Unless you’re either crazy or out to prove something, odds are good you’re going to want some armor as you traverse the challenges that the Kingdom of Lordran throws at you.
Everything (just about) is out to kill you, after all.
Having a reliable defense against the rats, dragons, undead, demons, and miscellaneous creatures is important.
There are over forty different armor sets in Dark Souls, each with their own sets of stats, so it can be intimidating to pick which is right for your build.
Let’s take a look at the best-of-the-best to help you make that decision.
13. Black Knight Set
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:
Black is the coolest color.
In this case, it’s even representative of the power of the armor which it adorns.
Designed to be black like soot and ash, the Black Knight Set has tremendous fire resistance (as well as good poise to make sure you stay upright). Helpful when you’re traversing places like Lost Izalith or the Demon Ruins.
It’s a shame you get this armor so late in the game. But it really is worth the effort (especially for new game plus).
How to Obtain: Found on a body in the Kiln of the First Flame.
12. Chester’s Set
Chester’s Armor isn’t really armor – rather, it’s a genuinely nice suit with an equally classy hat that comes together as a set that doesn’t quite feel like it belongs in the world of Dark Souls.
In fact, Chester’s Armor would feel more at home in Dark Souls’ younger sister Bloodborne.
Odd aesthetics don’t diminish the set’s quality, though.
Chester’s Armor provides excellent Bleed and Poison resistance, and is super light, making it perfect for dex characters – or for those who want to emulate the more subtle Carim fighting style.
How to Obtain: Drops from (human form) Marvelous Chester in the Artorias DLC area.
11. Wanderer Set
Weight is a crucial factor when deciding on armor for your character.
Especially if you’re putting together any build that isn’t heavy with strength.
Becoming over-encumbered as a dex fighter and losing the ability to roll and run is a death sentence. So armor like the Wanderer Set is a godsend.
This cool leather jacket and boots combo provides great defense for how little it weighs. And when powered up fully with titanite, it has exceptionally good lightning and fire resistance.
It’s a set fine enough to last you for a good, long while – if not forever.
How to Obtain: Starting gear for the Wanderer class and can also be found in Blighttown.
10. Black Sorcerer Set
Speaking of armor for dex builds… here we have the Black Sorcerer Set!
Despite its name, this armor isn’t made specifically for the magically-inclined. Rather, it’s a light set of gear that’s perfect for folks who want all the mobility but none of the weight.
The Black Sorcerer Set is the lightest armor set in the game. And it defines the phrase ‘better than nothing.’
It also has decent protections and elemental resistances, too!
How to Obtain: Found on a dead body in Sen’s Fortress.
9. Witch Set
There’s more to the world of armor than just physical defense.
Sure, being protected from punches and kicks is important.
But a lot of the enemies in Lordran also use magic to try and make you die. Gaining a defense against them is important too!
The Witch Set provides that magical defense – and a remarkably high amount of it.
This armor has okay physical holding, but the resistance to magical (and by extension, elemental) damage is fantastic.
And you look like a witch!
How to Obtain: After defeating the Four Kings, you can find the Witch Set in the Valley of Drakes.
8. Balder Set
One of Dark Souls’ leading visual motifs are big suits of armor.
Lots of enemies patrolling Lordran do so in big, clanky sets of the stuff. One such group are the Balder Knights, who occupy the Undead Parish and catch unsuspecting new players in their traps.
Get good enough at defeating them and you can earn their armor for yourself, getting you an impressive set of medium protectors that offers good defense at a relatively low weight cost.
The Balder Set is a great starter set for anybody going into a strength build, or for anybody who just needs a little bit of extra help as they explore the world around them.
How to Obtain: Dropped piece-by-piece from Balder Knights, and the set can be purchased from the Crestfallen Merchant on the roof of Sen’s Fortress.
7. Dark Set
The Dark Set is all about two things: looking cool and keeping you steady.
It’s also another great suit of armor for dex builds, since the Dark Set is remarkably light for being classified as ‘medium’.
And it has not just good defense, but also a much higher poise, meaning your defenses won’t be broken nearly as easily.
More than anything else though, this set looks cool.
What’s better than being a well-defended skull ninja? Not much, I’d say.
How to Obtain: Reach rank two with the Darkwraith Covenant.
6. Silver Knight’s Set
When you first arrive in Anor Londo, things might seem kind of bleak.
You’ll have to fight a new variety of enemies that seem much more vicious than the ones you’ve dealt with up until that point – which can make traversing a landscape much more difficult.
It’s a turning point in the game.
Luckily, there’s a bunch of stuff to help you make the transition – and the Silver Knight’s Set is one such item worth getting.
It’s not the best armor in the game.
But it is decently light, has good protection and poise, and is easy to upgrade.
The Silver Knight’s Set is a perfect in-between armor, as well as lending a helping hand in a scary new area.
How to Obtain: In a chest guarded by two Knights inside the Anor Londo castle.
5. Paladin Set
One of the worst (if not the worst) status effects in DS1 is Curse.
Curse halves your max hit points, and curing it involves either a special item or an annoying trip to the New Londo Ruins.
When traveling around an area where curse is prominent (such as The Depths) it’s wise to bring protection. And there’s almost none better than the Paladin armor set.
Yes, it’s heavy. But it has great defense and excellent curse resistance.
It makes thematic sense, too:
Who better to fight a curse than a Paladin?
How to Obtain: Defeat the phantom of Paladin Leeroy in the Tomb of the Giants and then find the armor in Nito’s Tomb.
4. Havel’s Set
There’s nothing more unmovable than a rock wall.
Our boy Havel, the walking mass of rock that guards the bottom of that tower in the Undead Burg, lives by this credo. And he wears armor that’s essentially a boulder that you equip.
So you too can get this armor!
It’s some of the heaviest in the game, but if you’ve got the skills, you can become a walking mass of near-invulnerability.
Havel’s Set has a ridiculous amount of defense and poise.
It even has some elemental resistance!
The price may be high, but the purchase is worth it for real protection.
Where to Obtain: Found in a series of chests behind an illusionary wall on the bottom floor of Anor Londo.
3. Giant Set
For as much defense as Havel’s Set has, there is a better setup: the Giant Set.
This suit of large armor provides an amazing amount of defense. It’s super heavy, of course, but in exchange you get defense and but a crazy amount of poise – even more than Havel.
And unlike Havel’s Set, you can upgrade the Giant Set, making it the better choice overall.
Either one you choose, though, you’ll be an unstoppable force.
How to Obtain: Sold by the Giant Blacksmith at Anor Londo.
2. Ornstein’s Set
Being a revival of half the iconic duo, Ornstein’s Set brings back our favorite lightning boy in armor form, now ready to save your life instead of taking it.
Classified as a medium armor in DS1, Ornstein’s Set is a much lighter choice than other endgame bits – while still maintaining fantastic defense and poise.
It also, understandably, has lots of lightning resistance, as well as fire and bleed protection.
Overall it’s a particularly good set of armor… almost like an apology from Ornstein for all that stuff he put you through.
How to Obtain: Sold by Domhnall of Zena at the Firelink Shrine after defeating both Ornstein and Smough.
1. Elite Knight’s Set
This is the most iconic armor in appearance for sure.
The Elite Knight’s Set is the poster boy armor for all versions of the first Dark Souls games.
And guess what? It’s fantastic!
When fully upgraded it has defenses that are almost as good as the heavier super armors (like Havel and Smough’s sets), without weighing nearly as much.
Plus it’s easy to obtain, looks cool, and can easily become your mainstay armor, lasting you through many new game pluses.
How to Obtain: Found early on in the Darkroot Garden.
Brian knows more about RPGs than he does world history. Combine with his love of writing and you get somebody who can, and will, go on forever about every nuance of every game he's played.
