Bungie has gone through several different iterations of Shaders in Destiny 2. They are now no longer consumable, for example, and the issue with wildly inaccurate Shader icons should be resolved with The Final Shape. Which Shaders are worth looking into, though, and which ones are just a waste of a slot?
This list has been assembled specifically to try and single out Destiny 2‘s very finest Shaders. Of course, there are some caveats to keep in mind here. For one, we won’t be touching upon Mementos, as they’re an entirely different cosmetic category. Further, you’re going to want to keep in mind that Bungie rotates Shaders in and out of availability all the time. Some of the Shaders featured here might be inaccessible for months at a time, then.
Still, this list of the best Destiny 2 Shaders will give you a solid idea of what cosmetics you definitely will want to add to your item wishlist. Grabbing them might be an important objective in your future Destiny endeavours!
20 Best Destiny 2 Shaders, and how to grab them (where applicable)
Before we begin, it may be important to keep in mind that this list – like any other – is a fairly subjective ordeal. There’s no real way to categorically list Shaders from worst to best, so your ideal lineup may differ from what we’ve got here. That being what it is, each and every one of the featured Shaders does look pretty dang great on most things, and adding it to your Collections will be a great idea, even if you don’t see a use for it at the time.
#20: Vanguard Discipline
The best “neutral” Vanguard Shader: for those times when you want to look like you belong, but without the shiny baby blues that come with most other Vanguard-themed Shaders.
Season 2 Shader: get it via Vanguard rank-ups and Strike completions.
#19: Carrhae Black
Carrhae Black is, technically, a wood Shader: it’s got a fine smoked walnut texture applied to the metal parts it shades. On some pieces, it’s going to look downright phenomenal.
Season 19 Shader: Season Pass unlock, possible Eververse appearance.
#18: Oiled Gunmetal
A classic option for veteran players, Oiled Gunmetal slaps an oily dark colour onto most of your gear with a subtle green tinge included for good measure. It also turns your armour and weapons’ glowy bits into RGB LEDs.
Season 8 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop.
#17: Midnight Exigent
One of the more subtle Warmind-themed Shaders, Midnight Exigent applies dark blue and dark grey with bright yellow highlights to your gear.
Season 10 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop, Ada-1 Tower vendor.
#16: Ego Malign
Themed after the legendary Ahamkara, Ego Malign comes with an off-white bone glow base combined with a navy blue and some other dark tidbits. Stellar stuff on the more high-tech pieces.
Season 20 Shader: available via the Bad Ahamkara Bundle on Eververse (Silver), possible Eververse appearance (Bright Dust).
#15: Erebos Glance
A black-and-silver Shader with purple highlights? Well, no, not at all. Erebos Glance is mostly black and deep dark grey, but it’s got a ridiculously bright orange highlight as well. Still, it’ll give you that sleek black look on certain items, and it’s certainly worth having around!
Season 20 Shader: possible Eververse appearance.
#14: Amethyst Veil
One of the oldest “all-black” Shaders in Destiny 2, Amethyst Veil features deep purple highlights and an almost black scale texture as its base. Combine with Erebos Glance for all-black looks.
Season 7 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop.
#13: Bloody Tooth
Bloody Tooth combines black, silver, and red into something that, in fact, doesn’t look quite as edgy as you’d imagine. It’s really good on select pieces.
Season 6 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop.
#12: House of Meyrin
One of the legendary Black Armory Shaders, House of Meyrin is a red and golden colourway with a unique highlight it shares with all BA Shaders: an undulating Damascus texture that flows over your gear.
Season 5 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop, Ada-1 Tower vendor.
#11: Ensilvered Snare
Ensilvered Snare has that classic knightly look about it, what with all the silver and leather and grime, and it’s a perfect choice if that’s the aesthetic you’re going after.
Season 15 Shader: Flawless Grasp of Avarice dungeon completion.
#10: Bitterpearl
Bitterpearl is about as close to an all-white Shader as you’ll get in Destiny 2, from the looks of it. It is, indeed, a bright and pearly cosmetic that turns your metal tidbits into veritable reflectors in direct sunlight.
Season 14 Shader: Find all of the collectibles in the Vault of Glass raid.
#9: Horizons Beyond
For those who want to do away with the flashiness and the bravado, Horizons Beyond is the way to go. With this Shader, you’re getting deep blue and brown, with leather texturing here and there.
Season 11 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop
#8: Gambit Jadestone
Another Gambit Shader, but this one’s entirely different. Jadestone comes with neon green highlights, a swampy green baseline, and a rather tasteful topographic texture to tie it all together.
Season 9 Shader: random Gambit match drop
#7: Corrective//Protective
One of the most hard-to-get but obtainable Shaders on this list, Corrective//Protective is the go-to choice for Vex fans. It’s got just the right colours and textures to emulate the classic time-hopping cyborg aesthetic.
Season 14 Shader: Flawless Vault of Glass raid completion.
#6: Carminica
If you took silver out of Bloody Tooth and replaced its orangey reds with true blood-red highlights, you’d get the Carminica Shader. Combines really well with the likes of Erebos Glance.
Season 11 Shader: random Crucible match drop.
#5: Gilded Frost
A fan of the Deep Stone Crypt gear? The Gilded Frost Shader gives you exactly the same combination of dull gold, grey, and deep blue accents that you’ll find on DSC Raid weapons, and it looks phenomenal on most things. On cloth, you’re getting a sweet textured pattern to spice things up further still.
Season 12 Shader: flawless Empire Hunt mission completion on Master difficulty.
#4: Monochromatic
Monochromatic is white and black and that’s all there is to it. A lovely choice for Guardians who’ve got some manner of beef with actual colours, or for those who aren’t keen on Bungie’s Shader preview icons.
Season 1 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop.
#3: Calus’s Selected
A true Destiny 2 classic, the Calus’s Selected Shader was the premiere option during the early years of the game’s lifetime. Featuring white, silver, and gold with some royal purple highlights, you know precisely what you’re getting here.
Season 1 Shader: possible Eververse appearance.
#2: Refurbished Black Armory
Refurbished Black Armory is a Shader that’s almost all-black, but not quite. It turns virtually all the affected materials into a strange, almost glowing futuristic material that looks great without being overly flashy, with shades of dark green and dark purple popping up, depending on the angle you’re viewing the item from.
Season 5 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop, Ada-1 Tower vendor.
#1: Abyssinian Gold
Here’s the thing about the Abyssinian Gold Shader: it looks great on anything and everything. With rugged browns and grey shading, Abyssinian Gold might not have moving textures and neon colours, but it’s going to serve as a trusty, reliable workhorse on all of your gear, be it weapon or armour. Some Guardians might prefer a bit more pizazz, but for those who want to go for the classic Destiny post-apocalyptic feel, this is the right choice.
Season 13 Shader: possible Eververse appearance, Bright Engram drop.
