Elden Ring Classes: Every Starting Class and Which to Pick

There are twelve Elden Ring classes as of November 2026: the original ten (Vagabond, Warrior, Hero, Bandit, Astrologer, Prophet, Samurai, Prisoner, Confessor and Wretch) plus the Heavy Knight and Idus Knight added with the Tarnished Pack on 28 August 2026. For a first playthrough the Vagabond is the easiest recommendation, the Samurai is the most popular all-rounder, and the Astrologer or Confessor are the best starts if you want magic. Below is what every class gives you, how much the choice really matters, and how the two new knights compare to the classic picks.

We checked every number here against the Fextralife classes and class pages, the Elden Ring wiki on wiki.gg, Bandai Namco's patch 1.17 notes and the Tarnished Edition launch announcement in November 2026.

How Much Your Starting Class Really Matters

An Elden Ring class, which the game calls an origin, sets only two things: your starting attributes and your starting gear. It does not lock you into a playstyle, a skill tree or a spell school. A Vagabond can become a sorcerer and a Wretch can end up in heavy armor swinging a colossal sword. Every point you put in later goes wherever you want it.

The one lasting effect is a floor. Fextralife's rebirth page notes that when you respec with Rennala, you cannot lower any attribute below the starting value set by your origin. That is why your class matters more for late-game efficiency than for the first hours. A Prophet who later goes pure Strength still carries 16 Faith they never use, while a Wretch starts with 10 in everything and wastes almost nothing.

Starting level follows the stats. Every class has the same baseline, and the more points it starts with, the higher its rune level. The Wretch begins at level 1, the Bandit at 5, and the Heavy Knight and Confessor sit at the top at level 10. A higher starting level is not a head start in power so much as points already placed for you.

So the useful questions are simple. Which class has the stats closest to the build you want? Which one gives you gear you will actually use in the first ten hours? And how much Vigor does it start with, since that decides how many hits you can take while you learn the game?

The Best Classes for New Players

Fextralife's class page names the Vagabond as its top pick for beginners and melee players, citing well-rounded stats and high Vigor. That holds up. It starts at level 9 with 15 Vigor, the highest of the original ten, along with 14 Strength and 13 Dexterity, which covers most early weapons. You get a Longsword, a Halberd, a Heater Shield and the full Vagabond Knight armor set, which is heavy enough to absorb mistakes.

The Samurai is the class most experienced players reach for. At level 9 it has 12 Vigor, 13 Endurance and 15 Dexterity, and it starts with the Uchigatana, a Longbow with 20 Arrows and 10 Fire Arrows, and a Red Thorn Roundshield. A katana from the first minute means you rarely need to hunt for a weapon upgrade early, and the bow lets you pull enemies one at a time or soften up a boss from range.

The Confessor is the beginner pick for anyone curious about faith magic. It starts at level 10 with 14 Faith and 12 in both Strength and Dexterity, along with a Broadsword, a Blue Crest Heater Shield, a Finger Seal and two incantations: Urgent Heal and Assassin's Approach. A healing spell this early is a genuine safety net, and the weapon stats keep you flexible if you change your mind about magic.

Whichever you pick, pair it with the right starting item. Our guide to choosing the best keepsake explains why the Golden Seed and the Stonesword Key are the two that most new players should look at first.

Magic Starts: Astrologer, Prisoner and Prophet

If you already know you want to cast spells, the stat floors start to matter. The Astrologer is the dedicated sorcery class: level 6, 16 Intelligence and 15 Mind, with the Astrologer's Staff, a Short Sword, a Scripture Wooden Shield and two spells, Glintstone Pebble and Glintstone Arc. Glintstone Pebble alone carries many players through Limgrave. The tradeoff is the lowest Vigor in the original lineup at 9, so the Astrologer has to keep its distance.

The Prisoner is the hybrid answer. At level 9 it carries 14 Intelligence and 14 Dexterity, with an Estoc, a Glintstone Staff, a Rift Shield and the Magic Glintblade sorcery. That spread suits players who want to mix sharp weapons with sorcery from the start, and the Estoc's thrusting attacks pair well with a shield.

The Prophet is the faith specialist, with the highest starting Faith of any class at 16 and 14 Mind. It begins at level 7 with a Short Spear, a Finger Seal, a Rickety Shield and the Heal and Catch Flame incantations. Its weakness is 8 Endurance, which limits both stamina and how much armor you can wear without slowing down. For most faith builds, the Confessor is the easier start, and the Prophet makes the most sense if you plan to stay with incantations all game.

All three magic starts benefit from respec later if you change direction. Our Larval Tear location guide covers where to find the tears that rebirth costs, including the ones you can buy outright.

Strength, Dexterity and Arcane Starts

The Hero is the classic Strength class. It starts at level 7 with 16 Strength and 14 Vigor, carrying a Battle Axe, a Large Leather Shield and the Champion armor set. Its 7 Intelligence and 8 Faith make it the weakest base for any magic hybrid, but for a pure Strength character it is efficient.

The Warrior is the Dexterity counterpart, at level 8 with 16 Dexterity and a pair of Scimitars plus a Riveted Wooden Shield. Dual wielding is fun early on, but 11 Vigor and light armor mean you will feel every hit.

The Bandit starts at level 5 with 14 Arcane, the highest Arcane of any class, and 13 Dexterity. It carries a Great Knife, a Shortbow with 30 Bone Arrows and a Buckler for parries. The low level makes it efficient for Arcane and bleed builds, but 10 Vigor and a parry-focused shield make it one of the harder classes to learn the game with.

The Wretch starts at level 1 with 10 in every attribute, a Club and no armor at all. It is a challenge pick and a favorite for experienced players because it has the fewest locked points, but it is a rough first hour for a newcomer.

The New Classes: Heavy Knight and Idus Knight

Patch 1.17 arrived on 27 August 2026, and the Tarnished Pack followed on 28 August. Bandai Namco's announcement lists two new starting classes, four new armor sets and three new looks for Torrent. On Nintendo Switch 2, both classes are included in Elden Ring Tarnished Edition by default. On PlayStation, Xbox and Steam they come with the paid Tarnished Pack, and like every class they only appear when you create a new character.

The Heavy Knight starts at level 10 with 14 Vigor, 17 Endurance, 15 Strength and 11 Dexterity, according to Fextralife. Its 17 Endurance is the highest starting Endurance of any class, which means more stamina and a higher equip load from the first minute. It carries the Hefty Scimitar and the Steel armor set. For a player who wants to fight in heavy armor with a big curved blade, it is the most direct start the game has ever offered.

The Idus Knight starts at level 7 with 10 Vigor, 12 Mind, 11 Endurance, 13 Strength, 15 Dexterity and 11 Faith. Fextralife lists the Idus Sword, the Silver Grooved Shield and the Silver Grooved armor set as its gear. Its stats lean toward a quality build with a little Faith, and its low Arcane of 6 makes it a poor fit for bleed.

Bandai Namco's patch notes add that the new class gear can also be bought from merchants or found in the world, so you are not locked out of it on an existing character. If you are playing on the new console, our Switch 2 Tarnished Edition guide covers what else comes in that version.

Starting Stats for Every Class

All twelve origins side by side, as listed on Fextralife. The two Tarnished Pack classes are marked.

Elden Ring starting class levels and attributes (Fextralife, November 2026)

Class	Level	VIG	MND	END	STR	DEX	INT	FTH	ARC
Vagabond	9	15	10	11	14	13	9	9	7
Warrior	8	11	12	11	10	16	10	8	9
Hero	7	14	9	12	16	9	7	8	11
Bandit	5	10	11	10	9	13	9	8	14
Astrologer	6	9	15	9	8	12	16	7	9
Prophet	7	10	14	8	11	10	7	16	10
Samurai	9	12	11	13	12	15	9	8	8
Prisoner	9	11	12	11	11	14	14	6	9
Confessor	10	10	13	10	12	12	9	14	9
Wretch	1	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10
Heavy Knight (Tarnished Pack)	10	14	8	17	15	11	7	8	9
Idus Knight (Tarnished Pack)	7	10	12	11	13	15	8	11	6

Read the table by the stat you will raise most. A Strength build wants the Hero or Heavy Knight, Dexterity wants the Samurai or Warrior, Intelligence wants the Astrologer, Faith wants the Prophet or Confessor, and Arcane wants the Bandit. If you have no plan yet, the Vagabond's high Vigor buys the most forgiveness. Once you have a class, our recommended Elden Ring boss order shows the level ranges each region expects.

If You Want Every Build Open From Day One

Choosing a class is less stressful when you can try several builds without starting over. The store's best starter modded save gives you four characters at the very beginning of the game, with zero bosses defeated, each at max level 713 with every item, including all sorceries, incantations, weapons, armor and the updated Tarnished Edition items, according to its product page.

It is for PS4 and PS5 only, and you must already own Elden Ring with Shadow of the Erdtree purchased and installed, plus an active PlayStation Plus subscription on the same account. The team transfers the save by logging into your account after checkout. Details are on the best starter save page, and everything else is in the Elden Ring store section.

Frequently Asked Questions