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Classes in Dark Souls 3 are different from most RPGs in that they don’t lock players into a playstyle. Instead, they give players different equipment to start with alongside different starting stats. While a player’s class doesn’t matter much in PvE, it can make or break builds in PvP. Considering all of these factors, here are all ten of Dark Souls 3’s classes ranked from worst to best.
Updated February 10th, 2021 by Charles Burgar: Creating a character in Dark Souls 3 can be difficult. Players have to determine their preferred playstyle, choose their starting class, then pick a starting gift. Choosing your class is by no means a world-ending decision considering how flexible Dark Souls 3 is with its leveling, yet choosing the right class can be essential for invading other players or starting on the right foot. To make this decision a little bit easier, every section now lists the stats and gear each class starts with.
10 Assassin
Assassin Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 10 Vigor: 10 Attunement: 14 Endurance: 11 Vitality: 10 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 11 Faith: 9 Luck: 10 Weapons: Estoc, Target Shield, Sorcerer’s Staff Armor: Assassin Set Spell: Spook
Nearly every class in Dark Souls 3 has a place, whether that comes from their stat distribution or starting gear. Sadly, the Assassin is the main exception to this rule. This class is an objectively bad choice no matter the build a player is striving for. While they start with the great Estoc, the Assassin’s stat distribution is so bad that they lag behind every other class in the game in terms of Soul Level.
9 Thief
Assassin Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 10 Vigor: 10 Attunement: 14 Endurance: 11 Vitality: 10 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 14 Intelligence: 11 Faith: 9 Luck: 10 Weapons: Estoc, Target Shield, Sorcerer’s Staff Armor: Assassin Set Spell: Spook
The Thief starting class comes with the Bandit’s Knife and Iron Round Shield. These items are fantastic for parrying and counter-attacking opponents, meaning that the Thief is best used by experienced players.
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Its stat distribution lags behind every other class except for luck builds, meaning Thieves are best when players want to make a dedicated bleed build. Sadly, this style of build is so niche that it offers little when compared to other choices.
8 Herald
Herald Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 9 Vigor: 12 Attunement: 10 Endurance: 9 Vitality: 12 Strength: 12 Dexterity: 11 Intelligence: 8 Faith: 13 Luck: 11 Weapons: Spear, Kite Shield, Talisman Armor: Herald Set Spell: Heal
Heralds are meant to be Dark Souls 3’s answer to a Paladin-style class, but they lack the stat distribution to make this style of build optimal for Soul Level 120 PvP. If players disregard PvP, though, Heralds offer a solid amount as a starter.
Their spear and shield combo allows them to attack and block simultaneously, giving them one extra layer of defense against aggressive foes. They also have the ability to cast the Heal Aid miracle right from the start. Newer players that play cautiously might enjoy this class. Just make sure the stamina bar never reaches zero while blocking.
7 Sorcerer
Sorcerer Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 6 Vigor: 9 Attunement: 16 Endurance: 9 Vitality: 7 Strength: 7 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 16 Faith: 7 Luck: 12 Weapons: Mail Breaker, Sorcerer’s Staff, Leather Shield Armor: Sorcerer Set Spells: Soul Arrow, Heavy Soul Arrow
Sorcerers are easily the hardest class to start as in Dark Souls 3. They have the lowest starting health, have little stamina, and their spells require a solid chunk of FP. With all of those negatives aside, this is the best class in Dark Souls 3 to use for players that want to make a dedicated intelligence spellcaster or a dexterity/intelligence hybrid.
6 Knight
Knight Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 9 Vigor: 12 Attunement: 10 Endurance: 11 Vitality: 15 Strength: 13 Dexterity: 12 Intelligence: 9 Faith: 9 Luck: 7 Weapons: Longsword, Knight Shield Armor: Knight Set
Knights are the most commonly picked class in Dark Souls 3, and for good reason. Knights start with the Longsword, one of the best weapons in the game. They also have a 100% physical absorption shield. What’s more, they focus on raw damage thanks to a high strength and dexterity stat. In other words, quality builds are best on Knights, and newer players should definitely start as this class.
5 Cleric
Cleric Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 7 Vigor: 10 Attunement: 14 Endurance: 9 Vitality: 7 Strength: 12 Dexterity: 8 Intelligence: 7 Faith: 16 Luck: 13 Weapons: Mace, Sacred Chime, Blue Wooden Shield Armor: Cleric Set (lacks head armor) Spells: Heal, Force
Fans of Paladin characters should consider selecting the Cleric as their starter. This class starts with the solid Mace melee weapon and a Blue Wooden Shield for some added defense. What makes this class truly shine is its versatility. Heal is a fantastic miracle while Force can trivialize NPC fights like the Master encounter near Firelink Shrine’s tower.
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Clerics also have tons of luck to start to help with farming items and building up bleed on weapons such as the Morning Star. To top all of that off, this character has the best stat distribution for pure faith or strength/faith hybrid builds—something worth considering for players that care about hitting Soul Level 120 for PvP.
4 Deprived
Deprived Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 1 Vigor: 10 Attunement: 10 Endurance: 10 Vitality: 10 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 10 Faith: 10 Luck: 10 Weapons: Club, Plank Shield Armor: Loincloth
Experienced Dark Souls 3 players typically choose the Deprived as their starting class. Newer players might think this is a bad choice, as it starts with little gear, but the Deprived has a great general stat distribution for those that care about their Soul Level. Having ten in every stat at level one is incredibly useful for getting any build working in a short timespan—just make sure to find armor pieces as soon as possible!
3 Pyromancer
Pyromancer Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 8 Vigor: 11 Attunement: 12 Endurance: 10 Vitality: 8 Strength: 12 Dexterity: 9 Intelligence: 14 Faith: 14 Luck: 7 Weapons: Hand Axe, Caduceus Round Shield, Pyromancy Flame Armor: Pyromancer Set Spell: Fire Ball Ring: Great Swamp Ring
Spellblades or characters that wish to use fire and dark will want to play as a Pyromancer. This class has a fantastic starting weapon, a good ranged damage option with their Fire Ball pyromancy, great stat distribution, and they even come with a shield that can parry enemies.
Most enemies are weak to fire in the earlier stages of Dark Souls 3, which makes their already great Fire Ball a top-tier pyromancy. Whether a player is new or a Souls veteran, the Pyromancer is a great choice.
2 Warrior
Warrior Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 7 Vigor: 14 Attunement: 6 Endurance: 12 Vitality: 11 Strength: 16 Dexterity: 9 Intelligence: 8 Faith: 9 Luck: 11 Weapons: Battle Axe, Round Shield Armor: Northern Set
Warriors start with the highest strength stat out of any class. Thanks to their low attunement and caster-related stats, Warriors are the best choice for melee-focused builds. Pure strength, strength/intelligence hybrids, and any luck hybrid build works best with Warriors. They also start with the Battle Axe, a formidable weapon that trivializes some of Dark Souls 3’s earlier encounters.
1 Mercenary
Mercenary Stats And Gear
Soul Level: 8 Vigor: 11 Attunement: 12 Endurance: 11 Vitality: 10 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 16 Intelligence: 10 Faith: 8 Luck: 9 Weapons: Sellsword Twinblades, Wooden Shield Armor: Sellsword Set
Mercenaries might not have the best stat distribution when compared to Warriors, but Mercanries start with the best weapon in the game: the Sellsword Twinblades. This weapon will single-handedly carry players to the end of Dark Souls 3 as long as they invest in dexterity.
Disregarding starting gear, Mercenaries have the best stat distribution for pure dexterity builds and any dexterity/faith hybrid setups. Katanas and most fast-attacking weapons are best on Mercenaries. For those that care about strickly stats, Warrior is a better choice. If players want a better leveling experience, though, the Mercenary is a better option.
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