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The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is regarded as one of the most consistently written superheroes out there, and that reflects in his costume. The classic red suit debuted in Daredevil (1964) #7, and has remained iconic and memorable to this day. Heroes tend to change their look on a somewhat regular basis, usually with subtle redesigns, but Matt’s costume has stayed pretty much the same throughout his sixty-plus-year career. That’s not to say that he hasn’t expanded his wardrobe, of course. Today, we’re looking at each of Daredevil’s costumes and ranking them from worst to best. Without further ado, let’s dive into Daredevil’s dress.
9) Three-Piece Suit
I don’t know if this should even count as a costume, frankly. After Matt publicly revealed his identity to avoid blackmail, he donned a uniform that worked for him in and outside the courtroom. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is definitely stylish. Matt rocks the full red outfit, and the black accents are a phenomenal touch. However, this doesn’t feel like a Daredevil costume. Without the color and the buckle, this is just a regular business suit. I’d love to see it in real life, but in a comic, it doesn’t scratch that itch that only costumes can. Maybe a mask would help. Either way, this takes last place for barely being a Daredevil suit at all.
8) Armor
The ‘90s were an edgy time for everyone, and for superheroes, that meant everyone put on leather or armor. Daredevil, unfortunately, chose armor. This entire costume just screams over the top. We have the black base with the seemingly random splothces of red on the arms and the outline over his abs. Then there’s the metal bits, and, why oh why does he have spiked kneepads? This isn’t the ugliest costume in comics or anything like that, but it’s definitely up there, and it goes against Daredevil’s aesthetic. He’s always leaned into the ninja and acrobatic side of things, disappearing and flying through the air like a bird. Him doing that in what looks like thirty pounds of metal is just awkward.
7) Shadowland
Matt donned this much darker take on his costume when he joined the Hand and was possessed by the Beast. The horns were much more pronounced than ever, and the classic double D logo was skewed and messy, almost like it was written in blood. This costume makes Daredevil look like a villain, which mirrored his descent into madness with the Beast controlling him. This suit is definitely cool, and it embodies this era of Daredevil, but it only works because of the story told around it. Daredevil shouldn’t wear this costume on the regular because, even though he calls himself the Devil, he is a good guy. This costume is pure bad buy material, and isn’t even Matt’s best black suit.
6) Prototype
Matt wore this disguise before he developed his costume, before he even called himself Daredevil. The cloth covers his face so you can’t even see his eyes, and that adds a whole new layer to his intimidation. This costume originally appeared in Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, and a later incarnation appeared during Zdarsky’s legendary run on Daredevil (2019). This costume is cool in the comics, but a bit understated compared to his other looks. It really shone in the Daredevil Netflix series. I think it was Charlie Cox’s best look before his black costume in Born Again, but this list is about the comics, so let’s get back on track.
