Some older references describe Flash-era activation and historical mobile prices. Treat those details as platform history, not guaranteed current store pricing. The stage-based Steam unlock order is the most useful progression reference for current PC play.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
The original Kingdom Rush has 13 heroes: Gerald Lightseeker, Alleria Swiftwind, Malik Hammerfury, Bolin Farslayer, Magnus Spellbane, Ignus, King Denas, Elora Wintersong, Ingvar Bearclaw, Hacksaw, Oni, Thor, and Ten’Shi. On mobile, the first three and Ten’Shi are earned through campaign progress, while the other heroes are normally premium purchases. On Steam, the roster is unlocked through specific campaign stages rather than separate hero purchases. Gerald is the easiest all-purpose recommendation, while Ten’Shi, Ignus, Elora, and Oni are strong specialist choices.
Roster
All 13 heroes and what they do
Heroes are controllable battlefield units rather than permanent towers. Move them between lanes, place them at a choke point, or pull them back before they are defeated. They gain experience by fighting during a stage, unlock two abilities at set levels, and return to level 1 when the stage ends.
The roles below are practical descriptions based on attack style, durability, mobility, and ability design. They are recommendations for choosing a hero, not official class labels.
| Hero | Primary role | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Gerald Lightseeker | Defensive melee tank | Hold a choke point, protect barracks, and improve nearby troops. |
| Alleria Swiftwind | Mobile ranged damage | Pick off light enemies and support a lane from behind the front line. |
| Malik Hammerfury | Durable melee bruiser | Stall tough enemies and add reliable close-range damage. |
| Bolin Farslayer | Ranged artillery support | Attack groups from a distance and help soften packed waves. |
| Magnus Spellbane | Teleporting magic attacker | Deal magic damage, reposition quickly, and exploit separated lanes. |
| Ignus | Fast melee damage dealer | Clear clusters and pressure enemies with high mobility. |
| King Denas | Ranged support fighter | Add dependable ranged damage while supporting a defensive setup. |
| Elora Wintersong | Control-oriented mage | Slow or disrupt groups and buy time against dangerous waves. |
| Ingvar Bearclaw | Heavy melee bruiser | Anchor a lane against strong ground enemies. |
| Hacksaw | High-armor melee fighter | Absorb punishment and stay active in prolonged fights. |
| Oni | Aggressive melee boss killer | Duel elite targets while contributing area pressure. |
| Thor | Durable area-damage fighter | Disrupt packed groups and survive in the middle of a wave. |
| Ten’Shi | Mobile crowd-control melee hero | Teleport into danger, stall groups, and escape when needed. |
These are the original game's heroes. Kingdom Rush: Frontiers and Kingdom Rush Origins have separate rosters, so names such as Alric, Bruxa, Catha, or Faustus do not belong in this list.
Unlocks
How to unlock the full roster
The answer depends on where you play. Do not use a mobile unlock list for Steam, or assume that a hero bought on one storefront transfers to another. The original game's documented progression differs between Flash, mobile, and Steam editions.
- Mobile: Gerald, Alleria, and Malik are tied to campaign progress through Pagras, Silveroak Forest, and Coldstep Mines. Ten’Shi becomes available after Forsaken Valley. The remaining heroes are generally premium content on mobile.
- Steam: Gerald unlocks at Twin Rivers; Alleria at The Citadel; Malik and Bolin at Icewind Pass; Magnus at Stormcloud Temple; Ignus and Ten’Shi at Forsaken Valley; the remaining heroes unlock at The Dark Tower.
- Flash: older documentation describes a Hero Room and star-based activation. This is legacy information and may not apply to modern storefront versions.
- If a purchased hero appears locked, use the platform’s restore-purchases option or relaunch the game under the account that made the purchase.
For the complete roster without individual mobile purchases, the Steam edition is the clearest documented option: play the campaign until each listed stage is reached. Heroes may unlock on reaching a stage rather than only after winning it, depending on the edition.
Recommendations
Which hero should you use?
For a first campaign run, Gerald is the safest recommendation. His durability and defensive abilities make mistakes less punishing, especially when combined with a barracks choke point. Alleria is a good alternative when a level has many weak enemies or flying targets that benefit from ranged pressure.
Once available, Ten’Shi is a strong free choice for players who actively reposition their hero. His mobility and crowd-control tools reward frequent movement, but he is less forgiving if left in the wrong place. If you have premium access, Ignus is the straightforward damage pick, Elora is useful for control, and Oni is suited to aggressive melee play.
- Choose Gerald for holding a lane and supporting barracks.
- Choose Alleria or Magnus when ranged or magic damage matters more than durability.
- Choose Elora when slowing and controlling groups is more valuable than raw damage.
- Choose Ignus, Oni, or Thor when you want the hero to fight directly inside enemy clusters.
- Choose Ten’Shi when you are comfortable with active movement and timing.
Hero strength depends on the stage, difficulty, tower layout, and how often you move the unit. A durable hero can be better than a higher-damage hero when a level has several leaks or multiple paths.
Mechanics
How heroes work in battle
In the original game, hero experience is temporary. A hero begins each stage at level 1, gains experience by attacking enemies, and can reach level 10 before the battle ends. Higher levels improve the hero's performance and strengthen abilities, but that progress does not carry into the next stage.
Heroes can be defeated without being permanently lost. After a respawn timer, they return to the battlefield, so retreating a damaged hero is often better than allowing a defeat at a critical chokepoint. Their movement is also part of the strategy: send them to a leak, reinforce a barracks, or intercept a dangerous elite enemy.
- Place melee heroes where they can stall enemies without being surrounded too early.
- Keep ranged heroes behind barracks or other units that can absorb hits.
- Move teleporting heroes such as Magnus or Ten’Shi between lanes instead of leaving them idle.
- Level a hero early by letting them safely fight weaker enemies, then reserve abilities for elite waves or bosses.
Hero levels are separate from the permanent star upgrades bought between stages. Star upgrades improve your overall army and spells; hero experience only affects the current battle.
Scope
Original game versus Origins
Searches for “Origins heroes” often return a different roster because Kingdom Rush Origins is a prequel with its own heroes, tower system, and progression. This page is for the first Kingdom Rush campaign and its 13-character roster.
If you are playing Origins, do not expect the original unlock stages or mobile purchase groupings to match. Confirm the game subtitle before following an unlock guide, especially when looking up names, abilities, or hero rankings.
FAQ
Common questions
How many heroes are in the original Kingdom Rush?
There are 13: Gerald, Alleria, Malik, Bolin, Magnus, Ignus, King Denas, Elora, Ingvar, Hacksaw, Oni, Thor, and Ten’Shi.
How do you unlock all heroes in Kingdom Rush?
On Steam, progress through the campaign: later heroes unlock at stages including Twin Rivers, The Citadel, Icewind Pass, Stormcloud Temple, Forsaken Valley, and The Dark Tower. On mobile, only four are documented as campaign unlocks, with the rest generally sold as premium content.
Are Kingdom Rush heroes permanent level 10 characters?
No. In the original game, heroes gain experience during a stage, can reach level 10, and then reset to level 1 when the stage ends.
Is Gerald the best hero?
Gerald is the best general-purpose recommendation for many players because he is durable and easy to use. He is not universally best; Ten’Shi, Ignus, Elora, and Oni can outperform him in situations that reward mobility, crowd control, or aggressive damage.
Are Origins heroes the same as the original game's heroes?
No. Origins has a separate hero roster and separate progression. This database covers only the first Kingdom Rush game.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.
- OfficialIronhide Game Studio: Kingdom Rush official game page
- CommunityKingdom Rush Wiki: Heroes - Kingdom Rush
- ReferencePocket Gamer: Kingdom Rush best heroes and original-game statistics
- OfficialIronhide Game Studio: Kingdom Rush Origins official game page
- OfficialIronhide support: restoring Kingdom Rush purchases on Android