Few games are as intimidating as the original Dark Souls. Lauded for its difficulty, the game provides a great sense of triumph and mystery for those that can brave its obscure systems and tough bosses. While the franchise's difficulty is certainly exaggerated by most, any player new to the series will want to start this game off on the right foot.
Selecting a good starting class can make Dark Souls slightly less intimidating to get into. Nearly every class in Dark Souls is good and won't lock players into a certain playstyle. That said, some classes have more stat points than others or have much better starting equipment. From mages to knights, here are all ten of Dark Souls: Remastered's classes ranked from worst to best.
Updated April 11, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls is one of the greatest action RPGs that anyone can sink their teeth into. There's a reason why so many people absolutely love this title, with the interconnected level design and amazing gameplay of the series remaining constant in every Soulsborne game since the rampant success of this title. This game can feel a bit intimidating to get into, and first-time players who check out the remastered version should be wary of the class system present at the very start of character creation. The following descriptors of each class should make this choice slightly easier to make.
Things To Know About Classes In Dark Souls
At a glance, the class system of this game might seem rather hard to fathom. This is understandable, given how obtuse the mechanics of Dark Souls really are. Most players use a guide to make their entry into this game easier, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Dark Souls punishes ineffective builds, and it's really easy to make a character useless if players have no idea what they're doing.
That being said, those who approach the game with a focused mindset will find leveling to be a breeze. After all, players will have the opportunity to level up their stats multiple times as they gather Souls and fight tougher enemies. Over time, the initial stat distribution of players doesn't matter anymore, with most careful builds being more than enough to guide players all the way to the end of the game.
So, in a way, players don't really need to stress out over the class they take. Even if they feel like they've made the wrong decision, there's still ample time to change builds early on and focus on a playstyle that is more suited to their taste. Dark Souls' reputation is more daunting than the game itself, which will pretty much force players to conform and understand its mechanics if they wish to reach the end of this amazing experience.
10 Hunter
Hunters are meant to be the ranged class of Dark Souls. They start with a Short Bow and Shortsword and have stats that focus on dexterity. While this sounds great on paper, archery is easily the worst playstyle in Dark Souls due to how clunky bows are to use.
Should players get accustomed to that, they have a finite supply of arrows to start with. Top all of this with a mediocre stat distribution and it's clear that the Hunter is easily Dark Souls: Remastered's worst starting class.
9 Sorcerer
Magic is overpowered in Dark Souls, but players need to obtain new sorceries and stat improvements first. Starting as a Sorcerer should help kickstart this playstyle since they have fantastic intelligence, yet Sorcerers only start with one sorcery that loses charges quickly.
Instead of casting spells, players will be hacking away with a Dagger for their first few hours. Min-max players will want to avoid Sorcerers too since they have three fewer stat points than other classes.
8 Thief
Only experienced players or speedrunners should select the Thief as their starting class. Contrary to what the name implies, players cannot steal or use stealth in Dark Souls. Instead, Thieves use a Buckler shield to parry opponents before using their Dagger to deal a riposte attack.
Newer players will struggle with the Thief since it has lackluster armor and a stat distribution that is awkward to build around. It does start with the Master Key, which is easily the best gift in the game, but any class can choose this gift. Gaining an extra starting gift hardly makes up for the Thief's downsides.
7 Deprived
Don't mistake the Deprived as a joke pick. This character trades their armor for a solid stat line for players to work off of. Starting with 11 in every stat, Deprived characters can easily morph themselves into any build they please, provided they can obtain the gear necessary.
Because of this, Deprived is a class that is best used by veteran Dark Souls players and an ill choice for newcomers. The early game might be slightly more challenging, but this phase doesn't last for too long as players get access to better equipment over time.
6 Knight
Knights are a good class for newer Dark Souls players to try. They have a great weapon, a solid shield, and their stats allow players to easily transition into a strength/faith paladin build or a quality build. They are one stat point behind the curve, but that is made up for with all Knights starting in the Way of White Covenant.
This Covenant will make summoning cooperative phantoms easier while making PvP invasions less likely. Just make sure to unequip the Knight's helmet when starting to ensure the character doesn't "fat roll" or roll slowly.
5 Cleric
Clerics are a fantastic choice for newer players and those interested in making a paladin character. They start with solid gear and have access to the Heal miracle immediately. This is invaluable for new players since Estus Flasks are in such short supply early on.
Veteran players that can defeat Pinwheel early won't value this nearly as much, hence why this class isn't a top-tier choice. Still, anyone that wishes to make a strength/faith hybrid character should give the Cleric a chance. After all, players who feel like they've made a mistake can always change builds midway, given how flexible this class is in terms of stat point distribution.
4 Wanderer
Despite the Wanderer's high dexterity stats, this class is one of the best choices for a dexterity/intelligence battlemage character. This class has great attunement and intelligence for casting spells while high dexterity makes it great for using a blade.
Wanderers also start with the Scimitar, a great early-game weapon that strikes quickly. For min-max players, the Wanderer is worth using since it starts with one extra stat point than it should for its Soul Level. It's a small benefit, but a notable one regardless that players will love taking advantage of.
3 Bandit
Bandits are tied with the Warrior as the best class in the game for quality builds for players that want to stick to Soul Level 125 for PvP. The starting gear for the Bandit is quite solid and makes the early game a breeze before players happen upon better equipment that's more suited to the build they want to pursue.
Their Battle Axe has great damage unupgraded while their shield can absorb tons of poison, making this a great pick for veteran players that want to rush through Blighttown at the start of the game.
2 Warrior
Not only are Warriors a great choice for quality builds, but they are also fantastic at making dexterity-heavy builds as well. It's one of the best classes for beginners to start out within Dark Souls, especially given how confusing magic builds in the game can be.
Their great stat distribution allows Warriors to use virtually every early-game melee weapon or shield. Warriors also start with the fantastic Longsword and above-average Heater Shield, which can make things pretty easy early on in the game — a boon for beginners.
1 Pyromancer
Pyromancy is a powerful archetype of spellcasting in Dark Souls. Fire Balls allow players to damage enemies from medium distances while also letting them detonate explosive barrels that can be found throughout Lordran.
It's not just the pyromancies that make this class such a blast to use. They also come equipped with the solid Hand Axe for early-game melee combat. Their stats also favor battlemage hybrid builds that are great at both casting spells and using a blade. With all of these factors combined, the Pyromancer is the best starting class in Dark Souls for most players that don't care about min-maxing their stats for PvP.
Dark Souls Remastered was released on May 25, 2018 and is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.