Fortnite and crossover content are like peanut butter and jelly: a combination that’s just meant to be. This year, the battle royale game merged with the worlds of anime, comics, other video games, and more — and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. The Matrix and Boba Fett skins are still coming before the end of the year, and The Rock himself will join the fray in 2022. Here are the best skins released this year.
Aloy
Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy has become one of the most recognizable PlayStation faces, so it makes sense that Fortnite players on PlayStation 5 got her for free. Still, anyone could play as Aloy, complete with accessories that mirrored the gear she built out of dinosaur machine parts in her own games. We’ll see more of her soon when Horizon Forbidden West launches early next year.
Chris & Jill
Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine are the original Resident Evil heroes, so getting their due in Fortnite just makes sense. The duo was made available in the lead-up to Halloween, which was a perfect pairing for the, well, pair. Their default costumes are the STARS uniforms the two wore during the events of the first Resident Evil, but alternate costumes come from later games in the series. Chris’ Hound Wolf Squad Style is taken from Village, while Jill’s Raccoon City Style reflects her look in Resident Evil 3.
Diamond Hanz Stonks
Just because it’s a meme doesn’t mean it’s a bad skin. Diamond Hanz Stonks is the face of the GameStop stock war that epitomized much of 2021, and Fortnite is always on the pulse of pop culture. Diamond Hanz is considered a rare skin, so just like real-life stocks, you had to snag him at the right moment. Those who rock his blank face and torn jacket can forever remember the meme stocks of the past year.
Jinx
Jinx may have originated in the League of Legends MOBA, but this skin was released in celebration of Arcane, the Netflix show based on the game. The show went on to be both a critical success and a fan favorite, while Jinx dropped into Fortnite with a whole bunch of League-inspired gear. A pickaxe, back bling, special screens, and more made Jinx’s arrival feel like less of a single character spotlight and more like a complete LoL crossover.
Lara Croft
Aloy and Jinx — two well-known leading ladies in gaming — were beaten to the punch by Lara Croft. The tomb raider herself joined the Fortnite fracas all the way back in March. Her trademark tank top and shorts were instantly recognizable and a special low-poly PlayStation 2 style made her look just like she did in her early 2000s heyday. Arming her with Fortnite’s dual pistols is the icing on the costume cake.
Lebron James
King James is the only real-life person to appear on this best-of list, and for good reason: he’s arguably the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. His golden Wingspan Glider was gorgeous, and a new emote let players celebrate just like he does on the court. Between this slam dunk in Fortnite and Space Jam: A New Legacy, the G.O.A.T. has had quite a year.
Naruto
Fortnite added a Naruto run-like emote long before this crossover happened, which sparked endless rumors about the squad joining the game for real. After a streak of leaks and datamines, Naruto characters finally came to Fortnite in November 2021. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi all joined the roster, bringing ninja-themed challenges with them. Putting one of the most popular anime/manga series in the world into a globally popular battle royale just feels right.
The Predator
Fortnite has seen its share of villains over the years, and the Predator is one of the best — of 2021 or any other year. The interstellar hunter is a classic killer in the movie world, and it invaded the game at the start of 2021. Unlocking the skin and all of its accessories involved a series of challenges, which included an intense battle against the Predator itself. Arnold would be proud.
Rick Sanchez
There’s a lot of overlap when it comes to gaming and Adult Swim, so it was only a matter of time before Rick & Morty content made its way into Fortnite. If Rick Sanchez can handle inter-dimensional threats on the regular, then he can face a few contenders in a battle royale match. The skin also came alongside Rick’s trademark dance, letting you get schwifty anywhere on the island.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home is possibly the biggest movie of the year, and new Spidey costumes came to Fortnite just hours after dataminers found them in the game’s code. The skins came in two styles, sporting red-on-black and full black threads, and the accompanying emote let players put on and take off the mask. Tom Holland may play the main hero, but Zendaya wasn’t left out — her version of MJ also got a costume when Spidey swung into battle.
