Best Starting Classes in Lords of the Fallen

Lords of the Fallen takes its role as a Soulslike seriously, and offers a handful of different starting classes right off the bat. They thankfully split these up and directly mark which are considered Advanced, which means you’re less likely to select a class which makes the game significantly more difficult. And yet, you may still be wondering if there are some Starting Slasses that are better than others.

Fortunately, we’ve got the info you’re looking for.

What Starting Class Should You Choose in Lords of the Fallen?

This does obviously depend on a few subjective factors, but there are some good options for your Starting Class just like with Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Below, we’ve broken down some of the best starting classes you can choose based on your preferred playstyle.

Hallowed Knight

Yes, this is indeed the most basic choice from the whole starting roster. However, that’s also the point of picking it.

The Knight doesn’t feature anything too crazy or unusual in its starting kit or abilities. This means your character won’t have any outlandish abilities or exploit potential, but you also get the most normal and least stressful experience going through the game. It likewise lets you get a good feel for the world and combat so you can move on to the Advanced classes once you are ready.

The starting stat spread of the Hallowed Knight is also laid out nicely so that it can be retooled at any point to handle different weaponry as you find it. The strength of this class is truly its all-rounder approach, and adaptability to different weaponry or playstyles.

Mournstead Infantry

Being up close and personal with enemies might be a genre staple, but it still leaves you somewhat vulnerable. All the shields and defense in the world aren’t much help if you’re being crowded, as is bound to happen with certain enemy types in Lords of the Fallen. Thus, it can’t hurt to start off with a weapon meant to give you some much-needed breathing room.

The spear you begin the game with as the Mournstead Infantry will be almost invaluable in the early game. If you don’t want to go with the Knight, the next best option truly is the shield and spear combo. The other big bonus to this class is that it ups the agility stat necessary to remain swift when in the perfect position for repeated stabbing.

Blackfeather Ranger

Looking like something straight out of Yharnam, the Blackfeather Ranger is another great starting class you should consider.

Though you are missing some of the strength of the previous two options, the easy-to-use bow makes up for that. You get a perfect level of distance outside of even the Infantry’s spear, and it does some terrific damage.

At first, the bow might seem like a reserve weapon due to its limited ammo, and that is for a good reason. The bow isn’t meant for every single enemy, and you shouldn’t become too reliant on it due to its limited supply of arrows. Thankfully, the axe is plenty good at removing smaller threats, and will serve you well until you find a weapon that’s more to your liking.

Exiled Stalker

The first Advanced class is also one that will likely resonate with people who prefer playing rogues.

Sticking with this class means getting up close with every single enemy the game has to offer. You’ll likely need to drop a couple of points in strength, but that’s not the biggest ask. In exchange, you’ll be left with a character that can rend foes with flurries of blows at melee range and move away before being in danger of retaliation.

The only real drawback to this class is that you don’t have a backup weapon to change your fighting style on the fly. If you go with this, you’re ride or die with those knives, as the next best replacements are a little ways off.

However, we can’t stress enough that the Stalker is absolutely not an easy class to play when you are just starting out. No other class is as equipped to dual-wield as this one, but it will come at a cost.

Any of these starting classes will be more than enough to see you through the tougher parts of this Soulslike. In our eyes, there aren’t any bad choices here. If you’re looking for further guides to help you survive Lords of the Fallen, check out our relevant links below.