How to Remove Helmets in Crimson Desert (And Can You Hide Them?)

Table of Contents

TL;DR

There is no hide helmet toggle in Crimson Desert at launch. No transmog system exists either.
You can remove your helmet quickly using the Armor Wheel in the Quick Menu — no need to open the full inventory.
Controller: Hold Left on the D-Pad → press R1/RB for the Armor tab → use the Right Stick to select the helmet → use L2/LT or R2/RT to cycle through or fully unequip.
PC: Press T (or F2) to open the Quick Menu, then navigate to the Armor tab and cycle to unequip.
Some helmets have a visor you can open or close — a partial visual workaround.
Certain disguise helmets (like the Jackals’ Leather Helm) can pass as normal head coverings and are less visually obtrusive.
Removing your helmet removes all its stats — including Abyss Gears and Defense levels — so re-equip it before fights.

Many players want to see Kliff’s face during cutscenes and town conversations. It’s a completely reasonable ask. But Crimson Desert launched without a helmet visibility toggle or any transmog system. This guide walks through every workaround that currently exists — not just the obvious “unequip it” method.

If you want to look at Kliff properly, there are more options than most guides mention.

Can You Hide Your Helmet in Crimson Desert?

No. There is currently no way to hide your helmet while keeping its stats. Crimson Desert does not have:

A hide helmet toggle in the settings menu.
A transmog or glamour system to overlay another item’s appearance.
A cosmetic override for individual armor pieces.

Whatever helmet you have equipped shows on your character at all times — including during cutscenes and dialogue sequences. Pearl Abyss has not announced any plans to add a hide helmet feature, but it’s worth noting that their other title, Black Desert Online, eventually received extensive appearance and costume systems over years of updates. That’s not a guarantee, but it’s not impossible either.

For now, the best you can do is use the fast-swap method to remove it, or pick a helmet that looks acceptable to you. Both options are covered below.

How to Remove Your Helmet in Crimson Desert

You don’t need to open the full inventory to remove your helmet. The Quick Menu Armor Wheel handles it fast — which is the whole point of the system.

Controller Steps

Hold Left on the D-Pad to open the Quick Menu.
Press R1 (PlayStation) / RB (Xbox) to switch to the Armor Wheel tab.
Use the Right Stick to move to the Helmet slot (top right of the wheel).
Use L2/LT and R2/RT to cycle through your available helmets, or keep cycling until the slot is empty to fully remove the helmet.

PC Steps

Press T (or F2) to open the Quick Menu.
Navigate to the Armor tab.
Move your cursor to the helmet slot.
Scroll or cycle through helmet options until the slot reads as unequipped.

Once your helmet is removed, Kliff’s face will be visible in all dialogue and exploration sequences.

Important: You Lose the Stats When You Remove It

Removing your helmet is not the same as hiding it. When you unequip:

You lose all Defense (DEF) provided by that helmet.
You lose any Abyss Gears slotted into it.
You lose any elemental resistance or movement speed bonuses it provided.

This matters in combat. The practical approach is to remove your helmet when exploring towns, talking to NPCs, or watching cutscenes — then re-equip it the moment you enter a fight. The Armor Wheel is fast enough to do this mid-session without slowing things down.

For reference on what stats to look for when comparing helmets, see our accessories guide and our guide on how to get better equipment.

How to Open a Helmet Visor in Crimson Desert

Some helmets in Crimson Desert have a working visor that you can open and close independently. This is a partial visual workaround — you keep the helmet on and its stats active, but the face plate opens up so you can see Kliff.

The Bolton Plate Helm is one confirmed example. Here’s how to toggle the visor:

Controller

Hold Left on the D-Pad to open the Quick Menu.
Press R1/RB to go to the Armor tab.
Hover over your helmet slot.
Press down on the Right Stick (R3) to toggle the visor open or closed.

PC

Press T to open the Quick Menu.
Navigate to the Armor tab and hover over the helmet slot.
Click the mouse scroll wheel to toggle the visor.

Note: When the visor is closed, Kliff’s voice becomes muffled during dialogue — a small immersion detail from Pearl Abyss. Opening the visor restores his normal voice and makes his face partially visible.

Not all helmets have this option. If the visor toggle doesn’t appear, your current helmet doesn’t support it.

Hooded Cloak Workaround

Some players have found that wearing a hooded cloak over certain helmets can visually conceal the headgear — particularly helmets without a full face covering. The hood of the cloak pulls up and sits over the helmet, making it look less prominent on screen.

Results vary depending on your exact helmet. Full plate helms with face guards typically won’t be affected. Smaller cloth or leather caps are more likely to be obscured. It’s worth testing if you have a cloak in your inventory.

Disguise Helmets — A Lore-Friendly Option

A few helmets in Crimson Desert are specifically designed to look like ordinary headgear while also granting faction disguise effects. These tend to be less visually jarring than heavy plate helms and can serve as a fashion-friendly alternative if you’re not happy with your current look:

Jackals’ Leather Helm — Grants the Jackal Disguise, letting you pass as a member of the Jackals faction. Provides 3 DEF and Movement Speed Lv.1. A solid helmet for both combat and infiltration.
St. Halssius’s Priest’s Hat — Grants the St. Halssius Disguise for blending in with clergy. Also 3 DEF with Movement Speed Lv.1. Classified as a Special item rather than standard Cloth.

Neither of these is a high-end endgame piece, but if you’re early in the game and hate how your current helmet looks, they’re worth tracking down. Keep them in your inventory even after you outgrow them — the disguise effects are useful for sneaking into restricted areas. Our guide on how to steal items in Crimson Desert covers situations where that disguise access comes in handy.

Face Accessories Are Different — You Can Hide Those

There’s one piece of good news here. While helmets can’t be hidden, face accessories can. This setting is found in the character menu rather than the Quick Menu. Look for the visibility toggle for face accessories in the settings panel for each character. This at least lets you clean up Kliff’s face without removing headgear entirely.

Can You Dye Your Helmet Instead?

If the issue isn’t the shape of the helmet but its color, there’s a partial solution: dyeing. You can change the color of helmets (and all armor) at a Dye House. This won’t change the model, but it can make your gear feel more cohesive as an outfit. Our guide on how to dye armor, weapons, and horse gear covers the full process.

What About Transmog?

Transmog — the ability to apply one item’s appearance over another’s stats — does not exist in Crimson Desert right now. There is no glamour system, no costume overlay, and no cosmetic wardrobe. You equip it, it shows. That’s currently the only option.

If Pearl Abyss follows a similar path to Black Desert Online, it’s possible they add cosmetic systems over time. But as of launch, nothing has been announced. Check the official Crimson Desert site for any future updates on this.

Changing Your Character’s Overall Appearance

If your frustration with the helmet is part of a bigger desire to tweak how Kliff looks, there are a few more options:

Change appearance — You can adjust some elements of Kliff’s look at the barber. See our guide on how to change appearance in Crimson Desert.
Armor upgrades — Higher-tier armor often has better visual designs. Our guide on how to upgrade weapons and armor helps you get there faster.
Lock on to your enemies, not your fashion woes — Once you’re in combat, lock on matters more than looks. See our lock-on guide if you haven’t set that up yet.

How to Remove Helmets in Crimson Desert (And Can You Hide Them?)

TL;DR

Can You Hide Your Helmet in Crimson Desert?