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The Best Classes in Dark Souls 3 (Ranked)

The Best Classes in Dark Souls 3 (Ranked)

Not sure which class to pick when starting out in Dark Souls 3? Want to test out something different this time around but unsure which one to go for? We can totally understand the mental pressure of choosing the right class in this game. We will try to make this decision easier for you by compiling the best classes in Dark Souls 3.

The best classes in Dark Souls 3 are the Knight, the Warrior, the Herald / Assasin, and the Mercenary. If you want to play as a specific kind of spell caster, then you can opt for either Sorcerer, Pyromancer, or Cleric.

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However, rest assured the game provides enough opportunities later to change how you play or customize your class. Your decision won’t be as confining to a certain playstyle as you would think.

7. Thief

The Thief is by far the weirdest class to start out with, especially for a beginner. The Bandit’s Knife has a very short range and is designed to primarily take advantage of critical strikes. The Iron Round shield is not defensively fancy and again should only be utilized for parries.

This class has the best Luck stat compared to the others meaning you will be rewarded by increased Item Discovery.

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Another thing going in favor of this class is that it is the only class that has a bow i.e. Short Bow. The Rapid Fire skill of this bow will allow you to shoot arrows consecutively. It is like essentially having a machine gun in the game. Bows are usually weak in these games, so your mileage will vary.

6. Deprived

The Deprived is the blank slate class. It has no particular area where it is good at. It starts with all the stats at 10 evenly distributed amongst each attribute and the Soul Level is 1. This class is either for those who want full control of build customization or those sadistic players who go for extra challenging nude runs.

It is very weak at the start and hence not recommended for newbies, however, it can be developed to your desired stat pretty easily. Having every stat start at 10 means other classes with more focused distribution will oftentimes lead to better optimization depending on builds.

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The class starts off with just a Loin Cloth with little to no defensive capabilities. The Plank Shield is also quite underwhelming but has a uniquely staggering Shield Bash Skill. The Club also has a nice skill Warcry, which gives this weapon a temporary attack boost while also enabling a special strong attack combo.

5. Sorcerer / Pyromancer / Cleric

Sorcerer - Dark Souls 3 Classes
Pyromancer - Dark Souls 3 Classes
Cleric - Dark Souls 3 Classes

Ok, so these three classes can be the best for someone who is especially looking to play as a certain type of spell caster. There are 3 types of magical builds you can go for in Dark Souls 3, and each class has prowess in its respective niches.

Remember that none of these classes are particularly good at physical damage or defense. They are meant to be played from a certain distance where you could pummel your opponents with all spells. Or utilize the weapons with these traits.

  • Sorcerer for Sorcery. This class starts with Soul Arrow and Heavy Soul Arrow spells, perfect ranged spells. Even the staff this class comes with stays relevant through most of the game as it can be upgraded with excellent results. Just do not rely on the Mail Breaker sword as it is quite pathetic.
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  • Cleric for Miracles. This class has the highest Faith level of all the classes. It comes with Heal and Force Miracles from the get-go. The Heal miracle is quite beneficial early on as it allows you to restore HP without running out of Estus Flasks. The Mace weapon is also pretty insane if you end up upgrading it.
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  • Pyromancer for Pyromancy. This class has an interesting mix of everything from physical, attack, defense, magic, Intelligence, and Faith. The benefit of having both INT and FTH gives you a wide armament, as you can use both miracles and spells in addition to pyromancy to your benefit. This makes pyromancers ideal for “Jack of All Trades” players.
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4. Mercenary

Mercenary - Dark Souls 3 Classes

The most interesting bit about the Mercenary is those Sellsword Twinblades. These weapons are rather unique as when you dual-wield the weapon, it actually pulls out a duplicate sword in the other hand. It counts as a single weapon and takes up only one slot, but you can still dual-wield them.

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There are some very fancy moves in combos you can do with these swords. With this class, you will find yourself putting away the shield for good and just slicing up enemies with these amazing dual blades.

Has the highest Dexterity of all the classes and has average Attunement and Intelligence, making it possible to wield spells such as Soul Arrow early on.

3. Herald / Assassin

Herald - Dark Souls 3 Classes
Assassin - Dark Souls 3 Classes

The Herald and Assassin can be classified as hybrid starting classes. These classes are both kind of their own thing but have complementary castings as a backup.

The Herald starts with a Kite shield and a Spear but also has a Heal Aid spell with Talisman to cast it. The Spear and a Shield are a really safe combination, as you can poke your enemies while the shield is defending you. The Kite shield is a 100% block shield.

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Having the healing Miracle on you gives you another source for HP. If you’re a beginner, The Herald would work great especially if you’re looking to try out spellcasting.

The Assassin is similar as it starts with an Estoc along with sorcery called Spook with the Sorcerer’s Staff to cast it. Spook is pretty cool by the way as it makes it harder for enemies to detect you but more importantly, it nullifies fall damage.

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This class is very good to start with if you want to use sorceries and normal combat effectively. You can use Dex weapons from the onset and add Int as you go.

2. Warrior

Warrior

The Warrior class is just a strength-based savage, as seen with its 16 Strength level. It has the most powerful starting weapon, the Battle Axe, and has the highest health at 14 Vigor. Higher health is great for beginners, especially to stave off potential quick death from enemy attacks.

The Warrior is all about blazing through enemies as you do so much damage early in the game. Dual handing the Battle Axe lets you use the weapon skill Warcry for an extra damage buff. It’s unlikely that you’ll die before your opponent does let’s just put it that way.

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The first boss of the game, Iudex Gundyr, got ripped to shreds so quickly while playing with this class.

1. Knight

Knight

The Knight (and even the class before) are great for tanking damage. The Knight has the most Poise out of all the classes at 21. Has a shield with the second-highest stability at 48.

This class also has the highest starting Vitality at 15, which in turn gives you more equipment load to carry or wear heavier armor and even boosts physical defense.

Attunement, Faith, and Intelligence stats are average enough to use spells later on. Starts off with one spell slot, and with 1 more point into Faith or Intelligence can use Heal Aid or Soul Arrow, respectively (If you buy the sorcerer’s staff or talisman from the shrine maiden).

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This class will be fairly forgiving to a newcomer as it packs a lot of defense, and it starts with a Longsword, which is a great quality weapon that has a really functional move set perfect for any situation.


The dread of going into this punishing game is enough to send shivers down one’s spine but knowing your wrong choice at the start when selecting the class can be the catalyst for all of your subsequent deaths makes this decision even harder to take.

However, all these classes can be moved around easily it just depends on the type of player that you are. The Knight is the best starting class because of its beginner-friendly blend of stats and equipment.