Some older guides list different totals, especially for Medic and Pyro. Use the current in-game unlock card if it disagrees with an older reference.
Fast answer
The answer before the background
There are nine Survivors: SWAT, Tank, Engineer, Huntress, Ghost, Medic, Pyro, Mechanic, and Ranger. The first three are available from the start. Unlock Huntress by surviving 15 minutes in one run, Ghost by killing 100 zombie bosses, Medic by collecting 50 healthpaks, Pyro by dealing 3,000,000 Elemental damage, Mechanic by activating abilities 4,000 times, and Ranger by reaching shared Survival Level 175. The four counter-based objectives carry progress between runs. Ranger is the last character added in the 1.0 roster, and there is no verified secret character beyond these nine.
Roster
All nine Survivors and their practical roles
Each Survivor brings a weapon family, personal abilities, and a leader bonus. A run can expand from one leader into a three-person squad, so a character’s value depends on the other two team members, available items, map hazards, and investment in the skill tree.
The role descriptions below are practical comparisons rather than permanent tier rankings. The official 1.0 release added new rank levels, synergy nodes, and team effects, so old character rankings may not describe the current build options.
- SWAT: A straightforward ranged damage choice with a weapon-focused profile. Good for learning the basic loop and building consistent firepower.
- Tank: The defensive option. Choose Tank when extra durability and room for positioning mistakes matter more than fast clearing.
- Engineer: An ability-oriented specialist built around electric effects, shields, and frequent skill usage.
- Huntress: A ranged damage character suited to critical-focused teams and mobile play.
- Ghost: An aggressive melee or close-range damage specialist. Ghost rewards confident movement and positioning near enemies.
- Medic: A support-oriented Survivor whose healing tools make the team more forgiving during difficult runs.
- Pyro: A fire-focused damage dealer that excels when persistent elemental damage can spread through dense enemy groups.
- Mechanic: An ability and gadget specialist. Mechanic fits cooldown-heavy teams and runs that rely on repeated skill activations.
- Ranger: The newest Survivor in the full-release roster. Ranger uses a crossbow, animal companions, Fear effects, healing options, and team support for Critical and Luck.
| Survivor | Availability | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| SWAT | Starting roster | Reliable ranged damage |
| Tank | Starting roster | Defense and safer progression |
| Engineer | Starting roster | Abilities, shields, and electric effects |
| Huntress | Unlockable | Ranged and critical-focused teams |
| Ghost | Unlockable | Aggressive close-range damage |
| Medic | Unlockable | Healing and team sustain |
| Pyro | Unlockable | Elemental fire damage |
| Mechanic | Unlockable | Cooldown and ability-focused builds |
| Ranger | Unlockable | Critical, Luck, healing, and companion support |
The roster and unlock conditions are documented facts. The role labels are practical recommendations based on each Survivor’s described weapons, abilities, and support effects; they are not an official tier list.
Unlocks
How to unlock every character
The starting roster is SWAT, Tank, and Engineer. The remaining six Survivors use three different types of progression: a one-run survival challenge, saved lifetime counters, and the shared Survival Level. Check the character-selection screen after runs because counter cards may display only the amount still needed.
- Huntress: Survive for 15 minutes in a single run. Treat this as a survival objective rather than a damage test. Prioritize movement, health, and dependable area damage.
- Ghost: Kill 100 zombie bosses. Progress is saved between runs, so you do not need to defeat all 100 in one attempt.
- Medic: Collect 50 healthpaks. Healthpak progress is saved. If a healthpak cannot be collected while you are at full health, take controlled damage from ordinary enemies before moving to it.
- Pyro: Deal 3,000,000 Elemental damage. This is a saved total across runs, so use weapons and abilities that clearly deal Elemental damage.
- Mechanic: Activate abilities 4,000 times. The total is saved between runs. A cooldown-focused setup can help, but do not sacrifice survival for a small amount of extra uptime.
- Ranger: Reach shared Survival Level 175. This checks permanent shared progression, not the combat level reached during one run and not one Survivor’s individual skill-tree level.
| Character | Full requirement | Progress type |
|---|---|---|
| Huntress | Survive 15 minutes | One run |
| Ghost | Kill 100 zombie bosses | Saved total |
| Medic | Collect 50 healthpaks | Saved total |
| Pyro | Deal 3,000,000 Elemental damage | Saved total |
| Mechanic | Activate abilities 4,000 times | Saved total |
| Ranger | Reach Survival Level 175 | Shared permanent level |
Earlier versions and community references may show different Medic or Pyro numbers. The current roster card should override any third-party table when the displayed requirement has changed.
Route
A practical order for the unlock grind
You do not need a special exploit or hidden code. The fastest sensible route is to complete the one-run challenge first, then let the saved counters advance during normal play while working toward Ranger’s permanent milestone.
Start with Tank if survival is the immediate problem, SWAT if you want a simple ranged build, or Engineer if you want abilities to matter early. After unlocking additional Survivors, choose the leader whose bonus supports the current objective rather than automatically using the newest character.
- 1. Attempt Huntress first by building a durable, mobile team and surviving the full 15 minutes.
- 2. Continue normal runs toward Ghost’s zombie-boss total. Prioritize elite enemies when they appear, but do not throw away a successful run for one risky kill.
- 3. Work on Medic when healthpaks naturally appear. If your runs end at full health, deliberately allow minor damage before collecting nearby healthpaks.
- 4. Use elemental weapons and abilities for Pyro while also progressing story, missions, and permanent upgrades.
- 5. Let Mechanic progress accumulate during ability-heavy runs. Cooldown and ability-support upgrades are useful, but survival remains more important than marginal activation speed.
- 6. Check shared Survival Level regularly for Ranger. It is a permanent milestone, so every completed run contributes to the long-term target.
The Mission Log and the character-selection unlock cards are separate systems. Completing a personal Survivor mission does not necessarily satisfy that Survivor’s roster unlock condition.
FAQ
Common questions
How many characters are in the game?
The version 1.0 roster has nine playable Survivors: SWAT, Tank, Engineer, Huntress, Ghost, Medic, Pyro, Mechanic, and Ranger.
What is the last character in Yet Another Zombie Survivors?
Ranger is the last character added to the full-release roster. She is the ninth Survivor and unlocks at shared Survival Level 175.
Do Ghost, Medic, Pyro, and Mechanic require one run?
No. Their boss kills, healthpaks, Elemental damage, and ability activations use saved profile totals. Only Huntress requires the listed 15-minute survival condition in one run.
Why does my Medic requirement differ from an old guide?
Unlock values changed between versions or were reported inconsistently by older community guides. The current character-selection card is the correct reference for your installed version; the current documented full target is 50 healthpaks.
What is the best starting character?
Tank is the safest recommendation for new players because durability gives more room for mistakes. SWAT is a clean ranged starting point, while Engineer is a good choice if you want to learn ability-focused builds.
Sources
What we checked
Official listings establish current availability and product facts. Community pages are used for mechanics and build history, then labeled separately.