And while even his base design is pretty top-notch, why not arrive at the scene with a bit more drip? To those ends, we’re going to take a look at Shen’s cosmetics. And based on both price point and design, we’re ranking which skins are worth getting. And keep in mind that this is just my ranking – so no need to go ballistic.
10. Yellow Jacket Shen
Released: March 24th, 2010 Price: 520 RP While doing some research for this ranking, I found that this skin has an incredibly strong fanbase. I mean it makes sense, with the skin being an homage to Scorpion and all that. However, I can’t say that I fully agree with the hype. The character model is cool – there’s no doubt about that. And when you zoom in, you’ll see that this is one of the most intimidating depictions Shen’s ever gotten. However, the base purple particles look horrible on this skin. Plus, if you really wanted the Scorpion aesthetic, you could just get the Catseye chroma for Shockblade! That way you get both the aesthetic as well as new particles that make sense with the theme! Therefore, I’m ready to die on this hill.
9. Blood Moon Shen
Released: June 7th, 2011 Price: 750 RP You know that a champion has a really strong skin catalog when Blood Moon is this low. But I have to say it – it simply doesn’t stack up to the others. The character model is definitely very cool – with the horned skull mask and a demonic face on your chest. But it needs to offer way more than that in order to sit with the big boys. Especially since the base particles completely undermine the entire aesthetic of this skin! Lastly, 750 RP is a bit pricey when you consider that the skin doesn’t have any new features or even chromas.
8. Frozen Shen
Released: March 24th, 2010 Price: 520 RP This skin firmly falls under the same category as Yellow Jacket – with one notable exception. After all, you can’t get this exact aesthetic with any other skin. And just like Yellow Jacket, the character model is pretty stunning. With ice going all around your shoulder pads and around your hands – it’s safe to say that you’re straight chilling. However, the purple base animations really ruin the entire vibe. I know I sound like a broken record player here, but when all of your skins are this good – I have to grab onto something.
7. TPA Shen
Released: May 23rd, 2013 Price: 750 RP Finally, we have a skin where everything makes sense. With the base color already having lots of blues, (and there being some slight particle changes) this skin doesn’t have the same disconnect as the ones prior. And thematically, it’s pretty unique – with Shen looking like a straight thug. The cap, face mask, and headset combo makes you look surprisingly menacing. And your outfit is honestly pretty dripped out across the board. Plus, the two bats you use in battle are really satisfying. I say that because you get a nice bonk sound effect for your auto attacks that really ties the skin together. Overall, the skin is really decent. However I don’t think it holds up over the long term as well as some of the others – hence I had to give it a slightly lower ranking.
6. PsyOps Shen
Released: September 3rd, 2020 Price: 1350 RP Although this is one of the newer skins that came out, I can’t say that it’s my favorite. But let’s break down the pros and cons. The biggest selling point for this skin (if you ask me) is the new Q. To be more precise, the three auto attacks that get empowered by it. Be it because of the sound effects, the particles, or a mix of the two but they feel extremely powerful. The design for your blade is also pretty dope and the little butterflies that pop up during your W really sell the overall aesthetic. And your backing animation (besides just being pretty cool) also carries a bit of lore. Overall, a pretty strong start. However, there are a few things that bug me. For one, I’m not a huge fan of the overall particle color scheme. It makes me feel more like a supporting caster than a tanky frontliner. And secondly, I don’t like that your arms are completely bare. Although the cyborg getup is pretty cool overall, the fact that you have nothing covering your arms just bugs me. Overall, there’s no question that this skin is pretty well-made. However, because of minor issues I have with the design, I can’t place it all that high.
5. Warlord Shen
Released: April 17th, 2012 Price: 975 RP This is one of those skins that just keeps it simple and thrives because of it. Shen’s original ninja aesthetic was already cool – so to have a samurai version just made a lot of sense. And I’ll give it to Riot – they did an amazing job on this character model. The armor looks spot-on, and the mask makes you feel like a true threat on the battlefield. I also really like the banner on your back. It’s not something you see too often with Shen skins (or any skins for that matter), so it really makes your silhouette a bit more unique. And even though this skin doesn’t come with any new particles or animations, I didn’t mind it all that much. Especially since (if the color mismatch is bugging you) you can just get the Amethyst chroma and tie it all together yourself. Speaking of which, I have to point out just how strong the chroma game is for this skin. With eight of them in total, each one brings a completely new vibe to the skin. Overall, the skin is simple and sweet. It doesn’t do too much but it also offers you everything you need in order to have a fun game of Shen.
4. Pulsefire Shen
Released: May 17th, 2018 Price: 1350 RP I have a rather odd relationship with Pulsefire Shen. It does some things perfectly, and other things like they don’t even care. First, the pros. This skin probably has the most badass splash art I’ve ever seen. Like you can’t tell me that it doesn’t emanate “Iron Man from a different timeline) energy. And the particle work on this skin was just brilliant. It probably has the most user-friendly Q of any Shen skin, as it’s extremely easy to see whether you got the sword drag passive due to your red blade. Plus, both the W and R have some really nice high-tech particles that make those abilities seem more powerful. And don’t even get me started on that backing animation – as it probably has more animations than Shen’s entire original kit. However, I just can’t get behind the character model. Although it looks fine when zoomed in – the in-game experience is pretty bad. It just makes you feel clunky while also completely doing away with the ninja aesthetic. Having half of your face visible was a cool idea, but I just don’t think it worked out in the end. Overall, a really detailed fancy skin that didn’t make it into my top three just because of the character model. But hey, if you don’t mind it, give it a world.
3. Infernal Shen
Released: September 5th, 2019 Price: 1350 RP Thematically, “Shen but on fire” is the laziest idea one could have. And yet it looks extremely badass so here we are. The character model is a certified banger, with you still looking like a true warrior while also adding some otherworldly powers into the mix. Especially if you can also dip into some of the chromas. The Ruby chroma is simply amazing and other choices (like Peridot or Pearl) can completely change the vibe of the skin. In terms of animations and particles – you guessed it, it’s all fire. And this works really well for your W in particular, as it feels like you’re summoning your own little piece of hell. Plus, the Q empowered auto attacks feel very potent – which is always important when playing Shen. The only ability that I’m slightly torn on is the ult. Because of the color scheme and the fire particles, it’s very easy to mistake the ult for something else. Personally, I’ve mistaken it for the Shattered Queen shield, and I’ve seen some players even say that they thought it was an enemy attack. Overall, there’s no doubt that the skin is extremely cool and gives you a lot of oomph. But it can lead to slight confusion and it’s not the most creative skin out there.
2. Surgeon Shen
Released: January 4th, 2011 Price: 975 RP This is one of those skins that just defies all logic. Shen being a surgeon shouldn’t make a lick of sense and yet the Shen community seems to love this one. In fact, seeing a Shen main with this skin is basically a forecast for certain doom in your future. That’s right, it’s the OTP skin. Don’t get me wrong, the skin is also pretty high quality overall. The character model fits surprisingly well into the Rift and the slight recoloring of your particles makes the entire thing seem pretty unified. Your passive sword resembles a scalpel and your ult has some added particles to really make you feel like the person coming to save the day. And come on – who doesn’t want to absolutely curve stomp the enemy while wearing crocks? That’s the most silent BM you can ever get away with. The skin does also come with some pretty entertaining chromas, although they are extremely hard to get. So it gets a half point on that front. Overall, I don’t even fully grasp why this skin is so good. It just kind of is and the Shen community seems to love it – so they must know something that I don’t.
1. Shockblade Shen
Released: February 17th, 2022 Price: 1350 RP I honestly think that this does everything a Shen skin is supposed to do, and so much more. First off, it not only keeps the ninja aesthetic – but it elevates it even further beyond. The character model is simply perfect and the fact that it also comes with a wide array of chromas makes it even better. And don’t even get me started on that backing animation. The music, the moves, the blades – it’s like Riot wanted every anime fan to foam at the mouth whenever they returned to base. All of your new particles are electricity-based, and it just works. The W feels rather powerful, the empowered auto attacks pack some oomph and your ult feels like an ult. Although I do wish it was louder, the ending of your R channel has some thunder sound effects that really make you feel like you zapped onto the battlefield. I don’t have a single complaint about Shockblade Shen. I think it perfectly encapsulates what playing Shen is supposed to feel like – and it does an excellent job at it. Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
