19 survivors across four content releases. Two unlock by default (Commando and Huntress). The rest are locked behind challenges or DLC ownership. Survivors of the Void adds Railgunner and Void Fiend. Seekers of the Storm adds Seeker, CHEF, and False Son. Alloyed Collective adds Drifter and Operator. Heretic is a secret character requiring all four Heresy lunar items.
Filter by playstyle or difficulty. Click any card for the full guide covering skills, best items, and build tips.
Jack-of-all-trades. Reliable in every situation.
Unlock: Default unlock
Extremely mobile, extremely fragile. High damage if you survive.
Unlock: Default unlock
High-skill combo character. Backstabs from stealth for devastating damage.
Unlock: Unlock: Warrior challenge
Tanky dual-tool survivor. Switches between two weapons mid-combat.
Unlock: Unlock: Clear Stage 1 teleporter 5x
Turret-based playstyle. Master of positioning and battlefield control.
Unlock: Unlock: Purchase 40 drones total
High burst damage and crowd control via elemental magic.
Unlock: Unlock: Free 10 survivors from the Bazaar
High-skill melee brawler. Uses invulnerability frames to weave through combat.
Unlock: Unlock: Demon of the Skies challenge
Half robot, half plant. Spends HP to cast powerful ranged abilities.
Unlock: Unlock: Carry the Fuel Array to REX
Slow bruiser with a grappling hook. Dominates when airborne.
Unlock: Unlock: Guidance Offline challenge
Melee-range hybrid who poisons enemies to melt tanky targets.
Unlock: Unlock: To Be Left Alone challenge
Calls in orbital strikes and supply beacons. Strong solo and co-op pick.
Unlock: Unlock: Washed Away challenge
Long-range precision survivor. Instantly kills any high-priority target.
Unlock: SotV DLC. Available immediately on DLC purchase.
Fluctuates between controlled and corrupted form. Managing corruption is everything.
Unlock: SotV DLC. Available immediately on DLC purchase.
Meditative brawler with powerful team healing. Immune to executes.
Unlock: SotS DLC. Available immediately on DLC purchase.
Culinary combo master. Skills chain together for massive bonus effects.
Unlock: SotS DLC. Unlock: Wandering Chef challenge.
Slow but incredibly tanky close-range warrior. Weather any storm.
Unlock: SotS DLC. Available immediately on DLC purchase.
Massively powerful secret character. Only accessible through all four Heresy items.
Unlock: Collect all 4 Heresy lunar items in one run
Resourceful hoarder who collects Junk to power up her skills mid-run.
Unlock: AC DLC. Unlock: Lost in Transit challenge.
Evasive frontline commander. Leverages drone swarms as force multipliers.
Unlock: AC DLC. Available immediately on DLC purchase.
Commando and Huntress are available from the very start of the game. Every other base game survivor is unlocked by completing a specific challenge in the Challenges menu. DLC survivors become immediately playable once the corresponding DLC is owned. Some still require challenge completions for alternate skill loadouts. Heretic is the exception: she cannot be selected from the character screen and instead transforms from your current survivor mid-run when you collect all four Heresy lunar items.
Get MUL-T first by completing the first teleporter on Stage 1 five times, then Engineer by purchasing 40 drones, then Mercenary via the Demon of the Skies challenge (stay airborne 30 consecutive seconds). These three cover every major playstyle: tank, turret, and melee. From there you are well set up to tackle harder challenges like REX, Acrid, and Loader.
Full base stats for all 19 survivors at level 1. Click any column header to sort.
| Survivor | Base HP | Base Dmg | Armor | Class | Playstyle | Source | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commando | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | BurstUtility | Base Game | Beginner |
| Huntress | 90 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | MobileDPS | Base Game | Moderate |
| Bandit | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | StealthCombo | Base Game | Moderate |
| MUL-T | 200 | 11 | 12 | MeleeRanged | TankFlex | Base Game | Easy |
| Engineer | 130 | 14 | 0 | Ranged | TurretsControl | Base Game | Easy |
| Artificer | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | BurstAoE | Base Game | Hard |
| Mercenary | 110 | 12 | 20 | Melee | MeleeEvasion | Base Game | Hard |
| REX | 130 | 12 | 20 | Ranged | HP CostUtility | Base Game | Hard |
| Loader | 160 | 12 | 20 | Melee | GrappleBurst | Base Game | Moderate |
| Acrid | 160 | 15 | 20 | MeleeRanged | PoisonDoT | Base Game | Moderate |
| Captain | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | SupportUtility | Base Game | Moderate |
| Railgunner | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | SniperSingle target | SotV DLC | Moderate |
| Void Fiend | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | CorruptionRisk | SotV DLC | Hard |
| Seeker | 115 | 12 | 20 | MeleeRanged | HealingSupport | SotS DLC | Moderate |
| CHEF | 110 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | ComboAoE | SotS DLC | Hard |
| False Son | 180 | 13 | 20 | Melee | TankMelee | SotS DLC | Easy |
| Heretic | 440 | 18 | 0 | Ranged | HeresyPower | Secret | Unique |
| Drifter | 170 | 12 | 20 | Melee | JunkScaling | AC DLC | Moderate |
| Operator | 90 | 12 | 0 | Ranged | DronesControl | AC DLC | Hard |
Commando is the intended starting point. His kit is entirely straightforward: two-shot burst, a dodge roll, a stun grenade, and a suppressive fire ultimate. No resource management, no complex mechanics, no DLC required.
MUL-T is the best second character for new players. With 200 base HP (highest in the base game), dual weapon swap, and a nailgun with high uptime, MUL-T is far more forgiving than the rest of the roster. The unlock challenge (clear the first teleporter event five times) also directly teaches the core RoR2 game loop.
False Son (SotS DLC) is the easiest DLC survivor. With 180 base HP and 20 armor he is the tankiest unlockable character in the game, and his straightforward melee kit requires no complex cooldown management.
The top performers in most community tier lists are Loader, Bandit, and Railgunner. Loader scales into the most reliable late-game survivor due to her enormous per-swing damage and grapple mobility. Bandit's Backstab passive and Desperado cooldown reset on kill make him oppressive at any point in a run. Railgunner can one-shot elites and bosses from any range with Supercharge, removing the scaling threat that kills most survivors in late loops.
For the full ranked breakdown with tier placements and reasoning, see the Risk of Rain 2 character tier list.
The answer depends on your playstyle preference, skill level, and which DLC you own. Here is a quick breakdown.
Start with Commando. His kit teaches movement, positioning, and the teleporter loop without any complex mechanics. Once comfortable, move to MUL-T for a more forgiving experience with higher HP and dual weapons.
Loader delivers the highest single-hit damage in the game. Bandit resets cooldowns on kill and chains Backstabs for enormous burst. Railgunner (SotV DLC) instantly deletes any elite or boss from any range.
Engineer lets his turrets do the work while he repositions. Captain calls in orbital strikes from distance. Artificer has strong AoE and a hover ability for precise positioning control.
Mercenary requires learning his invulnerability window timing precisely. REX costs HP to cast abilities, demanding constant health management. Void Fiend (SotV DLC) forces you to manage a corruption meter that changes your entire kit.
Captain drops supply beacons that heal and buff the whole team. Seeker (SotS DLC) has a team-wide healing ability on a short cooldown. Engineer holds choke points with turrets while teammates push forward.
Bandit rewards perfect cooldown resets and stealth positioning. Mercenary rewards frame-perfect dodge timing. CHEF (SotS DLC) requires chaining multiple skills in the correct sequence to maximise output.
Most survivors work in both modes, but a few are meaningfully better or worse depending on whether you are playing alone or with a team.
Heretic is uniquely powerful in co-op because teammates can hand you the Heresy items rather than requiring you to find all four yourself. In a coordinated group, one player can build toward Heretic deliberately while others cover the early game. She is borderline unplayable in solo without strong item RNG.
Commando is the intended starting point. His kit is entirely straightforward: two-shot burst, a dodge roll, a stun grenade, and a suppressive fire ultimate. No resource management, no complex mechanics, no DLC required.
MUL-T is the best second character for new players. With 200 base HP (highest in the base game), dual weapon swap, and a nailgun with high uptime, MUL-T is far more forgiving than the rest of the roster. The unlock challenge (clear the first teleporter event five times) also directly teaches the core RoR2 game loop.
False Son (SotS DLC) is the easiest DLC survivor. With 180 base HP and 20 armor he is the tankiest unlockable character in the game, and his straightforward melee kit requires no complex cooldown management.
The top performers in most community tier lists are Loader, Bandit, and Railgunner. Loader scales into the most reliable late-game survivor due to her enormous per-swing damage and grapple mobility. Bandit's Backstab passive and Desperado cooldown reset on kill make him oppressive at any point in a run. Railgunner can one-shot elites and bosses from any range with Supercharge, removing the scaling threat that kills most survivors in late loops.
For the full ranked breakdown with tier placements and reasoning, see the Risk of Rain 2 character tier list.
There are 19 playable survivors in Risk of Rain 2 as of the Alloyed Collective DLC. 12 are from the base game (including Heretic as a secret character), 2 from Survivors of the Void, 3 from Seekers of the Storm, and 2 from Alloyed Collective.
Commando and Huntress are unlocked by default. All other base game survivors are unlocked by completing specific challenges in the Challenges tab. DLC survivors become playable immediately upon purchasing the corresponding DLC. Heretic only appears when you collect all four Heresy lunar items in a single run.
Loader is widely considered the strongest base game survivor, with Bandit and Railgunner also at the top of most tier lists. For the full ranked breakdown see our RoR2 character tier list.
MUL-T is the easiest base game character after Commando. For DLC players, False Son from Seekers of the Storm is even more beginner-friendly with 180 HP, 20 armor, and a straightforward melee kit.
Heretic cannot be chosen from the character select screen. Collect all four Heresy lunar items in a single run: Visions of Heresy, Hooks of Heresy, Strides of Heresy, and Essence of Heresy. All four automatically transform your current survivor into the Heretic. She has 440 base HP and 18 base damage but loses the host character's original kit entirely.
Seekers of the Storm adds three survivors (Seeker, CHEF, False Son), making it the largest single character addition. Survivors of the Void and Alloyed Collective each add two survivors.