Best Skins for Garen in LoL, Ranked (2024)

The ultimate Beyblade of justice. | Image: Riot Games via HGG

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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

The Might of Demacia has been a prominent figure throughout the long history of League of Legends. In part due to his easy to learn playstyle and iconic spin. Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in Garen accumulating a fair number of skins. But which ones are the best skins for Garen in LoL?

All Garen Skins in LoL, Ranked Worst to Best

Today we’ll be going over a review of all the skins for Garen in LoL and ranking them from worst to best. We’ll be basing our rankings primarily on how the skin looks in game and how well it conveys the sense of playing as the Beyblade of justice!

Let’s get started.

13/13

Sanguine Garen

Date Released: 27 April, 2010
Cost: 520 RP
Chromas: No

First up on our list of skins is Sanguine Garen. As the name would suggest, this skin is themed around blood…and being red. That’s pretty much it. It’s largely just a recoloring of Garen’s default look and making him look a bit more like a bloodthirsty warrior.

Based off the name and look of the skin, it’s most likely meant to invoke a sense of the Blood Angels from the Warhammer 40k universe. However, without any unique effects or futuristic armor, it falls a bit flat. Honestly, he looks more like Darius than anything else in this skin, and that’s just heresy.

12/13

Dreadknight Garen

Date Released: 18 January, 2011
Cost: 975 RP
Chromas: No

Previously, you could get this skin by following League of Legends on Twitter, so a lot of players own this skin. Unfortunately, it’s not that great. The skin is meant to portray Garen as a death-knight from World of Warcraft but fails to give him any sense of undeath.

Instead, he just looks like a generic soldier from an evil army going through an emo phase. Though with that being said, at least his sword has some redeeming qualities with the unique engravings on it. However, it’s still rather disappointing given that the old appearance of the skin did a far better job of conveying the sense of a death-knight before Garen’s visual update in 2013.

11/13

Demacia Vice Garen

Date Released: 18 July, 2019
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: Yes (7 in total)

By all rights, this skin should be way higher in our rankings. The idea of Garen as a beat cop, straight from the 80s (complete with neon), should be absolutely amazing. The splash art certainly is, as you can easily imagine Garen cruising down the streets of Miami with his partner cop Lucian and kicking down doors to arrest criminal scum.

But we just can’t handle the skinny jeans on Garen’s in-game model. That’s really our only issue with it. Garen looks like all of the muscle mass was squeezed out of his lower half and shoved into his jacket.

Otherwise, the skin has great New Wave sound effects and amazing special effects that make you feel like you’re in an 80s arcade. If you want to really ham it up on the Rift and look like you just walked out of an episode of Miami Vice, then get this skin.

10/13

Desert Trooper Garen

Date Released: 27 April, 2010
Cost: 520 RP
Chromas: No

Originally, this skin was a rather boring tan/sandy recoloring of Garen’s default look. However, his visual update gave it some unique flair. Instead of his usual broadsword, Garen is wielding a massive scimitar. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s very fitting given the desert theming.

Additionally, his outfit is also redesigned to fit a soldier marching through the desert on a campaign. It’s a bit subtle, but there’s a slight sand-blasted look of wear and tear on his armor. You’ll mostly notice it in his scarf. Compared to the other skins of Garen, this one is much more subdued but still an excellent look for him.

9/13

Commando Garen

Date Released: 8 September, 2010
Cost: 520 RP
Chromas: No

While commando troops are typically known for paragliding or amphibious assaults, both are achievable by spinning a sword really fast. Hence Commando Garen’s 100% success rate.

Falling in line with his fellow Demacians, Garen too has a Commando skin. Donning green armor emblazoned with symbols of his homeland, Garen forgoes any subtlety and mows through vegetation and enemies alike.

While the skin isn’t anything fancy, its aesthetics stand out prominently while on the Rift. Incredibly fitting if you ever play Garen as the jungler. Plus, this is one of the few times we’ll ever think someone looks good wearing a beret, especially when paired with sunglasses.

8/13

Rogue Admiral Garen

Date Released: 22 July, 2015
Cost: 750 RP
Chromas: No

In an alternative timeline, Garen is actually an enemy of Demacia. Specifically, he’s a rogue admiral with a sizeable bounty on his head. A pity for Demacia that the heads sent to them each year never include Garen’s.

Donning pauldrons shaped like sea beasts and a wicked looking cutlass befitting a pirate captain, Garen looks like a true menace of the seas. The slicked back white hair and eyepatch merely complete the look. While there’s no special effects on this skin, it’s still very well done and stands out as a unique theme for Garen.

7/1

Rugged Garen

Date Released: 15 August, 2011
Cost: 750 RP
Chromas: No

Instead of looking like the paragon soldier of Demacia or some knight in shining armor, this skin has Garen adopting a much more ordinary and battle-worn appearance – similar to a wandering mercenary.

The simple leathers he wears, the clear damage to his sword, and the slight beard he sprouts all do an excellent job at giving him a rugged look. While it’s arguably the most plain skin for Garen, there’s a strong charm in it. Helping this tremendously is the fantastic splash art…at least, the original one.

(If you believe Garen should actually look rugged and not like Taric who forgot to shave in the morning, then let Riot know that you want the old splash art back This personal rant/plea is over.)

Interestingly, Rugged Garen actually was originally an NPC created by Braum for his game of Rift Quest (the in-universe equivalent of Dungeons and Dragons). However, Garen enjoyed the idea of the look enough to adopt it. Now if only Riot could be consistent in its portrayal…

6/13

Warring Kingdoms Garen

Date Released: 19 January, 2017
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: Yes (1 in total)

In a clear homage to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Riot released a skin line referencing the legendary period of war in China’s history for the Lunar Revel event in 2017. Given that Garen is the model soldier, it came as no surprise that he would be featured as part of it.

Wielding a massive sword made of jade, he proudly dons the red and golden armor of his kingdom. Despite typically being associated more with Western medieval aesthetics, the Chinese-styled armor works incredibly well on Garen.

As a plus, all of Garen’s abilities gain a jade dragon special effect/hue to them, reflecting the jade theming of that year. However, if you prefer the more traditional colors of Demacia, there is a chroma available that switches to a gold and blue theme.

5/13

Battle Academia Garen

Date Released: 18 March, 2021
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: Yes (8 in total)

One word – anime. If the bright kill-me-blond hair wasn’t an indicator, then the flashy school uniform and sword straight out of a shounen manga should.

The most noticeable part of this skin (besides the hair) is the satisfying sound effects that accompany each swing of the weapon. It really feels like you’re starring in an anime fight. The fact that your Q even charges up your sword with a fiery aura of fighting spirit is just the icing on the cake.

Beyond the unique recall animation and slightly different special effects behind your abilities, there’s not much else about this skin. However, the sheer quality of it secures it a higher spot on our list of best skins for Garen.

4/13

Mythmaker Garen

Date Released: 12 January, 2023
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: Yes (9 in total)

Oddly enough, Garen received a second Chinese-inspired skin as part of the Lunar Revel event in 2023. This time taking on the role of a village leader trying to stop the Great Beast Galio.

As this is his latest skin, it should come as no surprise that it’s up to modern standards and stuffed full of unique animations and special effects. The armor is brilliantly designed and animated to flutter about like a paper lantern with each movement. There’s even a subtle glow emanating from the armor whenever he uses an ability, like a lantern lighting up.

Each attack has a weight behind it, interlaced with the sound of sharp paper cutting its target. Especially fitting when Mythmaker Garen uses his ultimate and drops a massive origami sword from the heavens. We love his recall animation most of all, as he slices through origami paper to create miniature caricatures of the characters involved in the event’s story.

3/13

Steel Legion Garen

Date Released: 1 February, 2013
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: No

There’s no way around it. You’re straight up a Space Marine from the Warhammer 40k universe with this skin. Even the haircut is reminiscent of Warhammer 40k. Everything about this skin makes you want to dive straight into the enemy forces while screaming, “FOR THE EMPEROR!”

Somehow, out of all the skins for Garen, this is the most heavily armored that he’s ever been (which is saying something given the remaining two entries on our list). Even though the model is the same, you just feel bulkier and more invincible than ever as Garen when playing with this skin. The sparkling and arching plasma from your giant steel sword probably helps too.

While this is now an older skin in the game’s history and doesn’t have more unique animations, it has aged incredibly well and is perfect for anyone who wants to purge heretical scum.

2/13

Mecha Kingdoms Garen

Date Released: 15 January, 2020
Cost: 1350 RP
Chromas: No

That’s not armor encasing Garen. It’s a giant robot stylized after him. In this skin’s timeline, nation states literally build giant robots to fight against massive leviathans. You’re literally piloting a Gundam in this skin, and that’s just freaking cool.

As you might expect from a mecha skin, all of your abilities’ special effects are incredibly futuristic. Using his Q causes jet thrusters to activate, his W projects holographic shields, and his ult causes a giant laser sword to drop down. All complete with a robotic voice booming forth.

Making the Mecha Kingdoms Garen skin stand out even more is that it’s the only one with a Prestige edition. As is tradition, the Prestige edition turns the skin completely golden and grants it even more armor. Any fans of Mobile Fighter G Gundam will be particularly stoked by the existence of this skin.

1/13

God-King Garen

Date Released: 27 June, 2018
Cost: 1820 RP
Chromas: No

Probably everyone saw this coming as our number one entry on the list of best skins for Garen in LoL. God-King Garen lives up its name as the only legendary skin for Garen.

In a future where the world has fallen to chaos, God-King Garen is the only bulwark against eternal war and the fall of civilization itself. Though he rules with a tyrant’s fist, the alternative is so much worse. With the blessing of the lion symbolizing his divinity, he will quell all opposition to his eternal reign.

As you would expect of a legendary skin, Garen receives new effects, animations, and voice lines for everything. His armor embodies a divine regality, with the mantle piece even descending from above to rest on his shoulders. The capes that are attached to it flow with each movement and invoke a kingly image.

While Garen continues to wield a massive broadsword, it has gained the ability to separate into two separate blades as well. It’s incredibly cool to watch Garen dual-wielding both, as he spins through his enemies like a maelstrom of divine death. They also appear in his ult animation, as two swords now visually descend to smite his foes.

Of course, the best part of this skin is the lion that comes with it. Garen can use his sword as a laser pointer to play with it and even has the lion do the keyboard-cat dance! Though he should probably work on coming up with a better name for it (Garen Jr. doesn’t quite do the trick).

If you regularly play Garen at all, you absolutely need to get this skin. Just make sure you never lose to Darius in lane, especially if he’s running his God-King skin.

Join the High Ground!

And that’s it for our list of the best skins for Garen in LoL. What do you think of our rankings? Would your order them differently? Let us know in the comments below.

Make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more gaming content! As always, maintain the high ground out there summoners!

Happy gaming!

Best Skins for Garen in LoL, Ranked (2024)