Dark Souls 3 Best Armor: Top 10 Armors Ranked

FromSoftware’s final entry in the Souls series allows players to equip various armor and take on enemies. Having the perfect armor will assist you greatly in your fight against various foes; especially bosses. There are tons of options for you to choose from. This guide will rank the 10 Dark Souls 3 best Armor sets.

While you can mix and match various armor sets, this guide will take a look at the complete set and rank them. At the end of the day, the armor depends on the player’s choice but there are some options that are better than others. With that said, let’s take a look at the Top Armor in Dark Souls 3.

Best Armor in Dark Souls 3

Out of the many armors in Dark Souls 3, we picked and ranked the top 10 for you to try during your playthrough. All of these armors provide various stats and resistances. You can even combine parts of different armors to get the stats that you are looking for. We will be going over the top 10 armor; highlighting their strengths as well as weaknesses.

Some of these armors require tons of souls so we suggest that you properly farm souls and then purchase the armor sets. With that said, let’s get started with our number 10 Dark Souls 3 armor on the list.

Catarina Set

Physical Resistance	40.5
Strike Defense	30.9
Slash Defense	41.1
Thrust Defense	39.2
Magic Defense	25.8
Fire Defense	27.8
Lightning Defense	32.6
Dark Defense	28.7
Bleed Resistance	184
Poison Resistance	141
Frost Resistance	141
Curse Resistance	85
Poise	43.8
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	40.7

The Catarina Set has become a tradition in the Dark Souls games as it has appeared in every single title. This armor is quite effective but most players choose to ignore it due to its physical appearance. While I agree that the appearance is nothing to write home about but the usefulness of this armor outweighs the cons. Strength-based characters will love this armor as it offers immense stats and boosts our poise as well. However, the armor is quite weak to Curse and Strike damage.

There are two ways of getting this armor in Dark Souls 3. First of all, you can get it from Patches in the Cathedral of the Deep. However, if you want to save your souls or do not have enough, there is another way to get it. Once you complete the questline of Siegward of Catarina, you will find his armor in the boss room of Yhorm the Giant. This implies that Siegward has finally done what he was set out to do – fulfill his friend’s wish to put him down in case he turns evil. I highly suggest that you complete the Siegward questline in Dark Souls 3 as it is fun, emotional, and offers great lore.

Xanthous Set

Physical Resistance	18.6
Strike Defense	16.6
Slash Defense	17.9
Thrust Defense	17.9
Magic Defense	26.0
Fire Defense	12.3
Lightning Defense	25.1
Dark Defense	25.6
Bleed Resistance	97
Poison Resistance	130
Frost Resistance	114
Curse Resistance	95
Poise	9.6
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	17.5

If you have seen Dark Souls 3 videos on Youtube, you will notice that almost every mage user equips this set. That is because this armor is great for mages. It provides a superb balance between defense and resistance to elemental damage. However, keep in mind that if enemies get too close, they will shred you as this set isn’t good against physical attacks.

This set is purchasable after you hand over the Xanthous Ashes to the Shrine Handmaid. To find the ashes, you must go to the Irithyll Dungeon and loot it off of a corpse in a room filled with jailers. Chances are that you will automatically collect this item when you are exploring the Dungeon so don’t worry too much about it.

Gundyr’s Set

Physical Resistance	32
Strike Defense	27.1
Slash Defense	36.7
Thrust Defense	30.7
Magic Defense	25.5
Fire Defense	26.4
Lightning Defense	25.3
Dark Defense	25.5
Bleed Resistance	198
Poison Resistance	144
Frost Resistance	144
Curse Resistance	144
Poise	53.3
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	40.0

Joining the third in our Best Dark Souls 3 Armor list is the Iudex Gundyr – the first boss that every player faces in Dark Souls 3. He is an excellent introduction to the mechanics and gameplay of Dark Souls 3. The good thing is that players have the option to purchase his armor after defeating him and unlocking the Firelink Shrine. This set has a good amount of defense and has amazing poise. Getting this set early on is useful as you won’t get staggered by every other attack from the enemies.

On a side note, this armor might seem familiar to some Souls veterans. It is because this is a nod to the PS3 classic, Demon’s Souls which was recently remade for the PS5 as a launch title.

Dragonscale Set

Physical Resistance	25.0
Strike Defense	21.8
Slash Defense	23.6
Thrust Defense	19.9
Magic Defense	19.2
Fire Defense	25.1
Lightning Defense	14.1
Dark Defense	19.2
Bleed Resistance	124
Poison Resistance	111
Frost Resistance	112
Curse Resistance	78
Poise	24.7
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	23.7

The Dragonscale set belongs to the one and only Nameless King – considered as the toughest boss in the base version of Dark Souls 3. If you have faced this optional boss, you will immediately note a couple of things. One, that he rides on a dragon; two, he wears awesome-looking armor. After successfully defeating this notoriously difficult boss, you will be able to purchase his armor from the Handmaid at the Firelink Shrine.

Lore wise, this armor is extremely important and pays homage to the original Dark Soul. This armor is worn by the first-born son of Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder. Plus, it offers a great defense against fire due to the fact that it is made out of dragon scales. However, the reason why it is at this spot is that it is extremely weak against lightning-based damage. It is kind of ironic because the Nameless King uses lightning as his primary attack.

Exile Set

Physical Resistance	32.3
Strike Defense	31.3
Slash Defense	31.2
Thrust Defense	29.3
Magic Defense	26.9
Fire Defense	30.6
Lightning Defense	26.5
Dark Defense	28.2
Bleed Resistance	226
Poison Resistance	171
Frost Resistance	143
Curse Resistance	114
Poise	44.5
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	42.3

This set has a rather – sorry for a lack of a better word – ugly appearance that doesn’t look like something the Ashen One would wear. However, its stats and effectiveness more than makeup for its looks. As you can probably tell by looking at it, the armor provides excellent defense against all elements and is especially useful against bleeding damage.

Players will be able to get this set quite early on in the game right after defeating the Exile Watchdogs duo outside of the Farron Keep. If you are building a character that excels in strength – and do not mind its looks, this armor is ideal for you thanks to its elemental resistances and stats.

Leonhard’s Set

Physical Resistance	19.9
Strike Defense	21.8
Slash Defense	19.4
Thrust Defense	20.4
Magic Defense	25.3
Fire Defense	26.8
Lightning Defense	20.6
Dark Defense	17.2
Bleed Resistance	93
Poison Resistance	128
Frost Resistance	142
Curse Resistance	128
Poise	12.1
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	16.6

Leonhard’s is my personal favourite best Dark Souls 3 armor. Wearing this armor set will remind you of Bloodborne as it is quite similar to the various outfits in that game. Acquiring this armor set can be quite a lengthy process if you follow Leonhard’s questline. However, you can duel him in combat when you first meet him at the Firelink Shrine. Keep in mind that you will need a lot of combat prowess to defeat Leonhard as he is quite difficult to kill.

Regardless of which method you choose, you will obtain his mask. Later on, you will be able to purchase the complete set for 10,500 souls from the Shrine Handmaid. This armor set is ideal if you are planning on running the dex build. It will complement the various dex weapons – like the katana – that you use.

Wolf Knight Set

Physical Resistance	23.7
Strike Defense	20.5
Slash Defense	23.8
Thrust Defense	16.0
Magic Defense	22.8
Fire Defense	26.8
Lightning Defense	11.4
Dark Defense	20.4
Bleed Resistance	112
Poison Resistance	76
Frost Resistance	83
Curse Resistance	83
Poise	16.1
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	21.4

Fans of the Souls series will recognize this infamous armor as the one worn by the legendary Knight Artorias. Lore wise, this armor has the richest backstory but it doesn’t just stop there. If you are looking for the best Dark Souls 3 armor in terms of weight-to-defense ratio, there is none better than the Wolf Knight Set in Dark Souls 3.

This armor is great for a high mobility build and managing build load. Plus, it offers a solid defense that can save you from difficult situations. Apart from that, it is probably one of the coolest-looking armors in Dark Souls 3. To get this, however, you will have to progress quite a bit through the game.

Once you defeat Oceiros and enter the Untended Graves, make your way to the Firelink Shrine and purchase it from the Handmaid. The armor costs 46,000 souls and you must have defeated the Abyss Watchers beforehand to unlock it.

Alva Armor Set

Physical Resistance	25.8
Strike Defense	20.6
Slash Defense	25.8
Thrust Defense	24.7
Magic Defense	19.0
Fire Defense	23.6
Lightning Defense	19.0
Dark Defense	22.1
Bleed Resistance	145
Poison Resistance	88
Frost Resistance	93
Curse Resistance	55
Poise	23.9
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	22.0

Much like the previous entry, the Alva armor set also makes its return in Dark Souls 3. Originally introduced in Dark Souls 2, this armor set not only looks aesthetically pleasing but also weighs quite less. This allows you to be highly mobile and dodge enemies without any issues. Plus, considering its weight class, the poise you receive is quite decent.

You can even use any part of this set with other armors and it will still look pleasing. Finding this set can be quite a hassle though. To find it, you must:

• Distant Manor bonfire in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley
• Take a right and head in that direction
• Descend towards the Irithyll Dungeon
• You will be invaded by Alva near the stone bridge
• Kill him and advance to the dungeon
• When you enter the room with the large prison cells, his armor set should be at the corner

Undead Legion Set

Physical Resistance	22.1
Strike Defense	22.3
Slash Defense	12.8
Thrust Defense	19.3
Magic Defense	27.1
Fire Defense	27.9
Lightning Defense	28.3
Dark Defense	22.5
Bleed Resistance	101
Poison Resistance	130
Frost Resistance	161
Curse Resistance	109
Poise	10.6
Icon Durability	-
Icon weight	18.6

If you’ve faced the Abyss Watchers, you will immediately recognize this armor. This is the armor that they wear when battling you. Players that are going for the dex build will want to definitely equip this set to get the most benefits. You can purchase this aesthetically pleasing armor from the Shrine Handmaid for 31,000 souls after defeating the Abyss Watchers. While it is on the pricey end, you will not regret getting this armor at all.

Iron Dragonslayer Set

Physical Resistance	35
Strike Defense	25.8
Slash Defense	36.7
Thrust Defense	38.3
Magic Defense	22.1
Fire Defense	25.8
Lightning Defense	30.7
Dark Defense	29.3
Bleed Resistance	188
Poison Resistance	125
Frost Resistance	138
Curse Resistance	64
Poise	44.4
Icon Durability	450
Icon weight	35.7

Finally, our number one armor in Dark Souls 3, the Iron Dragonslayer set. You will probably recognize this armor from the base game since you have to fight it later on. Fortunately, the Ringed City DLC allows players to equip this set and get all the benefits from it. This is arguably the best-looking armor in Dark Souls 3.

If you are going for a quality build or a strength build while using straight swords or greatswords, this is the perfect armor for you. Plus, if you want to mod the game and play as Guts from Berserk, this armor is perfect if you want to cosplay as him from the Fantasia Arc. After equipping this armor, you will notice that you have unusually high poise and amazing defense against attacks as well.

The main reason why this armor is considered the best is that it takes elements of various armors and enhances them. To get this, you must defeat the dragonslayer armor in the swamp of the ringed city.

Conclusion

Those were the top 10 Dark Souls 3 Best Armor. While you might not agree with some of our picks, keep in mind that it mostly depends on the player’s preference. However, regardless of which armor you choose from this list, you will not be disappointed. We would love to hear your thoughts about which armor is your favorite and which do you think is the best.