This page contains the full roster and spoiler-level unlock information. It does not reproduce every character’s complete weapon statistics.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
Army of Ruin has 24 playable characters: Saul, Ariana, Ogol, Lanyz, Bhask, Ker, Experiment XIX, Samael, Kyros, Nekros, Selina, Jeanne, Mork, Traxx, Tabia, Michi, Kroat, Vildasor, Tisha, Diana, Neptune, Midas, Abaddon and Azazel. Saul and Ariana are the starting heroes. The remaining characters are unlocked through challenge rewards, stage progression, ruin-level objectives and special-boss conditions. Open Unlocks, choose Characters, and select a locked portrait to see its exact requirement.
Roster
All 24 playable characters
The game does not use a conventional class system. Each playable character starts with a personal weapon and has a unique special attack plus passive traits. Those three elements define the character’s practical role more than a formal class label does.
The list below separates the original hero roster from hero variants. Variants are not merely cosmetic skins: they are playable characters with their own primary weapons, special skills and passive effects.
| Group | Characters | Practical role or identity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting heroes | Saul; Ariana | Saul is a straightforward ranged wizard who benefits from improving trinkets. Ariana is a close-range warrior with strong reach, scaling attack damage and an invulnerability attack. |
| Core heroes | Ogol; Lanyz; Bhask; Ker; Experiment XIX; Samael | Distinct specialist heroes built around their own weapons, active skills and passive combinations. Use the character screen to compare their exact numbers before choosing a build. |
| Hero variants | Kyros; Nekros; Selina; Jeanne; Mork; Traxx; Tabia; Michi; Kroat; Vildasor; Tisha; Diana; Neptune; Midas; Abaddon; Azazel | Alternative playstyles that reuse some visual or thematic identity while changing the starting weapon, special attack and passive traits. |
The game’s official store page confirms 24 characters, while the full name-by-name roster is best checked against the community character reference. If your platform shows a different count, check whether it is displaying only core heroes or excluding variants.
Roles
How to choose a hero
Saul is the safest first choice if you prefer distance and a simple weapon pattern. His passive rewards collecting and upgrading trinkets, so he becomes more attractive in runs where your equipment levels climb steadily. His Magic Missiles special attack gives him emergency area coverage, although his starting weapon is less forgiving when enemies become tougher.
Ariana is the easier recommendation for players who like direct control and aggressive movement. Her Quicksilver Spears offer strong forward reach, while Shell provides invulnerability and contact damage. That combination lets her attack bosses, escape crowds and survive mistakes, but the narrow attack pattern rewards deliberate positioning.
Ogol is a melee sustain option. His Wolf’s Fang is short-ranged and powerful, while his health and regeneration tools help him remain in danger zones longer than a fragile ranged hero. The trade-off is that he needs complementary weapons or attack-size improvements to cover enemies outside his immediate reach.
For the other heroes and variants, avoid treating the roster as a fixed tier list. The best choice depends on the stage, ruin level, unlocked equipment and the challenge you are attempting. Compare attack direction, range, cooldown, health, movement and special-attack coverage before committing to a run.
- Choose Saul for a simple ranged starting point and trinket-focused scaling.
- Choose Ariana for controlled melee pressure, boss damage and defensive safety.
- Choose Ogol when you want a durable close-range specialist.
- Choose a variant when its passive directly supports the weapon or challenge you plan to use.
Unlocks
How to unlock the roster
The developer’s guidance is straightforward: open Unlocks, select Characters and inspect the locked portrait. The menu shows the exact condition when it is available, or gives a hint when the requirement depends on a stage, weapon or feature that you have not unlocked yet.
Most core-character unlocks are tied to star challenges on particular missions. Later variants commonly use more demanding progression such as reaching a ruin level, defeating every special boss in a stage or completing an objective with a named hero. This means simply clearing a stage may not be enough.
For example, the reference list records Ogol as requiring a weapon-progression objective involving Crawling Root on Defiled Graveyard I. Selina is tied to defeating all Special Bosses in Defiled Graveyard II at Ruin Level I while using Ariana. These examples show why checking the target portrait matters: the required stage, hero, item and difficulty can all be specific.
Do not rely on old early-access lists that say the game has six, 19 or another smaller number of characters. Those counts describe earlier updates. The completed roster is larger, and the 1.0-era Steam store listing advertises 24 characters.
- Open the main-menu Unlocks screen.
- Select Characters rather than Weapons or Features.
- Read the portrait’s condition or hint before entering a stage.
- Unlock the required stage, item or ruin level first if the condition is hidden.
- Repeat the challenge with the named hero or equipment exactly as requested.
- Return to the character screen after the run to confirm the reward.
If a condition mentions Special Bosses, explore the stage rather than rushing the normal objective. If it mentions an item, unlock or equip that item first; the game may not reveal the complete character condition until its prerequisite exists.
Named questions
Common character questions
There is no single universally best hero for every mission. Saul, Ariana and Ogol demonstrate three different strengths: ranged scaling, controlled melee pressure and durable close-range fighting. Later variants are often more specialized, so a character that feels awkward on a normal run may be excellent for one challenge or ruin-level objective.
The roster also rewards learning the difference between a character and a universal weapon. A hero’s starting weapon is unique to that hero at first, but weapon-progression challenges can later make it available to the wider cast. That lets you build around a favorite weapon without always using its original owner.
FAQ
Common questions
How many characters are in Army of Ruin?
There are 24 playable characters in the completed roster. That total includes eight core heroes and 16 hero variants.
Which characters are available at the start?
Saul and Ariana are the two starting heroes. Every other character must be unlocked through gameplay progression.
How do I unlock characters?
Open Unlocks, choose Characters and inspect the locked portrait. Requirements can involve star challenges, a particular stage, a named weapon, a ruin level or defeating Special Bosses.
Are hero variants just skins?
No. They may share visual or thematic elements with another hero, but variants have different starting weapons, special attacks and passive traits, so they play as separate characters.
Who is the best character for beginners?
Saul is the simplest ranged option, while Ariana is usually the clearest melee choice because Shell gives both protection and damage. Try both before deciding which movement and attack pattern suits you.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.