Juggernaut XL Ragnarok: Local Uncensored Photoreal Checkpoint
Juggernaut XL has 350k+ downloads and 7,700+ five-star reviews on Civitai for a reason: it nails photoreal skin and lighting on SDXL better than most competitors. But "best" depends on what you're actually generating - and there are four other checkpoints worth testing before you commit to one workflow.
This page ranks the top 5 SDXL photorealistic checkpoints available on Civitai right now. Every model here runs locally on your GPU with no cloud filter between you and the output. That's what "uncensored" means in practice: local inference, your prompts, no remote classifier. You still own the legal and ethical weight of what you produce.
I've tested all five at 1024×1024 and 832×1216 on 8 GB and 12 GB cards. Below you'll find real VRAM numbers, the exact sampler/CFG combos that work, and honest calls on where each model falls flat.
Ranking methodology
Ranking reflects observable product characteristics (platform support, local vs cloud posture, licensing, and community adoption) rather than paid placement. LocalForge maintains this list without affiliate ranking pressure. Named models are third-party files on CivitAI or other creator pages; we do not host, proxy, or redistribute weights or sample images.
Third-party models stay on the creator's page (usually CivitAI). We do not host, proxy, or redistribute model weights or sample images.
The Models
1. Juggernaut XL (Ragnarok)
Top PickThe best single SDXL photoreal checkpoint. Covers more ground than any competitor without needing a refiner or external VAE.
Architecture: SDXL · VRAM: 8 GB+ · Best for: All-around photoreal + digital art
Try nowUnmatched face detail and skin rendering. The go-to if your work is exclusively photographic, but limited outside that lane.
Architecture: SDXL · VRAM: 7.8 GB · Best for: Pure portrait photorealism
Try nowPurpose-trained against bad anatomy. Best hands in SDXL, period. Slightly less photorealistic skin than the top two.
Architecture: SDXL · VRAM: 8 GB+ · Best for: Anatomy accuracy - hands & poses
Try nowPhoto, art, anime in one checkpoint. 589k downloads for a reason. But dedicated photoreal models beat it for pure realism.
Architecture: SDXL · VRAM: 7.8 GB · Best for: Multi-style versatility
Try nowMovie-still aesthetic baked in. Great for moody lighting and atmosphere, less suited to clean commercial photography.
Architecture: SDXL · VRAM: 8 GB+ · Best for: Cinematic film-still realism
Try nowThe Quick Answer
Key Takeaway - May 2026
Juggernaut XL Ragnarok (Juggernaut XIII) is the version to run for local, uncensored SDXL photoreal. It handles skin, hands, and complex poses better than any previous Juggernaut version.
It needs about 8 GB VRAM at 1024×1024 FP16, the VAE is baked in, and it runs in Forge, ComfyUI, or LocalForge AI without modification.
Which Juggernaut XL Version to Download
For new work, download Juggernaut XL Ragnarok, also listed as Juggernaut XIII. Older versions are superseded, so there is no reason to start a new project on them.
- V9: superseded. Ragnarok improved skin texture, lighting, and hand rendering over it.
- X: superseded, with the same improvements in Ragnarok.
- XI: superseded. V7 through XI are all behind Ragnarok.
Download Juggernaut XL Ragnarok
The file is on Civitai, model 133005. It is a single SDXL .safetensors checkpoint. Drop it into Forge's models/Stable-diffusion/ folder, or load it with ComfyUI's Load Checkpoint node. The VAE is baked in, so add none.
Named models are third-party files on Civitai; we do not host, proxy, or redistribute weights or sample images.
Juggernaut XL Ragnarok Settings
Architecture: SDXL 1.0 · VRAM (1024×1024): ~8 GB FP16 · Best for: all-around photorealism + digital art
The verdict: Skin texture, lighting, and hand rendering all improved over V9/X/XI. It handles both photoreal and stylized digital painting without needing separate checkpoints.
Settings:
- Sampler: DPM++ 2M SDE
- Steps: 30–40
- CFG: 3–6 (lower = more natural, higher = more contrast)
- Resolution: 832×1216 (portrait) or 1024×1024 (square)
- VAE: Baked in - don't add an external one
- File size: 6.62 GB (fp16 safetensors)
What it does well: General photorealism, complex multi-subject scenes, digital painting hybrid styles, natural skin under varied lighting.
Where it falls short: Text rendering is weak (SDXL limitation). Faces at distance lose detail. The creator recommends using it as part of a pipeline (Flux → Juggernaut Ragnarok) for best results, which adds complexity.
How to Run Any of These Locally
Juggernaut XL Ragnarok is a standard SDXL safetensors file. Drop it into your checkpoint folder and go:
- Forge:
models/Stable-diffusion/→ refresh model list → select → generate at 1024×1024 - ComfyUI: Standard SDXL workflow → Load Checkpoint node → select the Ragnarok file
- LocalForge AI: One-click setup with pre-configured SDXL settings - the packaged route if you'd rather generate than troubleshoot CUDA
"I don't want to configure anything" → LocalForge AI packages these models with preset defaults. Skip the dependency management.
Common mistakes that produce garbage:
- Loading an SDXL model in an SD1.5 workflow (wrong architecture = noise)
- Adding external VAE when the checkpoint already has one baked in (double VAE = color chaos)
- Using extreme aspect ratios on first pass (train with standard SDXL ratios, crop later)
Other Checkpoints
- RealVisXL V5.0: pure portrait detail.
- LEOSAM's HelloWorld XL 7.0: hands and anatomy.
- DreamShaper XL: multi-style versatility.
- Realism from HaDeS XL v12: cinematic looks.
For settings and verdicts on these, see the ranked realistic NSFW SDXL checkpoints.
Bottom Line
Juggernaut XL Ragnarok handles the widest range of photoreal scenarios on a single 8 GB card without needing a refiner, external VAE, or multi-model pipeline.
Download it from Civitai model 133005, use DPM++ 2M SDE at CFG 4 with 35 steps, and you'll have publishable output.