Changing outfits isn’t necessarily new toThe Legend of Zeldaseries. After all, we got to swap tunic colors inOcarina of Timeand Link turned into completely different creatures onMajora’s Mask. Yet,Breath of the Wildoffered players the first real “change of costume” for our favorite Hylian hero.
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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 inThe 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 June 16, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: InBreath of the Wild, all outfitshave 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 BOTWoffers 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.
15Dark Link Set
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 fromOcarina of Time(andTwilight 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 theBreath of the Wildoutfits, this is surely the most disappointing.
14Gerudo Vai Set
For the most part, the costumes inBreath of the Wildserve 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.
13Hylian Set
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 usefulBreath of the Wildcostumes, though, the Hylian set leaves players wanting.
12Soldier Set
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 theHyrule Warriorsgames, but otherwise is not too notable.
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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.
11Rubber Set
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 otherBreath of the Wildoutfits.
10Hero Of The Wild
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.
9Stealth Set
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 inBreath of the Wildis 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 inOcarina of Time.
8Fireproof Set
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 usefulBreath of the Wildoutfits.
Unfortunately, it can only be acquiredafterplayers 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.
7Snowquill Set
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.
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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.
6Desert Voe Set
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.
