She used to be this weird assassin/tank/tank-shredder that could just pick you out of the crowd and break your knee caps while your teammates watched in horror. And now she’s pretty much the same, only your friends are sent flying across the map. So, how shall we dress up our favorite Yordle hammer time champion? That’s what we’ll try to determine as we rank all of Poppy’s greatest skins.
11. Star Guardian Poppy
Released: October 5th, 2016 Price: 1350 RP Although it is among her pricier skins, this one just falls flat. The Star Guardian theme just seems extremely weird on Poppy, and like a simple money grab. Sure, if you really like anime and don’t care about the rough and tough design of her base skin, you can opt for this one. But with such a high price tag, it just isn’t worth it. Also, I know I’m nit-picking here, but why is her skin white? That just seems like such a weird detail to add in. The animations are very flashy and distinct, so it’s always easy to see what is going on, but they simply tend to get annoying after a while.
10. Snow Fawn Poppy
Released: December 12th, 2017 Price: 1350 RP Star Guardian Poppy is the only skin I have major issues with. So from here on out, the skins are all pretty close quality-wise. Snow Fawn goes for that Christmas Wonderland feel, and I think it nails it. The animations are all snow themed, but they aren’t as much of an eye-sore as the Star Guardian one. I especially like the animation for her passive shield, as it makes it way easier to spot and pick up. The in-game model is also pretty cute. However, it does still fall under the “thematical stretch and very pricey” category, so it stays at number nine.
9. Battle Regalia Poppy
Released: March 15th, 2011 Price: 520 RP This skin is very minimal, but very nice. It’s completely lore friendly and makes Poppy look like a proper warrior. The added armor looks really cool too. And her hammer just looks like it came straight out of a Norse legend. That being said, it’s pretty minimalistic, and thematically does the same thing as the base skin. It’s also very cheap and straight to the point. I have no real complaints about it, really. But it doesn’t do much in terms of visually changing the look or feel of the character. It is, however, the best choice to get if you really dig the base skin.
8. Scarlet Hammer Poppy
Released: February 1st, 2012 Price: 975 RP Here’s one skin that’s very polarizing, in my opinion. The concept was simple but effective, and the execution was nearly perfect. The red armor looks really cool, with the horns giving Poppy a very menacing and powerful vibe. However, the eyes are somewhat of a mess for me. Having two glowing eyes emerge from a closed off helmet is usually pretty cool. But it looks a bit derpy in this skin. They could have also done more with the hammer, as it looks slightly bland as it is. If you don’t mind the eyes, this skin is probably gonna be way higher on your list. But for me it stays right here.
7. Lollipoppy
Released: October 19th, 2010 Price: 975 RP Fun fact, if you have this skin and start running towards an OG ADC main, they might just fall out of their gaming chair in shock as their nightmares from the past slowly consume their mind. This skin is both hilarious and oddly terrifying. There’s something so funny about a Yorde beating down a literal god with a lollypop – but on the other hand, the splash arts (both this one and the old one) are nothing short of nightmare fuel. So if you like mentally torturing people and throwing common sense out of the window, this skin should be right up your alley. I’m on the fence about it, so it shall sit around the middle of our list.
6. Hextech Poppy
Released: July 23rd, 2018 Price: 10 Gemstones I won’t deny that this skin is cool. It’s pretty futuristic while also keeping to the theme of Poppy being a proper warrior. The animations are all pretty clean too, and the in-game model is spotless. However, you basically have to sell your kidney in order to get one. It’s a super rare find that will have you opening hundreds of loot crates. And I just don’t think it’s worth that much. The skin is nice, but even without the enormous time and money sink, I would not say that it’s the coolest or the best looking. The only thing that really pops out with this skin is your ability to absolutely flex on the commoners who are still searching for their first gemstone.
5. Astronaut Poppy
Released: May 28th, 2020 Price: 1350 RP OK, this skin is just dope. It’s my favorite out of the futuristic skins, as it allows Poppy to stay true to the badass warrior that she was set up to be. The skin features brand new animations, too. The W is the one that stands out the most to me, and there’s even some new voice lines. Overall, I just think that everything here was done exceptionally well. It still gets held back by the high price tag, and the fact that lore is out the window. But from all the newer skin releases, I would say it’s by far among the best.
4. Bewitching Poppy
Released: October 7th, 2021 Price: 1350 RP If you’re looking for a cute Poppy skin then Bewitching Poppy is perfect. You’re dressed up as a little witch. And your hammer turns into a broom that you can use to pound all those Salem sympathizers. But where this skin really shines is the animation department. Your passive proc is a little pumpkin, your ult is a bunch of graves (and then a kitty pumpkin at the end), while your W and Q have been decked out in Halloween designs. And that’s not even mentioning all the spooky sound effects on all of your abilities. Plus all the bat particles from attacks & the new backing animation where you play ghostly whack-a-mole. On top of all that, Bewitching Poppy even has chromas. Truly a brilliant deal all-around – but with some downsides as well. Specifically, your abilities don’t feel as impactful here. And your passive shield is a lot easier to see and step on in-game. So if you like goofy skins, definitely go for it. But if you want to sweat your butt off in ranked and be taken seriously, I would probably look for different options.
3. Noxus Poppy
Released: February 2nd, 2010 Price: 520 RP Noxus Poppy is a prime example that sometimes less is more. A lot of people would scoff and say that it’s just a chroma. But the Poppy mains subreddit begs to differ. It just cranks up the badass factor to an eleven, while also making sense for the character and being extremely cheap! Sure, Demacia fanboys are crying in the corner for losing their Yordle warrior. But they’ll get over it eventually. It’s a subtle change, but it just improves upon the base on so many levels that I had to go and place it close to the top.
2. Ragdoll Poppy
Released: December 14th, 2010 Price: 975 RP Out of all the silly skins that Poppy has in her arsenal, this one is just hands down my favorite. It’s so cute and yet thematically coherent that I can’t help but give Riot more of my hard-earned money. The hammer is very fitting given the theme, and the character model itself is very polished too. Nothing over the top here, but it gets the point across. At just 975 RP I think this skin does everything that it’s supposed to do, only being outclassed in my mind by my number one pick.
1. Blacksmith Poppy
Released: August 24th, 2010 Price: 975 RP If you’re not a Poppy main, this one might seem a bit odd, but let me explain. If we’re talking about lore friendly skins, this one just takes the cake. And do I even have to point out how absolutely badass and gorgeous the splash art is? It just looks like a poster for a blockbuster movie that I would actually want to see in cinemas. The in-game model is very simple, but it all just fits together perfectly. It isn’t flashy or futuristic, goofy or weird, it’s just a very believable rendition of the Poppy we’ve all grown to know and love. And trust me: nothing will get the Poppy mains as riled up as this skin. 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.
