Every champion featured in Arcane is going to be popular as hell for quite some time. And while everyone is stanning Vi and her Cupcake, I have to set aside some time to appreciate Ekko. He was extremely cool in the show. And I think we can make him just as cool in-game with his skin library. So let’s take a look at how we can draw out the biggest amount of badassery through Ekko’s cosmetics without breaking the bank.
9. Academy Ekko
Released: August 26th, 2015 Price: 750 RP This is very much the type of skin that nerfs your experience and makes you pay for it. Academy Ekko only offers a character model change, and I just honestly think it looks worse than the base model. I get that Riot was going for the bad-boy high-schooler look. But my dude just looks like a mess. His paddle doesn’t look all that threatening, his outfit is bland, his shades look weird, and his glove makes him look like a goalie who got lost and wandered onto the Rift. Even the splash art is rather mediocre. I mean, if you’re doing cosplay comps or something like that, this skin could come in handy – but that’s about it.
8. SKT T1 Ekko
Released: July 27th, 2017 Price: 1350 RP This skin definitely takes Ekko in quite the interesting direction. But I just can’t say it hits the spot perfectly. When it comes to the character model, this skin offers a very unique take, giving Ekko golden armor, a sword, and a set of hair that even roosters would be jealous of. And again, I can’t say that I hate the look on Ekko. But it also isn’t anything to write home about. When it comes to new animations and particles, it’s pretty much the same story. The SKT T1 flares on his W, Ult, and backing animation are rather nice, but nothing spectacular. And the new particles are just okay. Everything is fine with this skin – but there isn’t anything that special about it either.
7. PROJECT: Ekko
Released: August 1st, 2016 Price: 1350 RP I’m usually a sucker for PROJECT skins. But I have to say this one left me slightly disappointed. The character model is pretty detailed, but a bit on the basic side. And I absolutely hate how they did his hair, while the new particles and animations all just seem slightly uninspired. The particles sorta feel like the standard high-tech particles we’re used to from different skins, only green this time. I also feel like Riot could have done a bit more with the backing animation, as it starts off so strong and then just gives up. Overall, I can’t say that the skin is bad. Because it’s very clean and polished – but it feels uninspired. This is especially true when you take into account that Ekko has another high-tech skin in his limited line-up.
6. Star Guardian Ekko
Released: July 14th, 2022 Price: 1350 RP Personally, I hardly ever get excited about Star Guardian skins anymore. There’re so many of them and they honestly all feel the same at this point. Star Guardian Ekko is a good example of this. All of his abilities look and sound extremely bland. Nothing about the skin itself really screams Ekko. In fact, the skin makes him look a bit ridiculous – as his voice lines don’t match up with his appearance in the slightest. All of that being said, the skin isn’t complete garbage either. Although bland, the skin has a lot of polish and is easy to play with. And if you don’t take the game too seriously – I’m sure this can be a fun skin to throw on every now and then. It also has a Prestige version – but it’s honestly not interesting enough to give the skin any brownie points.
5. Trick or Treat Ekko
Released: October 24th, 2018 Price: 1350 RP Unlike the other skins so far, Trick or Treat Ekko has some real character. Like the name would suggest, it’s Halloween-themed. And the spook meters have been cranked to 11. The character model here is very “Payday/The Purge” by design, which is always a huge plus. And the new animations and particles are more traditional Halloween stuff. You get plenty of bats flying around after using certain abilities, a spooky skeleton dude for your W, and some classic candy theft shenanigans on your backing animation. All in all, the skin is really well put together, clean, and fun. What more could you ask for? It only loses to the rest of Ekko’s skins duo to being somewhat of a joke skin.
4. Pulsefire Ekko
Released: May 14th, 2020 Price: 1350 RP Pulsefire Ekko just takes everything cool about the original design and just cranks it up a notch. It feels like the same Ekko we grew to know and love from the base design – but with so many brand new & super clean animations that it’s hard to ever go back to the original. The character model looks absolutely stunning here too, with the most badass of mohawks, the coolest of armors, and the safest of masks. And the animations aren’t all that far behind either. You get a really nice digital counter for your passive, Q, and E, which is just some nice quality of life additions. And the hologram aesthetic gets a lot more fleshed out on your W and your R. All in all, if you like the base model, you will absolutely adore this skin.
3. Sandstorm Ekko
Released: May 27th, 2015 Price: 975 RP I had to rank this one pretty high up, as it has been many Ekko mains’ go-to for quite some time. Although it’s only 975 RP and doesn’t bring the same amount of bells and whistles as the previous few entries, it’s still a top-tier Ekko skin. The character model has that crazy adventurer/Mad Max vibe that we all love, and the animations have all been recolored to better suit the sandy dunes that tis Ekko calls home. Yes, it’s a very simple skin. But it does what it’s supposed to do rather effectively – and at a reasonable price. You get a cool character model, some new sand particles, and even a new backing animation! That’s what we in the business call “a steal”.
2. True Damage Ekko
Released: November 10th, 2019 Price: 1820 RP I really thought that I was going to hate True Damage Ekko. But man was I wrong. Just like all the other pop idol skins, this one takes Ekko and makes him a bit more modern. And at first when I saw the character model, I thought he would be way too bulky and clunky for any Ekko main to enjoy – but I stand corrected. True Damage Ekko is just dripping from head to toe. And he carries too much swagger for a single soul to bear. From spouting memes about “ending your whole career” to a sea of new special interactions, this skin is just jam-packed with content: A new voice, new particles, new animations, new emotes, a completely new feeling to the champion, and lots more. And I’m not just ranking it here only because the skin has the most goodies, as if it’s automatically the best. It’s ranked here because the overall package is just so rich and convincing that no other skin can really stand in comparison.
1. Firelight Ekko
Released: February 17th, 2022 Price: 1820 RP Even though I just spent the last 2 minutes gushing over True Damage Ekko, I’m still giving Firelight the number one spot. This is because I’ve hardly ever seen a skin that fits a champion this perfectly. Obviously, the skin is based on Arcane, and is thus literally canon. But even beyond that, I just feel like it’s a huge improvement on the base design. We even did a full skin review of Firelight Ekko if you want to see screenshots + animations. But here’s what we get: The new particles (especially for your passive) are just gorgeous. The character model perfectly encapsulates that grungy Zaun vibe, with each chroma also adding variety without going too off base. And that homeguard animation is what dreams are made of. Overall, it can’t even compete with True Damage in terms of raw content, but it has a lot of soul. So if you have infinite money, go for True Damage Ekko. But if you want the best skin possible without paying that premium price, go for Firelight Ekko. 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.
