All starting classes in Lords of the Fallen explained

CI Games and Hexworks' latest action role-playing game, Lords of the Fallen, takes cues from a lot of other titles, predominantly FromSoftware's Souls-like role-playing games. While it is a Souls-like through and through, it does feature plenty of elements, both in its gameplay as well as narrative, that will feel foreign to veterans of the genre.

Fortunately, the opening few hours of the game are quite similar to any FromSoftware action role-playing game, i.e., Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. In typical Souls-like fashion, you begin with choosing your starting class, of which you have a good amount of choices, in terms of stats, weapons, and armor.

However, unlike other Souls-likes, your chosen starting class defines not only the experience you will have with the game in the opening few hours, but your entire journey through Axiom and Umbral instead. As such, choosing a starting class is arguably the most important early-game decision you will make in Lords of the Fallen.

Here's a comprehensive guide detailing all the starting classes in Lords of the Fallen. It will help you decide which class to pursue in order to facilitate your preferred playstyle.

What are all the starting classes in Lords of the Fallen?

The base game of Lords of the Fallen has nine starting classes, each with its own set of unique weapons, armor, and abilities. Hoever, if you pre-order the Deluxe Edition of the game, you will get access to another starting class - the Dark Crusader, right from the get go. It is otherwise obtained by getting one of the endings in the game.

Here's a breakdown of all the classes in Lords of the Fallen:

1) Hallowed Knight

The Hallowed Knight (Image via CI Games)

The Hallowed Knight is essentially the balanced starter class in Lords of the Fallen, with emphasis on strength. It comes with the Hallowed Knight set, the Hallowed Knight Sword, and Shield. If you're looking for a good and all-rounded strength build, with a few options for wielding the much more agile dexterity weapons, the Hallowed Knight class is the right choice.

2) Udirangr Warwolf

The Udirangr Warwolf (Image via CI Games)

The Udirangr Warwolf is essentially the quintessential strength build in Lords of the Fallen. Starting at level 12, the Udirangr Warwolf class is the best choice for players who want to focus exclsuviely on heavier and highest raw DPS weapons in the game, trading agility for pure strength and damage-dealing potential. This class starts with the Udirangr set and the Warwolf Sword.

3) Partisan

The Partisan is essenitally the best all-rounder starter class in Lords of the Fallen, with equal distribution of stats across the board that allows you to tailor your playstyle as you see fit. Starting at level 12, this starting class comes equipped with the Partisan set, Flail, Shield, and Crossbow, giving you multiple choices for both offense as well as defense.

4) Mournstead Infantry

The Mournstead Infantry (Image via CI Games)

The Mournstead Infantry is one of the toughest starting classes to center a build around, but its also one of the best when it comes to agility. This starting class comes with weapons and an armor set that focuses on agility, without spending too much stamina. If you plan on focusing on weapons like Spears and Halberds, this is the best class to choose.

5) Blackfeather Ranger

The Blackfeather Ranger (Image via CI Games)

The Blackfeather Ranger is another class that favors agility above other stats, similarly to the Mournstead Infantry. However, it differs on the front that it is one of the more skill-focused classes in Lords of the Fallen, with weapons that rely more on parrying and counterattacks than outright offense. It is best for players that want to adopt a parry-focused playstyle.

6) Exiled Stalker

The Exiled Stalker is essentially the pure "dexterity-based" class in CI Games' latest action role-playing game. Coming equipped with dual Exiled Stalker Daggers and a Lacerating Knife, this class focuses on skill as well as agility, trading its defenses for its swiftness in combat. If you're someone who liked games like Sekiro and Bloodborne, this is the right class for you.

7) Orian Preacher

The Orian Preacher is essentially the "faith" class in CI Games' latest Souls-like RPG, coming with the highest radiance stat out of all other starting classes in the game. It comes kitted with the Orian Preacher set, weapons, and the Catalyst. This class, when fully mastered, can become as formidable as the strongest of faith/incantation-based variants in games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

8) Pyric Cultist

As the name might suggest, the Pyric Cultist is essentially the pyromancer class, with the ability to go with either pure pyromancy or "Umbral" magic route. It has the highest scaling in the inferno stat, coupled with Pyric Cultist Staff and the Catalyst. Hence, it is easily the most powerful spell-focused starting class in the game, best for players who want to trade traditional melee weapons for pure magic.

9) Condemned

Lastly, the Condemned, which is basically the "wretch/exiled" class of Lords of the Fallen, comes with the most balanced stat distribution and the worst possible starting weapons. Fortunately, if you're planning a challenge run or want a class that lets you decide your path of attribute mastery, this is the best option for you, given its lack of specialization in any specific stat.

Lastly, you also have the Deluxe Edition-exclusive class the Dark Crusader, which is essentially Hallowed Knight with a better and much more powerful starting weapon set, i.e., Dark Crusader Sword and Shield. Fortunately, the Dark Crusader can also be unlocked by finishing the game once, and is available to select on a fresh new save.