The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features many iconic fits, some returning outfits, and some completely new ones. The Champion's Leathers have been featured in quite a bit of the marketing material and is a refresh on the now iconic blue tunic from the game's predecessor, Breath of the Wild.
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Players will likely want to grab this armor piece as early as possible, and surprisingly, they can; but it's in a place they might not think to look until pretty far into the game itself.
Updated by Jeff Brooks on June 1, 2023: Added some additional detail guiding to the chest piece. An upgrade table was also added that details the cost (rupees and materials) for each stage of upgrading, as well as the defense increases with each upgrade).
That's right; the Champion's Leathers is located in Hyrule Castle - that big, foreboding presence looming over Hyrule. You won't need to fight any enemies in order to acquire this excellent armor piece, but in order to reach it, you'll need a hearty Stamina bar and/or some Stamina-restoring foods and elixirs to make the journey.
Travel to Lookout Landing and utilizing the Skyview Tower. This will give you the height you need to reach Hyrule Castle, but it's still a good distance away. This is where your enhanced Stamina bar and Stamina-restoring items will come in handy. If you're able, the easiest landing spot will simply be the top of the castle, but if you can't quite make it that far, simply making it to the walkway leading up to the front entrance is ultimately where you want to land.
Head up the path in the room where you fell through the floor to battle with Calamity Ganon back in Breath of the Wild. In here, you'll spot a throne directly across the way with two unlit braziers flanking either side.
The puzzle is a simple one; simply light the two braziers, whether with a torch or some Fire Fruit-fused arrows. Once these braziers are lit, the throne will slide aside, revealing a hidden compartment beneath. The chest found inside the compartment will contain none other than the Champion's Leathers.
This chest armor begins with a surprisingly sturdy 5 Defense, higher than the standard 3 for starting chest armor. The armor can be upgraded to provide greater defenses by visiting one of the Great Fairy Fountains hidden around Hyrule and upgrading the armor piece.
You will need to visit every Great Fairy Fountain in order to fully upgrade a piece of armor.
Fully upgraded, the Champions Leathers end up with a whopping 32 Defense! It'll take quite a few rare resources to get there, though. The table below breaks down the required items and cost.
Enhance Level
Armor Defense
Upgrade Cost (Rupees)
Necessary Materials
Base Level
-5-
N/A
N/A
?
-8-
10
??
-14-
50
???
-22-
200
????
-32-
500
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