"Tsesarevich" used the latest Krupp armor in a version of the French cellular armor scheme. This consisted of a full-length waterline armoured belt with armored decks above and below. Behind the belt were well-subdivided compartments mostly used to store coal. This was intended to keep the ship afloat regardless of the damage inflicted above the upper armoured deck. The waterline armor belt was high, with below the waterline at normal load. It had a maximum thickness of for a length of amidships which gradually reduced to a thickness of at the bow and at the stern. The belt tapered to a thickness of 170 millimetres at its bottom edge amidships and presumably tapered proportionally along its length. Above the waterline belt was an upper strake of armour that was high and had a maximum thickness of . It was slightly shorter than the waterline belt and similarly reduced in thickness towards the ends of the ship. Forward it consisted of armour plates and aft.