How much does it cost to upgrade armor in Tears of the Kingdom?

10 rupees for the first star, 50 for the second, 200 for the third and 500 for the fourth, per piece, plus the materials listed for that piece.

How do I unlock armor upgrades?

Find the four Great Fairies. Tera is the first; after you speak to her, the other three are marked on your map. Each fountain needs its own side quest to open.

When does a set bonus activate?

When all three pieces of the set have been upgraded to at least two stars.

Are these materials the same for the helmet, chest and legs?

Yes for the 15 sets on this page: every piece uses identical materials at each star, so multiply the row by three for the full set. The exceptions are the Fierce Deity and Hero of the Wild sets, where each piece uses a different dragon's parts.

TotK Armor Upgrade Materials: All 15 Core Sets, Every Star

Armor upgrades are where most of your rare materials go. This page lists the full four-star material path for the 15 armor sets most players upgrade first. To add up several sets at once, use the armor upgrade calculator.

Every armor piece, with defense and where to get it, is in the all armor table. Ten sets have their own page with locations and the whole upgrade path: Barbarian, Zonaite, Charged, Glide, Froggy, Climbing, Stealth, Zora, Flamebreaker and Snowquill.

How does armor upgrading work?

Upgrades are done at the four Great Fairy Fountains (where they are and how to open them). Tera’s fountain is the first you unlock; once you speak with her, the other three are marked on your map, and each needs its own side quest to open. Every upgrade costs rupees plus materials:

Star	Rupees	Set bonus
★	10	—
★★	50	Set bonus activates when all three pieces are ★★ or higher
★★★	200	—
★★★★	500	Maximum

For the 15 sets below, every piece of a set uses the same materials at each tier. The tables give the materials per piece; multiply by three for a full set. (The Fierce Deity and Hero of the Wild sets are the exceptions: each piece uses a different dragon’s parts.)

Link at another Great Fairy Fountain, a pool in front of a large closed flower bud — One of the other three fountains: until its side quest is done, there is only a large closed flower bud behind the pool.

Tera's Great Fairy Fountain — Tera’s Great Fairy Fountain, the first one you unlock.

Which sets should I upgrade first?

Barbarian (Attack Up) is the set you will wear most in combat. Zora, Glide and Flamebreaker unlock traversal (swimming up waterfalls, skydiving, Death Mountain). Hylian and Soldier’s are the cheap defensive baselines. Yiga, Radiant and Miner’s are situational — upgrade last. Where the materials come from bosses, the Lynel and Gleeok location pages tell you where to farm.

Defensive sets

Hylian set (Hood, Tunic, Trousers)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. No set bonus. Sold at the Lookout Landing armor store (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Bokoblin Horn ×5
★★	Blue Bokoblin Horn ×5, Bokoblin Fang ×3
★★★	Amber ×20, Bokoblin Guts ×3, Black Bokoblin Horn ×5
★★★★	Amber ×30, Bokoblin Guts ×5, Silver Bokoblin Horn ×5

Upgrading the Hylian Trousers at a Great Fairy Fountain — Upgrading the Hylian Trousers at a Great Fairy: the first star takes 5 Bokoblin Horns.

Soldier’s set (Helm, Armor, Greaves)

Base defense 4 → 7 / 12 / 18 / 28 — the highest raw defense of the early sets. No set bonus. Found in the Royal Hidden Passage (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Chuchu Jelly ×5, Bokoblin Guts ×3
★★	Keese Eyeball ×5, Moblin Guts ×3
★★★	Flint ×30, Lizalfos Tail ×3, Hinox Guts ×3
★★★★	Lynel Hoof ×5, Lynel Guts ×5, Amber ×30

Radiant set (Mask, Shirt, Tights)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Glows in the dark; set bonus: Disguise and Bone Weapon Proficiency. Sold at Enchanted in Kakariko Village (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Luminous Stone ×10, Bokoblin Guts ×1
★★	Luminous Stone ×15, Moblin Guts ×2
★★★	Luminous Stone ×20, Horriblin Guts ×3, Gibdo Bone ×10
★★★★	Luminous Stone ×30, Lynel Guts ×3, Molduga Jaw ×3

Environmental sets

Snowquill set (Headdress, Tunic, Trousers)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Cold Resistance; set bonus: Unfreezable. Sold at Brazen Beak in Rito Village (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Red Chuchu Jelly ×3
★★	Red Chuchu Jelly ×5, Warm Safflina ×3
★★★	Sunshroom ×5, Fire Keese Wing ×5, Fire-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×3
★★★★	Ruby ×5, Fire-Breath Lizalfos Horn ×5, Fire-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×10

Desert Voe set (Headband, Spaulder, Trousers)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Heat Resistance; set bonus: Shock Damage Resistance. Headband at Kara Kara Bazaar; Spaulder and Trousers at the Gerudo Secret Club in Gerudo Town (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	White Chuchu Jelly ×3
★★	White Chuchu Jelly ×5, Cool Safflina ×3
★★★	Chillshroom ×5, Ice Keese Wing ×5, Ice-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×3
★★★★	Ice-Breath Lizalfos Horn ×5, Ice-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×10, Sapphire ×5

Flamebreaker set (Helm, Armor, Boots)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Flame Guard; set bonus: Fireproof. Sold at the Goron City armor store (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Moblin Horn ×3
★★	Moblin Fang ×5, Fireproof Lizard ×5
★★★	Blue Moblin Horn ×5, Flint ×15, Smotherwing Butterfly ×3
★★★★	Black Moblin Horn ×5, Smotherwing Butterfly ×5, Flint ×30

Zora set (Helm, Armor, Greaves)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Swim Speed Up (the Armor lets you climb waterfalls, the Helm adds a spin attack in water); set bonus: Swim Dash Stamina Up. Helm on Floating Scales Island; Armor from the “Restoring the Zora Armor” quest in Zora’s Domain; Greaves in the Ancient Zora Waterworks (“A Token of Friendship”).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Lizalfos Horn ×3
★★	Hyrule Bass ×5, Lizalfos Talon ×5
★★★	Hearty Bass ×3, Lizalfos Tail ×3, Blue Lizalfos Horn ×5
★★★★	Black Lizalfos Horn ×5, Blue Lizalfos Tail ×5, Opal ×20

Froggy set (Hood, Sleeve, Leggings)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Slip Resistance; set bonus: Slip Proof. Reward from the Lucky Clover Gazette “Potential Princess Sightings” quest line (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Sticky Lizard ×3
★★	Sticky Lizard ×5, Horriblin Horn ×5
★★★	Blue Horriblin Horn ×5, Sticky Frog ×5
★★★★	Black Horriblin Horn ×5, Horriblin Guts ×10, Opal ×10

Miner’s set (Mask, Top, Trousers)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Glow; set bonus: Shining Steps. Found in the Depths: Mask in the Abandoned Kara Kara Mine, Top in Daphnes Canyon Mine, Trousers in Hylia Canyon Mine.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Brightbloom Seed ×10
★★	Brightbloom Seed ×20, Brightcap ×5
★★★	Giant Brightbloom Seed ×15, Deep Firefly ×10, Glowing Cave Fish ×5
★★★★	Giant Brightbloom Seed ×20, Large Zonaite ×10, Diamond ×3

Mobility sets

Climbing set (Bandanna, Gear, Boots)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Climb Speed Up; set bonus: Climbing Jump Stamina Up. Bandanna in the Ploymus Mountain Cave, Gear in the North Hyrule Plain Cave, Boots in the Upland Zorana Byroad.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Keese Wing ×3, Rushroom ×3
★★	Electric Keese Wing ×5, Hightail Lizard ×5
★★★	Hot-Footed Frog ×10, Ice Keese Wing ×8
★★★★	Swift Violet ×20, Fire Keese Wing ×10

Glide set (Mask, Shirt, Tights)

Base defense 2 → 4 / 6 / 9 / 16. Skydive Mobility Up; set bonus: Impact Proof. Won at the diving ceremonies on Valor, Courage and Bravery Islands.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Keese Wing ×3
★★	Keese Wing ×5, Aerocuda Eyeball ×6
★★★	Aerocuda Wing ×6, Aerocuda Eyeball ×8
★★★★	Aerocuda Wing ×10, Gibdo Wing ×8, Gleeok Wing ×12

Stealth set (Mask, Chest Guard, Tights)

Base defense 2 → 4 / 6 / 9 / 16. Stealth Up; set bonus: Night Speed Up. Sold at Enchanted in Kakariko Village (Show on map).

Star	Materials per piece
★	Blue Nightshade ×3
★★	Sunset Firefly ×5, Blue Nightshade ×5
★★★	Silent Shroom ×8, Sneaky River Snail ×5, Sticky Frog ×5
★★★★	Sundelion ×10, Stealthfin Trout ×10, Silent Princess ×5

Yiga set (Mask, Armor, Tights)

Base defense 1 → 3 / 5 / 7 / 12. Stealth Up; set bonus: Night Speed Up. Mask in the shack on the Great Plateau, Armor at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, Tights at the Yiga Clan Maritta Branch.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Octorok Eyeball ×2
★★	Puffshroom ×3, Fire-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×3
★★★	Ice-Breath Lizalfos Tail ×5, Keese Eyeball ×5
★★★★	Electric Lizalfos Tail ×5, Black Hinox Horn ×3, Mighty Bananas ×10

Combat sets

Barbarian set (Helm, Armor, Leg Wraps)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Attack Up; set bonus: Charge Attack Stamina Up. Helm in Robred Dropoff Cave, Armor in Crenel Hills Cave, Leg Wraps in Walnot Mountain Cave (the “Misko’s Treasure” quests). Every tier past the first needs Lynel horns — see Lynel locations.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Mighty Thistle ×3
★★	Razorshroom ×5, Lynel Saber Horn ×2, Lynel Mace Horn ×2
★★★	Blue-Maned Lynel Saber Horn ×3, Blue-Maned Lynel Mace Horn ×3, Razorclaw Crab ×3
★★★★	White-Maned Lynel Saber Horn ×3, White-Maned Lynel Mace Horn ×3, Bladed Rhino Beetle ×3

Charged set (Headdress, Shirt, Trousers)

Base defense 3 → 5 / 8 / 12 / 20. Stormy Weather Attack; set bonus: Stormy Weather Charge. Headdress at Dracozu River, Shirt at Dracozu Lake near the Spring of Courage, Trousers in Damel Forest (requires the “Secret of the Ring Ruins” main quest). The fourth star needs Gleeok horns — see Gleeok locations.

Star	Materials per piece
★	Shock Fruit ×3
★★	Thunderwing Butterfly ×3, Electric Lizalfos Horn ×5
★★★	Shock Like Stone ×5, Electric Darner ×5, Large Zonai Charge ×3
★★★★	Gleeok Thunder Horn ×5, Voltfin Trout ×10, Large Zonai Charge ×5

All 152 shrine locations — chests along the way hold many of the gems above
Best recipes by effect — cook the ingredients you are not upgrading with

For two common material bottlenecks, use the fire and ice Lizalfos tail route and Sundelion farming route. Both distinguish material requirements from the amount available on a single visit.

Use the Star Fragment farming route for the full 103-fragment armor budget. The Hearty ingredient routes locate bass, lizards and cooking supplies while keeping upgrade reserves separate.