Vi Skins

Vi's skin catalog is one of those collections where you can tell Riot actually cares about the champion. 13 skins spanning from 2012 to 2024, and honestly most of them hit. Not every champ gets that treatment. Been maining Vi on and off since season 3, mostly as a jungle pick when I need reliable engage, and I've cycled through probably 10 of these skins at various points. Some are clean budget options, some are premium bangers, and a couple sit in that weird middle ground where you forget they exist. Kinda feels like Vi got lucky with her skin designers because even the older ones hold up decent in 2024.

Vi's Skin Collection: 13 Skins and Counting

So Vi's sitting at 13 skins right now. The breakdown is 4 Standard tier, 8 Epics, and one Legendary. That ratio is actually pretty solid for a champion who's been around since December 2012. She's not getting a new skin every patch like Lux or Ezreal but Riot hasn't forgotten about her either.

The oldest skin in the collection is Neon Strike Vi, which dropped alongside her release. Classic move from Riot back then, launching a champ with a day-one skin. The newest addition is Arcane Brawler Vi from 2024, her first and only Legendary. Took them over a decade to give Vi a Legendary tier skin and honestly that wait stung.

Not gonna lie, the evolution from Neon Strike to Arcane Brawler tells a story about how far Riot's skin team has come. The early skins are texture swaps with maybe a new recall animation if you're lucky. Then around 2016-2017 with PROJECT: Vi you start seeing real VFX work on the gauntlets and Q charge-up. By the time PsyOps dropped in 2020, every ability had distinct particles. Night and day difference.

Could be wrong here but I think Vi benefits from having giant fists as her core visual identity. Makes it easy for the art team to go wild with gauntlet designs. Every skin basically has a new pair of gloves and that alone sells the fantasy. Compare that to a champion like Senna where the gun changes are harder to notice in the heat of a teamfight.

Best Vi Skins: Top Picks for Mains

Arcane Brawler Vi. Full stop. This Legendary earned its 1820 RP price tag and then some. New VO, completely reworked animations, the Q charging sound alone is worth the purchase. Played maybe 60 games with it last split and the W proc feels crunchier somehow. The R animation where she launches forward has this weight to it that base Vi just doesnt have. If you're a Vi one-trick this is the skin. Period.

Demon Vi sits comfortably at number two. 1350 RP for an Epic that completely reimagines her aesthetic. The demonic gauntlets glow red during E, the ult leaves a trail of hellfire. Been running this in ranked when I want something darker than the Arcane vibe. (Random aside: the splash art on this one is genuinely terrifying and I love it.) The Demonic skinline fits Vi's aggressive playstyle better than almost any other theme they've tried.

Warring Kingdoms Vi is my sleeper pick. 1350 RP, Lunar Revel themed, and the gold and red color scheme pops on the Rift. The Q animation has this jade dragon energy that wraps around the gauntlets. I remember picking this up during the Lunar Revel event back in season 7 and it stayed in my rotation for two full years. Still pull it out sometimes for variety.

PROJECT: Vi delivers the sci-fi fantasy hard. Cybernetic gauntlets, digital VFX on every ability, the recall animation where she calibrates her fists. Real talk though, the skin can feel a bit busy in chaotic teamfights. When you're diving the backline and there's 15 particle effects going off, the PROJECT VFX sometimes blend into the chaos. Still a strong pick at 1350 RP, just something to keep in mind if you play on lower graphics settings.

Heartbreaker Vi rounds out my top five. Valentine's Day themed, 1350 RP, and surprisingly clean in-game. The heart-shaped gauntlet impact on R is genuinely funny. Spammed this in Diamond during February last year and got multiple "nice skin" comments in all chat. The pink VFX on Q are distinct enough that enemies can read your engage, which matters at higher elo, but the style points are worth it.

Skinlines and Themes That Fit Vi

Vi shows up across a bunch of skinlines and some fit way better than others. The Demonic line is probably the best thematic match. Vi's whole identity is punching things really hard. Demon gauntlets? Makes sense. The aggression in her kit translates perfectly into a demonic berserker fantasy.

PROJECT is another natural fit. Cyberpunk augmented fighter with mechanical fists. The skinline was basically designed for champions like Vi and the execution backs that up. Might be overthinking it but I think PROJECT works because Vi already feels like a character from a cyberpunk anime. The skin just makes the subtext into text.

Heartbreakers is the wildcard that somehow works. You'd think a Valentine's skin on a bruiser jungle champion would feel forced. It doesn't. Vi's personality has that cocky charm that sells the aesthetic. Plus the contrast between her aggressive gameplay and the cutesy hearts creates this fun dissonance in lane.

The Cops and Robbers line with Officer Vi is more of a legacy pick. Released back when Riot was doing simpler thematic skins. It's fine. Nothing special by modern standards but it has nostalgia value for long-time Vi players. (Sidebar for anyone who remembers: Officer Vi plus Jinx bot lane was the ultimate cop and criminal duo back in season 4.)

PsyOps is the most recent non-Arcane line she's appeared in. Military psychic operative Vi. The teal and dark color palette looks sharp and the telekinetic gauntlet effects on abilities give her kit a different flavor. Not my favorite but it has its fans. The skinline as a whole had mixed reception but Vi's version came out better than most.

Debonair Vi exists. Thats about all I can say. Suit and tie Vi with fancy gauntlets. It's a 750 RP skin that does what 750 RP skins do. No shade, just not where you'd spend your money if you have options.

Budget vs Premium: Where to Spend Your RP

Here's the honest breakdown. If you can afford one Vi skin, buy Arcane Brawler. 1820 RP for a Legendary that completely transforms the champion experience. New voice lines, new animations on every ability, the whole package. Worth every point for mains who lock in Vi regularly.

If 1820 RP is too steep, Demon Vi at 1350 is the best value Epic in the collection. Heavy VFX changes, strong thematic identity, looks great on the Rift. Warring Kingdoms and PROJECT are close behind but Demon edges them out on visual clarity and overall feel.

Budget tier? Neon Strike Vi at 750 RP punches above its weight for the price. The recall animation is fun, the neon aesthetic still reads well in 2024, and its the OG Vi skin. Officer Vi is also 750 but feels more dated. Neither will blow your mind but for climbing ranked on a budget, Neon Strike gets the job done.

Fair warning: don't sleep on the Standard skins just because they're cheap. Played a full season with Neon Strike while saving for the Arcane Legendary and it never felt bad. Good skin design is good skin design regardless of tier. That said, once you try Arcane Brawler Vi's R animation, going back to base feels rough. Huge difference.

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