The commercially successful prequel-sequel to 2017's Nioh, the "soulslike" title from Team Ninja has players exploring a dark fantasy setting inspired by Japanese folklore. As players create their own Yokai spirit and fight their way through the game, they'll have to consider which armor is best to use.

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Armor in Nioh 2 comes in the forms of light, medium, and heavy armor. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, while also protecting against different types of damage. Armor sets also have a set bonus, which will give players unique bonuses and abilities, some of which are unique to that armor set. With all this in mind, it's best to know what armor sets players should be on the hunt for.

10 Red Demon Armor

The individual pieces of Red Demon armor don't offer much damage protection, but the many effects offered from the armor's set bonus make up for this. The Red Demon is a set of light armor. It requires a constitution of 13 and a strength of 14, and only protects slightly from physical damage.

Normally, this would make the set unremarkable, that is until the set bonus is considered. The set bonus greatly increases Ki recovery speed as well as spearfall and melee damage, while also decreasing Ki consumption.

9 Kingo's Armor

Kingo's armor can be found early on by players, either after completing the "Two Faces of Hospitality" or "High-Spirited Demon" side quests. As a medium armor set, it's quite capable considering how early it can be acquired.

The armor mostly protects against physical damage and requires a constitution of 13 and a strength of 14 to be used. Its set bonus is The Crossed Sickles, which increases the damage of Final Blows while also reducing the damage done to the player.

8 Master Swordsman Set

Players looking to specialize in heavy armor should look towards the Master Swordsman armor. With a stamina of 14 and a strength of 16, players can equip this armor set. The set protects against physical damage, and all pieces except the Master Swordsman's Crown protect against both lightning and paralysis.

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It also comes with the bonus called A Master Swordsman's Power which, among other things, increases the player's Life, Skill Ki consumption, and offers a bonus for players wielding dual swords.

7 Yoriki Armor

Sure, the Yoriki armor doesn't have a set bonus, but each of the individual pieces has a particular bonus, which makes up for it. The Yoriki armor is a set of heavy armor, which only requires a stamina of 7 and a strength of 6 to be worn.

The armor primarily protects the player against physical damage. Collecting all the pieces won't give the player a set bonus, but each piece gives the player a great chance at Life Recovery after killing an enemy. Much like the Kingo's armor, the Yoriki armor is a good choice for new players.

6  Warrior of the West

Both the Warrior of the West and the Warrior of the East are great armor sets; it's ultimately up to the player depending on whether they prefer medium or heavy armor. The Warrior of the West is the medium armor set, which primarily protects against physical damage, but also helps a bit with lightning damage.

It also has an effective set bonus, which mostly helps increase the amount of damage players can do. The constitution and strength required to wear the armor fluctuates, with some pieces only requiring 6 and 7 respectively, while others require 13 and 15 respectively. This inconsistency keeps the Warrior of the West armor from ranking higher.

5 Sohaya Armor

Similar to an armor given away on the PS5 version of the game, the Sohaya armor is a powerful and effective set of medium armor. It only requires a constitution and strength of 9 to be worn. The armor's specialty is protecting against both physical and poison damage, with each piece protecting against both equally.

What makes the Sohaya armor stand out from other armor sets is the fact that it not only has a set bonus, but each individual piece also has a bonus. Most of the bonuses from each piece protect the player against damage. The set bonus, Yokai Annihilator, protects greatly against Yokai damage as well as helping with stealth and Life drain.

4 Oni Shibata Armor

A heavy armor set to be worn later in the game, the Oni Shibata armor is great for hatchet users. Each piece protects greatly against physical damage, as well as also protecting against fire damage.

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The set is made for experienced players, requiring a stamina of 14 and a strength of 15. Its bonus, The Bold and the Boorish, greatly increases damage done by a hatchet. It also increases the player's Life, high attack damage, and Ki recovery speed while decreasing damage taken.

3 Tatenashi Armor

Of all of the heavy armor sets in the game, the Tatenashi set is one of the best. It requires a stamina of 12 and a strength of 11 to be used and protects against both physical and fire damage. The set bonus is titled The God of War Looks Down, and it mostly helps reduce the damage inflicted on the player.

This includes both projectile and elemental damage. With all five items, players will also get the Ultimate Stamina special effect, which allows players to rank AA for agility and toughness.

2 Warrior of the East

While the Warrior of the West armor was mentioned earlier, its cousin from the east blows it out of the water, becoming the best heavy armor set in the game. With a stamina requirement of 11 and a strength requirement of 11, the armor protects against physical and lightning damage as well as paralysis.

The set bonus for the Warrior of the East increases the damage players can do and also allows the player to have two mystic arts active on a specific weapon.

1 Shrine Maiden's Armor

Even though the Shrine Maiden's armor can be used about midway through the game, it's arguably one of the strongest in the game. It can protect and physical and lightning damage, while also having a massive defense special effect and a smaller but still effective toughness effect.

Though the armor only requires a constitution and strength of 6 to be used. The set bonus, Servant of the Gods, helps defend against Yokai damage and lets players restore health from Yokai puddles. Similar to the Yoriki armor, a few of the individual pieces from the Shrine Maiden's armor also have fixed bonuses. The gown, sleeves, and hakama will all individually help protect the player from Yokai damage.

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