While the sets for some of the support characters in God of War Ragnarok are purely cosmetic, the armor worn by Kratos can make a huge difference in combat. Whether due to them passively boosting the titular God of War's stats or providing him with useful combat skills with which to take down his enemies, the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok are well worth seeking out.

There are more than twenty different armor sets in total, but some of them are much better than others. It's also worth noting that many of the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok are unlocked simply by completing the main story, which should come as good news to those who are keen to avoid taking on some of the game's challenging side content.

Updated December 14, 2023, by Tom Bowen: Unlike its predecessor, God of War Ragnarok was treated to story-focussed DLC. Announced and released in late 2023, Valhalla sees Kratos battling with some of the many demons from his past, with a heavy emphasis placed on combat. With this in mind, one might assume that there'd be some cool new armor sets unveiled in the expansion, but this isn't really the case. All of the armor sets in Valhalla are purely cosmetic, making them somewhat useless from a combat perspective. However, players are able to unlock one new armor set that can then be used in the base version of the game, and it just so happens to rank highly among God of War Ragnarok's best armor. Between the new Spartan set and the armor that was added in the New Game Plus update, the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok have changed a lot since the game's release.

12 The Survival Set

Though one might not expect the game's very first set of armor to offer much in the long term, the Survival set scales surprisingly well throughout God of War Ragnarok. Granted, it may not have any skills associated with it, but it more than makes up for this with its impressive stat bonuses.

A full set provides a 153 boost to both the Strength and Defense stats as well as 108 to Runic, Vitality, Cooldown, and Luck. The fact that there are no skills to worry about arguably works in the set's favor too, as it means that players can mix and match without having to worry about missing out on bonuses.

How to Get the Survival Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

Players will find the Survival set in their inventory at the very beginning of God of War Ragnarok, meaning that they won't require any ingredients in order to craft it. Fully upgrading it, however, can be quite expensive.

11 The Berserker Set

In addition to being one of the best God of War Ragnarok armor sets, the Berserker set is also one of the best looking. Its highly ornate appearance makes it seem like the armor of a king, which it kind of is when one thinks about how exactly the set comes to be in Kratos' possession.

Stat-wise, it's about as good as they come, with 145 Strength, 104 Defence, and 83 Runic, Vitality, Cooldown, and Luck at Level 9. Its Soulless Warrior perk allows players to dish out some serious damage right after using Relics, while its Soulless Assault and Soulless Rebuke perks can trigger Soul Explosions, which reduce Relic cooldown time.

How to Craft the Berserker Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

Players will be able to get the Berserker set by defeating some of the game's most powerful enemies. As the set's name might suggest, each armor piece is tied to a different Berserker, with players needing to defeat these deadly foes in combat to get their hands on the complete set.

• Berserker Cuirass: Defeat Svipdagr the Cold and the Sisters of Illska in The Barrens area of Alfheim.
• Berserker Gauntlets: Defeat Skjothendi the Unerring in the Mist Fields area of Niflheim.
• Berserker Waist Guard: Defeat Fraekni the Zealous in the area to the north of Tyr's Temple in Midgard.

10 The Dragon Scaled Set

Like the Survival set, the Dragon Scaled set is incredibly well-balanced, offering over 200 stat points in both Strength and Defence once it's been fully upgraded. Sadly, it doesn't offer the same passive boosts to Kratos' other stats, though does boast one of the game's best armor skills.

Dragon's Fury buffs both Strength and Defence each time players block or parry an attack, with the bonuses stacking until players take a hit. Dragon's Rebuke, on the other hand, increases shield damage by up to 50% and adds shield damage to successful blocks, making this a great set for those who are good at timing their parries.

How to Craft the Dragon Scaled Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

To get the Dragon Scaled armor set, players will first need to complete Chapter 13 and then head to the Freyr's Camp area of Vanaheim and look for Helka to begin the Scent of Survival quest. After following Helka and completing the favor, players will unlock a new area called The Crater and get the blueprints for the Dragon Scaled armor set. Killing the game's five dragons and completing all of the hunts at the crater will provide players with the resources that are needed to craft and fully upgrade the set.

• Dragon Scaled Breastplate: 1 x Dragon Claw and 2 x Dragon Tooth
• Dragon Scaled Girdle: 10 x Dragon Tooth
• Dragon Scared Bracers: 10 x Dragon Tooth

9 The Fate Breaker Set

The Fate Breaker set is one of the last sets that players will get their hands on during the main story. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to learn that it is one of the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok when everything is taken into account.

As well as granting huge stat bonuses to Strength, Defense, Vitality, and Luck, the Raging Aftermath skill provides various buffs in the moments after players finish using Kratos' Spartan Rage. Combine this with the Raging Fury skill provided by the Wraps and Belt, which increases the rate at which the Rage meter fills, and it is an incredibly effective set to have.

How to Get the Fate Breaker Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

Players will receive the recipe for the Fate Breaker armor set at the beginning of God of War Ragnarok's final story chapter. It's free to craft, though they will need the right resources if they wish to upgrade it to the highest level.

8 Giptumadr's Set

When it comes to Runic builds, Giptumadr's Set is hands-down the best armor in God of War Ragnarok. As well as offering decent stat bonuses to Strength, Defence, Runic, and Luck, its Fortune's Refresh skill has a chance to immediately restore 70% of a Runic Attack or Relic's cooldown immediately after use.

The Fortune's Bounty skill from the gauntlets and waist guard increases the chances of enemies dropping a Healthstone or Ragestone when hit with a Runic Attack, which can come in pretty clutch at times. Given that players will probably have boosted their Luck stat to increase the chances of hitting Fortune's Refresh already, the two skills pair incredibly well.

How to Get Giptumadr's Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

The recipe for Giptumadr's set becomes available once players have completed God of War Ragnarok's ninth chapter, The World of Fate. After that, players will be able to purchase the armor by visiting one of Brok and Sindri's workshops.

• Giptumadr's Breastplate: 8,500 Hacksilver
• Giptumadr's Gauntlets: 6,000 Hacksilver
• Giptumadr's Waist Guard: 6,000 Hacksilver

7 The Hunter's Set

The Hunter's set is another great option for those looking to put together a strong Runic build, though is quite a bit harder to unlock and doesn't actually boost Kratos' Runic stat. It does, however, drastically shorten cooldown times for Runic Attacks and Relics, allowing players to use them far more frequently than they would otherwise be able to.

In addition to its solid stat bonuses, the Hunter's set makes Kratos' ranged attacks considerably more powerful. The Empowered Range skill allows players to increase ranged attack damage for a short duration while Ranged Specialist, which is provided by the set's Gauntlets and Belt, can increase all ranged damage by up to 20%.

How to Craft the Hunter's Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

Sadly, crafting the Hunter's set is incredibly difficult, as getting the necessary ingredients will require God of War players to complete two separate favors (In Plain Sight and Nocturnal Predator). They'll also have to beat the recurring Centaur mini-boss The Untamed Fury five times across multiple locations (The Sinkholes, The Plains, and The Jungle).

• Hunter's Pauldron: 2 x Hunter's Brand
• Hunter's Gauntlets: 1 x Hunter's Brand
• Hunter's Belt: 1 x Hunter's Brand

6 The Zeus Set

Just as it does in the previous God of War game, the armor of Zeus turns Kratos into a glass cannon, with immense power and non-existent defenses. In terms of stats, the full set offers a massive 350 boost to Strength, yet will only increase the mighty Spartan's Defense stat by 100, which isn't all that great for a set of armor. That's just the tip of the iceberg though.

Divine Edge increases the amount of damage inflicted by enemies by a massive 180% when the full set is equipped, making most hits fatal. Players will get an 80% boost to any Melee or Runic damage that they're able to dish out though, so those who can consistently avoid taking damage may find that the Zeus armor is actually the best set for them. Unfortunately, even for those who can make use of it, the set becomes available so late on in the game that it has very little time to shine.

How to Get the Zeus Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

To get the Zeus armor in God of War Ragnarok, players will need to be playing in New Game Plus mode. They'll then have to complete the game's main story, after which, they'll be able to obtain the armor of Zeus by completing three specific Remnants of Asgard.

• Cuirass of Zeus: Defeat Gna, Queen of the Valkyries in the Crucible area of Muspelheim.
• Gauntlets of Zeus: Clear the Remnant of Asgard in The Barrens area of Alfheim and then open the red chest.
• War Belt of Zeus: Clear the Remnant of Asgard in the Eastern Barri Woods area of Vanaheim and then open the red chest.

5 The Spartan Set

God of War Ragnarok gives players plenty of ways to make the game easier for themselves, from its five distinct difficulty settings to its award-winning selection of accessibility options. In many ways, the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok also decrease the game's difficulty, either by making Kratos a lot more durable or by buffing his already powerful attacks. This is great for anyone who finds the game to be challenging but does little to help those for whom combat is too easy.

It's for this reason that the Spartan set makes for such a great addition to the game, as this statless and perkless set allows players to make things a lot more challenging by equipping special enchantments known as Burdens. For most players, the Spartan set probably won't see much use, but for those who have mastered the "Give Me God of War" difficulty setting and are now craving a challenge, the Spartan armor may well end up being the best armor set.

How to Get the Spartan Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

The Spartan set can only be obtained in New Game Plus mode, meaning that players will need to have completed the main story at least once in order to get their hands on it. The good news is that it becomes available from Chapter 2 onward in a New Game Plus run, meaning that players will be able to use it for pretty much the entirety of their playthrough if they so wish. It can be purchased from Brok and Sindri for a combined total of 58,000 Hacksilver.

• Sorrow of Sparta: 25,000 Hacksilver
• Scars of Sparta: 16,500 Hacksilver
• Woe of Sparta: 16,500 Hacksilver

4 The Spartan Set (2)

Alternatively, for those who want to look like a badass Spartan while also fighting like one in battle, the game's second Spartan set is well worth a look. This one is modeled on young Kratos and packs one hell of a punch, with a total strength stat of 324 when all three armor pieces are equipped. It also offers 137 Defence and 124 Vitality, for those wondering.

Sadly, much like the original Spartan set, the second Spartan set offers no perks, but it more than makes up for this. After unlocking the set, players will gain the ability to switch between young and old Kratos at the push of a button, thus allowing them to perfect the look. It's important to note that the classic Kratos skin can be used with all of the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarok, but it has by far the most synergy with this one.

How to Get the Spartan Armor Set (2) in God of War Ragnarok

Players will be able to get the second Spartan set by completing the sixth and final chapter of the Valhalla DLC and then speaking with Gunnr at The Shore. Once the armor has been unlocked in Valhalla, players can load up their regular Ragnarok save file, where they should now find the second Spartan set waiting for them in the large wooden chest at Brok and Sindri's workshop.

3 The Steinbjorn Set

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that the primary purpose of an armor set is to protect its wearer from harm. With this in mind, there's a very strong argument to be made for the Steinbjorn set being the best armor in God of War Ragnarok on account of its incredible 394 Defence points once fully upgraded.

Then there's the Plackart's Bloodthirsty Retaliation skill, which sees Kratos' attacks restoring health for a short time after significant damage has been taken. This pairs incredibly well with Spartan Rage and can allow players to completely refill their health bars in a matter of seconds if used correctly. Stunning Retaliation can be useful too, as it has a chance to stun nearby enemies whenever Kratos takes damage.

How to Craft the Steinbjorn Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

In order to get their hands on the Steinbjorn Armor set, players will first need to get the Draupnir spear. After that, they should head for the Lake of Nine in Midgard and destroy the block of ice with the golden cracks in it to the south of the area to get the Mystical Heirloom relic. Once equipped, players should use the heirloom near the special troll statues in The Derelict Outpost in Midgard, the Forbidden Sands in Alfheim, and Noatun's Garden in Vanaheim (x2). Doing so will turn them into tricky troll bosses which will drop the components needed to craft the Steinbjorn set upon their defeat.

• Steinbjorn Plackart: 2 x Slumber Stone
• Steinbjorn Gauntlets: 1 x Slumber Stone
• Steinbjorn Waist Guard: 1 x Slumber Stone

2 Surtr's Scorched Set

Surtr's Scorched set is arguably the best armor in God of War Ragnarok, but it's also one of the most difficult and most time-consuming sets to unlock. It makes up for this somewhat, however, with huge stat bonuses to Strength, Defense, and Vitality, not to mention a couple of incredibly useful skills.

While the Dragon Scaled set is the best for those who value timing, Surtr's Scorched set rewards those who like to go on the offensive. Preemptive Strike grants bonus damage when players interrupt an opponent's attack, while Aggressor's Resolve reduces the damage that players take by up to 40% while also increasing Stagger Resistance while they are attacking,

How to Get Surtr's Scorched Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

In order to get their hands on Surtr's Scorched armor set, players will first need to find the two halves of the Muspelheim Realm Seed. They can be found in the Modvitnir’s Rig and Dragon Beach areas of Svartalfheim, though the latter can only be accessed after completing Chapter 10 and getting the Draupnir Spear. After that, players will need to head to Muspelheim and take part in Surtr's trials in the Crucible area.

• Surtr's Scorched Cuirass: Complete one of the final challenges at the Crucible.
• Surtr's Scorched Arm: Complete three of the final challenges at the Crucible.
• Surtr's Scorched Girdle: Complete four of the final challenges at the Crucible.

1 The Ares Set

Much like the Zeus and Spartan sets, the Ares armor can only be obtained in New Game Plus mode. When it comes to making life easier for the player, the armor of Ares is arguably the best armor set in God of War Ragnarok, thanks in large to its fantastic stat distribution and its survivability-centric perk.

Rage of Ares increases the chance of enemies dropping Healthstones, while also making it so that Healthstones fill the Rage meter and trigger much bigger explosions when they break. This pairs well with the Enraged Might perk provided by the Gauntlets and War Belt, which grants a 50% boost to all damage dealt during the moments immediately after the Rage meter is activated from full.

How to Get the Ares Armor Set in God of War Ragnarok

While playing in New Game Plus mode, players will be able to purchase the Ares set from any of Brok and Sindri's workshops for a combined total of 58,000 Hacksilver. The first chance they'll get to do so will come in the game's second chapter.

• Cuirass of Ares: 25,000 Hacksilver
• Gauntlets of Ares: 16,500 Hacksilver
• War Belt of Ares: 16,500 Hacksilver