Dark Souls III Starting Classes Compared

Every starting class in Dark Souls III with its level, stats and starting gear, side by side.

• Knight (level 9): Sturdy all-rounder with high Vitality and a great starting shield; ideal for a first run.
• Mercenary (level 8): Fast Dexterity fighter built around twinblade combos.
• Warrior (level 7): Strength brawler with lots of HP who hits hard with heavy weapons.
• Herald (level 9): Spear-and-shield fighter with a healing miracle; a good faith hybrid start.
• Thief (level 5): Low level and high Luck; great for item discovery, bleed and min-maxed builds.
• Assassin (level 10): Sneaky Dexterity fighter with a little sorcery and a parry shield.
• Sorcerer (level 6): Fragile caster who kills from range with sorceries; the classic mage start.
• Pyromancer (level 8): Balanced melee and fire magic; flexible and strong early.
• Cleric (level 7): Faith caster with healing and Force; leans into miracles and buffs.
• Deprived (level 1): Even stats and almost no gear; a blank slate for veterans and challenge runs.