Elden Ring is widely considered one of the best games of the year. It features a beautiful and dense open world with excellent combat and robust RPG elements. Like many action RPGs, Elden Ring features several different classes players can choose from in order to make their experience different on every playthrough.
But just how many classes are in Elden Ring? What are each class’s starting attributes? Which sets of weapons and armor do they get when you first spawn into the game? How many different playstyles can you choose from? To help you decide which class is best suited for you, we’ll be answering these questions and more in our in-depth guide to all Elden Ring classes.
Elden Ring Classes Explained
Let’s hop right into this article for every class in Elden Ring.
1. Hero: Strength-Based Melee
For our first class on this list, let’s go over the axe-wielding Hero! This is the closest class you’ll get to a traditional barbarian. According to their backstory, they are the descendants of a chieftain from the badlands.
What are their stats?
All members of the Hero class start the game at Level 7, with high Strength and Vigor, allowing you to have more health and do more damage with certain melee weapons. Their Intelligence and Faith are notably low, meaning you won’t want to pick this class if you’re going for a magic-based build. They also have decent Endurance, which is good if you like to use your shield and block a lot in combat.
What do they start off with?
The Hero begins the game with the Champion armor set, as shown in the image above. It’s a rugged-looking set of gear clearly inspired by typical barbarians in the fantasy genre. They also start out with a battle axe, allowing you to deal high amounts of damage to enemies early on in the game. You’ll also be given a large leather shield, giving you some defensive capabilities in battle.
What is their playstyle like?
Hero is a great class to choose for any melee builds. The axe and shield encourage you to get up close and personal, and the high Strength and Vigor encourage an aggressive, melee-based playstyle. You should only use them for Strength-based weapons, however, as their Dexterity is lower than any other class in the game.
2. Bandit: Stealth & Ranged Combat
Up next, we have the Bandit class. Bandits can be used stealthily, but are still perfectly viable in any type of combat. This is a class I don’t see very many people playing, which is a shame. It’s a good class for archery, as well as looting enemies and getting gear more efficiently.
What are their stats?
The Bandit class starts off the game at Level 5, with high Dexterity and Arcane attributes. Dexterity allows them to use faster melee weapons more efficiently, such as daggers. The Arcane stat increases their “Discovery” meter, which is what determines your chances of getting an item from an enemy after defeating them.
Their Strength, Intelligence, and Faith are low, so I wouldn’t recommend them if you love using magic or a good old-fashioned long sword.
What do they start off with?
Bandits begin the game with a matching set of bandit gear. This “armor” is very lightweight, which allows you to roll around and dodge attacks much easier. It comes at the cost of protecting you less, so getting hit is much more punishing. As long as you know when and where to dodge, this shouldn’t be a big issue.
Additionally, Bandits come with a dagger, which is perfect for landing critical hits on enemies and giving them blood loss. If you prefer ranged combat, you’ll be happy to hear this class also starts out with a bow and arrow for picking off targets at a distance.
What is their playstyle like?
If you love sneaking behind enemies and popping off critical hits, the Bandit class is perfect for you! Their bow allows for ranged combat, making fights less dangerous. This class doesn’t do as well in boss fights, however, as its lower health and less protective armor can make mistakes very punishing.
3. Astrologer: Best Magic Class
Now for our first magic-based class on this list, let’s take a gander at the Astrologer class! This is one of several classes that allow you to use magic early on in the game. Astrologers can be built into great sorcerers, or even magic knights that use a combination of magic and melee weapons to defeat foes.
What are their stats?
The Astrologer class begins the game at Level 6, and has very high Intelligence and Mind attributes (16 and 15, respectively). Their Dexterity is also pretty decent as well, coming in at 12 points. This makes them good for casting spells and using Dexterity-based weapons, the latter of which can be very handy if you aren’t able to get all the spells you want in the early game.
What do they start off with?
The Astrologer comes with the best-looking starter gear out of any other class, in my opinion. They sport a beautiful set of white and red mage robes which provide extra damage reductions against magic attacks. It also provides good focus resistance as well.
As for their weapons, Astrologers are given an Astrologer’s staff, a shortsword, a Scripture wooden shield, as well as two starting spells. One spell allows you to send out a small wave of magical energy which can hit several different foes at once, making it great for crowd control. The second spell is a basic magic attack that can only do damage to one enemy but costs fewer focus points to use.
What is their playstyle like?
Astrologer playstyle is focused entirely on magic but allows players to use physical damage as a secondary weapon. If you love learning and casting all kinds of spells, this class is perfect for you. The classes’ increased focus points let you use summons more often, which is very useful considering this class has lower starting health.
4. Warrior: Dexterity-Based Melee
Now for another melee class, we have the Warrior, a more dexterous alternative to the Hero class. Warriors are great for bleed builds and dual-wielding weapons. According to the classes description, the Warrior originated from a wandering nomadic tribe.
What are their stats?
Warriors begin the game at Level 8 and start out with a very high Dexterity level of 16. They even feature a Mind stat of 12, which is good if you plan to use magic or summons a lot early game. The rest of their stats are just okay, with most of their utility being placed into wielding their dual blades more effectively.
What do they start off with?
The Warrior begins the game wearing a blue cloth set, as you can see in the image above. This set of armor provides a decent amount of protection without weighing down the user too much.
Out of the ten classes in Elden Ring, Warriors are the only class that starts out with two matching weapons, allowing them to dual-wield right from the get-go. They also spawn with a Riveted Wooden Sword, which I recommend you use a lot early game to block attacks until you learn how to play more aggressively and how to time your dodges.
What is their playstyle like?
Warriors are best played aggressively, as their dual blades allow them to quickly strike at opponents before backing away or dodging any following counterattacks. Dexterity based-classes are best used for fast melee weapons, so if you love melee combat but don’t like slow-moving swords, this is a good class for you.
5. Prisoner: Magic/Melee Hybrid
Halfway down our list, let’s take a look at one of the more popular classes I’ve seen — the Prisoner! Prisoners are surprisingly good for magic-based builds, and I’ve seen many players use this class to create spell blades, magic archers, and similar builds that hybridize magic and some other weapon.
What are their stats?
If you choose this class, you’ll start off the game at Level 9. Prisoners are a somewhat more balanced class, but they still specialize in two different attributes: Intelligence and Dexterity. They have a Mind stat of 12, which allows you to have more focus points at the start of your journey in the Lands Between.
What do they start off with?
The armor Prisoners wear is a strange-looking iron mask and a pair of rugged, torn clothing. As you can imagine, this outfit offers little in the way of protection, but it’s lightweight and lets you hold heavier weapons at once and roll around much quicker! Because of this poor armor, I’m not sure I can recommend it to newer players.
This class begins the game with the Magic Glintblade spell, which allows users to quickly project a ranged magic attack at enemies. It can even be charged up to do more damage! Prisoner’s also have access to the Estoc thrusting sword, as well as a magic staff as their primary weapons. To top things off, you’ll also be given the Rift Shield to block against enemy attacks. It’s a pretty well-rounded kit.
What is their playstyle like?
Unless you are a pro, during the opening hours of your playthrough, you’ll find yourself dying often with the Prisoner class. It takes a lot of leveling up in order to get to a really good spot, but once you’ve got it there, you’ll have an excellent hybrid class that can use fast-swinging melee weapons to do physical damage, as well as the Intelligence and Mind needed to deal loads of magic damage.
6. Confessor: Magic Assassin
And for our next class, we have the Confessor. This is an especially interesting class that I personally consider to be one of my favorites in the game! Confessors combine magic, stealth, and melee combat all together to create a unique and interesting playstyle. Sword sages are a popular build choice for this class.
What are their stats?
Confessors start off with high Faith and Mind, at 14 and 13 respectively, and they begin the game at Level 10. High Faith allows them to cast incantation spells more efficiently. The high Mind stat allows them to have more focus points, which equates to more magic uses for attacking and for supporting themselves.
What do they start off with?
Confessor Armor is the set of gear you’ll receive if you pick this class. It offers decent protection for its wearer, albeit at the cost of weighing you down more. Stats aside, it’s one of the coolest-looking armor pieces, in my opinion. The black leather gives it an intimidating and assassin-like charm.
The Confessor begins the game with two spells: Urgent Heal, and Assassin’s Approach. The first spell allows them to quickly replenish any lost health. It isn’t very much, but it is still useful. Assassin’s Approach allows him to be more stealthy, silencing his footsteps for a short period of time, as well as reducing his fall damage. Additionally, Confessors are given a broadsword and a shield for battle.
What is their playstyle like?
Confessors will be using magic a lot in their playstyle, specifically, the incantation spells they have access to. These spells can be used to fix status effects applied to you as well as heal yourself, and there are several that can be used to buff your character. Incantations can also be very destructive, allowing you to deal lots of damage to whole groups of enemies.
7. Vagabond: Best Starting Class
Now for the class, I chose to start my first playthrough with the Vagabond! You may recognize this class from our Elden Ring: Best Build For Beginners Guide. This is a melee-focused character class that gives players enough health to be more easily forgiven for making mistakes in combat.
What are their stats?
You’ll start off the game at Level 9 with this class. As for their attributes, the Vagabond has very high Health at 15. This is what makes it great for beginners. The added Health means you can take a bigger punch in combat, which is handy if you are still getting the hang of how to parry and time your attacks.
Its high Strength and Dexterity (14 and 13, respectively) give you a little more versatility in how you want to build out your character. If you like slower-moving weapons that deal more damage, invest in Strength. If you like fast-hitting light weapons, go for Dexterity. Or you can focus on more defensive attributes, like Vigor and Endurance!
What do they start off with?
As for armor, the Vagabond is given a set of heavy metal armor that resembles a medieval knight. This armor gives you good protection against early-game enemies, at the cost of weighing a lot. Since you weigh more, rolling around will be slower, and you’ll have to rely on blocking in combat more.
Speaking of blocking, you’ll be given a longsword and heater shield for your main set of tools, as well as a halberd which is great for poking enemies at longer distances. The Vagabond’s kit is a bit basic compared to some of the other classes in the game, but basic doesn’t necessarily mean bad!
What is their playstyle like?
Vagabonds are best for pure-melee builds, so you’ll be doing a lot of hacking and slashing during your playthrough. You can build out your character in several different ways, but I decided to go for a berserker on my playthrough. I can dual-wield two greatswords thanks to my high strength, and with all the health I have, I don’t need to worry as much about playing aggressively.
8. Prophet: Good Class For Cooperative Play
Next up on our guide for every class in Elden Ring explained, we have the Prophet! This is our last magic-using class on this list. If you love playing Elden Ring with friends, this is a good class for you to pick for reasons I will explain below.
What are their stats?
The Prophet has high Faith and Mind attributes, at 16 and 14, respectively. They begin the game at Level 7. The rest of their attributes are fairly low, and while you can get away with using Strength and Dexterity-based weapons as a secondary move set, I wouldn’t recommend it because of the stats.
What do they start off with?
Prophets begin the game with a set of Prophet robes, which do very little to protect you from physical attacks but have a decent defense against magic-based attacks. They are more lightweight than other armors in the game, allowing you to maneuver much more easily.
As for spells and weapons, Prophets are given a powerful healing spell that can be used to heal a good amount of health for both you and any nearby players who are on your side. Prophets are also given a spell that can send out a burst of flames to nearby enemies, dealing damage to them. If you choose this class, you’ll also receive a rickety shield and a short spear for close-quarters melee encounters.
What is their playstyle like?
This is a decent magic-using class that makes a good alternative to the Astrologer and Confessors mentioned earlier. Personally, I would only pick the Prophet as my Elden Ring class if I was doing a playthrough with a friend, as the incantations he starts out with are fairly basic. If you invest enough points into Strength or Dexterity, you can have yourself a solid magic/melee hybrid class after a while!
9. Samurai: Melee/Ranged Hybrid Class
Now for one of the most interesting classes in Elden Ring, let’s talk about the Samurai. This is a melee/range hybrid class which makes it incredibly versatile in combat. If you loved playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (a previous FromSoftware game), then you’ll love the samurai class in Elden Ring!
What are their stats?
Samurai begin their journey in the Lands Between at Level 9, and with 15 points to Dexterity. This is perfect for using faster melee weapons, such as the katana. After dexterity, this class has an Endurance level of 13. This is good for heavier equipment loads as well as blocking attacks more often. Magic is not that encouraged, but can still be viable if you level him up the right way.
What do they start off with?
This class comes with the Land of Reeds armor set, a gorgeous-looking set of Samurai armor that provides decent physically and magic attack defense, but with a moderate weight. But the main reason why you’ll want to pick this class isn’t its armor, but its weapons.
Samurai start out with an Uchigatana Katana as well as a longbow. The katana is a fast-moving weapon that can deal bleed damage to opponents. This can cause them to slowly lose health over time. The longbow is great for thinning out groups of enemies from a distance, as well as wearing down opponents with high health. The Samurai even start out with fire arrows in addition to normal arrows!
What is their playstyle like?
Samurai are fast and deadly warriors and can be played as such. One popular build in Elden Ring is to double down on dealing bleed damage and playing the game by quickly striking at opponents before backing away to let them lose health over time.
The katana has the unsheathe ash of war by default. This is a great ability that allows you to quickly strike at opponents and deal high damage.
10. Wretch: Create Your Own Class
Last and most certainly least, we have the Wretch! this is the most unique class on this list, because it’s not much of a “class” at all, really. The Wretch allows you to make your own character from the ground up, with hardly any stats and almost no starting gear to speak of!
What are their stats?
Wretches start out at Level 1, the lowest level out of any class in the entire game. Each of their attributes are equally specced to 10, meaning that they’re not specialized in any way. You’re free to level up and customize this class in any way you please.
What do they start off with?
If you choose this class, you’ll begin the game with no armor at all! You’ll only have access to a simple club to hit enemies with. It’s a very weak weapon, with little utility. There are no magic spells that come with the Wretch class, either.
What is their playstyle like?
This particular class is only recommended for experienced players, and should not be chosen for your first playthrough unless you are looking for a challenge. Starting out with nothing does make acquiring gear more rewarding, however, and you may be tempted to pick this class for that reason.
Join the High Ground
And with that, we’ve covered every single class available in the game! What do you think of our guide for every class in Elden Ring explained? Let us know down in the comments section, and make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter! We offer regular content on all the latest games, including more content for FromSoftware’s latest hit, Elden Ring.
Happy gaming!
