Changing outfits isn't necessarily new to The Legend of Zelda series. After all, we got to swap tunic colors in Ocarina of Time and Link turned into completely different creatures on Majora's Mask. Yet, Breath of the Wild offered players the first real "change of costume" for our favorite Hylian hero.
No longer was Link forced to parade around in his traditional garb. He could be a rock climber, a barbarian, or even a man in a rubber fish suit. Looking back at the array of choices in the game, it's easy to rank the best costumes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Note that these costumes are only the ones found in the base game, not the Amiibo variants or DLC outfits.
Updated October 17, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: In Breath of the Wild, all outfits have some kind of benefit for the player, even those that don't seem great on the surface. The Hylian set, despite its lack of bonuses, is more defensive than the default armor, while the Gerudo Vai set, despite its lack of defensive stats, allows Link to survive in the Desert – and Gerudo Town. All outfits BOTW offers have some kind of upside, but some are much more useful across the game than others. For example, a player could certainly track down the Rubber Set, or they could defeat Vah Naboris and take the Thunder Helm for the same effect while using up only one armor slot.
15 Dark Link Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: None, except looking imposing
- Set Bonus: Movement speed at night increased
It's a shame to have to place the Dark Link set at the "bottom" of the list because, aesthetically, it looks absolutely amazing. Dark Link has been a prominent force in the Zelda universe and you'll definitely look a lot cooler with this outfit on. Sadly, aside from looks, you won't find much else.
It's a set that's directly inspired by the Dark Link boss fight from Ocarina of Time (and Twilight Princess, too, though that was also technically a callback). The only real benefit of the set is that Link runs faster at night, and it doesn't have great defense stats either and can't be upgraded. Of all the Breath of the Wild outfits, this is surely the most disappointing.
14 Gerudo Vai Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: None, except seeing Link embrace his feminity
- Set Bonus: Heat resistance increased
For the most part, the costumes in Breath of the Wild serve some extended purpose. They'll usually give you a set bonus if you own all the pieces or you'll end up with better defense to protect against attacks. The Gerudo Vai set exists solely to help Link gain entry into Gerudo Town, presenting the long-haired male hero as a woman to gain access to the matriarchial city.
Only a few residents of the city are able to tell that Link is actually male in dialogue, though none of them report him to the authorities. Instead, the Secret Club owner offers him Gerudo Voe (male) armor, which also gives heat resistance as well as much better stats, although it can't be worn in Gerudo Town.
13 Hylian Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: None
- Set Bonus: None (though it's aesthetically pretty cool)
Sure, this set shouldn't be knocked too much considering it's the first new costume players come across, but we can't ignore the fact that it provides marginally better stats and no set bonuses. It's marginally better than the armor Link is given at the start of the game and can be upgraded, but it's ultimately a waste of resources.
With all of that said, it does look pretty awesome with its Robin Hood–esque hood, a look not seen on Link in the history of the 3D games that perfectly suits the Hylian hero. When it comes to the most useful Breath of the Wild costumes, though, the Hylian set leaves players wanting.
12 Soldier Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: None
- Set Bonus: None, except for getting Link to look like a typical medieval knight
The Soldier Set suffers from the same issues as the Hylian Set, with a lack of any real set bonus or resistances. It has better armor stats and is featured again in the Hyrule Warriors games, but otherwise is not too notable.
It is better overall in terms of its defense stats, so it gets a place hop over its cloth cousin. Keeping the helmet is always an option if you're craving a guardsman motif, and it's handy to have on hand in case of a tough fight where other bonuses are useless.
11 Rubber Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Shock resistance increase per piece
- Set Bonus: Total immunity from being shocked
The helmet for the Rubber Set is ridiculous and the remaining pieces are like a rejected Superhero costume, clinging to Link's skin like a morph suit. Weird visuals aside, the Rubber Suit offers Link sanctuary from being shocked and grants practical immunity when a full set is equipped.
This seems useful until players ask for and receive the Thunder Helmet from the Gerudo, which essentially does the same thing while also freeing up two spaces for other stat boosts. It's a unique-looking armor set, and it has its uses, but it's ultimately outclassed by other Breath of the Wild outfits.
10 Hero Of The Wild
- Individual Armor Bonus: None, except for seeing Link's iconic clothing
- Set Bonus: Master Sword beam damage increased
Link's iconic green tunic, cap, and shorts offer a unique set boost that ups the beam damage for the Master Sword (which can be used when pressing the "Throw" button with the Master Sword equipped). It falls this far down the list due to its uselessness otherwise and the fact that it's extremely difficult to get.
To get the Hero of the Wild set, players need to conquer all 120 shrines. By that time, it's very likely players have much better armor with much more useful upgrades. The beam damage is nice, but it's not game-changing, and other armor that boosts attack or offers utility in combat tend to be much more useful.
9 Stealth Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Stealth improvement (through noise reduction)
- Set Bonus: Movement speed at night increased
On paper, this set seems like a slam dunk. It looks fantastic from a visual standpoint and gives players a really big bonus to noise reduction, and therefore the player's ability to be stealthy. The full set allows Link to run faster at night, which is pretty helpful in the right situations.
The downside of this set is that stealth in Breath of the Wild is not a reliable mechanic in most areas – plus, it's not like the bonus granted by the set makes Link an invisible ghost to the enemy. You can achieve the same effects with a potion or some food, although something has to be said for it being directly inspired by Sheik's armor in Ocarina of Time.
8 Fireproof Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Protection against flames
- Set Bonus: Immunity to fire damage
The Fireproof Set, sometimes called the Flamebreaker Set, is an absolute must-have considering it's one of the easiest ways to conquer the heat of Death Mountain. It has decent defense stats and wearing the entire suit will make players impervious to fire damage, making it one of the more useful Breath of the Wild outfits.
Unfortunately, it can only be acquired after players have conquered the heat of Death Mountain with potions. Once purchased it is very useful for return trips to Goron City, but it's quite a hefty investment at over 3000 rupees total.
7 Snowquill Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased cold resistance
- Set Bonus: Immunity to freezing
The Snowquill set does essentially the same thing as the Flamebreaker set but is tuned for intense cold, rather than heat. There are certain areas Link will traverse that are covered in snow, so donning a piece of this armor can help warm the player up. Wearing the entire set will make Link immune to freezing entirely, which is especially useful in areas with Ice-type enemies.
The Snowquill setup gets a bump over the Flamebreaker because there are more opportunities to fight back the cold. Nighttime in the desert has a cold effect and climbing up to certain heights can be frigid, while the Flamebreaker set only sees regular use in the Death Mountain area where heat-resistant armor is useless against burning.
6 Desert Voe Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased heat resistance
- Set Bonus: Increased shock resistance (but not immunity)
The male counterpart to the Desert Vai set can be pretty useful for traversing certain terrain. Wearing a piece or two will give Link heat resistance but locking down the whole set also gives him Shock Resistance. The Desert Vai set gives Link heat resistance but only when all three pieces are equipped – the Desert Voe armor is an upgrade in almost every way.
Sadly, it still won't grant players an all-access pass to Gerudo Town, even after defeating Vah Naboris and quelling the imminent threat. Though the chieftain and her close allies know Link is a male, the rules of the Gerudo are their rules, and Link has to abide by them even if he did save the entire town.
5 Radiant Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Lures Stal-type enemies to Link
- Set Bonus: Blends Link in with Stal-type enemies completely, bonus to Bone weapon damage
Not only does this armor make Link look like an awesome Luchador, but it also glows in the dark like a proper Halloween costume. Aesthetics aside, the Radiant set provides some unique bonuses. Wearing a piece or two will actually lure Stal-type enemies, which can be great if you need to farm some Elixr materials.
The full set, on the other hand, hides Link from Stal-type enemies completely and provides a huge attack bonus with bone-based weapons. It's similar to the DLC Majora's Mask headpiece, though it only protects Link against one enemy type. This is great since Breath of the Wild's durability mechanic will have players grabbing whatever's laying around from time to time, which ends up being skeleton arms more often than not. Of all outfits BOTW offers, this one is the most non-fantasy-based one, but it's nonetheless one of the coolest-looking ones too.
4 Ancient Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased resistance to Guardian attacks
- Set Bonus: Massive increase to damage with Ancient weapons
From a stats and bonus standpoint, this armor set should be number one in the game, as it gives Link amazing set bonuses and has the best base defense stats of any set. Unfortunately, it's not something players are going to acquire until very late in the game, and, by then, Link is likely rather strong already.
It boasts huge defense, protects against guardian attacks without the whole set equipped (though it is much more useful with more pieces equipped), and gives a boost to Ancient weapons, acquired from Robbie or downed Guardians. It's too bad it takes so much grinding to unlock the set from the Akkala Ancient Research Lab, as it could be super useful to have early in the game.
3 Barbarian Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased attack across the board
- Set Bonus: Reduced wind-up time and increased Stamina for charge attacks
The Barbarian Set can be grabbed fairly early if players know where to go. It's perfect for players who love to rush their enemies as it provides a large attack boost and will cut your stamina use substantially from charge attacks if you're wearing the entire set.
Even having just one or two of the pieces of this set equipped can mean the difference between downing an enemy or being hit by another blow. It's unlocked through several shrines throughout the world, though it's up to players to figure out which ones.
2 Zora Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased swim speed, ability to swim up waterfalls with the chest piece, ability to spin attack in water with the helm
- Set Bonus: Swim dash Stamina bonus, swim spin attack Stamina bonus
The Zora set not only looks amazing but offers one of the best bonuses in the game thanks to its ability to increase Link's swimming speed. There is a lot of water to be found throughout Hyrule and swimming can often feel labored and painfully slow.
With this suit though, you can zip up waterfalls and the full set will consume much less stamina when dashing through the water. While players can just as easily use Cryonis and freeze-and-jump their way across bodies of water, it's just faster (and more defensive) to don this full set.
1 Climber Set
- Individual Armor Bonus: Increased climbing speed and reduced stamina usage
- Set Bonus: Stamina bonus for Climbing Jumps, significantly reducing stamina usage when scaling surfaces quickly
The Climber set is number one of all the sets in the game due to its utility and function in the open world of Breath of the Wild. There are so many surfaces to climb, so much to explore, and so many nooks and crannies that can only be reached by scaling with Link's bare hands. Out of all outfits BOTW offers players, the Climber Set is usually the most used throughout a playthrough.
This set increases Link's climbing speed significantly and cuts down severely on the amount of stamina used to climb, making it perhaps the most valuable asset in Link's wardrobe. When combined with Revali's Gale and speed-increasing potions, Link can scale even the tallest summits of the Hebra Mountains without hardly breaking a sweat.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available only on Nintendo Switch.