Summary
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimhas a lot to offer players, with a multitude of NPCs, magic, weaponry, and of course, armor. Along with standard armor sets, lootable off in-game enemies, or craftable inSkyrim’s extensive smithing system, the game also offers legendary gear and Daedric artifacts that offer unique and special abilities. The RPG also has an extensive modding community that has keptSkyrimalive for nearly a decade.
These unique pieces of armorrange from the cosmetic to the enchantedand both have their place. Ultimately, some of this unique gear is just going to be better than others, and players should know what they are and where to find them, in order to get the most out ofSkyrim’s legendary loot.
Updated on June 20, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Skyrim is a game that many people feel becomes easier and easier as players power through this title and see everything this title has to offer. The world may scale with the player’s level, but what tips the scales in the Dragonborn’s favor is the high-level equipment they gain access to over the course of their adventure. One thing that most people need to be mindful of is the armor that they wear into battle, with the player finding it more advantageous to use special pieces of armor that let players enjoy a great bonus and turn the tide against any enemy that stands in their way.
17Ancient Shrouded Armor
Complete The Dark Brotherhood Side Quest “Locate The Assassin Of Old”
The Dark Brotherhood is one of the most beloved factions inThe Elder Scrolls. Players love roleplaying as an assassin who takes a wealth of valuable contracts before eventually trying to weed out any weakness in the group from within.
During one of the quests assigned by The Dark Brotherhood, players can stumble upon a unique version of their regular armor set that is perfect for rogues, thieves, and anyone who prioritizes stealth will find to be right up their alley. It helps that the armor set looks amazing and features a unique spin on the established Dark Brotherhood armor design.
16Linwe’s Armor Set
Looted Or Pickpocketed From Linwe
The Dragonborn can join numerous guilds during their adventures inSkyrim, completing various quests and rising the ranks to become a notable member of these groups. The Thieves Guild is one such group that is beloved by the masses for letting them sell stolen goods and letting them interact with a wealth of unique characters.
One of the unique armor sets they can find while completing the duties of the Thieves Guild resides in the Uttering Hills Cave. During the quest “Summerset Shadows”, players will encounter a person named Linwe who can be looted or robbed to attain Linwe’s Armor Set.
15Shrouded Armor
Automatically Obtained After Joining The Dark Brotherhood
The Shrouded Armor is one of the easiest unique sets of armor players can find in the game. All they need to do is join the Dark Brotherhood, and they’ll receive a brand new set of this armor in no time.
This armor set is great for players who enjoy being a stealth archer, given the sheer number of useful ways this armor set helps them tackle their enemies from the shadows. This build is a fan-favorite inSkyrimbecause of its low-risk, high-reward nature.
14Jester’s Outfit
Found In Dawnstar Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
The Jester’s Outfit is a clothing set that boosts the player’s bartering, one-handed, and sneak skills. It looks almost exactly like the outfit worn by Cicero, the Keeper of the Night Mother’s Coffin, and can likewise be found during theDark Brotherhood questline.
After interacting with Cicero for the first time, he can befound in a few locationsthroughout the game. In the Dawnstar Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, look for this lightly enchanted unique outfit near the entrance.
13Ahzidal’s Armor
Found In Kolbjorn Barrow In Solstheim
Ahzidal’s armor comes in two varieties, male and female, both of which enhance the player’s enchanting skill. The male set is much like the Iron Armor set, featuring ram horn adornments, while the female set uses deer antlers and no frontal plating.
It’s a very well-designed set that blends in seamlessly with just about every environment in the game. Look for the heavy Ahzidal’s Armor set inKolbjorn Barrow, where each piece is spread throughout the dungeon. Players are naturally guided to this location in the quest “Unearthed.”
12The Armor Of The Old Gods
Found In The “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine” Questline
Obtained after completingthe quest “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine,”the armor of the old gods is an interesting Forsworn-themed light armor set with some powerful enchantments. The set is perfect for casters and archers who like to attack from a distance, as it decreases the cost of destruction spells, improves sneaking, bolsters bow damage, and increases Magicka by 30 points.
Additionally, the armor has some interesting implications about the Forsworn and their adherence to “the old gods” who just might happen to be the Daedra.
11The Blackguard Armor
Found After Assisting Glover Mallory In Solstheim
After helping Glover Mallory inRavenrock on the island of Solstheim, players will gain access to his secret stash and the Blackguard armor. Glover is Delvin’s brother, and so this set acts as an upgraded version of the Thieves Guild set.
To gain access to the armor, players will need to get the Bonemold Armor formula from Esmond’s corpse in the Castle Karstaag Caverns. The Blackguard armor provides a forty percent bonus to both lockpicking and pickpocketing, perfect for enterprising young thieves.
10Falmer Armor
Found In The Mzinchaleft Depths
The Falmer are one ofSkyrim’s greatest mysteries, and their armor is no different. While theDawnguardDLC added the Falmer Hardened and Falmer Heavy Armor, which can be looted from Falmer enemies, the true Falmer armor is unique.
The armor is equivalent to that of Dwarven armor with significantly less carry weight. Additionally,the set is enchantable, meaning players can put whatever magic they want on this unique set of chitin. The most powerful piece of the Falmer armor, however, is the helmet. Falmer helmets can be worn alongside circlets, allowing characters to stack enchantments, or to wear strong unique circlets such as the Aetherial Crown without losing any armor rating.
9Auriel’s Shield
Found In The Forgotten Vale In The Dawnguard DLC
With an armor rating equal to that of the Ebony variety,this sleek legendary shield is nothing to scoff at. But what makes this armor so special is its unique enchantment that acts as its own unrelenting force shout when power bashing. The shield can be found in the Forgotten Valeduring theDawnguardstorylineand is looted from a Falmer enemy.
The shield is unique in that when blocking attacks it charges its effect and after blocking 15 hits, Auriel’s Shield is ready to release its own unrelenting force equal to the might of a full Fus Ro Dah.
8The Helm Of Yngol
Found In Yngol’s Barrow After Fighting Yngol Himself
With an armor rating of 21, this is one of the most powerful helmets players can find inSkyrim. The Helm of Yngol can be picked up in thethrone room of Yngol’s Barrowafter fighting Yngol’s shade and grants a pretty significant boost to the player’s frost resistance. It also has the added bonus of granting the Dovahkiin an even more impressive pair of horns than the base iron helmet seen in the trailers and art for the game. Further, the helmet has a unique background as it belonged, of course, to Yngol.
Yngol was the son of Ysgramor who launched a campaign bringing humans intoSkyrimand Tamriel long, long ago. Yngol, however, never joined his father’s campaign as his ship was separated and he and his crew were slaughtered on the trip across the Sea of Ghosts. Overall, it sounds like a pretty bad way to go.
