Back blings are purely cosmetic in Fortnite. Unlike pickaxes or gliders, which help you mine resources and navigate your way in the air respectively, these backpacks don’t really serve a gameplay purpose. In fact, you can even remove the back bling from your character during a match and not have to face any adverse consequences by doing that.
Regardless, back blings are still very much in fashion and keep getting new versions in the Item Shop. These options range from IP-themed back blings to Fortnite’s original designs. The following list contains some of the rarest back blings released in the game so far.
Rarest Fortnite back blings ever
1. Response Unit
This tactical-looking back bling first made its way into the multiplayer game in November 2018. It was originally unlocked by redeeming the GeForce Fortnite Bundle 1 available with qualifying Nvidia GPU purchases.
Later, in 2019, it was briefly up for grabs in the Item Shop as a bundled item with the Reflex skin, priced at 1,200 V-Bucks. The fact that it was only obtainable either through a significant hardware purchase or through the Item Shop for a very short period make Response Unit among the rarest backpacks in the game’s history.
2. Penguin
Penguin ranks among the most hard-to-come-by back blings because it was region-locked. It was only available to players of Fortnite China, the discontinued variant of the original game. This in-game item is very rare also because the ones who managed to claim it did so by following an extensive action plan.
They first registered for a QQ account, then played the game for 24 hours via WeGame, and finally referred it to another player and had them play the game for 10 hours. Interestingly, the back bling is modeled around QQ’s similar-looking mascot.
3. Insignia
Insignia was another back bling that was exclusive to Fortnite China players. Since it was part of the same promotion as Penguin, players needed to follow the exact same steps to unlock this cosmetic. Noticeably, this back bling features a central design that looks a lot like WeGame’s logo.
4. Telemetry
In October 2018, Nintendo launched a special Fortnite edition of the Switch, priced at $299.99, which came with the Double Helix Bundle. Among the various other in-game items, this bundle also packed an Epic-rarity back bling called Telemetry. Due to the limited nature of that particular Switch edition, today this item is highly uncommon in Epic’s competitive shooter title.
5. Galactic Disc
Galactic Disc is yet another back bling born from Fortnite’s collaboration with a tech giant, which in this instance was Samsung. This Epic-tier cosmetic was redeemable, as part of the Galaxy Bundle, by those who purchased an eligible Samsung device during a limited-time promotional period, which started on November 2018. It’s currently owned by only a fraction of the Fortnite player-base that availed the offer while it was still active.
6. Backup Plan
This Legendary back bling, which came out in February 2018 (Chapter 1 Season 3), sports an eye-catching red projectile with a shark-like design. It was included in the Twitch Prime Pack 1 for Fortnite players who were also Twitch Prime subscribers. Being the product of a limited-time offer, it naturally finds a place among the rarest back blings.
7. Black Shield
It is a dragon-emblazoned shield that was rolled out in December 2017. This Legendary-tier item was a reward for those who progressed to Tier 70 in the Season 2 Battle Pass. Alternatively, it could also be bought from the Item Shop, as part of the Fort Knights set priced at 3,900 V-Bucks. Given this back bling was introduced at a time when Fortnite’s player-base was a fraction of what it is today, it is easily among the rarest in the game.
8. Royale Shield
This is another shield-based back bling featuring an animal emblem—although this time a four-legged wolf-like creature and not a mythical beast. It first landed in the game during Chapter 1 Season 2, in December 2017, and was a reward for reaching Tier 21 of the Battle Pass. Similar to the Black Shield, the Royale Shield could also be obtained from the Fort Knights Set in the Item Shop.
9. Blue Shift
Blue Shift has a sleek design and is among the back blings added to Fortnite in its first year. This Epic-rarity item was redeemable by players who had an active PlayStation Plus subscription during a certain period, starting from June 2018 (Chapter 1 Season 4), and was part of the PlayStation Plus Celebration Pack 2.
10. Rust Bucket
Another Epic-tier cosmetic, Rust Bucket was launched as a week-long freebie in Fortnite in April 2018 (Chapter 1 Season 3). Later, it was available as part of the Storm Scavenger Set, priced at 3,900 V-Bucks.
Although Rust Bucket was introduced once again as a reward for scoring 8 points in the Nvidia GeForce RTX Cup, which took place in December 2025, it is still considered a rare back bling. That’s because, while getting the required number of points for the reward was not really challenging, the tournament being open to only Gold rank players ensured only a section of players were able to unlock this back bling.
Signing off
The Fortnite backpacks mentioned above might be the rarest, but the most popular ones might be those that emerged from Epic’s countless partnerships with owners of popular franchises. Thanks to these collaborations, a wide range of themed cosmetics, including everything from special pickaxes to special gliders, have surfaced in the live-service game.
With such a consistent cascade of new content, there is little doubt that newly-designed back blings will continue arriving in Fortnite as they have done so far. In other words, new back blings that may not even be out yet would possibly, over time, find a place among the rarest-ever in the game.
