Shen Skins Guide

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Shen, the Eye of Twilight, is one of the oldest champions in League of Legends. He is a tanky frontliner who can assist his allies no matter where they are. The champion is really easy to pick up, but it takes some extra knowledge and good map awareness to maximize his potential.

Key Info Up Front

There is a total of 11 Shen skins. The designers had a lot of fun with this champion, creating oriental, mecha, and ninja-themed cosmetics, but also some goofy ones like surgeon Shen. I really like Pulsefire Shen, as it reminds me of Mortal Kombat’s Sub Zero, but you also have some other cool items at your disposal.

Original Shen

Skin Lore

Shen leads the Kinkou clan, a mysterious group of Ionian warriors. He has created an arduous path for himself, eliminating all the emotions, ego, and prejudice from his daily life. Shen lives in a realm between spiritual and physical.

The champion relies on his overpowering energy and steel weapons to enforce justice and bring equilibrium to all beings.

Appearance and model

Shen was probably a reference to Joe Musashi, a character from Shinobi. This is especially noticeable during dashing and other movements.

The champion’s base skin is very solid. He wears dark blue armor made from different layers. The Eye of Twilight has baggie pants, long boots, reinforced shoulder pauldrons, and dark blue arm guards. A part of his garment falls loosely in the back.

Although this blade is somewhat concealed, you can notice there is a large sword on the champion’s back. This weapon has a very spooky hilt; you can notice Shen’s eyes and surrounding facial skin. Besides the long sword, he also has a curved scimitar, which he probably uses as a throwing weapon.

Shen has white skin. Only his arms and face are visible, while the rest of the champion’s body is covered. His ninja mask reminds me of that which Sub Zero wears. He also has similar eyes to the Mortal Kombat character; they are bright blue/white.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Base effects

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• Nice ninja suit.
• The Eye of Twilight looks intimidating but not over the top.

Cons

• The blade is a bit strange in a bad way.

Yellow Jacket Shen

Price: 520

Skin Lore

N/A

Appearance and model

This cosmetic is very similar to Stinger Akali, although they are not from the same set. Unlike the base skin, which is meant to remind us of Sub Zero, this one is more similar to Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion. It also has some similarities to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Shredder.

While this cosmetic has some similarities to the base model, it is also very different. He wears deep dark boots and blue baggie pants. The Eye of Twilight has an attire that is very similar to that of Scorpion. The whole central area is yellow, with pieces of fabric falling down his waist.

What makes Yellow Jacket Shen so intimidating are all the spikey protective pieces. He has yellow arm guards with spikes, pointy pauldrons, and a yellow mask with something that resembles an ominous tiara. His mouth cover is made to resemble yellow mandibles. To round up this appearance, the designers gave him bright red eyes.

Instead of two different weapons, these two blades now meld into one. The sword on his back looks like it’s made out of two pieces, which you can tell based on two different hilts.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Base effects

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• I love the mandibles on his face.
• Great for all the guys who prefer playing Scorpion to playing Sub Zero.

Cons

• Some of the spikes look too big.
• The weapon concept is pretty interesting, but yet again, it is the weakest part of the cosmetic.

Frozen Shen

Price: 520

Skin lore

Shen suffers the wrath of the elements each and every day just so he can destroy the demons hiding within the icy polar slabs.

Appearance and model

This particular cosmetic is a part of the Glacial collection alongside Ice Drake Shyvana, Glacial Malphite, Frozen Terror Nocturne, Frosted Ezreal, and Glacial Olaf. If the base model doesn’t resemble Sub Zero enough, this one definitely relays that sentiment.

Strangely enough, I actually prefer the base model. Not only does this default cosmetic looks more like Sub Zero, but it also flows better. The champion wears dark boots, baggie dark blue pants, and a full-body blue ninja outfit.

The thing that puts me off is all the protective pieces. The Eye of Twilight has frozen arm guards, icy pauldrons, and a frozen crown on top of his ninja hoodie. One thing that designers did well was the face mask. If you check the champion’s arms and face, you will notice that Shen is basically semi-frozen.

He carries a blade with two hilts on his back, which looks very similar to the one that Yellow Jacket Shen uses. The sword is light blue, with a small frosty piece on it.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Base effects

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• The mask is pretty nice.

Cons

• This skin doesn’t do anything for me.
• Although the designers wanted to convey the feeling of cold, the elements are simply too different.

Surgeon Shen

Price: 975

Skin Lore

N/A

Appearance and model

The thing that’s really cool about this cosmetic is that it was suggested by the members of the community. It is a part of a small Rift Hospital theme together with Nurse Akali and Kennen M.D. (so, the ninja squad). Surgeon Shen is the first chroma for the champion, and it comes in rose quartz, ruby, pearl, obsidian, emerald, rainbow, sapphire, and sandstone.

Although somewhat simplistic, Surgeon Shen is a pretty awesome skin. The champion wears a green outfit, a color that is characteristic of medical practitioners. He has long pants with a baggie section. The sleeves on his shirt are rolled-up, suggesting that the champion is ready for some medical action.

I simply love the white crocs; they might be dorky, but they are just the thing for this cosmetic. Like any good surgeon, the Eye of Twilight wears long rubber gloves. The champion has a green scrub cap, green mask, and glasses. A stethoscope is another nice detail, and so is the medical patch on his arm.

As for the weapon, he has a long sword, sheeted away safely on his back. The champion also has a long scalpel blade, which is featured in various Surgeon Shen abilities.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

When using Twilight Assault, Shen throws a spirit scalpel instead of the usual blade. The champion attacks with a radiant crystal blue scalpel for the duration of the buff. There is also a light blue link between him and the spirit scalpel.

Spirit’s Refuge has an improved effect; majestic spirit wings will appear above the spirit scalpel, and the area around the weapon will become light blue. Shadow Dash utilizes a bit different color pallet, focusing on light blue instead of deep blue. Similarly, Stand United relies on the same colors. While channeling the spell, a medical cross appears beneath Shen’s and the target’s feet.

Animations

Shen has a new emote during which he summons a spiritual scalpel and dances around it. He performs a similar dance during Recall, during which a spiritual blade hovers above his head.

Pros

• Simplistic yet impactful.
• Having a scalpel instead of a blade is pretty cool.

Cons

• I don’t like the medical symbols on his blade (although they look nice on his shoulder).

Blood Moon Shen

Price: 750

Skin Lore

Shen’s dedication to the Blood Moon organization is undeniable; he dedicates his whole body and spirit to the cause. The champion serves as a reliable bodyguard, eliminating any threat with ruthless precision. In fact, the method in which he does it indicates that a good portion of his humanity has already been shattered.

Appearance and model

Shen wears a mask that is characteristic of Noh theater. This particular cosmetic is a part of the Blood Moon theme together with Blood Moon Yasuo, Blood Moon Pyke, Blood Moon Aatrox, Blood Moon Evelynn, Blood Moon Kennen, Blood Moon Jhin, and many others.

If you’re looking for scary skin, this is among the best ones. Shen wears dark boots and baggy pants. However, the thing that makes it so cool is the body armor. Instead of the usual metallic plate, Shen has a demon face across his chest. Keep in mind that this isn’t an embroidery but, instead, a face made from different metallic pieces. At moments, it looks as if the demon will bite the champion’s enemies.

The Eye of Twilight wears large metallic arm guards that have curved blades on the back end. He also has spiked shoulders adding to the intimidation factor. Shen has a white demon mask with blue eyes and two large horns. Like always, he has two blades on his back: a larger sheeted one and a smaller curvy one. These are probably the best weapons so far.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Base effects

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• Very scary.
• The colors mesh well together.

Cons

• Some of the pieces feel out of place, as if the designers tried to add lots of unrelated bits just to make Shen as intimidating as possible.

Warlord Shen

Price: 975

Skin Lore

N/A

Appearance and model

This interesting skin is probably a reference to Total War: Shogun 2. It comes in several different colors, including ruby, tanzanite, Catseye, amethyst, obsidian, emerald, sapphire, and pearl.

As you can presume, Warlord Shen has traditional samurai clothes. He has neat dark green boots with golden details. You can notice maroon pants on his legs and strong, reinforced plates around his thighs. The champion wears a large metallic plate across his chest, and beneath it, there is a traditional Japanese shirt.

I especially like the light cream vest that the champion is wearing. It works well, diluting the other colors and providing a bit of a contrast. The Eye of Twilight wears sturdy shoulder and arm plates and has a samurai mask and helmet. The horns on the helmet are especially impressive.

When it comes to weapons, Shen has a plain katana and a second blade that is very intricate. This other weapon is especially interesting; it has a crystal hilt that looks like a snake. Lastly, the champion wears a red banner on his back.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Base effects

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• The cream vest looks awesome.
• The armor looks very sturdy, which goes well with the champion’s ability kit.

Cons

• The cosmetic looks a bit square.
• While the sword with snake head looks really nice, it doesn’t fit the overall theme.

TPA Shen

Price: 750

Skin Lore

This particular skin was created to commemorate the 2012 World Championship and Stanley’s performance on the champion.

Appearance and model

Besides Shen, other finals champions got their skins. So, you can purchase cosmetics such as TPA Mundo, TPA Ezreal, TPA Orianna, and TPA Nunu and Willump.

TPA Shen is very similar to other cosmetics commemorating World Championship wins throughout the years. The champion has gaming gear with bright jovial colors. The Eye of Twilight wears short brown boots and long leggings. He also has sturdy blue denim shorts.

The champion wears the Taipei Assassins hoodie with the team’s logo in front. The top combines gray, red, and dark blue. His sleeves are somewhat rolled up, and he has fingerless gloves. A blue mask covers the champion’s mouth, and you can clearly see his crystal blue eyes.

Instead of the usual swords, Shen wears red and blue glowing bats. He also has a blue TPA backpack with the team’s logo. Lastly, I have to mention the white/blue cap and massive white headphones.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Twilight Assault summons a light purple bat with League of Legends writing. The champion is bound to it with a purple thread while in the vicinity. All other effects are more, less the same.

Animations

Base animations

Pros

• A great purchase for all TPA supporters.
• The outfit looks really funky.

Cons

• There are much better skins out there.

Pulsefire Shen

Price: 1,350

Skin Lore

Shen is known for different things among people. Despite his involvement in various undertakings, his main priority was always to assemble an army of indomitable warriors. Whenever he sees an individual with great potential, Shen puts them to the test. If they pass, the warrior would soon join his ranks.

Appearance and model

Pulsefire Shen is a part of the Pulsefire collection. The other items from the series include Pulsefire Twisted Fate, Pulsefire Lucian, Pulsefire Ezreal, Pulsefire Caitlyn, Pulsefire Thresh, Pulsefire Riven, Pulsefire Pantheon, Pulsefire Fiora, Pulsefire Ekko, Prestige Pulsefire Thresh, and Prestige Pulsefire Lucian.

For the first time, the champion has headgear that doesn’t cover his hair. This is one of the top cosmetics for the champion, among others, because it is so different from the rest. The chroma comes in chrono color, although I prefer the default appearance.

Pulsefire Shen looks like a cybernetic warrior. He has ninja tabi, which goes into metallic leggings. The Eye of Twilight wears black and blue pants with an intricate futuristic pattern. He also has a reinforced metallic element around his groin and hips. The champion’s mid-section is protected with sturdy armor that has an energy core in the center. The design reminds me a lot of Marvel’s Iron Man.

A sleek red cape runs from his neck all the way to his calves. The champion wears metallic handguards and shoulder plates. As mentioned, his head is, for the most part, visible, and you can see his samurai hairstyle. Shen’s mouth is covered with a metallic guard that runs all the way to the back of his head.

What separates this skin from others is the sword. The Eye of Twilight no longer has two blades. Instead, he has one square sword on his back. The weapon is metallic silver with a really interesting hilt. It has a large circle at the cross-section.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Twilight Assault creates an interesting spiritual blade. It looks like a light blue tube with a sword dipped in it. If the blade passes through an enemy, his attacks are buffed, and the blade on his back turns bright orange/red. Ki Barrier has a blue effect. Unlike the default visual, this one looks like a perfect sphere.

Spirit’s Refuge creates a large dark blue visual on the ground. It makes very intricate sci-fi patterns. During Shadow Dash, there will be a blue residual trail behind the champion. When channeling Stand United, the ground will turn blue below Shen’s an ally’s feet while also generating a blue protecting bubble around the target.

Animations

During Recall, the champion summons the spiritual blade and starts dancing around it. At the end of the animation, he falls through the ground and appears in the fountain. Shen also has a new basic attack which creates a light blue slashing visual across the enemy.

Pros

• Finally, some great visuals.
• Probably the best blade out of all Shen skins.

Cons

• There are a few minor elements that I don’t like. However, it’s nothing major.

Infernal Shen

Price: 1,350

Skin Lore

Shen’s ability to teleport across the battlefield allows him to protect his allies when they’re in a dire situation. This underworld entity can break the back of any resistance that crosses his path.

Appearance and model

Infernal Shen comes in ruby, peridot, pearl, Catseye, and rose quartz colors. It is a part of the Infernal series alongside Infernal Varus, Charred Maokai, Infernal Mordekaiser, Infernal Akali, Ashen Lord Aurelion Sol, Molten Rammus, Firefang Warwick, Infernal Nasus, Infernal Kennen, Foxfire Ahri, Scorched Earth Renekton, Infernal Alistar, Shadowfire Kindred, and many more.

Infernal Shen is very different from all other Shen cosmetics. His body is altered, and if you didn’t have the skin description, you probably wouldn’t guess who it is.

The champion has feet with two sharp fingers. It is hard to tell if these are real feel or boots. His legs are covered in particular wrappings, and he has dark blue pants. Shen’s legs are protected by several plates placed on his knees and hips. He has an ornamental dark red belt with golden edges.

Shen’s body is completely altered. He has fiery skin and barely any clothing covering his torso. The champion has brown hands, and it is really hard to tell if these are his real hands or gloves. The Eye of Twilight wears heavy pauldrons while a brown mask covers his face. Shen’s hair is bright orange, and he wears a fashionable bun.

Infernal Shen has two blades on his back. Both of them are curved, made from brown material with orange edges.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

When casting Twilight Assault, Shen throws a fiery orange blade at the target location. This gives him a new weapon effect turning his blade orange (the same color as the Twilight Assault spirit blade effect). During Spirit’s Refuge, you can notice a large circle around the blade.

Ki Barrier is also altered now, creating a perfect orange sphere around the champion. When you activate Spirit Dash, the Eye of Twilight turns into an orange entity taunting everything in his path. While you cast Stand United, the ground beneath Shen’s feet will turn into fire, and a flame link will bind the champion to his target.

Animations

The champion’s Recall spell is pretty awesome. First, Shen drives his blade into the ground, after which he performs a brief dance and is ported to the base. Each strike leaves an orange splash mark around the point of impact.

Pros

• The effects are pretty good.
• I like both of his weapons, as well as the new orange bun hairstyle.

Cons

• Reminds me of generic fire minions from various games.

PsyOps Shen

Price: 1,350

Skin Lore

Shen has a special bond with a ghost child that follows in the champion’s wake. This young spirit helps the PsyOps commander distinguish between alive and dead souls. Even after all this time, Shen doesn’t know where the boy comes from. This is information known only to High Command.

Appearance and model

This skin comes in sapphire, emerald, obsidian, hunter, ruby, tanzanite, sandstone, and turquoise. It is a part of larger PsyOps collection together with PsyOps Sona, PsyOps Ezreal, Prestige PsyOps Ezreal, PsyOps Vi, and PsyOps Master Yi.

This is one of the more polished skins for the champion. Shen wears an impregnable metallic armor made from various smaller parts. He wears reinforced boots and metallic leggings that transition into sturdy body armor. The Eye of Twilight wears an ammo pouch on his left side, has a belt, and military green pauldrons. Although he wears fingerless gloves, his arms are, for the most part, bear naked.

Shen protects his head with a metallic helmet. Like with most other cosmetics, you can’t see his mouth or eyes. Instead of the usual blades, he has just one long, wide sword on his back.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Like with any other skin, Shen will throw the current weapon to the ground during Twilight Assault. The spirit weapon has a rainbow prismatic color, the same color used for Ki Barrier. If the champion strikes the opponent with a return blade, the sword on his back will also gain the same rainbow color for the duration of the buff.

When Spirit Refuge activates, a blue bubble will appear in the area around the spirit blade. For a brief moment, you can also notice the spirit child hovering just above the sword. Shadow Dash leaves a similar color effect in Shen’s wake.

When teleporting to ally with Stand United, the ground beneath both of them will turn blue. You might also notice spirit butterflies around the target ally. While Shen is channeling the ability, it will look as if his spirit has disconnected from his body, creating a trail effect.

Animations

During the Recall spell, the spirit child appears close to the champion. After a brief delay, both of them are spirited away to base. Every base attack creates a purplish slash at the strike point.

Pros

• I like the addition of the spirit child to the effects.
• Overall, the cosmetic is well polished.

Cons

• Not many details on the skin.

Shockblade Shen

Price: 1,350

Skin Lore

Shen made a mistake that endangered the life of his partner Zed. This blunder made him evaluate priorities, which is why he had to step down from his role at the Shockblade Order. At this moment, he serves as a mentor to new shinobis. However, this new relationship is slowly starting to make an impact on Shen as we once again yearn to rejoin the ranks of Shockblade Order.

Appearance and model

Besides Zed and Shen, there are two other champions from the Shockblade collection: Kassadin and Qiyana. This particular chroma comes in turquoise, rose, emerald, ruby, amethyst, obsidian, aquamarine, and Catseye.

The model is quite impressive. Shen looks really bulky in his new outfit. He wears ninja tabi and leggings made from several different parts with bandages covering his calves. The Eye of Twilight wears a white/blue robe that covers most of his body. The details on his outfit are simply incredible and mash well with other elements of the skin.

Shen has a wide blue belt with a massive sapphire around his belly. He also has a peculiar rope around his chest. The champion wears a golden blue mask, and you can only see his bright blue eyes beneath it. He also has similar colored shoulder pauldrons and gloves.

The champion has a sword strapped on his back. It has a golden blue hilt with a silver interrupted edge.

Visual Effects (VFX) and Sound Effects (SFX)

Twilight Assault creates a spiritual version of his blade at the target spot. As long as the champion is nearby, there will be a lightning link between the blade and the character. If the spirit sword passes through an enemy, Shen’s blade turns yellow and provides empowered strikes.

Spirit’s Refuge creates a blue electricity dome around the spirit sword. You might also notice symbols on the ground as long as the field persists. Ki Barrier creates a blue power shield around the champion. When using Shadow Dash, a blue barrier will form in front of the champion, making Shen look like a blue comet.

Stand United electrifies the area around the Shen. Meanwhile, blue rings will form beneath the ally’s feet.

Animations

During the Recall animation, Shen pulls out his lightning-enchanted swords and starts performing a blade dance. As he does so, rain pours over his head. The auto-attack creates a blue lightning effect at the point of impact.

Pros

• Perhaps the most complete of all cosmetics.
• The lightning theme is pretty dope.

Cons

• No complaints.

FAQs

Shen Skins Guide: Conclusion

At this moment, players can choose one of 11 skins for the champion (including the base skin). You can go with something fun such as Surgeon Chen, or a gloomier cosmetic like Infernal Shen. If you’re looking for the best cosmetic for the champion, you should go with Shockblade Shen.