You’re wandering through the Gerudo Desert, the heat is shimmering off the dunes, and you finally make it to Gerudo Town. Most players are just looking for the Voe armor to survive the sun or maybe the Thunder Helm questline. But tucked away in a secret shop—the Gerudo Secret Club—is something much weirder. The Breath of the Wild Radiant Set. It’s bright. It’s glowing. It literally looks like a luchador went to a rave in a graveyard. Honestly, at first glance, it feels like a joke item. Why would you spend your hard-earned Luminous Stones on something that makes you look like a neon skeleton when you could be upgrading the Ancient Armor or the Soldier’s Set?
But here's the thing about Zelda: Nintendo rarely puts something in the game just for the aesthetic.
The Radiant Set is one of the most misunderstood pieces of gear in Link's wardrobe. It’s not just about looking flashy in the dark. It’s about a very specific mechanical niche that most players ignore because they’re too busy stacking attack buffs with the Barbarian Set. If you’ve ever found yourself surrounded by Stal-enemies at 3:00 AM near a graveyard, you know how annoying they are. They pop up, they interrupt your travel, and they generally just waste your weapon durability. The Radiant Set fixes that. It’s a niche solution to a niche problem, but once you understand how the set bonuses actually work, it becomes a staple for late-game exploration.
How to Actually Get the Radiant Set Without Going Broke
Most players stumble upon the Gerudo Secret Club (GSC) by accident or by eavesdropping on NPCs in the local bar. You need a password (GSC◆). Once you’re inside, Greta sells the set, but it’s not cheap. It’s not just Rupees. You need Luminous Stones. Lots of them. Specifically, you need 3 Luminous Stones for the mask, 3 for the shirt, and 3 for the tights, plus the Rupee cost (800 for the top, 800 for the bottoms, 600 for the mask).
Don't just sell your Luminous Stones to the guy in Zora’s Domain for Diamonds.
Diamonds are great for repairing Champion weapons, sure, but Luminous Stones are the lifeblood of this armor set. You’ll need a staggering amount to fully upgrade it at the Great Fairy Fountains. To reach that coveted Level 2 set bonus, you’re going to need even more stones. By the time you’re trying to max it out to Level 4, you’ll be hunting every glowing ore deposit from the Sho Dantu Shrine all the way to the cliffs of Lanayru. It's a grind. A real one. But the payoff? Total skeletal immunity.
💡 You might also like: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
The Bone Attack Up Secret
Let’s talk about the math. People love the Ancient Set because of "Ancient Proficiency," which grants a 80% damage boost when using Ancient or Guardian weapons. It’s broken. It’s the meta. However, the Breath of the Wild Radiant Set has a sister ability: Bone Attack Up.
When you wear the full set and have upgraded each piece at least twice, you unlock this bonus. It also grants "Disguise; Bone," meaning Stalkoblins, Stalmoblins, and Stalizalfos won't attack you. They’ll just stare at you like you’re one of the boys. It’s hilarious. But the Bone Attack Up is the real kicker. It gives you a 80% damage multiplier when using "bone" weapons.
What counts as a bone weapon?
- Dragonbone Boko Clubs
- Dragonbone Moblin Clubs
- Spiked Boko Bats
- Even those fragile Stal-arms you pick up off the ground.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. "Those weapons have terrible durability!" You're right. They do. But a Dragonbone Moblin Club has a base attack of 45. Multiply that by 1.8 from the Radiant Set bonus. Then, if you eat a Level 3 Attack Up meal (which stacks with armor set bonuses in Breath of the Wild), you are suddenly hitting like a freight train. We are talking about massive burst damage. It’s a glass cannon build. You use it when you want to absolutely vaporize a Hinox using nothing but the literal remains of its cousins. It’s dark. It’s effective. It’s why speedrunners sometimes keep this set in their back pocket.
Why the Stealth Argument is Kinda Wrong
A lot of people compare this to the Stealth Set (Sheikah Armor). They say, "Why would I wear a glowing skeleton suit when I can just be invisible?"
📖 Related: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
They’re missing the point.
The Stealth Set is for avoiding conflict. The Radiant Set is for controlling it. When you’re wearing the Radiant gear, the Stal-enemies—those annoying skeletons that ruin your night-time foraging—don't just ignore you; they become passive environmental objects. You can walk right through a field of them to get to a chest or an ore vein. If you’re playing on Master Mode, this is a godsend. Dealing with health-regenerating Stalkoblins at night while you’re trying to climb a mountain is a recipe for frustration. The Radiant Set turns the most annoying part of the night cycle into a non-issue.
Also, let’s be honest: the glow-in-the-dark effect is genuinely cool. As the sun goes down, the patterns on the suit begin to shimmer. In the pitch black of the Thyphlo Ruins or the deeper pockets of the Faron Woods, it provides a subtle, eerie luminescence that no other armor set offers. It’s not as bright as a Miner’s Set from the sequel, but for Breath of the Wild, it’s a unique visual flair that makes Link feel like a mythical figure rather than just a knight in shining armor.
The High Cost of Upgrading
If you want to make this set viable for combat, you can't just leave it at Level 1. The base defense is low—only 3 per piece. That’s garbage. You’ll get one-shot by a Silver Lynel before you can say "Hylia." To get it to the max of 20 per piece (60 total), you need a ridiculous hoard of Luminous Stones.
Here is the breakdown of the madness:
👉 See also: Why Pokemon Red and Blue Still Matter Decades Later
- Level 1: 5 Luminous Stones per piece.
- Level 2: 8 Luminous Stones per piece. (This is where you get the Bone Attack Up bonus).
- Level 3: 10 Luminous Stones and 5 Bokoblin Guts per piece.
- Level 4: 15 Luminous Stones and 8 Moblin Guts per piece.
Total it up. You need 129 Luminous Stones to fully max out the set. That is a lot of mining. You’ll be spending a lot of time in the Upland Zorana area or the cliffs surrounding the Gerudo Highlands. Is it worth it? If you value high-defense and the ability to use Dragonbone weapons as top-tier DPS tools, yes. If you’re a casual player who just wants to beat Ganon and dip? Probably not. The Radiant Set is a trophy. It’s a statement. It says you’ve conquered the desert, you’ve mined the mountains, and you’ve mastered the weirdest mechanics the game has to offer.
Misconceptions About the Luminous Glow
I’ve seen people claim the Radiant Set helps you see better in the dark. Sorta. It doesn't cast a wide light like a torch or the Master Sword's glow when it’s near Guardians. It just makes Link visible. If you’re playing on a TV with poor black levels, it actually helps you keep track of where you are on the screen during the night cycle, but it won’t reveal hidden objects in the distance.
Another weird myth is that it attracts lightning. It doesn't. Despite the "Radiant" name and the glowing aesthetic, it’s not metallic. You can wear it during a thunderstorm without turning into a lightning rod. This makes it a surprisingly decent choice for exploring the Faron region at night when the frequent storms make the Soldier’s Set or the Ancient Set a liability.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re starting a new save or looking for something to do in your endgame file, here is how you should handle the Breath of the Wild Radiant Set:
- Hoard, Don't Sell: Stop selling Luminous Stones to merchants. Even though they go for 70 Rupees a pop, they are much harder to farm in bulk than things like Amber or Flint. Save at least 150 before you even head to Gerudo Town.
- The Password: When you get to Gerudo Town, go to the bar. Listen to the girls talking. They’ll mention the "GSC." Go to the alleyway door and input G-S-C-Diamond.
- Target the Bonus: Don't worry about maxing the defense immediately. Get every piece to Level 2 as fast as possible. The Bone Attack Up bonus is the only reason to wear this in a fight.
- Dragonbone Farming: Head to the North Akkala Foothills or the areas around the Hebra Mountains. Moblins there carry high-tier Dragonbone clubs. Pair these with the Radiant Set for a damage output that rivals the Master Sword.
- Night Exploration: Use the set specifically for traversing the Hyrule Field at night. It prevents those annoying Stal-ambushes that interrupt your horse riding or running.
The Radiant Set isn't the most practical gear in the game. It’s expensive, it’s ugly-cool, and it requires a specific playstyle to shine. But that’s exactly why it’s great. In a game about discovery, finding a use for the "weird" armor is one of the most satisfying things you can do. Go get the stones. Wear the skeleton suit. Smash some monsters with their own bones. It’s what Link would want.
Next Steps for Mastery
To truly maximize your night-combat build, start practicing your parry timing with the Dragonbone Moblin Club. Because bone weapons have lower durability, every hit needs to count. You might also want to look into farming Farosh scales; while not needed for this set, the elemental buffs from dragon-horn-infused meals can extend your Attack Up 3 duration to 30 minutes, making your Radiant Set rampage last an entire night cycle.