Dark Souls 3, while a masterpiece in its own right, often faltered when it came to armor aesthetics. Many sets felt like they’d been dragged through the mud and left to rust, a far cry from the heroic knight fantasies many players sought. Sets like the default Knight armor, Alva’s, Drakeblood, and Abyss Watchers stood out as exceptions, but beyond those, the options often felt lacking in visual appeal. The dream of a heavily armored Havel-like character was quickly dashed by the impracticality of fat-rolling in PvP, rendering such sets more for niche PvE builds than versatile fashion statements. Even sets with potential, like the Lothric Knight armor, fell short of their NPC counterparts, and the coveted blue elite version remained frustratingly unobtainable. The Fallen Knight set, while decent, became unfortunately associated with less skilled players due to its readily available nature and somewhat worn appearance. Even iconic sets like the Silver Knight armor suffered from inaccuracies, missing key elements like shoulder guards.
Elden Ring, however, marks a significant leap forward in armor design. A striking number of sets appear in pristine condition, embodying a sense of grandeur and polish absent in much of Dark Souls 3’s “junkyard” aesthetic. The Carian Knight set exemplifies this, radiating a noble and almost regal quality. Farmable sets from larger knight enemies, with their greatshields and polearms or greatswords, are visually impressive, albeit requiring a bit of grind to acquire. The Crucible Knight armors exude a powerful, ancient knightly aura, and the Tree Sentinel and Rot Knight sets are equally compelling in their unique styles. Elden Ring’s cosmetic choices feel vastly superior, finally delivering on the desire for truly honorable and visually striking knightly armor. While Dark Souls 3 offered glimpses of this with sets like Drakeblood, Elden Ring provides a wealth of options to create characters that look as formidable and stylish as they are deadly. For players seeking that perfect blend of fashion and function, Elden Ring’s armor sets are a true triumph, offering a level of visual fidelity and variety that far surpasses its predecessors.
