Nioh 3 Appearance Change

Forget the default look-Nioh 3 lets you reshape your warrior’s identity with remarkable detail. From facial scars to armor dyes, here’s how to transform your character’s appearance without restarting your adventure.

How to change your appearance in Nioh 3

Appearance changes in Nioh 3 can be made after starting a new game, using the character customization system and later via transmog options to alter equipment visuals without changing stats. You can create two looks for different combat styles and apply cosmetic changes whenever you progress in the story.

To change your appearance in Nioh 3, you must go to the Eternal Rift and find the mirror upstairs in the northernmost building. However, this is only unlocked once you defeat Jakotsu-Baba, the first crucible boss in the game.

When you defeat Jakotsu-Baba, you can fast travel to the Eternal Rift directly from the map. Head upstairs in the northern building, opposite where you’ll find the hidden teahouse to spend your Glory and the blacksmith, and the mirror is in the room next to the illustration book.

You’ll see the option to change appearance, which will take you straight to the same character creator at the start, alongside equipment appearance, which is how you use the transmog system. Finally, you can also transform, which is how you turn into another character entirely. This won’t be available until you actually have a character to transform into, which you can acquire by spending Glory and Yokai Teardrops.

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What are the best transmog armor sets in Nioh 3

For pure transmog (fashion), the “best” sets in Nioh 3 are the ones that both look striking and still make sense thematically for your build, while you keep your real stats on other gear. Here are some standout armor sets players commonly use for fashion setups.​

Heavy / Knightly looks

• Tatenashi Set – Classic full heavy samurai plate with a very imposing silhouette; great if you want that “unkillable juggernaut” aesthetic.

• Warlord Set – Bulky warlord armor with lots of metal and layered plates; fits tank and Odachi/axe style characters visually.​

• Defender Set – More grounded heavy samurai look, good if you want sturdy plate without too many flashy ornaments.​

Traditional samurai aesthetics

• Samurai’s Pride Set – Balanced, heroic samurai look that works with most weapon types; nice “main character” vibe.​

• Last Great General / General of Kigetsu-style sets – Regal medium armor with banners and ornate plates, perfect if you want to look like a feudal warlord rather than a wandering ronin.

• Kingo-style sets (if present) – Medium armor with strong samurai flavor that looks good with dual swords and katanas.​

Ninja / light armor fashion

• Shadow Ninja Set – Lean, masked ninja look with great animations for fast weapons; ideal if you run tonfa, dual swords, or fists.​

• Ghost Warrior Set – Agile, almost spectral light armor that visually matches evasive, hit-and-run playstyles.​

• Flying Kato-style sets (if there’s an equivalent) – Iconic “super ninja” aesthetic, often recommended for ninjutsu/tonfa builds in previous games and still great cosmetically.​

Elemental and themed sets

• Eternal Flame Set – Strong fire motif with fiery ornaments; perfect if you run fire talismans or fire-imbued weapons.​

• Thunder God Set – Bold lightning-themed armor, looks great with spear or sword builds using lightning buffs.​

• Yokai Hunter Set – Very “monster slayer” vibe, matching builds focused on yokai skills and yokai weapons.​

How to pick “best” transmog sets

• Match armor weight to your fantasy, not your stats: heavy looks for tanks, light/cloth for ninjas, ornate for spellblades, etc., since transmog doesn’t affect your real numbers.

• Keep a few favorite sets “collected” in your appearance list so you can swap between:

  • One heavy (Tatenashi / Warlord),

  • One classic samurai (Samurai’s Pride / warlord-type set),

  • One ninja (Shadow Ninja / Ghost Warrior),

  • One elemental theme (Eternal Flame or Thunder God).

Example transmog choices by build

• Aggressive strength/Odachi build: Oni Slayer or Warlord set visual for brutal, frontline warrior style.​

• Ninjutsu / tonfa build: Shadow Ninja or Ghost Warrior set for speed and stealth fantasy.

• Elemental caster / onmyo: Eternal Flame (fire) or Thunder God (lightning) to broadcast your element at a glance.​

If you tell me your weapon type (katana, dual swords, spear, odachi, tonfa, fists, etc.) and whether you prefer heavy, medium, or light, I can suggest a couple of very specific transmog combos (armor + helmet + weapon look) that fit your character.

How to farm rare armor sets for transmog in Nioh 3

You can treat “rare armor for transmog” like any other rare gear farm in Nioh: focus on strong enemies that drop set pieces reliably, stack drop-rate bonuses, and only care about the appearance once it’s logged.​​

1. When farming for transmog vs stats

• For transmog, you only need each piece to drop once so its look is saved; level, rarity, and stats do not matter.​

• You can safely do most fashion farming in mid/late game or NG+ when you kill bosses and elites very quickly.​

2. Target the right enemies and missions

• Most set pieces still come from specific bosses or missions, so repeatedly running those missions is the most reliable way to complete a look.

• If a set is commonly worn by NPCs or revenants (like classic Warrior of the West/Red Demon equivalents), revenant graves are a good way to quickly pick up multiple pieces.​

3. Use revenants to snipe common meta sets

• Summon revenants around popular farming or boss areas; players wearing strong meta sets tend to die there and leave high-value graves.​

• Keep an eye on their weapon type and stance to guess what set they might be using before you summon, to avoid wasting time.​

4. Stack item drop rate and luck

• Prioritize accessories, titles, clan bonuses, and soul cores that give item-drop-rate, equipment-drop-rate, or luck; these significantly increase the odds of rare set pieces.

• Use consumables that boost item drops or luck for short, intense farming sessions (for example, during repeated boss rushes or Crucible runs).

5. Farm high-level content for higher-rarity versions

• Strong enemies in the highest difficulty or late-game zones naturally have better chances to drop higher-rarity gear, including rare armor variants.​

• Crucible farming is especially good because it packs tough enemies into small arenas, giving many chances at rare drops per run.

6. Efficient farming loop example

• Pick a mission with: a very short run to a boss or a cluster of strong yokai, plus a nearby shrine for quick resets.​​

• Buff yourself with drop-rate items, kill the boss/cluster, collect loot, then immediately reset at the shrine or via mission completion and repeat.​

7. Don’t over-farm too early

• If you’re still in the first playthrough, you’ll replace gear quickly; treat early farms as “collecting appearances” rather than chasing perfect rolls.​

• Save serious farming for when you reach higher difficulties, where the same sets can drop at much higher rarities and with better special effects.​​

If you tell me one or two specific armor sets you want to use as transmog, I can outline a focused farm route (what mission to spam and what to stack) tailored just for those sets.