Armor in Ghost of Yotei isn’t just fashion — each body piece changes how you play, from stealth and archery to parrying or exploration. Helmets and masks are largely cosmetic. Minor story spoilers below.

All armor sets and how to get them

Armor set How to get (where) Core perks / focus
Onryō Armor Available at start (story) After story upgrades, killing with Spirit/throws can Terrify; the Wolf may appear on Terror; Terrified foes take increased damage.
Nine Tail Armor Main story hunt for the Kitsune (Teshio Ridge) Stealth set; boosts Quickfire damage and status duration, lowers detection; assassinations can refund Quickfire ammo.
Mercenary Attire Story mission when infiltrating a fortress in disguise (Belly of the Beast) Thrown melee weapons hit harder and grant Spirit; assassinations may drop sake; drinking sake grants extra Spirit.
Dragonfly Armor Complete “The Dragonfly Armor” tale started by Daijiro at Cairn Forks (Tokachi Range) Archery set; timed draw “glint” empowers shots (higher damage/range), empowered shots grant Concentration; faster arrow reloads.
Bounty Master Armor Finish all Old Inn bounties, then defeat Soma the Condemned west of Lake Jozan (Yotei Grasslands) Risk–reward parry build; Perfect Parry/Dodge windows extended, regular parries disabled; Perfect Parry enables multiple counters; higher Spirit gains.
Robes for Sitturaynu Complete “The Heart of an Ainu” (Husko Kotan, Nayoro Wilds) Exploration set; Fireflies/vibration guide nearby Altars and Ainu Items; Golden Birds can lead to songs, paintings, pillars, dye merchants; auto-pick some flowers while riding/stealthing.
Taro’s Armor Meet Taro the Scavenger (guaranteed at Dead Man’s Tree in Tokachi Range or via wilderness encounter) Survivability; more Spirit when benefiting from cooking, increased max health, reduced Fire/Cold damage.
Armor of the Undying Pick up “The Undying Samurai” at Storyteller’s Rest (Ishikari Plain), follow four wind chimes, then duel the Undying Samurai When weapon-aligned: stagger heals you; larger Perfect Parry/Dodge windows; Focus Attacks can boost stagger damage.
Spider Lily Armor Complete “The Spider Lily General” at the Abandoned Tominaga Estate behind the Mysterious Gate (Tokachi Range) Crowd control; increased melee stagger damage; staggering can pulse stagger to nearby enemies; enemies may drop throwables.
Crimson Kimono Follow the three Sun‑Painted Trees and red fireflies to the Old Home and a grave (Teshio Ridge) Stealth chain-kill kit; chain assassinations with kunai; reduced detection; longer‑reach kusarigama assassinations.
Ginji’s Guard Armor Oshima Coast quest near the Matsumae Residences Anti‑projectile; faster tanegashima reload; blocking deflects bullets and grants Spirit; reduced projectile damage.
Fundoshi Soak in all 16 Hot Springs (Song of Well‑Being helps find them) Movement while running/sprinting is silent but you lose warmth more quickly, risking frostbite.

Story rewards you’ll get by just playing

Three outfits arrive through the main path: Onryō (your starter), Nine Tail during the Kitsune hunt in Teshio Ridge, and Mercenary Attire when you infiltrate a fortress under disguise. You don’t need to track side content for these.

Onryō Armor’s unique upgrade path

Onryō starts plain and grows with the revenge arc. Each time you eliminate members of the Yotei Six, it unlocks new terror-centric perks: Spirit or thrown kills can trigger area Terror, the Wolf companion can appear off Terror, and frightened enemies take increased damage. You don’t bring materials to the armorer for this one — progress the story.

Bounty Master Armor disables regular parries

This set is built around timing, not safety nets. It widens Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge windows and converts a successful Perfect Parry into multiple counterattacks, while regular parries are turned off. The payoff is high Spirit generation and strong boss pressure if your timing is consistent. Consider swapping out for other fights if you’re not looking to play on a knife’s edge.

Robes for Sitturaynu upgrade through Ainu findings

Unlike other outfits, the Robes don’t consume coin and crafting materials. Collect Ainu Items across Ezo and return them to Kaeka the Weaver in Husko Kotan to increase their guidance radius, add more destinations Golden Birds can highlight, and increase the chance flowers are auto‑collected while you travel. It’s the set to wear when you want the world to surface its secrets.

Armor of the Undying and “weapon alignment”

Weapon alignment means equipping the weapon type that counters a given enemy: katana vs. katana, odachi vs. brutes, dual katanas vs. polearms, yari vs. dual‑wielders, and kusarigama vs. shields. When aligned, the armor’s perks switch on — stagger restores health, defensive timing windows widen, and certain Focus Attacks can further ramp your stagger output.

Crimson Kimono’s treasure trail

To claim the Crimson Kimono, spot three orange Sun‑Painted Trees in Teshio Ridge and chase the red fireflies they summon. The trail leads to the Old Home; search the attic for a note, finish a snow sculpture by the stream, then follow one last firefly path to a graveside cache. The reward is a stealth set built to string assassinations together.

Ginji’s Guard Armor lets you block bullets

Late in the journey, Ginji offers a prototype on Oshima Coast that finally answers firearms. With this equipped, blocking deflects incoming bullets and generates Spirit, while a passive perk softens projectile hits. It also speeds up tanegashima reloads if you prefer to fire back.

Fundoshi is earned at Hot Springs — and it cuts noise

The fundoshi is technically the twelfth set. Bathe at all 16 Hot Springs to unlock it. It removes the sound you normally make while running and sprinting, but the tradeoff is reduced warmth, making frostbite more likely in cold regions.

Deluxe Edition bonus: Snake Skin Armor

If you own the Deluxe Edition, you also receive the Snake Skin Armor. It can’t be upgraded and revolves around sake jars: some “empty” jars turn out to be full when picked up, and thrown jars explode on impact, leaving a poisonous cloud.

Each set solves a different problem — perfect parry windows, bullet defense, collectible hunting, or faster bow play. Swap often. The right armor for the mission will save resources, shorten fights, and make Ezo’s harsher regions far more manageable.