Olaf can dress for a battle, a metal concert, or a party where he absolutely should not have brought two axes. Those are three very different purchases. A more elaborate warrior costume will not replace Brolaf’s personality, and a funny voice is not much of a selling point if you want to take the berserker seriously.
Sentinel Olaf is our best overall skin, with Pentakill III: Lost Chapter second for its musical identity and Brolaf third for comedy. Choose between those three first. Dragonslayer is the strongest armored alternative, and original Pentakill deserves more consideration than its age suggests.
All 11 Olaf skins at a glance
This ranking covers every standalone, non-default skin in Riot’s Data Dragon 16.17.1 roster, checked September 5, 2026. Chroma records are not extra skins. The order weighs character design, documented cosmetic features, and how convincingly each skin gives Olaf a different identity. It is an editorial preference, not a competitive tier list.
The feature descriptions below come from Riot’s development posts and patch notes, not from treating the splashes as gameplay footage. Any quoted RP amount is a dated announcement; check the current client before buying.
1. Sentinel Olaf is the best first skin
Sentinel gives Olaf better clothes without making him look well behaved. The dark outfit, white fur, swept hair, and eyepatch are a substantial departure from the horned helmet. His orange beard still dominates the face. That balance is why it takes first: the equipment changes, but the champion has not disappeared underneath it.
The luminous axes also give the design a clear center of attention. Dragonslayer surrounds Olaf with pointed armor and flame; Sentinel concentrates the brightness in his weapons. We prefer that contrast to dressing every part of him as another dangerous object.
Riot DW Platypus’s June 2021 development thread describes a redesigned model, a new recall, and changes to both spell visuals and sound. Its follow-up documents specific work on Reckless Swing: Riot increased the E sound volume and made the light beam wider and more luminous. That is an effects change, not extra spell range or a larger hitbox.
Those details make Sentinel a sensible first shortlist entry for someone who wants themed spell presentation without a running joke. It loses to Brolaf if personality is the whole point of the purchase. It loses to Pentakill III if hearing the band theme during Ragnarok matters more to you than the outfit. Otherwise, this is the most convincing all-purpose alternative to base Olaf.
2. Pentakill III: Lost Chapter Olaf is the music pick
There is a concrete reason to compare Lost Chapter with Sentinel: its Ragnarok presentation includes music. In the August 2021 PBE post, Riot explicitly records turning up that music while R is active. The same post confirms new visual effects, sounds, model work, and recall.
That is a much better argument for a music skin than counting how many spikes fit on the armor. The costume is good, too. The purple beard and black-and-gold outfit make Olaf look like an extravagantly dressed performer without taking away his broad, axe-wielding shape. He belongs on a stage with the other band members.
Second place comes down to versatility. This is a specific musical fantasy, whereas Sentinel works for anyone who wants a serious warrior. For a Pentakill fan, reverse the order. The music makes the band theme part of a fight, not just the loading screen.
Before replacing original Pentakill, decide which version of the band you want. Lost Chapter is polished and theatrical. The original is darker, rougher, and less dressed up. That difference can outweigh the newer skin’s documented extras.
3. Brolaf wins if you want a different personality
Brolaf looks like someone who has committed far too much effort to a bad idea. The cans on the helmet, green polo, sandals, and beer-carton axe blades all serve the same joke. Olaf’s enormous physique makes the improvised equipment even more ridiculous.
The voice is not something a viewer has to infer from that outfit. In Riot’s 2015 Between Two Turrets Q&A, preserved by Surrender at 20, Lomar identifies himself as Brolaf’s voice and inspiration, describing the performance as an exaggerated frat-guy impersonation. That vocal persona is the strongest reason to put Brolaf above another armored skin.
The joke reaches his spells as well. Riot’s 2019 patch 9.4 notes document Graggy-themed effects on Q, E, and R, a beer logo on the axe pickup indicator, and a keg on E’s hit. Age alone is not a reason to reduce this to a polo-shirt recolor.
Third place is a taste warning, not faint praise. The character is intentionally obnoxious. If that makes you laugh, he can easily be your number one; if it already sounds tiring, Sentinel will be a better use of your money. Listen to the voice in a current preview before committing to the joke for whole matches.
The fantasy alternatives: armor or open flame?
4. Dragonslayer Olaf makes the armor the attraction
Dragonslayer looks built to survive an encounter with something much larger than a lane opponent. Layered red-and-black plates, a pointed helmet, and hooked axe blades replace the exposed Viking costume. The long pale hair gives the armor some movement without softening its appearance.
This is the choice for someone who likes Olaf’s aggression but not the bare arms and horned-helmet caricature. Its drawback is the same transformation: with the face largely hidden, the design has less of Olaf’s individual character than Sentinel. You are buying the imposing armored figure first.
We place it above Infernal because the dragon-inspired equipment gives the fire a frame. Infernal makes Olaf himself burn; Dragonslayer makes him look equipped for an expedition. Choose the silhouette you actually want to keep seeing.
5. Infernal Olaf puts the beard in charge
The beard does most of the work here, and it is a good use of Olaf’s face. A bright mass of flame replaces the orange hair, while the dark plates and purple horns keep the head from becoming an indistinct fireball. Compared with Dragonslayer’s enclosed helmet, Infernal is much more openly monstrous.
Riot’s May 2024 development announcement says its model, textures, recall animation, VFX, and SFX were customized for the skin. It announced a price of 1,350 RP at the time. That makes this a documented themed-effects package, not just a splash-art fire treatment.
It lands fifth because the transformation is easy to understand but less surprising than the leaders. A raging warrior made of fire is an obvious match. If you love elemental monsters, that directness is a strength. If you already own Dragonslayer or original Pentakill for a fiery look, Infernal needs to win on its burning body rather than novelty alone.
6. SKT T1 Olaf is a team souvenir with spell details
SKT T1 dresses Olaf for a championship portrait rather than an ordinary raid. The red crest, broad gold shapes, and coordinated team appearance are the point. Riot’s original June 2017 announcement, preserved by Surrender at 20, identifies this as Bengi’s skin honoring SKT’s 2016 World Championship. It announced new model work, VFX, and recall at 1,350 RP.
The branding extends past the group splash. In its patch 9.4 update, Riot records golden effects and SKT T1 logos on Q’s pickup indicator, E’s hit, and R’s activation. Those recurring details matter more to the purchase than a championship label in a collection menu.
Choose it because you want that team identity to follow Olaf into the match. For a Bengi fan, sixth place may look absurdly low. If the badge means little to you, Sentinel’s less ceremonial outfit is our preference. The old price and championship history do not establish a live shop offer or a guaranteed annual return.
Two older skins that still have a specific job
7. Butcher Olaf is the kitchen joke
Some champions need an elaborate excuse to become chefs. Olaf only needs an apron and different blades. The hat, blond mustache, bare arms, and cleavers make him look absurdly comfortable in the kitchen. That immediate fit is why this simple costume beats several more intimidating ones.
It also received a small themed spell detail: Riot’s 2019 VFX update records a meat-colored treatment for the Q hitbox indicator. That is a recoloring, not different targeting behavior or a promise of a rebuilt ability set.
Buy into the cook joke if you find Brolaf’s beer-and-frat persona unappealing. Butcher is less of a character reinvention, but it has a clear reason to exist. A whole collection of serious Olaf armor gains more variety from this than from another suit of darker plates.
8. Pentakill Olaf keeps the rougher band look
Original Pentakill looks less like a fantasy band in formal stagewear and more like a group that would play in a dark, crowded venue. Olaf’s orange hair and heavy metal costume fit that rougher mood. It is a useful counterpoint to Lost Chapter’s bright accents and purple beard.
Riot added fiery recoloring and Pentakill symbols to E’s hit and R’s activation in patch 9.4. So the sensible comparison is not new skin with effects versus old skin without them. Lost Chapter has the explicit Ragnarok music feature; original Pentakill has its own documented band-themed visuals.
Choose the original if the scruffier appearance is the appeal. Choose Lost Chapter if the musical presentation is what you want to add. There is no obligation to replace a design you prefer just because the band released another wardrobe.
The last three are outfit-first choices
9. Marauder Olaf covers almost everything
Marauder is the answer to wanting armor without Dragonslayer’s orange spectacle. The closed helmet, white fur, dark metal, and heavy blades are stern and practical-looking by League’s standards. The shared splash puts Olaf on the right, facing the opposing fighters.
Its ninth-place finish reflects what that armor hides. The beard and expression do much of Olaf’s character work, and covering them produces a more anonymous warrior. Move Marauder up if that is precisely what you want. Otherwise, Sentinel makes a stronger case for changing his equipment while keeping his personality visible.
10. Glacial Olaf stays close to the Viking
Glacial has an uncomplicated appeal: Olaf already belongs in the cold, so turn him into something that looks born from it. The blue skin, white beard, and frozen-looking axes keep the original horned silhouette while changing its temperature.
That familiarity is also its limit. The strongest options above introduce a role, a voice, a musical identity, or a much more distinctive outfit. Glacial is better for someone who wants a variation on base Olaf, not an escape from him. The enormous scale in the splash is scene-setting artwork, not a promise of a giant in-game model.
11. Forsaken Olaf changes the mood more than the costume
Forsaken keeps the basic Viking arrangement and makes it angrier: red skin, red hair, dark clothing, and gold-edged axes. There is a severe old-school simplicity to it. The fire behind him makes a striking loading-screen backdrop, but that backdrop is not evidence of fiery spell effects.
It comes last because the other skins offer clearer reasons to leave base Olaf behind. Still, someone who dislikes costume jokes and elaborate armor may prefer this straightforward change.
What to buy when you already own an Olaf skin
For a first purchase, start with Sentinel unless one of the two personality picks immediately wins you over. For a second purchase, buy a different experience: Brolaf alongside a serious warrior, Lost Chapter for its music, or Butcher for a lighter costume without the frat-party character.
The overlapping choices need more restraint. Dragonslayer and Infernal both lean into dark armor and orange fire. Original Pentakill and Lost Chapter serve the same band fandom in different styles. Compare the specific feature you are paying to add instead of treating the higher rank as an automatic upgrade.
Finally, use a current preview to check the repeated details: the axe on the ground, E’s hit, R’s active presentation, and any voice you will hear throughout a match. A recall can sell a skin in a short clip. These are the parts you will spend far more time with.