How to unlock all Characters in Crimson Desert

How to unlock characters in crimson desert — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

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How to get every character
Best character

There are a total of three playable Crimson Desert characters, not including summons and mounts – Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka, all of which have somewhat different abilities and skillsets that serve alternative functions, equipment that can be unique to them, as well as missions and challenges that are specific to them. However, Damiane and Oonkga are not unlocked from the start of Crimson Desert, and you'll have to play through the game to a specific point to access them properly. Below I'll explain how to unlock all the characters, and what they have to offer you.

Warning: the following guide contains very minor spoilers for Crimson Desert.

How to get every playable character in Crimson Desert

To get the three main characters in Crimson Desert, you'll need to do the following:

Kliff
- Unlocked by default. Kliff is the main protagonist and playable from the start of the game. He has the most abilities and powers to unlock, and the main campaign is centered around him, though there are brief moments in the story where he will be unplayable until you complete sections with other characters.
Damiane
- Unlocked in Chapter 3. Damiane is shown before you can play as her, but she'll be unlocked once you progress through the main campaign part way through Chapter 3. She specialises in speed, ranged combat options, and fighting groups of enemies. Her preferred Crimson Desert weapons are rapier and small shield, along with a flintlock pistol and musket.
Oongka
- Unlocked in Chapter 7. Oongka the Orc is shown a lot before you can play as him, which happens near the end of Chapter 7 in the main campaign, where you're forced to play as him briefly. After that, he'll be locked again until you complete the side quest "Gentle Sound of Flowing River". Oongka specialises in heavy melee attacks, dual-wielding, tanking damage, and local AOE effects, all done with large axes and cannons.

Who is the best character in Crimson Desert?

The best character in Crimson Desert is undeniably Kliff, who gets the most Crimson Desert skills, item options, and unique powers. Despite the existence of three characters, this is definitely Kliff's game, with the other two feeling like side characters with their own secondary stories you can pursue as side content. Ultimately though, Kliff has to be able to do more, so he is capable of more.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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