Last updated: 6 July 2026

Ghost of Yōtei Best Armor All 15 Sets Ranked by Playstyle

Ghost of Yōtei has 15 armor sets — each granting two to three passive perks that shape how Atsu fights, hides, or survives in Ezo. Unlike most RPGs, armor can be switched instantly during combat with no penalty, which means the real strategy is carrying multiple sets and swapping between them as the situation changes. This guide covers which armor is best for each playstyle, how every set is unlocked, and what to prioritise when upgrading.

01How the Armor System Works

Each armor set in Ghost of Yōtei provides Atsu with two or three passive perks. There is no weight or movement penalty for any set — the difference is entirely in which passive abilities are active. You can open a camp in stealth armor, then swap to combat armor the moment you are detected, mid-fight.

Most sets are upgraded by armorers (Ginji is the most accessible and moves between regions). Each set has four upgrade tiers; higher tiers increase perk magnitudes but do not add new effects. The exception is cosmetic: the Armor of the Undying gains a cape at Tier III and fur accents at Tier IV.

One set — the Onryo Armor — is unique: it upgrades automatically through main-story progression and cannot be manually upgraded by an armorer. Two sets cannot be upgraded at all: the Fundoshi (a cosmetic novelty reward for visiting all 16 hot springs) and the Robes for Sitturaynu, which uses a separate system requiring Ainu Items found in the Nayoro Wilds and brought to Kaeka.

The game supports up to five saved build presets, each pairing an armor set with a specific charm loadout. Set up a preset for each playstyle to switch between configurations without manually re-equipping charms.

02Best Armor by Playstyle

All five recommendations below are obtainable before the final story boss and are effective at any upgrade tier, improving significantly as you reach Tier IV.

Melee Combat — Armor of the Undying: The strongest general-purpose combat armor for players who use weapon alignment actively. When Atsu staggers an enemy with the weapon they are aligned against, the armor heals her — a bonus you earn naturally by switching to the correct weapon for each foe type. It also widens the timing window on Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge, and deals bonus stagger damage during Focus Attacks. These three effects compound: the wider parry window makes healing staggers easier to chain, and the stagger bonus means each aligned hit does more posture damage. Obtained from the Undying Samurai Mythic Tale in Ishikari Plains.

Stealth / Assassin — Crimson Kimono: The go-to set for shadow builds. Its passive perk greatly reduces enemy detection radius, meaning guards can only spot Atsu from a shorter range and she has more time to reposition before being detected. The signature perk allows Kunai to be thrown during a Chain Assassination animation — killing a target that is out of direct melee reach without interrupting the chain. A third perk extends the Kusarigama assassination pull range. Pair with the Chain Assassination and Kusarigama Mastery techniques from the Onryo skill tree. Obtained from the Crimson Kimono Mythic Tale in Teshio Ridge.

Counter / Parry — Bounty Master Armor: A high-skill set that disables standard parries entirely, forcing Atsu to rely on Perfect Parry or dodging every incoming attack. The trade-off: the Perfect Parry window expands significantly, and each successful Perfect Parry unlocks three consecutive counterattacks rather than one. Atsu's Spirit gauge also recharges far faster in this armor. Not recommended for beginners — but players who have built Perfect Parry muscle memory will find fights shorter and Spirit virtually unlimited. Unlock it by completing four bounties in the Yōtei Grasslands, then taking the Soma the Condemned Bounty from Kojiro.

Ranged / Bow — Dragonfly Armor: The dedicated archer set. Its perks increase arrow damage and effective range, reduce the reload delay on bows, and grant Concentration passively — a normally technique-gated effect that slows time while aiming. Pairing the Dragonfly Armor with a fully upgraded longbow and ranged-focused charms (Mother's Charm for arrow damage, Father's Charm for parry sustain on re-engage) produces a ranged output capable of clearing camps from distance before stealth is broken. Triggered by speaking with Daijiro near the river at Cairn Forks, south of Ohara Plains in Tokachi Range.

Crowd Control — Spider Lily Armor: Built for fighting groups. The first perk increases the chance that enemies drop throwable weapons — rocks, pottery, and tools — when killed or staggered, supplying Atsu with a steady stream of quick-stagger tools in prolonged fights. The second perk chains stagger damage to enemies standing near a target whose posture breaks from a weapon-aligned hit, so a single well-timed stagger can cascade through a group. Obtained from the Spider Lily General Mythic Tale, started by speaking with Storyteller Ugetsu near the Mysterious Gate in Shizunai Woods, Tokachi Range.

03Situational Picks and New Game Plus

A few sets are worth equipping for specific situations even if they are not your primary armor.

• Taro's Armor — Boosts maximum health, increases Spirit restoration from cooking at campfires, and reduces Fire and Cold damage. Not a combat-specialist set, but the health bonus makes it useful for survival on Lethal difficulty before upgrading primary armor to Tier III or IV. Found by encountering Taro at various locations across Ezo, including the Dead Man's Tree in Tokachi Range.
• Robes for Sitturaynu — The cultural armor of the Ainu people of Ezo. Its perks favour exploration and non-lethal movement. Unique upgrade system: instead of using Ginji, you bring Ainu Items found in the Nayoro Wilds to Kaeka for upgrades. Obtained from The Heart of an Ainu tale (speak with Huci after arriving in the Nayoro Wilds).
• Ginji's Guard Armor — A balanced general-defense set obtained from the Pride Before Tea tale in Oshima Coast. Solid transitional armor before unlocking Mythic Tale sets.
• Oyuki's Armor and Ina's Armor — Exclusive to New Game Plus. Both are purchased from Masujiro the Melodious for 15 Ghost Flowers each during a NG+ playthrough. Their perks complement experienced players who already understand the game's systems.
• Fundoshi — Earned by resting in all 16 hot springs across Ezo. Cosmetic only — it cannot be upgraded and provides no combat perks. Still worth collecting for the For All Occasions trophy and the completionist run.

04All 15 Armor Sets — Locations at a Glance

Three sets unlock through the main story automatically. Nine are earned through side content. Two are New Game Plus exclusives. One is paid DLC.

1. Onryo Armor — Default. Available from start of Chapter 1; upgrades automatically through story, not via armorer.
2. Mercenary Attire — Main story, Oni questline.
3. Nine Tail Armor — Main story, Kitsune questline.
4. Armor of the Undying — Mythic Tale: The Undying Samurai. Speak with Storyteller Ugetsu at Storyteller's Rest in northern Ishikari Plain (past Nakagoya Spring). Collect four Wind Chimes from corpses in the area, then defeat the Undying Samurai boss.
5. Crimson Kimono — Mythic Tale: The Crimson Kimono. Speak with Storyteller Ugetsu in the Abandoned Village area of Teshio Ridge.
6. Spider Lily Armor — Mythic Tale: The Spider Lily General. Speak with Storyteller Ugetsu near the Mysterious Gate in Shizunai Woods, Tokachi Range.
7. Dragonfly Armor — Tale: The Dragonfly Armor. Speak with Daijiro near the river at Cairn Forks, south of Ohara Plains, Tokachi Range.
8. Bounty Master Armor — Complete four bounties in Yōtei Grasslands, then speak with Kojiro to unlock Soma the Condemned Bounty. Complete it to earn the armor.
9. Ginji's Guard Armor — Tale: Pride Before Tea. Speak with Ginji after arriving in Oshima Coast.
10. Taro's Armor — Encounter Taro at various locations across Ezo (one reliable spot: Dead Man's Tree, Tokachi Range).
11. Robes for Sitturaynu — Tale: The Heart of an Ainu. Speak with Huci after arriving in Nayoro Wilds. Upgraded by Kaeka using Ainu Items, not by Ginji.
12. Fundoshi — Rest in all 16 hot springs scattered across Ezo. Cannot be upgraded.
13. Oyuki's Armor — New Game Plus only. Purchase from Masujiro the Melodious for 15 Ghost Flowers.
14. Ina's Armor — New Game Plus only. Purchase from Masujiro the Melodious for 15 Ghost Flowers.
15. Snake Skin Armor — Digital Deluxe Edition exclusive. Not included in the standard edition.

Collecting all 15 non-DLC armor sets earns the For All Occasions trophy.

05Upgrade Priority Guide

Armor upgrades are material-intensive. The most efficient path is to take one primary set to Tier IV before starting a second, since the materials required overlap heavily across sets.

1. Identify your primary playstyle early and begin upgrading that set's armor from Tier I. Even Tier II delivers a noticeable increase in perk magnitude for sets like the Armor of the Undying (heal per stagger scales up) and the Bounty Master (counterattack damage scales).
2. Upgrade your secondary set to Tier II only — enough to make it functional for specific situations (stealth opener, then swap to primary for combat). A Tier II Crimson Kimono is sufficient for camp infiltration even late in the game.
3. Finish your primary set to Tier IV before investing further in secondary sets. Tier III and IV upgrades require rarer materials that are better spent on your most-used armor.
4. Note that the Onryo Armor upgrades automatically and the Fundoshi cannot be upgraded — neither require any material investment.