Dark Souls 2 is so radically dissimilar from the rest of the franchise that it is often regarded equally the "black sheep" of the Dark Souls series. Major gameplay changes made Dark Souls ii play much differently from the original title and Demon's Souls.

Part of these major changes comes to grapheme building. Classes no longer have intrinsic stat increases or deficiencies like the original game, and at that place are now only eight choices instead of 10. Archetypes such as the Pyromancer have been removed entirely, which can make choosing a character even more than confusing. For those looking for the best options for their build, here are all viii of Dark Souls 2'due south classes ranked from worst to best.

Updated March 17, 2022 past Mark Sammut: In March 2022, FromSoftware released Elden Band, an open-world game that feels like a spiritual successor to the Souls trilogy. Garnering a standing ovation from critics, Elden Ring is a bona fide success; still, not everyone has access to the championship. Thankfully, the studio's previous games are non going anywhere, and for those tempted to dive into the franchise, Dark Souls 2 is a decent place to start. Although slightly more than polarizing than the other entries in the trilogy, DS2 is notwithstanding an impressive experience, one that comes with an expansive choice of customization options. This article covering the all-time classes in DS2 has been revisited and updated.

8 Explorer

Dark Souls 2 Explorer Class in character select.
Explorer Stats & Gear
Soul Level x Strength vi
Vigor 7 Dexterity 6
Endurance half dozen Adaptability 12
Vitality 9 Intelligence 5
Attunement vii Religion 5
Starting Weapons
  • Dagger
  • 20 Wood Bolts
  • Dagger'due south Physical Assault: 57
Starting Armor Traveling Merchant Ready
  • Traveling Merchant Lid
  • Traveling Merchant Glaze
  • Traveling Merchant Gloves
  • Traveling Merchant Boots
Starting Items
  • 20 Lifegems
  • 8 Witching Urns
  • iv Aromatic Oozes
  • 5 Prism Stones
  • 2 Rusted Coins
  • Repair Pulverisation
  • Pharros Lockstone
  • Spell Quartz Ring

Despite the Explorer being arguably the worst class in Dark Souls ii, that by no means makes this class a bad choice. Starting with a whopping 12 Adaptability, experienced players volition be able to take full advantage of the actress invincibility frames their rolls grant. This makes early-game boss fights much less punishing since rolls are more than constructive.

Every bit for gear, the Explorer is somewhat disappointing. A Pharros Lockstone and 20 Lifegems are prissy to start with, merely both items can be obtained in vast quantities rather quickly if players know where to await. If it wasn't for their unintuitive stat distribution, Explorers would be much college on this listing.

vii Cleric

Dark Souls 2 Cleric Armor and torch.
Cleric Stats & Gear
Soul Level 14 Forcefulness xi
Vigor 10 Dexterity 5
Endurance 3 Adjustability 4
Vitality viii Intelligence 4
Attunement 10 Organized religion 12
Starting Weapons
  • Mace
  • Cleric'southward Sacred Chinkle
  • Mace's Physical Attack: 120
  • Chime'south Lightning Damage: 90
  • Chime'southward Dark Damage: 90
Starting Armor Archdrake Robes
Starting Spells Heal
Starting Items x Lifegems

Similar to the Explorer, the Cleric is by no means an awful class. Players that aspire to make a paladin or any faith-focused build should definitely pick the Cleric as their starter. The consequence is that the Cleric'due south starting gear is questionable at all-time.

Starting with Heal sounds incredible until players realize that Lifegems can be bought in infinite supply subsequently spending 10,000 Souls at Merchant Hag Melentia in the Woods of Fallen Giants. Their starting mace weapon also isn't all that ideal due to its stat requirements that the Cleric doesn't meet, meaning players need to two-mitt their starting weapon until they can level up a few times. Information technology'due south by no means a deal-breaker, merely newer players that aren't familiar with Dark Souls 2 should expect elsewhere.

half-dozen Warrior

Dark Souls 2 Warrior class selection.
Warrior Stats & Gear
Soul Level 12 Strength fifteen
Vigor 7 Dexterity 11
Endurance half-dozen Adjustability 5
Vitality 6 Intelligence five
Attunement 5 Religion 5
Starting Weapons
  • Broken Straight Sword
  • Atomic number 26 Parma (Shield)
  • Broken Straight Sword's Physical Set on: 80
Starting Armor Hard Leather Ready
  • Standard Captain
  • Hard Leather Armor
  • Difficult Leather Gauntlets
  • Hard Leather Boots
Starting Items x Lifegems

A great set of base of operations stats and solid armor make the Warrior a solid choice for newer Night Souls 2 players. With that said, the developers thought it would exist a good thought to give a melee-focused class a Cleaved Straight Sword as their starting weapon.

New players might detect this frustrating, only this gearing issue tin easily be resolved by obtaining the Morn Star mace in Majula. Once players go a new weapon, the Warrior becomes a solid melee character that has versatile stats to work with. It won't be the best melee character at Soul Level 150, the game's recommended PvP Soul Level cap, but players that wish to bask Dark Souls 2's PvE tin can't go wrong with a Warrior.

five Sorcerer

Dark Souls 2 Sorcerer build using a spell.
Magician Stats & Gear
Soul Level xi Strength iii
Vigor 5 Dexterity 7
Endurance half dozen Adaptability 8
Vitality 5 Intelligence xiv
Attunement 12 Faith 4
Starting Weapons
  • Dagger
  • Magician's Staff
  • Dagger'southward Concrete Attack: 57
  • Staff's Magical Damage: 112
  • Staff's Dark Damage: 112
Starting Armor
  • Black Hollow Mage Robe
  • Imported Trousers
Starting Spells Soul Arrow
Starting Items 10 Lifegems

Magic in the Dark Souls franchise pivots between existence overpowered to useless, and Dark Souls 2, despite some of its problems, nailed this aspect quite well. Starting as a Sorcerer in this game is the nigh viable of all three games due to how plentiful bonfires are in this installment.

Pure caster builds can't choose a better class than the Sorcerer, either, mainly due to the character's immense xiv intelligence stat. Obtain better gear, upgrade both vigor and adaptability, and make sure to obtain a few more than spells to get the most out of this class. Since pyromancies scale off intelligence and faith in this installment, the Wizard is also the best option for players who oftentimes played the Pyromancer class in other Night Souls entries.

4 Knight

Dark Souls 2 Knight Class at Thing's Betwix
Knight Stats & Gear
Soul Level thirteen Forcefulness 11
Vigor 12 Dexterity 8
Endurance 6 Adjustability 9
Vitality 7 Intelligence 3
Attunement 4 Faith 6
Starting Weapons Broadsword
  • Broadsword's Physical Assault: 120
Starting Armor Incomplete Falconer Set
  • Falconer Armor
  • Falconer Gloves
  • Falconer Boots
Starting Items 10 Lifegems

While the Knight class resembles more of a mercenary than a proper knight in shining armor, this form is a fantastic selection for players that desire to make a melee character or a battlemage. This is due to the Knight'due south loftier eleven forcefulness and surprisingly high 6 organized religion.

Starting with the Broadsword and a decent armor gear up, this grapheme is a great starting choice for whatsoever Dark Souls players that don't want to rely on a shield. Since the Knight doesn't commencement with a shield, make sure to either find 1 early on on or upgrade adjustability as soon every bit possible.

3 Bandit

Dark Souls 2 Bandit class fighting hollow.
Bandit Stats & Gear
Soul Level eleven Forcefulness 9
Vigor 9 Dexterity 14
Endurance 7 Adaptability 3
Vitality 11 Intelligence 1
Attunement 2 Organized religion 8
Starting Weapons
  • Hand Axe
  • Brusk Bow
  • 25 Wood Arrows
  • Hand Axe'due south Concrete Set on: 135
  • Curt Bow's Physical Attack: 65
Starting Armor Bandit Prepare
  • Spiked Bandit Helm
  • Brigand Armor
  • Bandit Gauntlets
  • Brigand Boots
Starting Items 10 Lifegems

Every bit for players that want to focus exclusively on melee and care about their Soul Level, the Brigand is hands the best course in the game. This class has the everyman attunement, faith, and intelligence stats in the game. Of course, these iii low stats are accompanied by higher melee-oriented stats that favor forcefulness, dexterity, or quality builds.

The Bandit'southward starting gear is rough since they obtain a mediocre armor gear up, a Brusque Bow with only 25 Wooden Arrows, and a solid Hand Axe melee weapon. Since this character has nine strength and 14 dexterity, finding an off-hand weapon to employ or even Power Stance is a solid choice for the early on-game.

2 Swordsman

Dark Souls 2 Swordsman Class fighting rat.
Swordsman Stats & Gear
Soul Level 12 Strength ix
Vigor 4 Dexterity 16
Endurance 8 Adjustability 6
Vitality 4 Intelligence 7
Attunement six Faith 5
Starting Weapons
  • Scimitar +1
  • Shortsword +one
  • Scimitar's Physical Attack: 121 (+1)
  • Shortsword'due south Concrete Assail: 110 (+1)
Starting Armor Wanderer Set
  • Wanderer Hood
  • Wanderer Coat
  • Wanderer Manchettes
  • Wanderer Boots
Starting Items 10 Lifegems

Replacing the Wanderer from the original Night Souls, the Swordsman is Night Souls 2'due south dexterity-heavy melee graphic symbol. Their stat distribution makes them incredible at dexterity-focused builds and battlemage hybrid builds that use magic to vitrify their attacks. They likewise start with a Scimitar and Shortsword, ii corking weapons that tin can exist Power Stanced together with just a few levels in forcefulness and dexterity.

i Deprived

Dark Souls 2 Deprived class punching hollow.
Deprived Stats & Gear
Soul Level one Strength half-dozen
Vigor 6 Dexterity half-dozen
Endurance half dozen Adjustability 6
Vitality 6 Intelligence 6
Attunement 6 Faith vi
Starting Weapons N/A
Starting Armor Imported Ready
  • Imported Hood
  • Imported Tunic
  • Imported Manchettes
  • Imported Trousers
Starting Items N/A

New players should not cull the Deprived unless they have experience with by Night Souls games or are following a guide. As for experienced players, the Deprived is such a versatile option that few classes can match its strength. Starting with a balanced stat distribution of six in every stat, the Deprived tin exist molded into any build the player desires. Since respeccing a graphic symbol in Night Souls ii is incredibly easy in the mid to tardily-game, players are never trapped into a sure build if they start as the Deprived.

While they don't commencement with whatever weapons, they do have the Imported Set that does provide a small-scale amount of protection. Grab the Morning Star from Majula before entering any zone to make the first few zones equally painless as possible. Deprived players should also bring Merchant Hag Melentia to Majula as soon equally possible to unlock her infinite supply of Lifegems.

Dark Souls 2 is available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.An updated version called Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin can be played on the PS4, PS3, Xbox I, Xbox 360, and PC.

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