In this corner you have some chick that really loves guns and explosions, and in the other corner you have a Nordic bear demigod who can control lightning and deactivate magical statues for some reason. Today we’re talking about the latter of those two: Volibear. My dude has not seen a lot of love when it comes to skins, even after the rework. But we’re looking through his catalogue to determine which Volibear skins are the most worth getting, both in terms of price and appeal.
7. Northern Storm Volibear
Released: November 29th, 2011 Price: 750 RP A thing you’ll quickly learn about Volibear skins is that they offer no (or very slight) changes when it comes to animation. So it is all about the character model. Northern Storm Volibear just gets a meh from me when it comes to his design. His mouth piece is really cool, and the overall concept of a futuristic soldier Volibear is pretty neat – but nothing to write home about. It’s not really that badass, that funny, or that visually impressive; it’s just kind of there. Granted it doesn’t look bad. And it is the only Legacy Volibear skin, so you might get some rarity points with this. But I would honestly suggest virtually any other skin in his line-up over this one.
6. Captain Volibear
Released: November 28th, 2014 Price: 750 RP I generally don’t like it when skins humanize Volibear too much, as I do think that part of his charm is the whole “feral” vibe he has going on. But I will admit, this skin is pretty funny. You get a full police uniform along with some makeshift sirens attached to your back that signal the demise of all those jaywalking minions. And probably the best part is the fact that you get a cool moustache and some killer shades. This skin also features some slight sound and visual effects, but they’re hardly even noticeable unless you search for them. Overall, a pretty funny skin – but not the type of cosmetic that I would get for my main champion and use constantly. In all honesty, I would probably only use it if someone else on my team had a police-themed skin, hence its lower ranking.
5. Thunder Lord Volibear
Released: November 29th, 2011 Price: 520 RP When you see the splash art for this skin, you think you’re about to see the best Volibear skin that has ever graced your hard-stuck eyes. But then you get into the game and it’s just a bit confusing. Thunder Lord Volibear doesn’t really look bad. But it also looks nothing like what I thought it would look like. You suddenly look a lot more wolf-ish, your claws look a lot more magical, and your overall vibe just looks a bit confusing. You definitely look badass, that much is for sure. But you don’t really look like Volibear anymore. That wouldn’t be a problem if there was a different distinct look the skin was going for, like what the Arcane skin line has started producing. But you just end up being some random Nordic badass magical wolf thing.
4. Runeguard Volibear
Released: April 29th, 2013 Price: 975 RP Now this is a proper Volibear skin. It just takes everything we already associate with the champion and amplifies it a bit. You see that splash art, and you get that feral lightning bear vibe that Volibear has cemented as his trademark. This skin gives you some Nordic-looking armor with fur around the neck, and some icy spikes on the back, showcasing that you mean business. I honestly do have a soft spot for this skin too – as it looks like something that came out of Skyrim. But I will acknowledge that it doesn’t really live up to its price tag. It technically does have some new animations, but nothing you’ll actually notice in game. And the design, while cool, seems slightly lacking when compared to the only other 975 RP Volibear skin.
3. Duality Dragon Volibear
Released: October 21st, 2021 Price: 1350 RP When it comes to sheer amount of customization, no Volibear skin can stand in the ring with this guy. Duality Dragon Volibear has nine pretty amazing chromas – and it also has a rather decent Prestige edition to boot! But when it comes to the skin itself, it honestly just feels like a second visual update. It’s the Volibear you’ve grown to know and love, but with a lot more detail, and designed to look way cooler. All of the animations here are clean and recognizable. But they’re way less “dragon centered” than the name would have you believe. Your backing animation does have you bow down to a dragon like you were reenacting Kung Fu Panda… but that’s the only noticeable dragon feature. That said, I really like the character model with this skin – it truly does look like a Norse god. Plus the animations are all clean, and the chromas are rather decent. But since this feels more like an update than a completely new skin, I can’t exactly give it first place.
2. El Rayo Volibear
Released: June 1st, 2016 Price: 750 RP This skin had no business working as well as it did. And this is a joke skin that I would never get tired off! It just makes Volibear a proper wrestler with a pretty stylish mask, some chains around his neck, and a V-neck cut lower than the Riot balance team. I don’t think this skin would have worked at all were it not for the rework, as just slapping on a design as a wrestler can feel out of place. However, jumping on someone from the metaphorical third rope feels right at home with this skin. So get your best WWE commentator voice on, pick up this skin, and have an absolute blast!
1. The Thousand-Pierced Bear
Released: May 28th, 2020 Price: 975 RP The only thing that beats out a good joke skin is a truly badass one. Even from the splash art alone, you can tell the kind of power this skin is dealing with. And the in-game experience is no different! For you anime fans out there, the association to Magus Bride probably popped up immediately once you saw that majestic skull-like face. It just feels like true horror fantasy – and I love it! You even have eyes on your neck for good measure. This is also the only Volibear skin that cared enough to at least do some ability animation recoloring, so that it stands out among the rest. The purples that are so present in the character design are just as present while you’re slapping people into submission with your thunder paws. There’s no question in my mind that this is the skin to get if you want to suit up your Volibear. 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.
