The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features 64 sets of armor that players can find and equip as Link. Some armor sets are returning from Breath of the Wild, but there are plenty of new sets for players to find. While having set bonuses can help Link in specific situations, it can be fun to use sets based on their design when no particular bonus is needed.
Tears of the Kingdom, like BOTW, includes armor sets that have designs beyond the tunic that Link traditionally wore in previous games. While Link’s new TOTK abilities revolve around his right arm, players who don’t like the design of his arm can select armor pieces that make it not as noticeable. Additionally, it can be generally enjoyable to collect armor sets for their designs, then mix and match pieces to create a new look. As such, this list is based on the appearance of sets, not the stats or bonuses.
10 Royal Guard Set
Tears of the Kingdom’s Royal Guard Set seems to have some historical inspiration from real life, particularly with the design of the hat. This set also includes some of the most iconic symbols in the series, like the Hyrule Royal Crest, and even a decoration that looks similar to the Hylian Shield pinned to the hat. In another life, this could have been Link’s standard uniform if he wasn’t Zelda’s personal knight.
9 Ember Set
The Ember Set in Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of detail in it, and it contains a lot of Zelda symbolism. The necklace has a variation of Majora’s Mask on it, and the tassels on the bottom of his tabard are shaped like the Triforce. The headdress seems to have dragon inspiration, which is a creature that’s included across Zelda titles. The dragon symbolism is particularly effective for this armor set with its red color scheme and set bonuses.
8 Charged Set
The Charged Set in TOTK has a lot of visual similarities to the Ember Set, but it isn’t a simple recolor either. The Charged Set also has Majora’s Mask on it, but it looks much lighter in design with fewer layers and a blue-gray color scheme. The design and color scheme both blend with Link’s new arm, making it look like it’s part of the set, and the unicorn-esque headband gives the look an edge.
7 Frostbite Set
The Frostbite Set is another one similar to the Charged and Ember Sets, creating a thematic trio in TOTK. The design of the Frostbite Set is the most simplistic of the three sets, but the detailed headdress and sleeves don’t make it feel like it’s lacking in decorations. Overall, this set has an almost elegant feeling to it and blends well with the world of TOTK.
6 Glide Set
The Glide Set in Tears of the Kingdom is like a flying squirrel suit for Link without being an actual flying squirrel suit. Instead, the Glide set is modeled more after an owl. It looks like a durable leather outfit regularly, and the gliding part doesn’t come out until Link is actually falling, which helps improve the design since it would look rather different if they were always visible.
5 Mystic Set
The design of the Mystic Set in TOTK seems cold in its color scheme, but is also reminiscent of a blue sky with clouds. The shoulder guard adds to the set’s warrior vibe, but there aren’t too many armor pieces added to detract from the pattern of the clothing. Additionally, the headdress is owl-themed, and owls tend to be a symbol of wisdom, which is fitting for a Mystic Set.
4 Awakening Set
The Awakening Set’s design is more on the fun side in TOTK. Instead of importing the outfit for Link from previous Zelda games, this set’s design is a more direct inclusion of Link from Link’s Awakening. This set is cool in that it brings in a version of Link from a previous game to the extent that the headpiece is actually a whole head instead of a hat and hairstyle.
3 Miner’s Set
The Miner’s Set in TOTK is both cool and practical, for the most part. While the mask could hinder visibility, it could act as a gas mask for mining. Another feature of this set is that it seems to be based on the need for miners to have light in dark places and includes plenty of light bulbs as a result. This means that players can wear this set to illuminate the surrounding area, not having to rely on Brightbloom Seeds and using Fuse to place them in dark areas to see.
2 Froggy Set
At first glance, players might expect the Froggy Set to be too similar to the Zora Set or be a joke rather than a serious armor set. However, TOTK does a good job with this armor design to keep it separate from the Zora Set and make it feel unique and that its design is related to its purpose. There aren’t a lot of decorations on this set, but it doesn’t feel plain, and it does have a clear frog theme and seems like an outfit that would be worn for swimming.
1 Archaic Set
Although it’s the last entry on this list, the Archaic Set is the first armor set that players find after TOTK’s opening, and it does a great job of showing that Link is now in a place that’s been lost to time. It’s reminiscent of Link’s other iconic outfits, but torn and clearly a victim to age. It might not seem special when compared to other sets, but the Archaic Set helps set the tone of the game’s beginning with a ragged appearance, the duller color underneath showing more prominently than the turquoise cloth.
Zelda games haven’t always featured such diverse armor designs. Breath of the Wild’s armor sets were the turning point to add an armor system that provided players with bonuses beyond water breathing or fire resistance, and Tears of the Kingdom has added more sets of armor to this collection. With 64 sets of armor available, players have plenty of variety when it comes to designing outfits in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
