When the first Destiny came out, I always admired my friends’ Destiny outfits. Now that the sequel is here, I’m determined to have a beautiful Guardian of my own. While I’m at it, I think I’ll judge some of Kotaku commenters’ best outfits.




When I asked editor at large Kirk Hamilton what class to try first in Destiny 2, he told me that Warlocks have the best clothes. Warlock it was! Here is my beautiful child:


I haven’t had a lot of time to play Destiny because I’m in the middle of a move, but I’m liking what I have right now. The slate gray and aquamarine is a lovely combination, and I like how this woman with a pulse rifle in her hand is wearing quilted silk. Warlocks in general balance powerful, tactical looks—see my Guardian’s no nonsense black leggings and boots—with ethereal and even regal touches. Take a look at, say, news editor Jason Schreier’s Warlock:

This chest piece is my favorite item of clothing in the game because it feels so unexpected for a game about shooting things in the head. The gold filigree is delicate, feminine even, but it still evokes a character with power because it is directly referencing biblical imagery. When you wear this it buffs the Dawnblade super ability, which is a giant flaming sword. When you wear this, you are an avenging angel with the power of a god. It rules.

Some other Warlock looks take these concepts even further. This look, from commenter ET2Jones, is out of this world:


It’s really literal, but that’s not bad. Mashing together futuristic concepts, like multi-colored chrome and huge guns, with more classical medieval ones like this furred vest is actually a tough balancing act, but it works out here. I especially love the royal blue and silver color scheme, which harkens to stereotypical ideas of how royalty would wear.



But it’s also really fun when Warlocks go more tactical. Check out commenter Joe Donuts’ Guardian:


This looks like the coziest winter coat ever. It’s hard to look badass in something you can probably buy at Uniqlo, but I dig it here. Obviously, color really matters. This deep eggplant purple gestures towards regality—purple dye was expensive to make, so only very rich people would wear it, such as royalty. But mostly this Guardian is kitted up for an engagement in the Arctic. Talking about fit in games is always a little weird, because everything in games fits perfect. However, if you’re wondering how a puffy coat can fit you well in real life, here’s an image to keep in mind. It hugs the waist a little, and the belt across the middle breaks up your body and gives you a shape instead of making you look like a giant oblong. And don’t forget your helmet adorned with a futuristic Jacobian ruff.



The class that has the best examples of technical fabrics, however, is Hunters. Staff writer Heather Alexandra’s Hunter is a good example:


Despite having a cape and cowl, she’s dressed in fabrics that look like they’re meant to be moved in and worn during very physical activities. It’s not unstylish—technical fabrics have been very popular in menswear for a few years now—but it does communicate shooting guns first, looking pretty second. There’s even a bit of a sportswear element in the chest piece, which looks a very little bit like football padding. Still, the devil is in the details. The gold plated kneepads are definitely more for show than for utility, as gold is a very soft metal, and that touch is repeated on the gloves and the helmet.

Even at their most show-y, Hunters always look like they’re here for business. Commenter LoganM’s Hunter has a pretty dramatic look, but when it comes to fit and fabrics they still look more athletic than anything else:


In particular, take a look at the shoes. I don’t really know what’s up with video games and toe shoes, but they’re everywhere. These boots transition from a ceremonial suit of armor at the knees to something people who do parkour wear once you get the the feet. Because the chest piece is also a knightly look rendered in a rubber-y, athletic material, this doesn’t seem incongruent.



Hunters are often sleek and graceful, which fits because the class is all about speed, but some of their most interesting looks come from playing against type. Commenter MFernandez0429's Hunter is wearing an outfit that breaks their body up into a lot of small parts rather than creating one sleek line:


It looks a lot like modern military wear, with a dash of Western thrown in. My favorite parts of this is the boots, which wouldn’t look out of place on Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name, and the belt made out of bullets. You gotta love a belt made out of bullets.



Titans, unsurprisingly, are designed to look imposing and powerful. What’s interesting about that is that they end up looking the most ugly out of all the classes. There are definitely good Titan looks, just like there are good looks and bad looks for every class, but Titans just seem to have a harder time making outfits that don’t feel like a random mishmash of colors and textures. Because the frames and stances for these characters are so focused on communicating strength and power, you lose a lot of the ability for subtle details. In fact, Titans look best when they lean into what they most closely resemble in real life: linebackers. Check out commenter UltimateWorrier’s Titan (great username, by the way):


This outfits says one thing, and one thing only: This Guardian is here to fuck you up. I love the asymmetry in this outfit—there’s a touch of Mad Max in the color scheme and the improvised-looking details, like the one spike on their shoulder or that only one leg has gold plating. But even in an outfit this strong you can see where things go wrong. A lot of Titan looks play with fur collars, and I just gotta say, I hate that. When the build of a character is basically an upside down triangle with tree trunks for legs, you don’t need to emphasize the shoulders and upper body. Trust me, we can see those shoulders. You can see them from space.



In general, Titans are just a bit less dynamic in their outfits than other classes, but that isn’t to say they don’t have range. Commenter Switched’s Titan is also a linebacker, but he’s more of a Linebacker of the Roundtable than a Linebacker in Space:


I love how this look just keeps piling on the details. For Titans, more is more. Huge shoulders? You got it. Straight up a knight’s helmet? In there. One weird strip of a repeating pattern just on one part of the shoulder that’s never repeated anywhere else? Do it. Enormous gold belt? Yes please. This Guardian is so reflective he will blind you, and I am 100% sure they can run through walls.



Even at their most science fiction-y, Titans look like jocks. Commenter TheVicious’s Guardian looks like he’s the most at home in Destiny’s far future setting, but he can’t get entirely escape looking like he’s trying out for Varsity:


In a shocking twist, this Titan can kill you with his shoulders alone. It’s fantastic. There’s some medieval in the shoes here, which are just straight-up plate armor, but as you go up the body this look flings you into the far future. I really like the teal accents against the rusted steel and pure white chest piece. Teal is such a neon, unnatural color that it drives the look strongly into science fiction and away from antiquity. And then those shoulders! Wow. Are they on their way to a Rollerball match, because they definitely look like they’re on their way to murder someone in cold blood in the name of sport.



Now that I’m playing Destiny, I’m glad that it’s actually the fashion show that I thought it was. No matter how you play, you’re probably going to end up with someone who looks both ready for shooting aliens and also the runway.