When I tell my friends that Fortnite is the best ongoing game out there – or at least my favorite – I don’t mean only in terms of fun and gameplay but also how the microtransactions work. The game is entirely free but, you know, it’s Fortnite, so if you want to play as Spider-Man or a Stormtrooper, you’ll have to spend money at least once to get the battle pass. In theory, that’s the only time you need to put real money in-game, as battle passes pay themselves off and give you more V-Bucks than what you had before, letting you buy the next one without spending a dime – which is something Overwatch 2 should learn from.
But for skin enthusiasts like me, on December 2020 Epic Games came up with the greatest deal of all: the Fortnite Crew, an $11.99 monthly subscription that grants players 1,000 V-Bucks and new cosmetics every month. Since then, 30 new outfits were added to the game, although not all of them were very appealing, we certainly got some hidden gems that will become pretty rare in the long run, as players only had one chance to purchase them – so here’s some of the best.
10. Green Arrow (January 2021)
The Green Arrow outfit was the second Fortnite Crew skin to be released and I remember it blowing players’ minds for being a licensed one. Even though Epic Games didn’t pick the best costume from Arrow to bring to the game – this one is based on season 8’s suit – it was still a nice addition to my DC Series collection.
The CW show certainly had better days on TV, but seeing the Star City vigilante join Batman and Catwoman made players feel hopeful for more DC heroes and villains. Just in the next month, February, Flash would come to the Item Shop, also based on the CW universe. The Green Arrow set included the Tactical Quiver backpack and the Boxing Glove Arrow pickaxe.
9. Wolverine Zero (August 2022)
When Fortnite announced Wolverine as the August 2022 Crew skin, many players complained, claiming it looked just like his original outfit released in Chapter 2: Season 4.
What they called a lazy skin, I called a great opportunity for Wolverine fans that didn’t get him in the Marvel season battle pass to finally grab the X-Man. Let’s not forget the skin was also released as part of a promotion for the Fortnite X Marvel: Zero War comic book that was running at the time. The Muramasa Blade back bling and pickaxe, and a loading screen completed his set.
8. Mecha Cuddle Master (June 2021)
Cuddle Team Leader will surely soon top Jonesy as the original character with the most variants in the game. Among Halloween costumes and robotic looks, one of her best versions is certainly the Mecha Cuddle Master, featured in June 2021’s Crew.
Inspired by tokusatsu productions, this outfit is a nod to another memorable Cuddle variant, the Mecha Team Leader, introduced in Season 9. The Mecha Cuddle Master full set included the Psytronic Bow back bling, the Nuzzle Jet pickaxe, a wrap, and two different styles for the outfit.
7. Southpaw (May 2022)
I have to confess I’m not a huge fan of futuristic approaches to skins, but Southpaw deserves a spot on this list due to the creativity put on her. In a few loading screens, we are told that she is a human scientist that created her own two cybernetic arms to brawl against machines in a kind of dystopian wrestling match.
The skin itself is pretty different from everything we’ve seen before, as its robotic arms aren’t attached to the character’s body at all – I mean, how cool is that? Besides the three loading screens, the Southpaw’s set included the Counterpunch backpack, the Arc Flail harvesting tool, and two music packs.
6. Sylvie (February 2023)
With The Ageless and Geralt of Rivia as the main skins for battle pass owners and new locations like The Citadel and Anvil Square on the island, it is undeniable that Chapter 4: Season 1 was our most medieval-looking season to date. To fit the vibe, Fortnite released Sylvie as part of February 2023’s Crew, a teenage blacksmith girl accompanied by her cute little dragon both looking like they came from an adorable RPG game.
Just like Skye from Chapter 2: Season 2 battle pass, in order to match Sylvie’s youthful age, she manages to look even smaller than other skins, but this is an illusion – she’s actually the same size and shares the same hitbox as other characters. The full set included the Groaker back bling, the Smith’s Slammers harvesting tool, a wrap, and a loading screen.
5. Rift Knight Kieran (March 2023)
Landing on the island a month later than our previous skin, we can say Rift Knight Kieran is the male counterpart to Sylvie, after all, both belong to the Embers of Empire Set. Using the same tricky mechanics as Sylvie, he also looks smaller and thinner than common Fortnite skins.
Starting from his base animation on the lobby screen to the huge and unique sword he yields, Kieran has way more attitude than his blacksmith friend. He also differs from many other skins by having a prosthetic arm. The Rift Knight Kieran’s full set included the Inheritor’s Edge back bling, the Inheritor’s Edge pickaxe, a wrap, and a music pack.
4. Snow Stealth Slone (January 2022)
Don’t let Slone’s sweet appearance fool you, we are talking about one of Fortnite’s greatest antagonists here. First introduced in Chapter 2: Season 7 battle pass in 2021, she made a return with this Crew skin on January 2022 before her tragic fate in the Chapter 3 Season 2 live event.
Her voluminous hair, intimidating posture, and the simple color scheme they chose for her turned Snow Stealth Slone into my favorite version of the character and maybe my favorite Winter outfit of all. It definitely has become quite rare to spot Slone wearing this on the island these days. Slone’s new set included the Winter Sunset style, the Snow Stealth Hardcase backpack, the Sleet Spike pickaxe, and a wrap.
3. Joni the Red (December 2022)
The Let’s Hunt Vampires Set has got to be one of my favorite skin sets in Fortnite. It consists, as the name suggests, of a group of teenage vampire hunters. Joni the Red was the first outfit from this set, released on December 1st, 2022. Three days later she would be joined by Helsie, an unlockable outfit in Chapter 4: Season 1 battle pass, and a month later by Lucien West, this one available in the Item Shop.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes and the options to change her clothes, hairstyle, or take off her glasses, immediately made Joni the Red stand out from this trio, and she was the only one of the three in Fortnite Crew making it a one-time opportunity to collect all of them. Joni came with The Hunter’s Holdall backpack, the Scarlet Oath pickaxe, a loading screen, and a music pack.
2. Phaedra (July 2022)
Show me a witchy skin in Fortnite and I’ll immediately throw money at the screen. Phaedra is not just any typical mage skin in the game, she’s also the most trendy. Her character is described as a sea witch, which explains the octopus on her side.
I personally love and appreciate when Fortnite adds outfits that look more casual, like the type of clothes a person would really wear, so when I saw this crew offer I was instantly sold. Her umbrella pickaxe is also versatile and can be used with the abundance of other goth skins, which especially made her worth purchasing in my eyes. Phaedra’s full set included the Ceph back bling, the Stygian Parasol pickaxe, the Gothic Shadesoarer glider, and a loading screen.
1. Loki (July 2021)
From the highly detailed outfit to the incredible resemblance to Tom Hiddleston, Loki has to take the number one spot on this list. At that time in 2021, no one was expecting the God of Mischief’s arrival on the island, much less as a Crew reward, and it was a pleasant surprise to see they decided to stick with his iconic look from the first Avengers movie – which is personally my favorite.
I’m glad I managed to snag what’s considered one of the rarest Marvel figures in the game, but I honestly hope the second season of Loki coming to Disney+ this year brings him back as an Item Shop skin so new players can grab him too. I also think Loki is too big of a character to only be limited to one skin. The complete set included Loki’s Cape back bling, Loki’s Scepter pickaxe, and the Chitauri Chariot glider.
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