7 Most Incredible Types of Armor

From the moment humans first mastered metal, crafting swords, axes, and spears from it, they realized the necessity of not just enhancing their weapons, but also devising defenses against them. This enlightenment initiated with the Bronze Age, and as weapons advanced, so too did a warrior's protection. The apex of this progression was reached in the late Middle Ages, when armor nearly surpassed the weapons of that era in A man clad in full plate armor was incredibly difficult to defeat on the battlefield. While a forceful blow to the head could incapacitate a knight, and the armor had its vulnerabilities, it provided almost impeccable protection. However, merely a century later, the armor seen on the battlefields of Europe was mostly reduced to a cuirass. A further hundred years saw even the helmets disappear among soldiers. You might assume that the introduction of muskets phased out armor as it could no longer withstand such powerful weaponry, but that assumption would be incorrect. Firstly, it's vital to understand that any protection on the battlefield is far from futile. Bullets and shrapnel possess varying penetrative forces at different distances. Additionally, in the early 15th century, the firing from a low-powered firearm was a means to test the quality of armor. A good armor was expected to withstand such a shot. It's also noteworthy that melee weapons remained in use among soldiers well into the 20th century. You might then think that the cost of equipping a knight was prohibitive, leading kings to skimp on armor for their soldiers. Yet again, this assumption would be wrong. Knights often were affluent landowners who could afford to invest in high-quality protection. Keen on preserving their lives, they did not skimp on this objective. More often than not, if a knight was a feudal lord, he had his own small army which he equipped out of his own pocket. The real reason lies elsewhere. Toward the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century in Europe, the royal authority's role and significance were on the rise, heralding the era of absolute monarchy. To diminish the feudal lord's influence over royal power, they were appointed as officials, keeping them away from battles and depriving them of the opportunity to maintain private armies. The advent of firearms leveled the playing field among soldiers, eliminating the need for a decade of training to become proficient in killing. It became easier for the kings to recruit more peasants, arm them with muskets, and within a couple of months, they had hundreds if not thousands of riflemen at their disposal. In the end, by distributing only rifles and not spending much on armor for soldiers or decent pay, the monarch acquired a massive army. For him, it didn't matter how many people would perish for his interests. After all, now it was the common people, not the nobility, that fought in the wars. With the rich nobility no longer participating in battles, the demand for expensive, high-quality armor disappeared. Now, such armor only adorned the palaces of kings, reminiscent of bygone eras. Fortunately, during the time when there was demand, armorers had crafted hundreds of incredible and unique sets of armor, which archaeologists continued to discover on battlefields and in the tombs of the nobility. For instance, how about an Egyptian armor made from crocodile skin, or the stone armor from the tomb of a Chinese emperor? You'll soon learn why did the Polish Hussars have wings on their queer ass, and whose armor is superior, the samurai's or the knight's? Near the Egyptian city of Manfalut, in a cave, an armor characteristic of the crocodile cult native to this region was found. Thanks to Egypt's dry climate, it has remained almost intact to this day. This impressive armor is crafted from crocodile skin. It consists of a helmet and queer ass, and was likely used during military ceremonies associated with the crocodile cult. The animal's skin was dated back to the 3rd century AD. The armor was gifted to the British Museum in 1846. It's challenging to determine if such armor was used in warfare since there are no written records about it. The thought of finding another set of crocodile armor is nearly impossible as skin is a perishable material. It's incredibly fortunate for archaeologists that this particular set has survived. But here's another leather armor that was definitely used in combat, and is just as exotic as the crocodile one, the Chinese rhino skin armor. You've probably heard that rhinos once roamed China's territories. This isn't just a myth, as there are both archaeological findings and mentions in ancient Chinese literature. The depictions of rhinos in ancient Chinese art are typically accurate and realistic, suggesting that they were drawn from live specimens, not based on legends or traveler's tales. But there's another fascinating evidence of rhinos in ancient China, armor made from their skin. During the Zhou dynasty, rhino skin was used to make armor. In the Warring States period, the southern state of Chu was renowned for its rhino skin armor. The philosopher Shenji noted that the soldiers of Chu were equipped with armor made of shark skin and rhinoceros hide as hard as metal or stone, and with pikes of Nanyang steel that could sting a man like a wasp or a scorpion. Unfortunately, not a single set of these armors has survived to our time, leaving us to imagine how they might have looked. In contrast, the stone armor of a Chinese emperor discovered in his tomb looks genuinely astounding. The discovery consists of hundreds of stone pieces that, when combined, form a sturdy set of armor. However, researchers had to reassemble it, as time had wore down its foundation. The armor was displayed in the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. Researchers claim that the armor belonged to Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty in the 2nd century BC. Such a prominent figure would naturally have an impressive tomb, often likened to an underground palace, said to house great treasures like this stone armor. Each piece of the armor has a distinct shape and is connected by bronze wires, providing flexibility. It's speculated that the armor was used either for burial purposes or for ceremonial occasions. In addition to armor and helmets, archaeologists also discovered horse armor. This is a case where the armor looks uniquely intriguing but doesn't offer much combat advantage and is mostly for rituals and aesthetic purposes. This contrasts with the armor of the Polish Hussars, which brilliantly combines impressive looks with protective functions. Just look at this winged armor, it's simply stunning. It was designed for a special type of Polish troops, the Winged Hussars. They are considered a unique cavalry unit, often dubbed one of the most effective military forces in the world due to their impressive victories. With their unparalleled skills, meticulously crafted weapons and armor, they overcame most opponents, even when outnumbered. Just imagine how intimidating it would be to see hundreds of these winged cavaliers charging at you. The psychological impact of their appearance likely played a huge role in their numerous victories. Their weapon, the Hussar Lance, which can measure up to 6 meters in length, longer than a medieval pike, also played a significant role. Some historians assert that a Hussar at full charge could pierce multiple enemies with such a lance. For instance, in the Battle of Polonka, a single strike from a Polish cavalryman skewered six Russian infantrymen. And during one episode of the Battle of Kotian, Hussar lances impaled up to three or four mounted Turks simultaneously. Their noble origins might have also contributed to their victories. Only the high-born nobility became winged Hussars, which meant they could afford high-quality, expensive armor, which they proudly adorned with lavish wings. The wings were crafted from wooden frames, into the rear rims of which eagle feathers were inserted. The thunderous noise produced by these attachments during a charge was meant to terrify enemy horses. The winged riders also wore pelts of leopards, bears, or other animals as cloaks over their pauldrons to intimidate foes. This intimidation tactic genuinely worked, as from a distance, the wings made it seem like there were more riders than there actually were. So, this is precisely the case when soldiers learned to combine the incredible beauty of their armor with combat efficiency. However, this is not all that Poland is capable of surprising with. Just take a look at this 16th-century Batary armor made of 1076 steel plates. If you've ever wondered how complex and monotonous it is to make chainmail, just think about how long it took to create this armor, but it was definitely worth it. It looks like a work of art. But you know what armor also looks like a work of art? Samurai armor, and there are reasons for that. As we all know, Japan is an island nation that developed largely in isolation, and as a result, both Japanese weapons and armor have a unique appearance that is difficult to analogs for in European culture. Even at first glance, this armor looks very strange. Leather, fabric, a bunch of cords, plates covered in different colors. All of this makes the armor appear mysterious, and it raises the question, what is it made of? But in reality, it's simpler than it seems, although it's not without uniqueness. The islands of Japan have a very human climate, so from ancient times, to preserve metal, leather, and wood items, they had to coat them with a special liqueur. The base of this liqueur was the poisonous sap of the liqueur trees that grew on the islands, and by adding soot or minerals to the sap, they gave it color. So unlike Europe, coloring armor was a necessity in Japan, which later became the equivalent of European coats of arms. The color of the armor indicated the wearer's clan and lineage. The most typical samurai armor is the oyoroi, and it is a lamellar armor, similar to, for example, lorica segmentata, and it was made from metal plates or leather plates. If you were to glance at this armor, you might think that it falls short in all characteristics compared to European plate armor. Oyoroi weighs around 65 pounds, and the majority of the weight presses on the warrior's shoulders. For comparison, full European plate armor with better protection weighed on average 10 pounds, 5 kilograms less, and distributed the weight more evenly than the Japanese armor. So, is Japanese armor inferior? Let's not jump to conclusions, let's delve into the reasons why Japanese armor is the way it is. First and foremost, a samurai is a mounted archer, unlike a knight who preferred spears or sword combat. For a mounted archer, the armor was nearly perfect because when the samurai was on horseback, the lower part of the armor rested against the saddle, relieving the warrior's shoulders. Unlike European plate armor, the armor had to protect a samurai's body but not restrict his arms for shooting, which is why the warrior's forearms were less protected. However, this was partly compensated for by the unique shoulder guards, osode, which European archers surprisingly didn't think of. The shoulder guards were movable, and when the samurai aimed with his bow, the shoulder guards were pulled to the back to avoid hindering the shot. And as you can understand, the armor primarily had to protect against enemy arrows, a role it excelled at, even better than European chainmail. But when it came to sword duels, such armor was inferior to European plate armor. In summary, up until the beginning of the 14th century, the samurai's armor was on par with, and in some aspects even superior to, European counterparts, if we exclude the significant amount of exposed areas, of course. However, this was the tradeoff for the versatility of a warrior who could combine archery with close combat. So it cannot be said with certainty which armor is better, European or Japanese. Each was designed for its own style of warfare and has its pros and cons. Nevertheless, the samurai armor set has another unusual component, horned helmets and intimidating masks called mempo, with depictions of demons and gruesome faces. Besides their psychological effect, these masks also possessed excellent protective properties. In Europe, there were similar protective elements as well. Just take a look at this horned helmet of Henry VIII. However, I believe helmets are a topic for another video. Please leave a comment if you'd like to see a video about the most incredible types of helmets. Also, let us know whose armor, in your opinion, is better, the samurai's or the knight's?