But until that day comes, I guess we’ll just have to settle for his skins. But which one is the best of them all? That’s what I’ll try to solve here by ranking all of Cho’Gath’s skins from worst to best – let’s see what comes out on top.
8. Nightmare Cho’Gath
Released: November 20th, 2009 Price: 520 RP This is one of those skins that hipsters love to defend, even though it’s objectively the worst. It barely does anything in terms of new particles, let alone new animations, and the new character is barely even a chroma by today’s standard. The skin is called “Nightmare Cho’Gath” but in all reality it’s just Blue Cho’Gath, because the only nightmare here is paying 520 RP for such a bad skin. The only upside is that veteran Cho’Gath mains get to see the splash art that they grew accustomed to back in the old days. But even that is a double-edged sword, as the splash art just looks hideous to new players. I think this is his worst skin, and would only get it for the meme.
7. Prehistoric Cho’Gath
Released: June 14th, 2015 Price: 750 RP Turning Cho’Gath into a dinosaur was such an obvious choice that I’m honestly fascinated Riot didn’t think of it sooner. That being said, I think they missed the mark a bit here. So maybe it would have been better if the idea brewed for another year or two. The skin basically changes your character model only. And even though the model itself is rather clean, it’s also somewhat disappointing. It doesn’t look like a dinosaur nearly as much as a rejected Digimon character. I truly like the idea behind it, and the splash art does get you hyped. But the in-game model simply falls short overall. Especially since there’s another skin in his library that tackles a similar theme – but in a more fun way.
6. Loch Ness Cho’Gath
Released: March 1st, 2011 Price: 520 RP Loch Ness Cho’Gath shares a lot of the same downsides as Prehistoric Cho’Gath, as it takes this really cool idea but kind of fumbles it in execution. Then again, this skin is also four years older. So I have more understanding for the mishap. Overall, this one doesn’t bring anything all that new or exciting when it comes to animations and particles. And the character model is just mediocre. You can definitely see what they were going for, but man does it need some polish. Especially the arms, they just look like they’re made out of plastic. I will say that the splash art is extremely good. And there is definitely a lot of potential with this skin. But we might just have to wait for another visual update before this actually becomes a viable pick.
5. Jurassic Cho’Gath
Released: November 1st, 2011 Price: 975 RP Finally, we‘ve arrived at the “good skins” part of this ranking. To start us off, let’s take a look at our boney nightmare Jurassic Cho’Gath. This is the first skin so far to really nail the character model as you can still recognize the champion, but also marvel at their new look. The skeleton schtick paid off completely as Cho’Gath somehow becomes even more terrifying than usual. Plus this skin has a lot of nice little details that really get you immersed. For example, when you clap during your laugh emote, some dust will actually come off your hands. Isn’t that just a neat little detail? You’ll also get a new death animation, taunt emote, and Q animation. Honestly if you don’t feel like breaking the bank (and trust me the skins will only get more expensive from this point on), then just get Jurassic Cho’Gath.
4. Gentleman Cho’Gath
Released: May 11th, 2010 Price: 1820 RP This is probably one of the worst value skins in the entire game – and yet it’s so beloved that it’s unreal. Let’s start off with the bad sides. You basically get nothing new when you get this skin. You still have the same ability animations, the same backing animation, and the same death animations. Like you literally get nothing extra when it comes to new visual effects. And for a legendary skin, that’s just a rip-off. The character model is really fun, but not as different as one would assume. It’s basically your base model but he also wears a suit and top-hat. Okay, and a smoking pipe and a little wine glass… And yet, it’s still a top tier skin simply because of all the new voice lines it includes. There’s something so fundamentally hilarious about playing a fancy-pants planet eater that the community can’t help but love this skin. Your W even occasionally has you scream “quiet” at your enemies. And that’s a downright mood if you ask me. So this is definitely overpriced, but man is it fun.
3. Battlecast Prime Cho’Gath
Released: August 3rd, 2012 Price: 1820 RP You have to appreciate how everyone always jokes about how Lux has too many skins, and yet my boy Cho’Gath has two legendaries and those aren’t even the best he has to offer. Okay, first let’s go over some small nitpicks. The character model here is distinctly smaller than the rest. So when you get into a game, you’ll feel like a lizard. Also, your backing animation is severely underwhelming as you just kind of stand there and shake. Now the plus sides: literally everything else. The character model is pure chef’s kiss material, with the robot destroyer aesthetic only getting better with each ult stack. Your Q is now an explosion, which makes it feel even more impactful than before. And your E just has you blast your speakers at the enemy like you were a rebellious teenager in the 90s. You also get a new voice over, some sick new emotes (with the addition of music to your dance emote being my personal favorite), some chromas, and even a really cool splash art. Overall, Battlecast Prime Cho’Gath is a certified banger.
2. Shan Hai Scrolls Cho’Gath
Released: January 28th, 2021 Price: 1350 RP Shan Hai Scrolls Cho’Gath is among the newer Cho’Gath skins – and man does it make me optimistic about the future. Let’s just cut to the chase: it’s amazing. And if you don’t have an endless wallet for the number one pick, just get this one. The character model truly makes you feel like a legendary being that can destroy entire planets. And all of your new visuals just add to that fantasy. Your Q just has you casually drop an Eye of Sauron onto the ground. And your backing animation has you eat a literal Sun and then spit out fire. You honestly cannot get more powerful than that! The splash art here is simply a masterpiece, and the skin has a rather large selection of chromas. It even includes a voice filter and additional quotes, just in case you somehow were not sold on the idea just yet. The only reason this skin is not in the number one spot is because it’s missing a single feature that I hope will become the norm for all future Cho’Gath skins.
1. Dark Star Cho’Gath
Released: July 13th, 2018 Price: 10 Gemstones I almost always hate Gemstone skins, but this one really nailed it. This is the only skin that has a feature Cho’Gath desperately needed: transformations. You heard it here first folks, Dark Star Cho’Gath actually showcases character model changes as you level up your ult and get more stacks. The changes aren’t astronomical, but man do they make you feel great. Cho’Gath’s champion fantasy has always been the idea of scaling into an absolute monster late game. And I don’t think there’s a single skin that does it better than this one. Plus, this skin basically nailed every other aspect of design as well. Both your Q and W casually feature black holes, and your backing animation has you tear a hole into the fabric of the universe and slide in. Fun fact: the hole even scales with your own size. Plus the splash art here is beyond badass, the theme makes perfect sense with Cho’Gath’s lore, the voice changer was a nice touch, and let’s be honest: this skin is simply the best there is. 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.
