Elden Ring classes – all stats & best starter characters

The full run-down on the 10 character classes in the magnificent Elden Ring.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Okay, so this game is going to take over enough of your life without you spending time trying to work out what the best classes are. Here, ahead of the big launch, we take a look at the character classes in Elden Ring, help you choose the starting class that is right for how you want to play the game, and give a rundown of character stats and levels.

From there we will soon be taking you to individual class pages we will build out as the months go by. Elden Ring is going to be quite the ride and we are glad you are joining us for it.

All classes in Elden Ring

Below you will find a rundown of all 10 starter classes in Elden Ring along with their key stats. The cool thing about Elden Ring though is the ability to take your character in any direction you choose. If you would like more information on a single character class you can select from the links below and it will take you to a dedicated character page.

Warrior – Vagabond – Hero – Bandit – Samurai – Prisoner – Astrologer – Wretch – Prophet – Confessor

How many classes are there in Elden Ring?

The game presents us with 10 starter classes which you will find listed above and in more detail below. We have separate pages for each of the 10 starter classes which you can also easily navigate to via the links.

Warrior

The Warrior will be many players’ go-to character when starting off in Elden Ring. Familiarity with exactly what you will get will be comforting during those first 100 or so deaths!

With the ability to fire off quick hits with its high Dexterity the Warrior is an action-packed class for those who really like getting stuck in. Two curved blades at the beginning will help you chop and slice your way into the initial areas of Elden Ring. Endurance and strength are, perhaps surprisingly lacking so when you are on the defensive you will need to keep on your toes with your Warrior. Also, less surprisingly they have more brawn than brains so won’t be finished top of any class in the near future.

Vagabond

Here at WePC we think the Vagabond will be a popular class with players starting out in the game. It offers a well-rounded alternative to a class such as the Warrior. The Vagabond is an all-action class. You won’t be tossing spells and magic around here, it’s going to be fighting all the way, so if playing RPGs with a melee class character is your bag, the Vagabond is a great place to start, especially if you are new to Souls games.

Hero

We aren’t too sure why games always make the Hero class a bit on the dim side. Heroes can be intelligent as well as ripped you know guys? The Hero class in Elden Ring comes complete with a large axe and average armor. As strength-based character classes go, the Hero is a good shout, but it’s not as suitable as some if Elden Ring is your first foray into this kind of game. Massive strength and Vigor make the Hero a formidable foe, but the Dexterity is not there to be anything other than a tank.

Bandit

If like us, you like to deal your death from a distance the Bandit is the best choice for your character. The bandit also comes with a high Arcane baseline but is poor when it gets into a melee scrape, so if you are a Souls beginner you will need to tread very carefully. If you tend to play all your other games with an air of stealth, sneaking around and throat-slitting, or picking off enemies from afar then the bandit is the class for you, just be prepared to have to build out some of its weaker areas before you will become fully proficient in all combat scenarios.

Samurai

The Samurai is another all-round class that is highly suited to you if you want to try your hand at everything in Elden Ring. A solid defense should at least provide you with a fighting chance while you find your feet and decent melee stats that can be coupled with ranged abilities should be enough to see you on your way to a really good hybrid build from the off. Plus samurai are cool, right? Whatever game they appear in.

Confessor

If you are just starting out in Elden Ring and haven’t got much of a clue of what is ahead of you it is easy to overlook the Confessor as your class for your starting character but that would be a huge mistake. In fact, at a push, we would recommend the Confessor to a lot of new players. It has a solid attack and defense which is more rounded than most of the other classes, plus the access to spells that some of the other classes you may be considering to start with will come in especially useful, certainly early on when you are finding your feet in the game.

Prisoner

A great class if you are just starting out and don’t want to dash in headlong into the melee worlds of the Warriors and Heroes of Elden Ring. The Prisoner is both highly dextrous and intelligent to begin with meaning the opportunities to build out a great rounded character are there right from the start. Again defensive stats are a bit lacking, but we can’t have everything, so this is definitely a class you will initially want to keep your distance with.

Astrologer

The Astrologer is the most intelligent of all the classes in Elden Ring, and also comes with a high Mind stat as well. if you fancy traversing the game with a truly Magical character to build then the Astrologer is a great place to jump off. You can also mix it up a bit a create a competent magic-based warrior to really throw your opponents off guard. Those base stats really are appealing though when it comes to a class capable of wielding mighty spells.

Prophet

If melee-based tank characters are not for you, and regardless of the character’s dexterity, you don’t really trust your own, never mind theirs, the Prophet class could be a grand starting point, With solid stats, this warrior-monk style of class can be built up to a formidable opponent for most of the enemies within Elden Ring. Great at keeping pretty much everything beyond arm’s length, the Prophet is one for those who prefer a slightly more considered fighting style.

Wretch

The Wretch is a class you do not want to go close to until you are highly familiar with the game but it is the most malleable class in the game. Starting with zero armor and only a basic club as a weapon, if you want to craft a bespoke character throughout your time in Elden Ring, and already have a clue as to what you want to do and how to go about it it, the Wretch is the perfect jumping-off point for something truly unique to your own individual play style.

Do classes matter in Elden Ring

They do, in so much as you should generally try to start with a class that will match how you wish to play the game, if only because they should then, in theory, give you a decent baseline of starts for your chosen playstyle. Of course, you can just take any character class and morph them into the kind of character you wish to play as/ that is the beauty of Elden Ring.