League of Legends is a free-to-play game, and though it doesn’t require money to play, you’ll certainly find yourself dishing some out for skins. The Skins are unique variations of existing Champions that offer new looks, effects, animations, etc. Players love to argue that League is not free to play due to the existence of said Skins. It is a common joke among the community as the Skins have no actual impact on the gameplay. They may intimidate your opponent, but I think having your Champion on Level 7 with many points is much better. But that’s just me.
The Skin Store is ever-growing and abundant. There are literally so many skins that I don’t think I’ve seen all of them in the game during my time with it. And speaking of not seeing Skins in the game, there are some that just never appear. They are the Skins that were available for very limited times ages ago or in very special and hard to access events.
This is what we’d call a Rare Skin. It is a Skin that almost no player in the game has and often sells for obscene amounts of money. Some of the ones that we will list here fetch prices up to a few hundred dollars apiece.
I decided to exclude Victorious and Hextech Skins from this list. Despite being rare and hard to obtain, a good number of players have them. Hextech skins can even be bought, though very rigorously. I will speak of these skins at the end of the article, as a few deserve mention.
So, let’s begin with our 15 Rarest Skins in League of Legends. (Disclaimer: This list is in no particular order, as measuring actual rarity in numbers is impossible).
1. King Rammus
Most of the Skins on this list are gonna be super old. But King Rammus is even older than old. This Skin was granted to players that participated in the Closed Beta of League of Legends way back in October 2009. Ever since the Beta ended on October 21st, this Skin was gifted to the players. Being older than the public release of the game itself, it had a very limited spread among those super lucky to be present in those times.
The Skin itself, though, offers very little. If it were released in current times, I’d wager that Nintendo would file a copyright infringement lawsuit against Riot. Why? Well, it basically makes him look like Bowser. It is just a lazy recoloring of the Champion and has nothing else special about it. It is ultra-rare, and profiles owning this Skin can go for up to about 60 bucks.
2. Young Ryze
This Skin was once known as Human Ryze. Its rarity comes from the fact that it was awarded to players that pre-ordered the Collector’s Edition of League of Legends back in 2009. As I’ve said above, League of Legends is a free-to-play game, and there is no reason someone should pay for it. Well, some players have paid for it and received some goodies in the process.
I’ve only found a single estimate saying that about 65 thousand players have received this Skin. That means that it is beyond rare when you consider the hundreds of millions that played the game throughout its history. As with most of these super old skins, nothing other than the physical appearance is changed. It is a dull Skin that offers nothing new and imaginative, but its historical nature makes it rare and sought after.
I’ve searched around for a price and found one listing of a level 30 profile that owns the Skin. It went for about 130 euros.
Also read: Most Expensive League of Legends Skins
3. Black Alistar
Black Alistar is an identical case as the Skin mentioned previously. It was bundled together with some other Skins as a reward for those that pre-ordered League of Legends Collectors Edition. Similar to King Rammus, this Skin is just a recoloring of Alistar’s original model. It changes up only his physical appearance and brings nothing new to the table.
I decided only to include two of these Skins from the Collector’s Edition bundle. Making a list of rare Skins, I wanted to create a diverse list of as many different Champions and Skins as possible. It would take up half of this list if I’d included all of them. However, without detailing them here they are: Huntress Sivir, Goth Annie, and Silver Kayle. Out of all of these, only Goth Annie changes some particle effects, and that’s it. Their rarity is immense, yes, but their quality is non-existent. Black Alistar profiles can go up to 250 euros, making it one of the more expensive on this list. The rest have comparable prices that go from 100 to 200 euros.
4. Urfwick
The Urfwick Skin is a fun one and is surrounded by some interesting stuff. It was an April Fools release in 2010. The Skin is based on a canceled Champion concept called Urf the Manatee. Most of you will recognize that name from the URF game mode, where spatulas and manatees are plentiful. Riot had an April Fools joke to tell with the Champion concept, but never intended to release it. This saddened fans and, in an attempt to please them, Riot made a Skin for Warwick that too released on April Fools. It features Warwick wearing a Manatee’s corpse as an outfit. It was first listed for 5000 RP in the Store, making it the most expensive Skin in League of Legends history.
Throughout its existence in the Store, it was discounted for a week to a mere 50 RP, then upped to 500 and then back to 5000 RP for a weekend. All of the proceeds were donated to a charity that prevents Manatee hunting.
The Skin made a resurgence in 2017. and was listed for a whopping 150 thousand Blue Essence in the Store. This obscene price made the Skin excruciatingly hard to get, and most players didn’t even bother. I was one of these players, and I am kind of sorry that I didn’t at least make an attempt at it. Anyway, this Skin and its existence are a fun piece of League of Legends’ massive history. Despite not giving the player any new effects and animations, it is valuable, fetching upwards of about 250 USD.
Also read: How Many Skins Are in League of Legends?
5. PAX Sivir
Everyone knows PAX, the world-famous video game event that’s held annually. Well, back in the day (between 2009 and 2011, to be precise), Riot would gift the attendees a Skin Code for one of the specially tailored Skins of that year.
In 2011. Riot gave out the PAX Sivir Skin, giving her a futuristic and Tron-like vibe. She wears biker gear and has a neon; cyberpunk look to her. Well, as you may know, not everyone plays League of Legends. And that was the case at PAX events back then as well. Perhaps even more so, as League was just starting to garner a large player base.
When Riot gave out these Skin Codes, most of them remained unused and, in all likelihood, expired. Some players that didn’t find a purpose for them tried to sell them, and sell them they did. These codes fetched huge prices, some even going for over $200. The PAX Skins were in great demand. I remember around 2013. When everyone wanted to buy a PAX Skin, but none were obtainable. Even those that went for hundreds of dollars. Apart from this one, there were two more made, which I will cover next.
6. PAX Jax
Those who attended PAX in 2010. were gifted the PAX Jax Skin Code. This is perhaps the most sought-after of the PAX skins. At least it has been in my experience with the game. Whenever I looked up the PAX Skins around 7 to 8 years ago, Jax would be the one that stood out.
It is based on a webcomic made by PAX and sports a PacMan-looking symbol on his back. He looks a lot like the Skin Angler Jax, and I always coped for not having the PAX one with it. It offers nothing new but changed looks (which seems to be a reoccurring theme in this list). But I just love it. The simplicity and yellow color suit Jax’s character well, and I’d love to have one. The name also is music to my ears, and it seems like Jax is best fitted for this alternate look. Accounts with this Skin can cost you over 500$ a piece, which tells you a lot about its demand.
Also read: Top 10 Best Prestige Skins
7. PAX Twisted Fate
The PAX Skin older than all is the PAX Twisted Fate, gifted to the first 20 thousand attendees of PAX 2009. It gives Twisted Fate a very different look. He sports a black and blue color combination, as well as a mix of gray. It doesn’t change his other animations or anything else, but I reckon you already guessed that.
When those attending the show were given the Skin Code, most decided to sell it as it was ultra-rare. Prices went up as high as $450 per Code, making it one of the most expensive Skins sold second-hand. I’ve found some Accounts that have it, along with some other ultra-rare skins, that cost around 3 to 4 thousand dollars. This is an insane amount to pay for a dull Skin, so don’t even think about it.
All Skin Codes are irredeemable today, as the system was disabled way back in 2014. Those who managed to score these Skins today own a great piece of League of Legends history and gaming history in general. Some may even find a way of scoring a few bucks on them if they find the right buyer.
8. UFO Corki
This Skin was part of a brief promotion around the New Year in 2010. It was gifted to all players that registered in the game before January 14th, 2010. Players also received the Champion Corki along with the Skin. As the name suggests, it fits Corki into a UFO and changes his physical appearance. Other than that, it changes nothing, making it a very basic and bland skin. You might notice that these older Skins make little to no changes to the Champions. It was a reoccurring theme that spanned from the cheapest to the most expensive Skins at the time. We are sure glad that changed over the years, and we got some of the most amazing Skins in any video game ever. It can be found for very cheap, though, and I noticed some accounts going for about 30 euros.
9. Rusty Blitzcrank
This is an odd one, if not funny. It was released on November 20th, 2009, making it part of some of the oldest skins in the game. But, unlike most Skins, it was removed from the game abruptly after a short period of availability. Riot never exactly explained why it was removed, but most believe that the texture quality was poor, and it literally looked like the original. When you look up screenshots of this Skin, I bet you wouldn’t even notice a difference at first glance. It basically was a waste of RP, and it was about 520 RP at the time.
Despite being an awful, removed, and useless Skin, accounts can go for up to about 70 USD. Insane, I know, but people will buy almost anything these days.
Also read: How Much Would It Cost To Buy Every Skin In League of Legends?
10. Riot Squad Singed
This reimagining of Singed as a member of Riot’s representative police force is certainly a nice one. Despite changing nothing in terms of animations and sound effects, it does provide a nice facelift to an otherwise basic Champion. It changes his flask into a huge grenade, and he sports the Riot Games logo all around him. The most prominent of these logos is situated on his shield and has a unique look. There are many Riot Skins in the game, and the line has been used to promote the company, etc. But, among all of them, Riot Squad singed is the rarest.
He was only obtainable during the Gamescom 2010 event where players were gifted the Skin Code. For a time after the event, the Codes were traded around, but due to 2014. Discontinuation of Codes in general and the Codes’ low demand make the Skin one of the ultra-rares. I’ve looked around and saw accounts with it going as high as $200, though it can likely be found for less.
11. Judgement Kayle
Perhaps the rarest of all the Skins you’ll see on this list, Judgement Kayle is rather beautiful. Though it does not change effects (go figure), it does offer a fantastic combination of blue and white that you could look at forever. It was given to players that played 10 games in Season 1. Due to the very low player count back then, the Skin was awarded to scarcely anyone. I’d consider myself very lucky if I happened to own this one.
With not much to say about her other than that, the Skin can be found going for about $50.
12. Pumpkinhead Fiddlesticks
It really is suiting that I’m writing this article during Spooktober, and this Skin happens to pop up. The Pumpkinhead Fiddlesticks is spooky indeed, and it changes Fiddlesticks from a regular scarecrow into a, well, spooky one. It replaces Fiddle’s head with a Pumpkin and alters his clothes. A simple skin, yes, but one loved by many players. It is considered by many to be the best Skin for Fiddle, though I’d disagree on that point.
This Skin was released during the Harrowing event back in 2010. The event was a Halloween special that runs to this very day, and the one in 2010. was its inception. Those that were around back then would’ve acquired this Skin, but as many of us started playing a while earlier (most notably Seasons 2 and 3), we’ve missed out on it. However, those who do have it have a real treat of a Skin that got even better with Fiddle’s recent rework. I saw an account going for about $200 with this Skin. Is it worth it? Probably not.
Also read: 10 Best Ward Skins in League of Legends
13. Championship Riven
Finally, a skin that actually adds something to the Champion. Championship Riven is a Skin that was made to celebrate the 2012 World Championship. Being the first in the Championship lineup, she is also the rarest. For a limited time, and I mean very limited, the Skin could be bought for 975 RP. It was also awarded to those who purchased tickets for the 2012 Worlds.
As Skin Code trading was prevalent during those days, most players opted to sell the Skin on 3rd party websites. Then, prices went up over $300 to $400 per Code, an insane amount for a single 975 RP Skin. It adds a lot of blue and black effects to Riven’s usual green spells and has some other animation changes as well – such as the recall.
In 2016. Riot released the Championship bundle that contained all of the Championship Skins at that time and included Riven in there. Riot updated the Legacy Skin to honor the original fans and even gave the players their own loading screen banner. Today, Accounts with Championship Riven can go for about $500 and upwards, depending on what other rare Skins they might have on there.
14. Medieval Twitch
Medieval Twitch was given as a reward for referring friends. It was designed by two League of Legends players that reached 350 referrals first, a record that remains unbeaten to this day. And it cannot be beaten, as the referral system no longer exists. It makes Twitch look, well, medieval, giving him new armor and weapon textures. Though considered super rare, its rarity dwindled with the introduction of Capsules, Chests, etc. I happen to own one myself, and while researching the topic, I was surprised to find out just how rare it is.
I couldn’t find how much it might go for, but I think it wouldn’t be as expensive as others on this list.
15. Grey Warwick
I’m talking about this Champion last due to a very complicated situation it is in currently. It was rewarded to players that referred a lot of their friends. It was a very demanding task, it took a great deal of effort to achieve this and be rewarded with a rare and unobtainable Skin. In recent years (since the changes to the Honor system), the Skin’s rarity has died off. Riot decided to award this Skin to all players that reach Honor Level 5. This made it readily available, especially for new players that could climb through Honor Levels with little to no effort.
As with the prior Skin, I happen to own one as well. Riot’s free handouts of some of these rare Skins that at some points were a real chore to get angered some of the player base. Whatever you think of the Skins, they are nothing special. This one turns Warwick into an elderly werewolf and gives him a mask. That’s it. It won’t go for much, as it is not as rare as it used to be, but it still is not easy to have.
Also read: 10 Rarest Ward Skins in League of Legends
A word on Victorious and Hextech Skins
I decided not to include these in the list for several reasons:
- Their number is way too large to fit into the list. It is a top 15, and when combined, they are well over 15 in total.
- They are not as rare as you think. Gemstone drop rates have improved, and you can still buy Chests, keys, etc. that improve your chance of getting some. Many players are also Gold each season, millions in fact, and I don’t have anything else to add there.
- They have no real history. I mean, seriously, they just exist and are “considered” rare due to their relative difficulty of obtaining. Other than that, there’s not much to be said about them.
If you like these Skins (and believe me, I do), I’m sorry for excluding them. They are just not part of a broader League of Legends story that’s been told ever since 2009. and continues to expand.
Conclusion
Skin rarity is insanely hard to measure. I had scarcely any tools at my hand other than a few sites that tremendously eased the research process. These are: Unrankedsmurfs.com, Leaguepedia, and Lolskinshop. Check them out to read up on details about some other Skins you might find interesting, as well as their prices. Warning: the prices tend to be shocking, and I suggest you prepare yourself.
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