Nearly everything is against you in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. From the cold weather to lightning and enemies of all types, you’ll want to come prepared with the best armor for any situation. There are so many to choose from, though. How do you know which armor is best in this great Nintendo Switch game? Well, in truth there are great armor sets for different situations.
With Breath of the Wild 2 on it’s way to the Switch, there’s no better time than now to finish this game. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best armor in Breath of the Wild, along with tips for acquiring them. We’ve also found the best weapons in BOTW if you’re looking for those too.
Snowquill outfit
You aren’t going to get far in Breath of the Wild without gear that protects you from cold weather. We recommend the Snowquill armor set. This will prevent you from freezing to death and will make you look stylish in the process. The set is “lined with Rito feathers” to help you retain body heat.
The nice thing is that it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to obtain. Wearing all three pieces of armor will grant you a set bonus, so it’s usually a good idea to complete each set. Simply purchase the set from Rito Village for 2,150 rupees, and you’ll be ready to take on the cold. Its starting stats are also decent and can be upgraded as long as you have the materials.
Rubber armor
If you’ve been thorough while exploring, you’ve probably come across areas with heavy rain and lightning. Dealing with rain is annoying enough, but when you add lightning to the mix, it’s almost impossible to progress. That’s where the Rubber armor set comes in. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to obtain as some of the other pieces of gear on this list. There are three quests you must complete in order to gain access to the full set.
To obtain the Helm, complete the Thunder Magnet Side Quest located in Lakeside Stable. This requires you to remove a woodcutter’s axe at the top of a stable to stop lightning from striking it. The Rubber armor is acquired by completing the Trial of Thunder Shrine Quest in the Toh Yasha shrine. It’s located west of the Ridgeland Tower. Finally, the Rubber tights are found by finishing A Song of Storms Shrine Quest given to you at the Qukah Nata shrine. You’ll find this one to the east of Faron Tower, just south of Calora Lake.
Flamebreaker armor
Much like the Snowquill and Rubber sets, you’ll absolutely want to use the Flamebreaker armor when traveling through fire and lava. The majority of Death Mountain is ridden with lava, so you’ll want to come prepared with heat-resistant equipment before exploring. You earn this set by completing the Fireproof Lizard Roundup Side Quest, which is found in the Southern Mine.
This quest requires you to collect 10 Fireproof Lizards and return them to Kima. Once you’ve completed the quest, you can purchase the set from the armor shop in Goron City for a whopping 3,300 rupees.
Zora armor
Throughout your journey in Breath of the Wild, you’ll find yourself needing to swim, sometimes upstream, to get where you need to go. That’s why it’s always best to be equipped with the Zora armor set, which increases your swim speed and lets you swim directly up waterfalls. You’ll get the Zora armor from King Dorephan as part of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta quest.
The Zora helm is found at the bottom of Toto Lake, northeast of Zora’s Domain. Use magnesis to pull it up. As for the Zora Greaves, you’ll have to show Laflat a photo of a red-maned lynel as part of the Lynel Safari Side Quest. Once you do, you’ll obtain the last piece of the Zora armor set.
Climbing set
You’ll be doing a lot of climbing in this game. In fact, it’s one of the most iconic and memorable features of the game, thanks to the stamina mechanic and ability to climb nearly everything. To improve your climbing experience, get the Climbing set, which increases your climbing speed. This does wonders when trying to scale huge cliffs — especially if your stamina stat is low. The Climber bandana is earned by completing the Timing is Critical Shrine Quest in the Ree Dahee Shrine. You’ll find it in Dueling Peaks.
The Climbing gear is found inside the Chass Qeta Shrine, on Tenoko Island. This island is east of East Necluda in the Necluda Sea. The Climbing boots are just north of that in the Tano O’ah Shrine, part of the Tahno O’ah’s Blessing Shrine Quest.
Ancient armor
Arguably the best armor set in the game is the Ancient armor, which reduces damage taken from ancient weaponry and has high damage-resistance in general. Plus, it looks super stylish. Gaining it is not complicated, but it will take some time. You need to complete the Robbie’s Research Side Quest, found at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab towards the very northeast of the map, just below Lomei Labyrinth Island.
The full set is available to purchase in Akkala Ancient Tech Lab for 6,000 total, but you’ll need to trade Ancient materials to gain access to it. Finding these materials will come naturally while completing shrines. Be sure to collect 60 Ancient Gears, five Ancient Screws, five Ancient Shafts, five Ancient Screws, and nine Ancient Cores for the full set. While you’re at it, you might want to consider buying other Ancient gear from the same location, like the spear and bow.
Armor of the Wild
Perhaps you want to go with a more classic look. If so, the Armor of the Wild will suit your needs, but be prepared to put in a lot of work to obtain it. This set is rewarded to you after completing all 120 shrines in the entire game. It’s given as part of the A Gift from the Monks Side Quest after you’ve finished all the shrines.
Once you visit the Forgotten Temple, you’ll be tasked with getting past multiple Guardians, with the three chests containing the armor set at the end of this area. The main draw of the Armor of the Wild is that it grants you the Master Sword Beam Up, increasing the effectiveness of long-ranged attacks from the Master Sword while at full health.
Tingle’s costume
As silly as it looks, Tingle’s costume is actually quite useful. It grants you a Night Speed Up boost, and you’ll get some interesting looks from the townsfolk. Plus, who wouldn’t want to pay homage to the wacky fairy himself?
To get it, you must have The Master Trials DLC, which is part of the Season Pass. Once you’ve downloaded it, you’ll have access to the EX Treasure: Fairy Clothes Side Quest, which, upon completion, will grant you the full set. Tingle’s Hood is found in the Exchange Ruins, the shirt is located in the Castle Town Prison, and you’ll find the tights in the Mabe Village Ruins. Use magnesis to get your hands on the chests that contain each piece.
Phantom armor
In yet another piece of DLC armor, you’ll need The Master Trials DLC to gain access to the Phantom Armor Set. Fans of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks might remember this costume from those games, but the real draw is the attack boost you’re granted while wearing it. After you’ve downloaded the DLC, complete the EX Treasure: Twilight Relic Side Quest to earn this set.
The Phantom Helmet is found in the Coliseum Ruins after defeating a powerful lynel. Make sure you come prepared when taking it on. You’ll find the Phantom Greaves in the Hyrule Garrison Ruins by some guardians, while the Phantom Armor is located in the Sacred Ground Ruins.
Phantom Ganon set
Is there anything more intimidating than dressing up as the evil Ganon? You can wear the full Phantom Ganon set, as long as you have The Campion’s Ballad DLC. To acquire the set, you’ll need to finish the EX Treasure: Dark Armor Side Quest by completing a little scavenger hunt. This set gives a tremendous boost to your stealth stat and has high defense — perfect for sneaking up on those hard-to-kill enemies.
Luckily, you can acquire The Phantom Ganon set with relative ease and minimal work. You can find the Ganon Skull just south of Corta Lake. The armor is in a river north of Sarjon Woods, and the Greaves are right by the broken statues on the west side of Ebara Forest.
Majora’s Mask
While Majora’s Mask may not be a complete set of armor, it still offers you the same features and protection. Its rugged and strong look will not only keep you protected from mortal enemies such as Bokoblins, Lizalfos, Lynels, and Moblins, it’ll get you style points as well. This mask acts as a kind of pacifier that provides you a passive way to evade your enemies without engaging in violent battles. By having the mask over your face, your enemies become harmless bystanders that ignore you as you navigate the game. However, you’ll still provoke Chu Chu, Keese, Octorocks, and Wizzrobes.
The mask is an amenity that you’ll have to pay for as it is part of The Master of Trials DLC which you can only access if you have a season pass. You can purchase Majora’s Mask for $19.99 in the eShop. Once you do so, you’ll get to check out the EX Treasure: Ancient Mask Side Quest. The mask is buried at Kolomo Garrison Ruins, just north of the Forest of Time.
