What are the rarest skins in Fortnite as of 2023?
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22nd Aug 2023 14:26
Fortnite is absolutely chock full of skins and cosmetics to unlock in the Item Shop and its ever-changing Battle Pass system, meaning that there are some very rare skins that haven't seen the light of day in quite some time.
Epic's Battle Royale darling, Fortnite, has been around for over six years at this point, and in that time it's become one of the biggest games in the world.
Due to its popularity, a number of crossovers and promotional events have seen a plethora of skins added to the game, with many only being available for a limited time - and these are the skins that have become super rare in the Fortnite community.
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Top 10 rarest skins in Fortnite
Whether it's a Season 1 exclusive or an expensive promotional outfit, the rarest skins in Fortnite will likely draw the attention of anyone in a match or lobby. They are as iconic as they are rare, and any player that has them owns a small piece of Fortnite's long history.
So, from skins that have appeared all the way back in the very first season of Fortnite to long-vaulted collaborations with Marvel and Stranger Things, here are the rarest skins in Fortnite as of 2023:
10 - Aerial Assault Trooper
Click to enlargeTied for the title of oldest skin on this list, Aerial Assault Trooper was one of the very first skins introduced into Fortnite. Back in Season 1, before the Battle Pass, there were a few cosmetic items that could only be purchased once a player reached a certain level. Aerial Assault Trooper was purchasable at level 15 in-game.
So, not only did you have to reach level 15 in Season 1, but you also had to spend 1,200 V-Bucks to unlock Aerial Assault Trooper. This was back in 2017 when no one knew what Fortnite would become or the value of a rare "OG" skin. To top it off, it's not like Aerial Assault Trooper is exactly a unique or super appealing outfit.
Combine these facts together and you have an extremely rare entry amongst the rarest Fortnite skins owned by very few players.
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9 - Double Helix
Click to enlargeDouble Helix is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch Double Helix Bundle. To get this rare Fortnite skin, you had to enter a code that could only be acquired through the purchase of limited-edition Nintendo Switch consoles released back in 2018. If you were solely after the Double Helix skin, it would set you back $250.
Getting a Double Helix code nowadays will likely cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. As far as the rarest Fortnite skins go, there's a reason you don't see many copies of Double Helix around!
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8 - Royale Bomber
Click to enlargeLike many of the other Fortnite skins on this list, Royale Bomber is another promotional skin. Similar to the Double Helix variation, you had to buy one of the Fortnite PlayStation 4 Bundles to get the Royale Bomber outfit.
Released in 2018, the Royale Bomber was popularised during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup. Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf won the Fortnite World Cup with this skin equipped, making it an instant go-to for collectors.
Four years after its 2018 release, the price of the Royale Bomber skin has significantly increased, as the bundle is in shorter supply. The skin is a must-have for casual fans and professionals, especially those who play Fortnite on a PlayStation console.
7 - Renegade Raider
Click to enlargeThis particular rarest Fortnite skin has been around since the very beginning of the game. Renegade Raider is so old, that it predates the Battle Pass System. To obtain it, players had to reach level 20 and then go to the Item Shop, where this skin was purchasable for 1,200 V-Bucks.
Due to this outfit being released before Fortnite became massively popular, only a select few players have this rare skin that is arguably vintage by the game's standards at this point. Players that do, however, have been playing the Epic Games battle royale since its inception, making it a highly valuable addition to the rarest skins in Fortnite.
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6 - Demogorgon
Click to enlargeThe horrific Demogorgon may be instantly recognisable to some of you, but in Fortnite, it's a cause for a pause due to its rarity.
Despite the continued popularity of Stranger Things, the characters have only had brief appearances in the item store. In fact, it's incredibly challenging to even find the skins running around in a match now. Having only appeared twice in 2019, the Demogorgon is yet to be seen again.
Now that it's part of the rarest skins to be found in Fortnite, here's hoping the Demogorgon comes back in time for the final season of Stranger Things.
5 - Chief Hopper
Click to enlargeHopper is another Stranger Things character who is yet to reappear in the Item Shop, making it one of the rarest Fortnite skins. It's bizarre since the show is incredibly popular and last year saw its biggest season yet, but alas.
While the skin arrived in Season 9 of Fortnite, if you weren't quick enough, you may have missed out on him completely. After a July 2019 release of a few days, he returned to the Fortnite item shop in November of the same year. However, the rare Hopper Fortnite skin has since gone back into the Upside Down.
Maybe we'll see the re-release, or an updated skin, come the launch of Season 5 of Stranger Things. Until then, we'll have to wait and see whether the Hopper skin will return in Fortnite.
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4 - Black Widow
Click to enlargeNot only has Black Widow been wiped from existence as of Avengers: Endgame, but it also appears that her time in Fortnite was finite as well. While an updated version of the character has appeared since the release of her solo movie, the original 2018 tie-in is yet to be seen again - putting Black Widow in the top five of the rarest Fortnite skins.
In fact, Black Widow has been missing from the Item Store since May 2019. It's a strange one, given how often Marvel content rotates into the storefront, but it appears that Thanos may have snapped this out of existence for good.
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3 - Special Forces
Click to enlargeBlink and you'll miss it. The Special Forces skin has had very limited appearances in Fortnite, with only a handful of times it's been available for purchase.
Originally appearing right back in the beginning with Chapter 1 Season 1, it was available to purchase on the Item Shop for 1,200 V-Bucks. Since then, it's only reappeared once and has yet to resurface again outside of being an NPC on the map a few times.
If you ever see the Special Forces skin arrive again, grab it before it's too late! This entry as part of the rarest Fortnite skin will make a fine addition to your collection.
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2 - Honor Guard
Click to enlargeFortnite skins can be quite expensive these days, especially the ones for licensed characters, but the Honor Guard may take the crown for being the highest.
While some Fortnite skins have been tied to promotions, the Honor Guard was only available for players who purchased an Honor View 20 smartphone. A couple of factors increased its rarity, one being that it's not an overly popular phone choice, and another revolving around the fact the phone was never even available in North America.
This makes the Honor Guard an extremely rare skin, so if you do manage to have it, guard it with your life.
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What is the rarest skin in Fortnite?
1 - Galaxy
Click to enlargeReleased as a cross-promotion between Samsung and Epic Games, Galaxy is the rarest skin in Fortnite, as it's extraordinarily rare and difficult to obtain. This is because the outfit is restricted to Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tablet S4 users.
Released in August 2018, this skin is no longer available. To obtain it, the player would have had to download Fortnite on the Galaxy Store and play a match on either the Galaxy Note 9 or Galaxy Tablet S4. This measure meant that you actually had to own a physical device to get the skin, you couldn't just grab a code from a friend.
The extreme cost and limited availability combined with the stunning aesthetics of the Galaxy skin help earn it the title of the rarest amongst the rarest skins in Fortnite.
So that's everything you need to know about the rarest skins in Fortnite as of 2023. Be sure to visit our Fortnite homepage for all of the latest news and guides, or check out our explainer of how to spectate a Fortnite match.