Classes in Dark Souls determine the starting Stats and Equipment of the player. There are 10 Classes in Dark Souls that the player can begin the game with. They are listed below:
Classes do not determine what weapons, items, armor, or spells your character is able to use, they only determine what your character starts the game with. As you progress through the game and raise your levels, your character can potentially take up any role regardless of class.
In addition to choosing a class, players can choose a gift to begin the game with. All gifts can be found in the game later on, but taking one here can let the player enjoy a benefit they wouldn't normally have until much later. A first time player should be careful about choosing gifts that will let them enter end-game areas from the start of the game such as the Master Key, since they could potentially end up stranded in a very difficult area without the knowledge or equipment to get back out. Note that the Master Key is infinitely reusable, and the Thief starting class begins the game with one already. Taking a second Master Key as a Thief is a waste of a gift.
The cost of raising a level increases as your character's level increases. The amount of souls each level costs is the same for all classes, though classes begin at different levels. For example, a character that starts at level 1 may find leveling up to be extremely affordable, but the character who starts at level 10 didn't have to pay anything to get to that point. When the level 1 character reaches level 10, going from 10 to level 11 will cost exactly the same amount of souls as it would for the character who started at level 10. Because of this, starting at a lower level actually ends up costing more overall, however the player will be able to put their stats exactly where they want them instead of starting with a more pre-determined kit. The starting level of a character ignores the Resistance stat, so characters with high resistance start at lower levels than they would normally have otherwise.
Classes
Class Comparison Table
![]() LV |
![]() VIT |
![]() ATT |
![]() END |
![]() STR |
![]() DEX |
![]() RES |
![]() INT |
![]() FTH |
![]() HUM |
|
Warrior | 4 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Knight | 5 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 0 |
Wanderer | 3 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
Thief | 5 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 0 |
Bandit | 4 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
Hunter | 4 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Sorcerer | 3 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 0 |
Pyromancer | 1 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 0 |
Cleric | 2 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 0 |
Deprived | 6 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
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Origins / Faces
13 Oct 2020 06:57
The classes aren't too bad, though I truly would go for knight, warrior, or wanderer. Wanderer was always my first choice, especially when I first tried out DS, seeing as how normally dodging and moving with speed were always my top strategies. Excited to try them all though and leave my beginner status behind.
13 Oct 2020 06:48
Back on this game after my ragequit about 8 mths back when I first bought this for my 360 and I'm glad I found help instead of trying to stonewall this game. Now I found my rythm and am gonna see if I can make my own Holy Knight. Love DS now!
- Anonymous
12 Oct 2020 19:44
In my experience with this game, one of the most useful classes to use is Pyromancer, I am a veteran player, and nothing can get better than a Pyro, Knight works just as well but the Knight and Pyromancer are the top 2 choices for me
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
19 Aug 2020 11:07
What is better as starting class warrior or cleric ? Played DS3 as knight with later DEX build and enjoyed it a lot, not much into spells, but not sure what to pick in DS 1, any suggestions?
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
16 Feb 2020 07:55
Pick bandit and master key get 16 str, 17 or 16 endurance, and dex to 10. Add fire zweihander, ring of favor, grass crest sheild, havels ring, and if you're luck get mask of the father and you can be a lvl 10 or 11 giant dad who can medium roll. VTJ
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
10 Jul 2019 11:10
Classes in this game are just a joke. What's the point to even make a distinction if you can go around with a sorcerer wielding an ultragreatsword and a giant armor set, or a warrior casting spell with wearing a skirt. Ok multiclasses could be cool but here there's no limit at all, no point to make 9 classes, is just stupid.
- Anonymous
07 May 2019 22:19
Wanderer and Hunter can 2H the Great Scythe at starting stats... this means they can beat the whole game because best weapon moveset... presto
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
06 Nov 2018 14:53
I usually go with a knight or a wanderer, just because it's sensible in the starting classes
- Anonymous
04 Nov 2018 03:09
i always choose deprived because i hate having any stat less than 11. it's better to start naked anyway
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
01 Jul 2018 15:25
For each starting class, add all starting points except resistance and subtract the starting lv, and the result should be the same (71).
- Anonymous
28 Jun 2018 12:39
I did a little bit comparison between all starting classes
Why don't they have the same SL when all stats are the same?
While all stats are at 16
Pyro and Wanderer are SL 45
Warrior, Bandit, Hunter, Cleric and Deprived are SL 46
Knight, Thief are SL 47
And Sorcerer is SL 49
Um... Why did they make them like that?
- Anonymous
14 Jun 2018 19:45
When you find their armour in the world, you can think it as they died there and see how far they get throughout the game.
- Anonymous
15 Dec 2020 04:25
Knight is pretty tanky but you need havel's ring to actually use the knight armor because eh you probably would know by now
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