For all the ways that Kratos can be customized in God of War Ragnarok, armor has one of the biggest impacts on gameplay. Like weapons, weapon attachments, and shields, each set has stats and abilities that suit a certain playstyle, but armor sets also allow players to drastically change Kratos’ appearance during gameplay and cutscenes. As the game introduces more armor as the story progresses, it can be fun to experiment with new styles of combat and give Kratos a hard-earned fashion makeover.

Unlocking every armor set in the game requires the player to discover most optional content in Ragnarok and meet all the best side characters in God of War, including finding Odin’s Ravens and beating the Berserker boss fights. Each armor set then has additional resource requirements to fully upgrade them, but most sets get additional visual changes when upgraded. YouTuber Shirrako has compiled a handy video (from which the gameplay screenshots below were pulled) showcasing all fully upgraded armor sets in God of War Ragnarok. Judging them on both their style and their combat implications, below is every armor set ranked.

21 Survival Set

Kratos' Starting Armor

Unsurprisingly, the Survival set finds itself at the bottom of the ranking, since it’s easily outclassed by other early-game armor. Said to be “built to endure Fimbulwinter,” players start God of War Ragnarok with this set. Old and in hiding in Ragnarok, Kratos suits the rugged nature of the survival set well, although it is visually quite boring when compared with other sets.

The Survival armor can be upgraded to the maximum power level to compete in the endgame, providing a balanced array of stats along the way. But there are much better ways to get decent endgame armor, and players will likely find any number of better suits as they progress. The Survival Set is best suited for masochists looking to challenge themselves, since it doesn’t provide the game-changing abilities that other sets do.

20 Vidar's Set Of Might

The Vidar’s Might set is an early game armor set with an emphasis on pulling off combos, as this set’s unique abilities revolve around combo finishers. Vidar’s set can be an excellent choice for an early strength build in Ragnarok, but on higher difficulties it becomes harder to finish off combos smoothly, with parrying and using abilities becoming more important. Moreover, Vidar’s set gives middling buffs to Kratos’ stats and doesn’t particularly stand out on the battlefield.

Still, it's a good set of early-game armor, and is easy enough to find to make it somewhat worthwhile. Players can pick up the chest piece in Kratos' house after the battle with Thor, then craft the wrists and bracers for 500 Hacksilver each.

19 Hunter's Set

Ideal For Ranged Attacks, But Not Much Else

The Hunter’s set isn’t available in God of War Ragnarok until late in the game, and its abilities revolve around ranged attacks. While the buffs that it provides allow Kratos to pull off some incredible single-hit damage, Ragnarok’s combat can become dizzying and manic during its final hours, meaning Kratos will be turned into a glass cannon if this armor set is fully upgraded. It does provide a boost to Kratos’ cooldowns, and has some nice visual touches, but only really works with one play style.

Still, for those who prefer to use ranged attacks, The Hunter's Set can be crafted by spending four Hunter's Brands total - two for the chest, and one each for the wrists and waist pieces. The amount by which Kratos' ranged damage increases depends on how many pieces of the set he has equipped, so it's best to craft all three.

18 Enlightenment Set

Elemental Enhancers

The Enlightenment set is a great choice to complement God of War Ragnarok's best early Runic attacks, elemental abilities which usually inflict massive damage and status effect. Its abilities revolve around the elemental abilities of Kratos’ two main weapons - the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos - which, when used, will buff the next Runic attack made. Runic attacks and status damage become much more important as the game progresses, so there may be better choices for an optimal early game, although the silver-and-burgundy design of the armor is subtly eye-catching.

The Enlightenment set is unlocked once Kratos makes it to Sindri's shop in Alfheim. It can be crafted with 2,800 Hacksilver for the chest, 1,800 for the wrists, and another 1,800 for the waist - 6,400 Hacksilver total.

17 Fortified Husk Set

Great Early On, But Quickly Outclassed

The Fortified Husk set might be the best choice for the first few hours of Ragnarok, as it provides two important benefits: a high defense stat, which allows Kratos to eat more damage, and abilities that encourage the player to parry attacks. The specific abilities on the wrist and waist pieces mitigate damage from unblockable attacks while blocking, meaning they were probably designed to teach players about Ragnarok's new combat moves and enemies.

On top of this, the chest piece gains a unique inscription of two serpents as it is upgraded, although against some other sets, it will quickly become obsolete. Even so, the Fortified Husk set is excellent for a while, and should be used for as long as it can. The chest piece is found inside Kratos' house at the beginning of the game, and the other two pieces can be crafted with 500 Hacksilver each.

16 Spiritual Set

For a monk-like Kratos, look no further than the Spiritual set, which emphasizes balance between Runic and melee attacks to ensure a stylish flow in combat. With this armor equipped, hits with Runic attacks buff Kratos’ melee damage, and melee hits have a chance to restore cooldown to Runic attacks. A solid combat loop can be established with the Spiritual set, but it is visually dull and might not stand up against other sets that lean on the Runic stat.

Unfortunately, as a jack-of-all-trades set, the Spiritual set will likely eventually be tossed aside as the player decides to focus more on Runic or melee attacks. It can only be crafted after Kratos finds Freyr's camp in Vanaheim, for a total of 11,000 Hacksilver.

15 Raven Tears Set

Beautiful, But Too Specialized

The Raven’s Tears set requires players to find half of Odin’s Ravens in God of War Ragnarok, which should be possible by the middle of the game, and provides an interesting and unique healing boost to Kratos in combat. It'll occasionally spawn a Healing Mist when Kratos lands certain attacks, as well as increasing his healing power in general.

These healing abilities, as well as its significant defense stats, make it a solid defensive choice, and the boost to Luck it gives means the player will earn more XP and Hacksilver after combat. Although it doesn’t enhance Kratos’ offensive abilities enough to make it to the top ranks, it deserves an honorable mention for its intricate design.

14 Radiance Set

Fun, But Limited

On the other hand, the Radiance set deserves props for its unique offensive abilities, which change the game entirely. This armor set focuses on an ability called Realm Shift, which slows time whenever Kratos performs a last-second evade. The set also gives a buff to Runic damage on last-second evades, meaning it provides a stylish counter to fast enemies, like God of War Ragnarok's Huntress. It doesn’t work for all encounters, but reacting to enemies in a Matrix-style brawl is a heap of fun.

Unfortunately, the Radiance set is difficult to come by, with each piece located in a separate Legendary Chest scattered throughout The Barrens. The chest piece is located just in front of the exit from The Below, The wrist piece is beneath the northern tower, and the waist piece in the skeleton cave.

13 Sol's Set Of Courage

Harnessing Your Rage

The Sol’s Courage set is all about harnessing Kratos’ Rage meter as a defensive option, as its main ability allows Kratos’ Rage meter to soak up incoming damage that would otherwise be fatal. On the other end, it fills the Rage meter up when Kratos’ health is low, and buffs melee damage when the meter is high. It’s disappointing that this, along with some other sets, is a re-skin of a different set, but Kratos’ Rage abilities are some of the most powerful in the game and anything harnessing them is sure to be a viable late-game option.

Sol's set can only be obtained after reaching Freyr's camp in Vanaheim. It costs a total of 11,000 Hacksilver to craft.

12 Mani's Wisdom Set

Exploiting Weaknesses

Mani’s Wisdom set is another Runic-based armor set which exploits the skills Ragnarok players should unlock first, Extinguish Flames and Vaporise Frost. These are ive abilities which allow the frosty Leviathan Axe to deal more damage to enemies who are burning thanks to the Blades of Chaos, and vice versa.

Mani’s set also encourages players to switch weapons often, adding a layer of frantic stylishness to the game’s combat encounters. Mani's set can only be crafted; it can't be found organically. It costs a total of 20,500 to create.