an excellent set bonus that improves the range of the Master Sword's beam attack when the player is at full health.

The only reason why this armor set's ranking takes a hit is that the player needs to complete all the 120 shrines present in the game. Obviously enough, this is no easy feat.

Where to Find

The only way to obtain this armor set is to complete all 120 Shrines in the game, which makes it the hardest armor set to obtain in the game.

3 Barbarian Set

Base Defense: 9

• Full Set Bonus: Attack Up, Charge Atk. Stamina Up
• Upgradeable: Yes

Dishing out incredibly high levels of damage against some of the toughest enemies in the game is every player's dream in Breath Of The Wild, and the Barbarian Armor helps the player achieve the same.

All three parts of this armor set are present in the three labyrinths of the game, making for a wildly entertaining journey to attain all three pieces. The best part about the Barbarian Armor is its set bonus, allowing Link to consume less stamina while charging up attacks.

Where to Find

All three armors present in this set can be found in the three Lomei Labyrinths present on the edges of the map.