Few online video games offer the same level of customization as Fortnite does. With its ever-changing map and a giant assortment of items to collect, part of what makes Fortnite so fun is being able to create your own unique sense of style. The coolest battle royale outfits are some of the rarest and exclusive items in the game, usually requiring you to get some V-bucks or invest in a battle pass to get them.
As Fortnite has grown in popularity, more licensed characters have been implemented, from franchises like Star Wars to Marvel and other famous properties. Some cosmetic skins, such as Wolverine or Kratos, were only available for a limited time as part of an event or holiday. As such, some of the best skins aren’t even available anymore, unfortunately. But sometimes skins reappear, so it’s always good to check out the Item Shop when you jump into the game.
With that in mind, here’s a list of some of the best Fortnite skins ever released from launch all the way into chapter 2, season 5, along with how they were unlocked.
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Batman
Let’s kick things off with one of the most popular heroes of all time: None other than Batman. This skin was first available in 2019 during chapter 1, season 10, and was buyable through the Fortnite Item Shop. If you purchased the Batman Caped Crusader Pack Bundle, you got a Batwing glider, the Christopher Nolan Batman skin, a set of capes, and a fancy pickax to complete the set. It’s not available anymore, sadly, but it’s possible we’ll see it again sometime.
Black Panther
To honor the Marvel franchise, as well as the tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, Fortnite featured the Black Panther skin earlier in chapter 2, season 5. The skin, along with a slew of extra goodies, were available through the Item Shop but have since been delisted — though the skin did make a brief appearance for a couple of days after originally being added as part of the Royalty and Warriors packs.
Captain America
First making an appearance during Fortnite chapter 2, season 3, Captain America was buyable from the Item Shop for 2,000 V-bucks. This famous Marvel character has made frequent appearances in the Item Shop after being initially delisted — showing up as recently as March 8, 2021. Considering the popularity of this character, it’s highly likely Captain America will reappear in the Item Shop in a few months — perhaps later this summer.
Crackshot
If you want to creep other players out, then this is the best Fortnite skin to do it with. Going toe to toe with a giant wily nutcracker is definitely fuel for nightmares, but once you get past his off-putting appearance, it’s actually kind of hilarious. This legendary skin was exclusive to the 2018 holiday event for around 2,000 V-bucks. It has since been removed from the item shop, though it sometimes pops up during seasonal events.
Daredevil
Upon its initial release, it was possible to earn the Daredevil skin for free by placing within a certain ranking during a tournament during chapter 2, season 4. After that, Daredevil was implemented into the Item Shop and could be purchased for 1,500 V-bucks. It has since been delisted, but like many Marvel characters, it has reappeared within the Item Shop as recently as March 8, 2021. It will likely show up once again, perhaps later this spring.
Daryl Dixon
The Walking Dead‘s Daryl Dixon skin was first added to the Fortnite Item Shop in December 2020. You could purchase it for 1,800 V-bucks, as well as the Michonne skin, as part of the Survivors in Arms set. It’s no longer available to buy, and unlike some of the other skins on this list, it hasn’t made a reappearance in the Item Shop, so there’s no way to know if you’ll have another chance to get it.
Deadpool
As one of the most popular Fortnite skins, you probably have seen lots of players using the Deadpool outfit. It was available as part of the chapter 2, season 2 battle pass, and is no longer obtainable. At the time, you could earn this skin without having to buy it from the Item Shop, but since season 2 has concluded, there’s no telling if you’ll be able to get your hands on the Deadpool outfit again. There have been other Deadpool-related items added to the Item Shop afterward, like the Cuddlepool and Ravenpool skins.
Galaxy
The Galaxy skin is one of the most sought-after and controversial skins ever and for a good reason. As we covered in our guide on how to unlock it, this cosmetic was only available to players who purchased a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone or S4 tablet. This didn’t stop players from showing up to stores that had demo phones and tablets that they would use to nab this cool galactic outfit. After all, this skin is truly out of this world.
Ghost Rider
Similar to Daredevil, you could have earned the Ghost Rider skin by placing within a certain ranking during a Fortnite tournament in 2020, granting you access to the skin for free. Following the conclusion of the tournament, Ghost Rider has been added to the Item Shop multiple times, where you could buy the skin for 1,5000 V-bucks. In fact, the skin was available as recently as March 9, 2021, and will likely reappear later this summer.
The Ice King
In the midst of the wintery chapter 1, season 7, the most elusive reward was the Ice King skin, only available for players who reach the coveted tier 100 in that season’s battle pass. The Ice King skin is cool, terrifying, and epic all at the same time. It’s one of the best skins around if you want to strike fear and envy into the hearts of your foes on the battlefield.
The Joker
Available through the Last Laugh set, The Joker is, of course, one of the most famous supervillains of all time. This bundle was buyable for $30 and also included Poison Ivy and Midas Rex and has reappeared in the Item Shop after its initial release. This set is different from many others in that you must buy it with real money, but the nice thing is that it comes with 1,000 V-bucks. It was available as recently as March 9, 2021, and will likely reappear in the Item Shop.
Kratos
This is one of the most interesting skins because it’s based on a character who is exclusive to PlayStation. Despite this, you could have acquired the Kratos skin across any version of Fortnite, regardless of platform (yes, even Xbox). The main character of the beloved God of War series could be purchased from the Item Shop for 1,500 V-bucks when it was available and has been listed multiple times. It was originally available toward the end of 2020 but was buyable as recently as March 9, 2021.
Lynx
Lynx is a bit like Catwoman mixed with the beloved Omega skin. It not only looks like a female version of the Omega skin in its black form-fitting outfit but also has several other colors to choose from. If you don’t like the sleek catsuit, Lynx can also look like a pop star. Unfortunately, it was only available in the chapter 1, season 7 battle pass and is no longer obtainable.
Mandalorian
Kicking off chapter 2, season 5 of Fortnite, all players gained access to Din Djarin from The Mandalorian. This skin is available right now and can be acquired for free with no stipulations. There’s also a secondary Beskar Armor set that can be unlocked by completing various challenges during season 5’s duration. Be sure to get your hands on the Mandalorian skin during this season because it probably won’t be available again after it ends.
Master Chief
Master Chief is yet another character from a franchise that is exclusive to one platform. The star of Xbox’s Halo series made an appearance in Fortnite during The Game Awards 2020 and could be purchased for 1,500 V-bucks. Much like Kratos, Master Chief was available across all platforms, despite Halo being exclusive to Xbox. The character has since been buyable from the Item Shop on more than one occasion, as recently as March 9, 2021.
Meowscles
This list wouldn’t be complete without everyone’s favorite calico cat spy agent, Meowscles. Also introduced in the chapter 1, season 12 battle pass at tier 60, this swole boy is a highly-customizable cat-man. By completing the weekly challenges, you can pledge your allegiance to Ghost or Shadow and have his fur color change in the process.
Midas
Midas is the crowning jewel of chapter 1, season 12. Only unlocked at tier 100, this skin is a handsome leader of the spies who has that golden touch. The default skin is solid, with Midas having a concrete-like skin color with some gold elements. However, the Ghost and Shadow variants elevate the skin further, making his body entirely gold with a gray or black suit.
Predator
As part of chapter 2, season 5, players currently have the ability to unlock the Predator skin in Fortnite for free! All you have to do is complete certain in-game challenges, which we covered extensively here. Unlike most skins on this list, you do not need to buy the Predator skin. In addition to the skin, you can also unlock a few Predator-themed cosmetics, such as a weapon skin, emote, and spray — each available by completing certain challenges.
The Reaper
We love Easter eggs in games, and the Reaper skin in Fortnite is definitely one of them. This tall man dressed in all black as if he’s some kind of undercover agent is a reference to Keanu Reeves’ character in John Wick. Unfortunately, this legendary skin is no longer available since it was an exclusive item for tier 100 on the chapter 1, season 3 battle pass. Though there was also an official John Wick skin that came out after, this one still holds a soft spot in our hearts for the countless memes.
Rey
Rey, one of the main protagonists of the recent Star Wars films, was available to purchase in Fortnite‘s Item Shop toward the end of 2019. The character was buyable for 1,500 V-bucks, alongside other Star Wars heroes/villains, but has unfortunately been delisted. The nice thing is that Rey and the others were re-added to the Item Shop after the first appearance, so there is hope we’ll see them again. The last time you could buy Rey was in May 2020.
T-800
It’s pretty wild to see a deadly terminator T-800 in such a colorful game, but here we are. The T-800 was first available during chapter 2, season 5, and could be bought from the Item Shop for 1,500 V-bucks. T-800 isn’t in the game anymore, but it’s possible the skin will come back at some point in the future. It was last buyable in January 2021, so we could see it again later this summer.
Travis Scott
Initially available to buy from the Fortnite Item Shop in April 2020, rapper Travis Scott is one of the most sought-after skins in the game. While it was available, you could buy the skin for 1,500 V-bucks. Since the outfit was delisted from the item shop, it has not made a reappearance, so it’s unlikely players will be able to acquire it if they missed it the first time. You might recall the popular in-game Travis Scott concert that occurred last year, which attracted 27 million players.
Venom
As one of the most beloved Marvel villains ever, Venom was added to the Fortnite Item Shop toward the end of 2020. At the time, you could buy Venom for 2,000 V-bucks, along with the villain’s emote and Back Bling. Since then, the character has been featured in the Item Shop one other time, as recently as March 8, 2021, so if you missed it, there’s a chance you could have another opportunity to get the skin later in the year.
Wolverine
Wolverine was obtainable through Fortnite’s chapter 2, season 4 battle pass but has since been discontinued. At the time, you could earn the character by leveling up the battle pass, and other Wolverine cosmetics were available by finishing certain challenges. Since this character was never available to buy in the Item Shop, it’s unlikely it will be added in the future. Nonetheless, if you played during season 4, you probably already have this skin.
Xenomorph
Finally, one of the coolest skins ever to be implemented into Fortnite is the Xenomorph from the Aliens series. Just look at this thing. It first made an appearance in the Item Shop in February 2021 and was buyable for 1,600 V-bucks. Since it appeared so recently, it’s going to be a while before it comes back to the Item Shop — if it does at all. It was available as recently as March 4, 2021, and might come back in the future.