Maybe that’s why Riot is so hesitant about showing our edgelord some love over other champions? Nevertheless, let’s look at all the skins he does have and try to determine how they stack up against each other. Based on both price and overall appeal, this is my ranking of all of Kayn’s skins.
4. Soulhunter Kayn
Released: July 11th, 2017 Price: 1350 RP The main issues with this skin, and the reason why it’s my least favorite, is that your forms seem completely disconnected. Your base form is honestly my favorite, as it has that same type of anime aesthetic that I liked about the original – but with a lot more detail and spice. In fact, I think this skin has the best base model of the three. But then we get into your forms and it becomes a bit dicier. Your Rhaast form looks like he came straight from the Shadow Isles, which would usually be high praise, but here just leaves you a bit confused. So then you go to Shadow and you just feel like you’re supposed to either hunt or befriend Alucard or something. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite like both the Rhaast and the Shadow form when looked at in a vacuum – but as a combo I just don’t really get it. Plus, this is the only Kayn skin that has no chromas whatsoever, let alone a Prestige skin. So it gets some points taxed for the lack of variety.
3. Nightbringer Kayn
Released: September 23rd, 2021 Price: 1350 RP If nothing else, I have to give it to this skin for being ambitious. First off, your character model reflects the battle from within more so than ever before. Your base form is basically divided into two halves: one with a burnt hand and horn, and the other with more of a spiritual blue look. But then comes the big reveal. The red side is actually Shadow, and the blue side is Rhaast. I have to admit, I did not see that one coming. So how do the forms look? Well, Rhaast now looks like this cosmic deity that’s here to protect all life. I mean, he still has his original voice lines, so it does get a bit contradictory from time to time – but I would say that he looks pretty dope overall. And for me, the Shadow form is the true show stealer for this design. It cranks up the edginess to 11 and makes you feel like the devil incarnate, which is honestly appropriate given how quickly you can destroy a squishies will to live. Thematically this skin is really creative and really fun, with Shadow being my personal favorite form.
2. Snow Moon Kayn
Released: June 23rd, 2022 Price: 1350 RP First off, let’s all take a second and acknowledge how badass the splash art is. I could easily see it being a promotional poster for a blockbuster anime or something. And to Riot’s credit, the in-game model mostly lives up to the hype. The character model for base Kayn is fairly decent, with an aesthetic that screams both warrior and blood magic. And considering Kayn’s kit, that’s a pretty good aesthetic to have. Then there’s your Darkin form – and it just blows the competition out of the water. Maybe it’s just because I’m a weeb, but I immediately fell in love with the samurai aesthetic. Although I’ll admit that it looks a bit too similar to Blood Moon Thresh. However, the assassin form wasn’t as impressive. It definitely looks really cool – but I can’t say that I was exactly blown away. But this is just personal preference. In terms of particles and sound effects – everything is competently made. The snow particles make sense, and I didn’t find a single sound effect that seemed out of place. Overall, the skin is extremely well made. The overall aesthetic and the character models for base Kayn and Rhaast are my personal favorites – but I’m sure there’s a lot more to love.
1. Odyssey Kayn
Released: September 12th, 2018 Price: 1820 RP It will always be difficult to compete with a legendary skin. Especially when it also came from an event where that champion was the final boss. So let’s get right into the Odyssey Kayn character models. Base Kayn is pretty decent in this skin, with an evil aristocratic scientist vibe stretching from his high-tech scythe to his golden arm and eyepatch. It’s not bad – but I personally prefer Soulhunter just a bit. We then move onto Shadow and see a pretty minimalistic but dope form. Your scythe looks almost abstract, while your main body continues the evil rich dude thematic from the base. So far so good, but nothing has completely blown me away so far. The Rhaast comes onto the scene, beats me to a pulp, and leaves me begging for more. I can’t stress enough how much I love Rhaast’s design in this skin. It makes you feel like an omnipotent being of destruction, which is exactly what Rhaast should have always been. It stays true to the original red color palette, but makes you look so demonic and so powerful that the base Rhaast honestly can’t compare. I’m pretty sure you just create a blackhole during your backing animation, so that should give you a sense of scale when it comes to Odyssey Kayn. Yes this might be the most expensive skin in his library, but I think it’s worth the cost. Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
