5 best classes in Darkest Dungeons

Darkest Dungeon players often wonder what the best classes in the title are, considering they often like to experiment with hero classes, besides customizing heroes and trinkets. Part of the gameplay is to tinker around with hero, class, and trinket combinations to see how well a player can maximize a character's effectiveness. While there isn't a particular way to rank classes, the effectiveness of a particular class overall will help determine this list.

In this article, we will take a look at the top five best classes in Darkest Dungeons.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

Some of the best classes in Darkest Dungeons

1) Plague Doctor

The Plague Doctor is a support class hero who excels in healing abilities (Image via Red Hook Studios/YouTube-MischievousDemonLP)

The Plague Doctor is a support class hero that utilizes alchemy to damage foes and enhances their teammates to help them fight. With the correct abilities and gadgets, a well-positioned plague doctor may offer critical help for their team's survival.

Along with her regular healing powers, the Plague Doctor has excellent support and damaging abilities. If you lose a hero and need to replace her as a DPS character, she can still perform and defeat bosses. This makes the Plague Doctor one of the best classes in Darkest Dungeons.

2) Occultist

The Occultist is a high skill-ceiling ranged DPS (Image via Red Hook Studios/YouTube-MischievousDemonLP)

The Occultist is a difficult one to master, but with the appropriate setup, team composition, and trinket selections, he may be a fantastic choice. The occultist, a committed student of forbidden arts long forgotten, personifies the unpredictability and chaos of his area of study. He has access to several eldritch spells that allow him to deal incredible damage and provide powerful support spells that can restore a party member to full health.

The Warlock hero route is one of the most effective ranged DPS pathways available. It grants the Occultist's ranged skills extra damage, making these abilities very powerful in battle, making the Occultist one of the best classes in Darkest Dungeon.

3) Hellion

Hellion is a burst damage unit that heavily focuses on DOTs (Image via Red Hook Studios/YouTube-MischievousDemonLP)

The Hellion is a potent damage dealer and the Berserker route results in massive damage output. It's heavily DOT-focused, making it relevant to several top-tier competitions. It does have an HP debuff, however, this is easily handled with trinkets and buffs that boost her physical prowess and the ability to strike several targets at once.

She deserves to be in the front two rows of any party, even in multiplayer, that is committed to finishing the job once and for all. Her ability to generate massive damage bursts and adaptability necessitate a thorough understanding of timing, as well as the combination of her unique trinkets and placement. Therefore, she deserves a spot among the best classes in Darkest Dungeons.

4) Man-at-arms

Man-at-arms is a must-have tank unit for glass cannon parties (Image via Red Hook Studios/YouTube-MischievousDemonLP)

The Man-at-arms class is a tank built for a heavy-hitting melee character throughout all hero pathways, although the Vanguard path stands out as a pure tank hero path. It is a reliable pick for any party that features delicate glass cannon characters, like the Jester or the Occultist.

This class can protect any ally who has been marked by foul magic or a harmful skill, and accept damage in their place. They are also an excellent option for those who take a more tactical approach to the game. However, understanding their positioning and move timing is critical for their party's safety, thus, securing their spot as one of the best classes in Darkest Dungeons.

5) Highwayman

Highwayman is a ranged unit that synergizes well with units like Man-at-arms and Hellion (Image via Red Hook Studios/YouTube-MischievousDemonLP)

The Highwayman is most effective when teamed with adaptable and durable troops like the Man-at-arms and Hellion. Aside from constantly monitoring the back for Reynauld the Crusader, he more than established his value as a loyal party member in the first game. The Highwayman deals accurate ranged and melee strikes while moving freely around his group's lines.

One of the strongest aspects of this class is the ranged damage buff, which grants the Highwayman a damage boost to all of his ranged skills. This, along with the possibility of receiving a Strength token when using the Grapeshot ability, transforms the Highwayman into a formidable opponent. This makes Highwayman one of the best classes in Darkest Dungeons.