Divinity Original Sin 2: Origin or Custom characters?

Custom and Origin characters in Divinity Original Sin 2

(Image credit: Larian)

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Origin or Custom?
Who's the best Origin character?
All Origin characters

Choosing between the Divinity Original Sin 2 Origin or Custom characters is basically about whether you want to play a classic silent protagonist blank slate, or an established figure with a backstory and personality before you get there. DOS2 has six Origin characters, ranging from pirate dwarves to skeleton scholars to lizard lords, but if you're playing for the first time, is it better to have your own Custom hero or to pick one of the Origin options? We'll explain below whether Origin or Custom is better for your first time playing through, and what you can explain from each one.

Starting out on your journey? Make sure you read our list of the top 10 Divinity Original Sin 2 tips!

Is an Origin or Custom character better in Divinity Original Sin 2?

Is Origin or Custom in Divinity Original Sin 2 better? — (Image credit: Larian)

Having conferred with many other Divinity Original Sin 2 players on the team, the consensus is that it's better to play an Origin character the first time around, though that certainly doesn't ruin the experience.

The reason given is that Origin characters are considered slightly easier for inexperienced players, as they naturally lean towards certain builds that help guide new players. Rather than the uncertainty of having to create a character from scratch, an Origin character does the initial hard work for you, and their story may provide additional investment and motivation.

Who's the best Origin character in Divinity Original Sin 2?

Origin characters are considered easier for inexperienced players — (Image credit: Larian)

All DOS2 Origin characters are great, though among the GamesRadar+ team Ifan Ben-Mezd is considered the best choice for a first-time Origin character, and Fane is considered the worst (or rather, the least accessible). Ifan's backstory and lore has a large focus in the early game, while Fane – like all Undead – has strange variant rules around healing that can make things difficult if you're not used to them.

All Origin characters in Divinity Original Sin 2

There are six options for Origin characters in DOS2, as laid out below.

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Character	Race	Tags (Influences Dialogue)
Beast	Dwarf	Barbarian, Noble
Fane	Undead	Scholar, Eternal, Mystic
Ifan Ben-Mezd	Human	Soldier, Outlaw
Lohse	Human	Mystic, Jester
The Red Prince	Lizard	Scholar, Noble
Sebille	Elf	Scholar, Outlaw

Any character can be any of the Divinity Original Sin 2 classes, and while there are minor elements to each species and Origin that lean towards certain builds, it's not to any drastic degree, so you should feel free to make Fane a Fighter, or to try a Red Prince Rogue build. Or, if you want some more direction, here's a list of the best Divinity Original Sin 2 builds.

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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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