What is the best Lords of the Fallen class? You’ll need to make an important choice upon starting your adventure in the grimdark land of Mournstead. There are 13 archetypes to choose from altogether, though only nine (or ten if you own the Deluxe Edition) are available from the start. With each one offering unique capabilities and different starting items for your journey in this soulslike, we’ve got you covered with a one-stop shop to the Lords of the Fallen best class to pick when starting out.
This guide on the best Lords of the Fallen class to pick discusses our top choices for those on PS5, Xbox, or PC and your decision here will likely influence how you allocate your stats throughout the campaign. There’s plenty of Lords of the Fallen classes to pick from, including some that require you to finish the game with specific endings to even unlock, so there will be something for everyone. Here’s what we’ve learned during our Lords of the Fallen review playthrough.
Lords of the Fallen best class
When starting the game, the best class in Lords of the Fallen is the Dark Crusader due to its balanced stats and weapons. Additionally, some other great classes are the Partisan, Blackfeather Ranger, and Orian Preacher.
However, there are three classes locked behind specific endings to the game that are also excellent choices for certain builds. For example, the Lord class is undoubtedly one of, if not the best class for an Inferno build. Likewise, the Radiant Purifier is the best class for a Radiance magic build. However, since these classes require you to complete the game first, you’ll need to look to the starting classes first.
Overall, we recommend the following as your starting class, with each catering to a specific playstyle:
Dark Crusader – best overall class
- Strength: 12
- Agility: 8
- Endurance: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Radiance: 11
- Inferno: 8
- Starting weapon: Paladin Isaac’s Sword, Throwing Hand, Radiant Burst Parchment
- Pendants & Rings: Paladin’s Pendant
- Starting armor: Paladin armor set
- Spells: N/A
Bar none, the best class in Lords of the Fallen is the Dark Crusader. Featuring a fairly balanced stat spread, this character’s capabilities are further bolstered by the Paladin Isaac’s Sword and Paladin Armor Set, which grant amazing boosts to offense and defense, respectively.
The downside is that the Dark Crusader can only be selected at the start if you purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game. However, it can be unlocked later upon completing a rather convoluted quest chain. If you manage to do that, you can begin a fresh campaign, whereupon it will be part of the selection pool.
Partisan – best balanced class
- Strength: 13
- Agility: 12
- Endurance: 12
- Vitality: 12
- Radiance: 8
- Inferno: 8
- Starting weapons: Partisan Flail, Partisan Shield, and Partisan Crossbow
- Pendants & Rings: N/A
- Starting armor: Partisan armor set
- Spells: N/A
While there are other options, such as Hallowed Knight, Udirangr Werewolf, and Mournstead Infantry, we feel that the Partisan truly offers a more balanced experience (at least for those who aren’t looking to cast a lot of spells). Armed with a flail and a shield, you can dish out and take a lot of damage. You’ve also got a crossbow if you want to shoot foes from afar.
Bare in mind that choosing a jack-of-all-trades like the Partisan can have its downsides, mainly that you’ll have to stretch your level up points more widely. However, there are weapons that dual-scale, such as focusing on both Strength and Agility, so the Partisan still has great weapon options.
Blackfeather Ranger – best ranged class
- Strength: 11
- Agility: 13
- Endurance: 11
- Vitality: 10
- Radiance: 8
- Inferno: 8
- Starting weapons: Blackfeather Ranger Axe, Blackfeather Ranger Shield, and Blackfeather Ranger Bow
- Pendants & Rings: N/A
- Starting armor: Blackfeather Ranger armor set
- Spells: N/A
The Blackfeather Ranger’s counterpart, the Exiled Stalker, does have a higher Agility stat. However, the Blackfeather Ranger starts the game with a bow, which is ideal for peppering opponents with arrows from a distance. It also has enough Strength to make use of certain early-game armaments that scale off both Strength and Agility, though we wouldn’t really recommend investing in Strength, as other classes (like the Partisan) are better for balanced builds.
Nevertheless, the high Agility rating also gives the Blackfeather Ranger lots of options in close-range, with some of the best weapons working very well with the basic stat distribution of this class. So, unlike other ranged classes, the Blackfeather Ranger is also superb in close-range, which is vital given some bosses and environments force you into close-quarters engagements that make range weapon cumbersome.
Orian Preacher – best spellcaster class
- Strength: 10
- Agility: 8
- Endurance: 9
- Vitality: 11
- Radiance: 18
- Inferno: 8
- Starting weapon: Orian Preacher Hammer, Orian Preacher Shield, and Orian Preacher Catalyst
- Pendants & Rings: N/A
- Starting armor: Orian Preacher armor set
- Spells: Radiant Flare
What the Orian Preacher lacks in brute force, it more than makes up for it in terms of spellcasting capabilities. Those who choose this option start the game with Radiant Flare, which lets you blast a target with a holy-infused projectile. You can then buy additional powers from Exacter Dunmire in the Skyrest hub, such as Healing Radiance for its restorative properties.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that the Orian Preacher’s counterpart, the Pyric Cultist, uses Inferno as opposed to Radiance, which can be a hassle given that Dunmire only sells Radiance spells.
Nevertheless, with a great starting stat of 18 in Radiance, the main stat for the Orian Preacher, you’re already off to a great start. You’ll be capable of significant damage at range, while also holding your own at close-range if you’re careful. Having access to buffing and healing spells is also very handy, though the complicated nature of this class makes them better suited for those with experience in the soulslike genre.
And that’s it, the Lords of the Fallen best class for each playstyle so you have a better idea of what to pick when starting out. Again, bear in mind that these are just the options that are available when you start the campaign. You can unlock secret archetypes, such as the aforementioned Dark Crusader, along with the Lord, Radiant Purifier, and Putrid Child, depending on your actions throughout the game. Moreover, don’t forget that your journey is fraught with many dangers. As such, choosing the right class is only the first step. That’s why we suggest looking through our guides on the best Lords of the Fallen weapons and our recommended Lords of the Fallen builds to complement your playstyle.