Nioh 3 Transmog Guide: How to Change Equipment Appearance

What to know

• You must unlock the Eternal Rift after defeating Jakotsu-baba in the first Crucible.
• Equipment appearance is changed at a mirror located upstairs in the Rift hub.
• The system allows full visual transmog without altering stats or perks.
• You can only use appearances from gear you’ve previously obtained.

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In Nioh 3, build optimization often forces you to wear armor or weapons that don’t match your preferred look. Fortunately, the appearance system solves this problem completely. You can equip the strongest gear available while making it visually resemble any unlocked piece of the same category.

This system functions as a full cosmetic transmog feature, ensuring your combat effectiveness remains untouched.

Unlocking the appearance system in Nioh 3

You cannot access appearance customization immediately. First, you must defeat Jakotsu-baba in the first Crucible. Completing this milestone unlocks access to the Eternal Rift, which becomes your main hub for advanced features.

The Eternal Rift serves as a central base that contains several important functions, including clan management, Glory trading, and appearance modification.

Without unlocking this hub, the equipment appearance option will not be available.

Location to change the equipment appearance

Inside the Eternal Rift, you must locate the northern building within the hub area. Enter the structure and go upstairs. There, you will find an interactive mirror.

This mirror controls both character appearance and equipment appearance.

Hub Location	Function
Northern Building	Appearance customization
Upstairs Mirror	Character & equipment changes
Eternal Rift Hub	Central unlock area

Interacting with this mirror opens a menu that includes the Equipment Appearance option.

How equipment transmog works

When you select Equipment Appearance, the game allows you to choose any currently equipped piece of gear and assign it the visual model of another item you have previously collected.

For example, you can equip a high-stat helmet but make it visually resemble a lower-tier helmet you prefer. The same applies to weapons. A powerful switchglaive can be made to look like any other switchglaive you have unlocked.

The key rule is that the visual replacement must belong to the same equipment category. A sword can only look like another sword. A helmet can only look like another helmet.

Equipment Type	Can Transform Into
Helmet	Any unlocked helmet
Chest Armor	Any unlocked chest armor
Switchglaive	Any unlocked switchglaive
Katana	Any unlocked katana
Ranged Weapon	Same weapon class only

The transformation is purely visual.

Step-by-step: Changing equipment appearance in Nioh 3

Step 1

Fast travel to the Eternal Rift after unlocking it through story progression. Enter the northern building in the hub.

Step 2

Go upstairs and interact with the mirror. Select Equipment Appearance from the menu.

Step 3

Choose the equipped gear piece you want to alter. Select a visual style from your unlocked library. Confirm the change.

Your gear will instantly update visually while keeping all original stats, upgrades, and perks.

What does and does not change in equipment appearance

It is important to understand exactly what this system affects.

Attribute	Changes?
Attack Power	No
Defense Value	No
Set Bonuses	No
Perks & Affixes	No
Upgrade Level	No
Visual Model	Yes
Cosmetic Identity	Yes

This means you never sacrifice performance for style.

Expanding your appearance library

The appearance options available to you depend entirely on what gear you have previously collected. If you want more customization choices, you must:

• Loot new armor sets
• Collect different weapon variants
• Avoid immediately dismantling unique visuals before unlocking them

Once you obtain a piece of gear, its visual model becomes available for future transmog use.

The more you farm and experiment with equipment, the larger your cosmetic library becomes.

Character appearance vs equipment appearance

The mirror allows two distinct types of changes:

Feature	Description
Character Appearance	Face, body, hair customization
Equipment Appearance	Transmog system for gear

Both are accessed from the same mirror, but they function independently.

Equipment appearance affects armor and weapons only, while character appearance modifies your base avatar features.

Visibility in multiplayer

Transmog changes are visible to other players in co-op sessions. Your customized appearance carries into online play, allowing you to maintain a consistent aesthetic regardless of stat swaps.

This is particularly valuable for players who frequently adjust builds but want a stable visual identity.

Why does equipment appearance matter at all?

As you progress deeper into Nioh 3, gear optimization becomes increasingly important. Higher-level armor sets may not visually match your preferred aesthetic. Without the appearance system, you would be forced to choose between style and performance.

The equipment appearance feature eliminates that compromise entirely. You can build purely for:

• Maximum damage
• Defensive scaling
• Ki management
• Elemental specialization

While still looking exactly how you want.

Changing equipment appearance in Nioh 3 made simple

To change equipment appearance in Nioh 3, defeat Jakotsu-baba, unlock the Eternal Rift, visit the upstairs mirror in the northern building, and select Equipment Appearance. From there, you can assign any unlocked visual style to your currently equipped gear.

The transformation is completely cosmetic and does not alter stats, perks, or upgrades. As long as you collect diverse gear pieces, your visual customization options will continue expanding.

Once unlocked, this system allows you to optimize builds without ever sacrificing your preferred look.