Elden Ring Characters are the foundation of every journey through the Lands Between. From your very first steps in Limgrave to the brutal halls of the Erdtree, the class you choose shapes how you fight, explore, and survive.
Elden Ring Characters begin with ten starting classes, each offering different base stats and playstyles. Choosing wisely at the start saves you dozens of hours of respec grinding later. However, no class locks you into a single path forever.
The truth is that every Elden Ring Character can eventually reach any build. The class choice mainly affects your starting stats and the level at which you can efficiently invest points. In other words, it is your starting position, not your destination.
Elden Ring Characters: All 10 Starting Classes Explained
The Vagabond: Best Character Base for Beginners
The Vagabond is widely considered the Best Character Base in Elden Ring for new players. It starts with high Vigor and Strength, solid armor, and a reliable longsword plus shield.
Vagabond base stats prioritize physical combat. Its dump stats are Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane, which means it is already optimized for pure melee builds at the lowest possible level.
For the current meta, the Vagabond transitions cleanly into Strength builds, Dex builds, and even bleed setups with minimal investment wasted.
- Starting level: 9
- Vigor: 15
- Strength: 14
- Dexterity: 13
- Endurance: 11
- Faith, Intelligence, Arcane all below 10 (dump stats)
The Samurai: Best Dexterity Character Base
The Samurai is another top-tier pick, especially for players who prefer speed and precision. It starts with the Uchigatana, one of the most versatile weapons in the entire game.
Moreover, the Samurai comes equipped with a longbow, giving you ranged options from the very first minute of gameplay. This dual-weapon setup makes early zones significantly easier.
The Elden Ring Character Base for Samurai emphasizes Dexterity and Endurance, making it a natural fit for katana builds, dex-scaling weapons, and bleed stacking later in the game.
The Confessor: Ideal Faith/Melee Hybrid
The Confessor blends sword combat with faith-based incantations. It is the best starting option for players who want to use healing spells and buffs alongside melee weapons.
Furthermore, the Confessor’s starting stats are balanced between Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, meaning it avoids the waste of over-investing in any one attribute early on.
All Starting Classes at a Glance
| Class | Primary Stat | Playstyle | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vagabond | Strength/Vigor | Tanky Melee | Beginners |
| Samurai | Dexterity | Fast Katana | Bleed/Dex Builds |
| Confessor | Faith/Dex | Hybrid Melee | Faith Builds |
| Astrologer | Intelligence | Pure Sorcery | Magic Builds |
| Prophet | Faith | Incantations | Pyromancy/Buffs |
| Warrior | Dexterity | Dual Wield | Aggressive Melee |
| Hero | Strength | Heavy Weapons | Pure Strength |
| Bandit | Arcane | Stealth/Bleed | Arcane Builds |
| Prisoner | Int/Dex | Hybrid Magic | Spellblade |
| Wretch | All Equal | Any | Min-Max Experts |
How to Use the Elden Ring Character Planner
Tools for Planning Your Build
The Elden Ring Character Planner is an essential tool for anyone serious about optimization. Several free planners exist online, including Tarnished.dev and EIP Gaming’s build calculator, both updated for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
These tools let you simulate your character at any level, with any weapon, ash of war, and equipment combination. You can check attack rating, defenses, resistances, and equip load before committing to a single rune.
Additionally, Atlas Forge’s calculator supports all post-DLC content, making it ideal for planning around Shadow of the Erdtree weapons and spells.
How to Min-Max with the Character Builder
- Choose your target build type (Strength, Dex, Faith, Int, or hybrid)
- Select the starting class with the lowest wasted stats for your build
- Set your target level (most meta builds peak at 125-150)
- Allocate Vigor first (aim for 60 for late-game survival)
- Invest in your primary damage stat next
- Fill remaining points into Endurance, Mind, or secondary damage stats
- Use the Elden Ring Character Builder to verify AR and resistances before committing
Pro Tips: Elden Ring Character Planning
- Always prioritize Vigor: No matter the build, aim for at least 40 Vigor before investing heavily in damage stats. Dying in two hits is never worth it.
- Use the Wretch only if you know what you are doing: The Wretch starts at level 1 with all stats at 10, making it perfect for min-maxing, but punishing for those unfamiliar with stat breakpoints.
- Don’t sleep on Mind: Many players ignore Mind until late game. If your build uses any skills or spells, invest 20-30 Mind early to avoid constant FP starvation.
- Level Vigor at Rune Level 1-40: The most efficient Vigor gains per level come in the first 40 levels. After that, the scaling drops off significantly.
- Respec freely: Larval Tears allow full respecs. Use them to test builds without commitment.
Elden Ring Female Characters: Best NPCs and Lore Icons
Ranni the Witch
Ranni is arguably the most beloved Elden Ring female character in the entire game. Her questline spans nearly the entire Lands Between and concludes with one of the most narratively rich endings in the game.
She is a two-souled witch, the daughter of Rennala and Radagon, who severed her own Empyrean fate by stealing a fragment of the Rune of Death. Her arc involves Blaidd, Iji, Seluvis, and ultimately, the Tarnished.
Completing Ranni’s questline rewards the Dark Moon Greatsword, one of the best Intelligence-scaling weapons in the game.
Malenia, Blade of Miquella
Malenia is an Elden Ring Female Character who doubles as arguably the hardest boss in the game. She is the twin sister of Miquella and is cursed with Scarlet Rot, which she cannot fully control.
Her iconic Waterfowl Dance attack has humbled thousands of Tarnished. However, Malenia also has a deep lore presence. She is the only demigod who never suffered a defeat in the Shattering.
Common Mistakes Elden Ring Character Builders Make
- Ignoring equip load: Many players invest heavily in Strength but forget about Endurance. Running in heavy load above 70% drastically reduces roll distance and speed. Fix: Keep load at or below 69.9% at all times.
- Respeccing too early: Players often respec before fully understanding their build weaknesses. Fix: Play to at least level 80 before committing to a respec to understand what stats you actually need.
- Neglecting secondary scaling: A Dex weapon might also scale with Arcane at higher tiers. Fix: Always check dual-scaling weapons in your Elden Ring Character Planner before finalizing stat allocation.
- Starting with the Wretch without a plan: New players sometimes pick Wretch thinking it gives the most freedom. Fix: Start with Vagabond or Samurai for your first playthrough. Save Wretch for min-maxed NG+ runs.
What Is the Best Elden Ring Character for PvP?
Competitive Meta Overview
For Player versus Player combat, the meta in Elden Ring currently revolves around level 125-150 builds. Furthermore, the most dominant archetypes involve bleed, frost, or death blight stacking combined with aggressive pressure.
Bleed builds using the Dual Occult Scavenger’s Curved Swords or the Rivers of Blood remain competitive. Backhand Blades from the DLC have also carved out a strong PvP niche thanks to their parry-deflecting moveset.
Best Classes for PvP Builds
- Vagabond: Most versatile entry point for Strength or Dex PvP builds
- Bandit: Best for Arcane/bleed builds targeting level 125
- Warrior: Naturally suited for aggressive dual-wield PvP setups
Boost Your Elden Ring Experience with ExitLag
Playing Elden Ring online, whether in PvP invasions or co-op, demands a stable, low-latency connection. Nothing kills a perfectly executed combo faster than a lag spike during a Waterfowl Dance or a critical backstab.
ExitLag is a game connection optimizer that analyzes multiple network routes in real time and selects the fastest, most stable path between your PC and the Elden Ring servers. It is not a VPN. It does not encrypt your traffic or affect apps outside the game.
With ExitLag’s Multipath Technology, your packets travel through multiple routes simultaneously. If one path degrades, the others maintain your connection. For Elden Ring PvP, where frame-perfect inputs determine wins and losses, this kind of stability is a competitive edge.
ExitLag also includes PC Boost, which clears background RAM usage and prioritizes game traffic, helping you maintain consistent FPS during the game’s most demanding boss arenas.
Download ExitLag for PC and run Elden Ring at the connection quality it deserves.
All game images used in this blog post belong to Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
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