Araxys Shorty
Exclusive tier · 4 levels · 4 variants
Upgrades add custom sound effects on equip, fire and reload; custom equip and reload animations; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Best Shorty skins
All 38 Shorty skins, ranked by content tier, upgrade levels and variants — what you receive, rather than what we happen to like.
How this ranking works
Content tier first, then number of upgrade levels, then colour variants. That measures what a skin actually gives you — animations, finishers, audio, recolours.
It deliberately does not measure how good a skin looks, because that is not rankable. A Select skin can be far better designed than an Ultra one; it just carries less behind it.
Top 10 by content
Prelude to Chaos Shorty
Exclusive tier · 4 levels · 4 variants
Upgrades add visual effects on the weapon itself; custom equip and reload animations; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Neo Frontier Shorty
Exclusive tier · 4 levels · 4 variants
Upgrades add custom equip and reload animations; a transformation effect on the weapon; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Primordium Shorty
Exclusive tier · 4 levels · 4 variants
Upgrades add custom sound effects on equip, fire and reload; visual effects on the weapon itself; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Sentinels of Light Shorty
Exclusive tier · 4 levels · 4 variants
Upgrades add custom sound effects on equip, fire and reload; custom equip and reload animations; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Gaia's Vengeance Shorty
Premium tier · 4 levels · 4 variants · 1,775 VP standard
Upgrades add custom sound effects on equip, fire and reload; visual effects on the weapon itself; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Oni Shorty
Premium tier · 4 levels · 4 variants · 1,775 VP standard
Upgrades add visual effects on the weapon itself; a finisher — the animation that plays when you win the round with the last kill.
Neptune Shorty
Premium tier · 3 levels · 2 variants · 1,775 VP standard
Upgrades add a custom fish animation; a custom kill banner in the killfeed.
Doodle Buds Shorty
Premium tier · 2 levels · 3 variants · 1,775 VP standard
Upgrades add a visual effect on each kill.
Velocity Shorty
Deluxe tier · 1 levels · 4 variants · 1,275 VP standard
Every Shorty skin
Araxys Shorty
Exclusive
Prelude to Chaos Shorty
Exclusive
Neo Frontier Shorty
Exclusive
Primordium Shorty
Exclusive
Sentinels of Light Shorty
Exclusive
Gaia's Vengeance Shorty
Premium
Oni Shorty
Premium
Neptune Shorty
Premium
Doodle Buds Shorty
Premium
Velocity Shorty
Deluxe
Transition Shorty
Deluxe
Tilde Shorty
Deluxe
Chromedek Shorty
Deluxe
Hivemind Shorty
Deluxe
Ruin Shorty
Deluxe
Jellybeam Shorty
Deluxe
Guardrail Shorty
Deluxe
Genesis Shorty
Deluxe
Tigris Shorty
Deluxe
Wasteland Shorty
Deluxe
Perch Shorty
Select
Hard Bargain Shorty
Select
Sidekick Shorty
Select
Karabasan Shorty
Select
Rune Stone Shorty
Select
Doom Wing Shorty
Select
Dragon Gate Shorty
Select
Monarch Shorty
Select
Intertwine Shorty
Select
Prism II Shorty
Select
Aquatica Shorty
Select
Wunderkind Shorty
Select
Snakebite Shorty
Select
Hue Shift Shorty
Select
Aerosol Shorty
Select
Heartseeker Shorty
Select
Cloudweaver Shorty
Select
Wayfinder Shorty
Select
Common questions
What is the best Shorty skin in VALORANT?
By what you actually receive, Araxys Shorty — it is Exclusive tier with 4 upgrade levels and 4 variants. Whether it is the best-looking is a different question, and one nobody can answer for you.
How many Shorty skins are there?
38, across every content tier. Tier decides the price band and the ceiling on effects rather than the quality of the art.
Do expensive Shorty skins perform better?
No. Every skin in VALORANT is purely cosmetic — no skin changes damage, spray pattern, or anything else that affects a fight. Higher tiers buy effects, audio and animations, not an advantage.