The best armor in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

With the best armor in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Yasuke and Naoe become nearly invincible. As you explore feudal Japan, you’ll find many fabulous body armors, helmets, robes, and headbands, but some are worth wearing more than others — and we’re not just talking about looks.

Armor and headgear of “legendary” quality comes with a unique gameplay perk and (usually) the best stats, which is why you’ll only find legendary equipment on this list. These perks range from okay-ish to absolutely overpowered, and if you pair them with the best weapons, you’ll can really max out your builds. 

Each character has just two equipment slots: light armor and headgear for Naoe, armor and helmets for Yasuke. Some headgear and armor pieces belong to the same set (they’ll have a similar name and look) but you don’t need to “complete” a set to unlock the perk, so it’s perfectly fine to mix and match the best items.

Below, we’ll show to the best weapons in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, broken down into four categories (two for each character). Note, though, that this list is in-progress, so stay tuned as we test out some of the endgame armor in Shadows.

Best light armor for Naoe

The best armor for Naoe plays into her role as an assassin. Better vaulting abilities and HP restoration aren’t bad, but it’s far more useful to gain the power to assassinate two targets at once or deplete more health upon assassination attempts. Here’s the best body armor for your stealthy shinobi. 

Tools Master Gear

• Perk: Throw a kunai at the closest enemy after an assassination
• Location: Izumi Settsu, Katano Castle (north of Osaka)

Upon reaching Knowledge Rank 2, you can use Naoe’s mastery points to unlock the “double assassinate” ability, which allows her to kill two targets at once. Thanks to the Tools Master Gear set, however, you can perform double assassinations long before you reach that Knowledge Rank; since early-game enemies aren’t that strong, a kunai in the head usually kills them, thus saving you a lot of trouble. The Tools Master Gear is also one of the best legendary armors in Assassin’s Creed Shadows because the kunai used with the perk is free (it won’t decrease the number of kunai you’re carrying) and the armor location is conveniently close to Osaka, where you start the game.

Swift Shinobi Robes

• Perk: Removes +2 health segments on air assassinate
• Location: The northwestern part of Iga, inside Hijiyama Fort

This fantastic shinobi outfit unlocks instant-assassination opportunities like no other early- to mid-game gear piece. It removes two health segments (two chunks of the enemy’s HP bar) upon air assassinations. Since many early-game enemies don’t even have more than two health segments, this translates to immediate defeats. But even if you’re up against a burly Samurai Daisho with five health segments, depleting his HP by 40% before the fight really begins is a rather welcome effect. Combine this with an Assassination Damage upgrade or two (the Assassin Mastery tree), and this Naoe armor becomes truly overpowered.

Best headgear for Naoe

No armor set in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is complete without a helmet, hat, headband, or creepy mask. Here’s an overview of the best headgear for Naoe — and remember; you can mix different sets, so Naoe’s best headgear doesn’t necessarily form a set with her best armor.

Tools Master Mask

• Perk: Shuriken no longer break on hard impact
• Location: In Amagasaki Castle, Izumi Settsu (northwest of Osaka)

As a shinobi, Naoe relies on stealth and assassinations. Unfortunately, you can’t expect to remain unseen for the entire playthrough of Assassin’s Creed Shadows; especially when facing groups or particularly tough enemies, you may be forced to fight in the open. Throwables are a great way to deal with such situations, as they allow you to keep some distance as you chip away at the enemy’s HP. But here’s the problem: You only get a limited supply until you find an opportunity to refill. Thanks to the Tools Master Mask, you don’t need to worry about this anymore as you can collect your shuriken ninja stars after throwing; just get close to the defeated opponent and the shuriken will automatically return to your inventory. Now you can throw them as much as you like!

Best armor for Yasuke

Yasuke’s greatest strengths are his superb defensiveness and downright destructive blows deriving from his counters and posture attacks. So, naturally, the best armor for Yasuke improves that sturdiness while boosting his strongest strikes. Let’s see which Yasuke armor you shouldn’t miss out on. 

Protector’s Armor

• Perk: Can parry unblockable attacks
• Location: In Nijo Palace, in the middle of Kyoto, Yamashiro province

Not only is this shiny golden gear one of the first legendary armor pieces you can get for Yasuke, it’s also one of the best. Although Yasuke isn’t bad at dodging (but not quite as good as Naoe), it’s usually better to parry an incoming enemy attack as this allows you to avoid damage and instantly counterattack. Unfortunately, you can’t parry “unblockable” attacks as Yasuke… unless you have the Protector’s Armor. With this legendary armor equipped, you no longer need to be wary of incoming attack types; just parry as much as you can and take every opportunity to reverse the damage. To make the most of this magnificent ability, consider wearing the full Protector’s armor set — the helmet increases Yasuke’s parry damage.

Best helmets for Yasuke

Yasuke’s best headgear makes him more defensive or damaging in open combat — preferably both. Pay special attention to the Protector’s Helmet, as it truly shines in combination with the Protector’s Armor we mentioned earlier.

Protector’s Helmet

• Perk: Deal 50% damage to the attacker on parry
• Location: Inside Hanazono Castle, the northeastern part of Yamashiro

As an expert swordsman, Yasuke has the ability to parry incoming attacks and deal instant counterattack damage. Parrying is a great way to deflect damage even without a boost, but the Protector’s Helmet makes it ridiculously easy to turn the enemy’s fortune whenever they try to hit you. Beware that unblockable attacks can’t be parried, but that’s why we recommend wearing the full Protector’s set, as the Protector’s Armor allows Yasuke to parry unblockable attacks too. Any swordsman trying to slash you will instantly regret it.

Defense Master Headwrap

• Perk: Slow down time after a successful dodge
• Location: Inside Miki Castle, the eastern part of Harima

Parrying is a powerful ability, but it requires expert timing. If you’d rather rely on Yasuke’s posture attacks, a.k.a. his charged attacks, the Defense Master Headwrap is the best headgear for you. There’s just one problem: To perform a posture attack, you must find an opening to charge it. It’ll only take a second, but that’s enough to get hit by a slightly faster opponent. This is where the Defense Master Headwrap comes in: every time you dodge an attack, time is slowed down, thus granting you the opportunity to charge the posture attack in peace — now you can unleash these devastating blows as often as you want.

For more Assassin’s Creed Shadows guides, see our running lists of Lost Pages, Kuji-kiri, and armor locations. Or see our full Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough, and our guides on how to get all companions and romance options.