Destiny is a game about many things: exploration, reclaiming lost knowledge, uncovering the secrets of the Darkness, oh and it’s about looking as cool as possible while doing all that. I play as a Hunter, mostly for their class abilities but also for their cool factor. Titans have their marks and Warlocks have their bonds, but nothing says “space-magic superhero”  like an awesome cape! Not all Hunter cloaks are created equal though. Some are cool, some are…interesting, and then there are some that are just downright excellent. And of those most excellent of cloaks, the following are definitely the best!

Shattered Vault Cloak

The original raid class item, the Shattered Vault Cloak was (and is still) only obtainable in the Vault of Glass. In vanilla Destiny it was the only cloak one could wear if they wanted to be prepared for the hard raid. It was also one of the few legendary cloaks that would reflect an equipped shader, making it a bit more versatile than your average cloak. I remember having a lot of fun just swapping shaders and seeing which version looked the best after it had finally dropped for me (the winner was “God of War” btw). All of this, combined with its alien spine/zipper pattern and gold trim, makes for an excellent cloak fit for the ages!

Psion Flayer Mantle

The Psion Flayer Mantle was a “cloak” introduced with 2015’s The Taken King expansion. It’s acquired from defeating any of the three Psion Flayers at the end of the “Dust Palace” strike. It’s not really a cloak in the strictest sense, but that’s not what’s important. What is important is that it’s a “cloak” that’s literally made out of energy! It appears to course with power as it’s being worn, and it shows off the full effect your armor. It’s also kind of a rare drop. The boss encounter this “cloak” is gained from probably only drops it once out of every 10 times. In fact, in the literal dozens of times I’ve run this strike, I’ve only seen it drop three times, so chance might even even lower. The order in which you defeat the Psion Flayers matters too, as the last one you defeat will determine the type of cloak that drops: void (purple), solar (orange), or arc (blue). It’s absolutely a worthy “cloak” if you can get your hands on it.

Cloak of Taniks

This is another cloak gained as a reward for defeating a strike boss. It has a chance of dropping when you defeat Taniks in the “Shadow Thief” strike. I’d say the chances of seeing it drop are a little higher than the Psion Flayer Mantle, but that might just be my own subjective experience. At any rate, I’m including it here because not only does it look awesome with any shader, it’s also the only hoodless cloak in the game that isn’t just a scarf. You get the full cloak experience while also getting to show off you helmet! It also sports a cool, visually active pattern along with a fur lining. If I were to sum it up with one word, I says it’s “regal”.

Chaos Cloak

It’s a good thing that this cloak is so cool, because it sure was a pain to get! The Chaos Cloak is one of only three exotic-tier cloaks in the game (not counting Taken King collector’s edition bonuses), and as such the process to get it was not simple. Like the other two exotic cloaks, the Chaos Cloak is gained by completing a faction quest. The quest is only triggered upon reaching rank 25 with a faction, not easy considering how long it takes to rank up (it took two months of playing and spending resources for me to trigger it). Then once you get the quest you have to: kill 500 enemies, kill 250 guardians, complete 10 strikes, and WIN 10 games in the crucible. Not  hard, but definitely time consuming. Your reward is this exceptionally cool cloak. Not only does it have a cool 3D pattern and appealing color scheme, but it also increases your reputation gains with Future War Cult and adds a unique (and very colorful) spawn effect to your character. It’s a lot of work to acquire, but man is it cool!

Venom of Ikaheka

I don’t know what “Ikaheka” is but man do I love this cloak! This cloak has been around since year one and is still available from the Speaker (provided he’s selling it at the time you talk to him). This was the first legendary cloak I ever acquired in Destiny, and it remains a favorite to this very day. There’s no drawn out quest to get it and no need to depend on RNG to acquire it. All you have to do is save up some marks and buy it. That’s all! Like many cloaks, it has a perk that increases Vanguard reputation gains, but I’ve included it here solely because I still think that this is the coolest-looking cloak in the game. The colors, the pattern, the awesome snake. It’s simple, to the point, and just plain cool. In short, it embodies everything a Hunter should be!

These are my top 5 cloaks, but what about you? If you play Destiny, what would you say are your favorite class items?

—

All images captured by Hatm0nster