Elden Ring: All 12 Classes, Ranked

Updated  Sep 12, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT

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The mega-popular action-adventure RPG Elden Ring has been a huge success for years now, and its latest update has added two new classes to the game. These can be accessed in the Tarnished Edition or the paid Tarnished Pack upgrade, expanding the overall roster to twelve distinct classes.

You can play any type of character with any class in Elden Ring, but some will prove more effective for certain builds than others. By choosing a class that gets off the ground quickly and serves a specific purpose well, you can get a jump start on success in Elden Ring. For the purpose of this list, classes have been subdivided into four tiers, but that doesn't mean that a low-tier class isn't worth playing.

Wretch - C-Tier

The only C-Tier class member to play with during is Wretch, a listless character with no armor, spells, or weapons to defend themselves with at the start of the game. Only masterful Souls gamers would even think to play Elden Ring with this character; otherwise, players should expect a swift demise.

With a rock-bottom Level 1 starting point, Wretch can only obtain a marginal club to deal insignificant damage. Moreover, all of Wretch's 8 base stats level out at 10, which is far inferior to the other collective class types in the game. That being said, a Wretch can eventually be built into a good character, and it can provide an immersive (but challenging) start to the game.

Prisoner - B-Tier

With a Level 6 Start, Prisoner is the least impressive of the B-Tiers in Elden Ring. That said, Prisoner balances an equal mixture of Intelligence and Dexterity (14) to go with a Magic Glintblade spell, an iron mask, rift shield, and Glintstone Staff. As such, Prisoner is best suited for longer runs in the game.

The problem with Prisoner is their weak starting position (8 Strength score) that comes with zero body armor, making the character easily immune to heavy damage. With lackluster Faith (6) and Arcane (9) stats to boot, Prisoner is less impressive than most other options.

Prophet - B-Tier

Thanks to its excellent Faith (16) and Mind stats (14), Prophet can protect themselves through a host of deadly spells fairly early in the game. While they lack armor, the Level 7 starter is a solid B-Tier to play with. The character is best used for those who want to focus on spellcasting first and foremost.

However, Prophet is vulnerable to being outwitted and outmuscled due to their lower Intelligence (7) and Strength (8) stats, making it imperative for players to conjure the right incantation to defeat their foes.

Bandit - B-Tier

The most superior B-Tier class is Bandit, an excellent archer with supreme Dexterity (13) and top-notch Arcane stats (14) that make them hard to outsmart and overpower with curses. Armed with a Great Knife to go with a Shortbow, Bandit can do battle up close or at range with equal results. The diversity gives them a leg up.

Bandit's biggest vulnerabilities include a fairly low damage rate, making it necessary to sustain prolonged boss battles. Save for a buckler, Bandit lacks armor and protection as well, making it best to fire arrows at a safe distance.

Confessor - A-Tier

A-Tier classes in Elden Ring are ideal for beginners and experts alike in Elden Ring. With an extremely balanced stat line across the board, Confessor has a 10 starting level to go with dual starting spells, a Broadsword/Finger Seal weapon, and Blue Crest Heater Shield that makes them very difficult to defeat.

Outranking many in Dexterity (12), Strength (12), Mind (13), and Faith (14), Confessor can outmaneuver, outmuscle, and out-heal most of their opponents. However, with low Intelligence (9) and Stamina (10), Confessor can be outsmarted and outlasted in battle given the right enemy. A flexible class is ideal for those who want to build their character over time.

Heavy Knight - A-Tier

As one of the new additions in the Tarnished Pack, Heavy Knight makes for a compelling class in Elden Ring. The biggest draw here is the starting value of 17 Endurance, offering plenty of stamina and making it possible to equip heavier armor without sacrificing rolls. This makes it an easy option to build for those who want a melee focus, which can make Elden Ring a fairly straightforward action RPG to play.

That being said, the Heavy Knight's melee strengths (14 Vigor, 17 Endurance, 15 Strength, and 11 Dexterity) come at an obvious cost to spellcasting possibilities (8 Mind, 7 Intelligence, 8 Faith, 9 Arcane). If you think you might want to dabble in spellcasting, this will leave you lagging behind, so a more balanced class might be a better alternative.

Idus Knight - A-Tier

Both Tarnished Pack additions are good options of relatively equal value, depending on what you'd like your character's specialty to be. The Idus Knight is much more agile than the Heavy Knight, with 15 Dexterity to keep things moving. It's also more capable in other regards, with respectable values for Mind (12) and Faith (11).

Compared to other dexterity-focused classes, the Idus Knight is consequently more capable of effectively using healing abilities, which could keep it alive when its light armor falters. It might be a little harder to build than some other dexterity options, though, preventing it from climbing into an S-tier ranking.

Astrologer - A-Tier

Despite starting at Level 6, Astrologer has too much mental acuity to contend with. The A-Tier class boasts staggering 15 and 16 Mind and Intelligence stats, giving them the ability to channel powerful spells on par with a sorcerer. As such, Astrologer is great at taking on large groups at once.

Bolstered by the Astrologer's Staff, Short Sword, and Scripture Wooden Shield, Astrologer has sorcery skills with a solid arsenal to inflict severe damage. However, with poor Strength (8), Endurance (9), and zero armor, the Astrologer is best suited to cast deadly spells from far range.

Samurai - A-Tier

The best A-Tier class in Elden Ring is Samurai, a highly efficient warrior in close combat and far-ranging battles. Aside from impenetrable armor from head to toe, Samurai has an indomitable will that is hard to contend with. Samurai boasts superior Strength (12), Vigor (12), Endurance (13), and Dexterity (15), the combo of which is truly stunning.

Despite lacking arcane magic, Samurai could easily defeat most foes with the aforementioned stats. But when coupled with their Uchigatana Long Bow, Red Thorn Roundshield, and Land of Reeds Helm, Armor, Gauntlets, and Greaves armor, Samurai is doubly dangerous.

Warrior - S-Tier

As per usual, S-Tier is the most superior class rank in Elden Ring. Of the three S-Tiers, Warrior is an awesome melee expert with towering Arcane (14) and Dexterity (16) stats to go with their mighty dual Scimitars and solid armor. Despite the absence of ranged weapons, Warrior is one of the three best classes to play in Elden Ring.

As both a beginner-friendly class and an option that can be flexible for experts making a deep run, Warrior lets gamers play instinctually without overthinking things too much, allowing for visceral melee combat. Thanks to their armored appendages, defeating Warrior will take a direct hit to their head or chest with expert precision.