Demon's Souls has nine playable classes, chosen at the start of the game upon character creation. Whether a player chooses to be a Thief or a Wanderer, the game is pretty open-ended about class restrictions. For the most part, the only major difference between each class is its starting equipment and stats.
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Nevertheless, choosing the right class at the start will propel a player into the game more quickly than if they spend time figuring out their preferred playstyle. When starting the game for the first time it's a good idea to stick to the basic classes, though more skilled players can make proper use of more niche classes, too.
9 Soldier
The Soldier class in Demon's Souls is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none. It starts with OK stats all around, a Broad Sword, Short Spear, and Soldier's Shield alongside a Plate armor set, and higher physical stats than magical stats.
There aren't many downsides to the Soldier class except that it just isn't altogether that exciting. It'll get a player through the game, but it's going to be a bit run-of-the-mill for the first few hours of gameplay.
8 Barbarian
The Barbarian class is considered by some Demon's Souls fans to be the "deprived" class of the game. As there is no class that outright starts with nothing, the Barbarian comes closest in Demon's Souls starting out with just a club and a wooden shield.
However, the Barbarian has the highest Strength of any starting class in the game. When paired with Two-Handed weapons like Greatswords, Barbarians make for brutally destructive characters. Unfortunately though, the lack of armor makes them squishy at the start of the game.
7 Thief
Thieves in Demon's Souls have the highest Luck stat of any class in the game, which makes a lot of the game a bit less grindy. They start with the Dagger, Buckler shield, the Short Bow, and the lightweight Black Leather set.
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Thieves work best with light armor as less encumbrance changes how fast and how far players can roll. Thieves are very squishy, especially at the start of the game, and it's important to get out of combat quickly rather than sit and take blows.
6 Magician
The Magician class is considered by many to be one of the hardest classes in Demon's Souls to start with. It has low stats in pretty much every department except Magic and Intelligence, making them incredibly soft throughout most of the game.
What the Magician lacks in survivability it makes up for with its access to spells. It starts with the Flame Toss attack and Water Veil self-buff, as well as the Short Sword, Leather Shield, Wooden Catalyst, and the Wizard's Armor set.
5 Hunter
The Hunter class in Demon's Souls is a kind of Ranger-like class, with access to both close combat and ranged combat equipment. The Battle Axe is a hard-hitting one-hander, while the Long Bow gives the Hunter access to ranged physical damage before any other class.
It has little access to magic or miracles, but it makes up for that with good combat stats like Strength and Agility as well as a very high Luck score.
4 Wanderer
The Wanderer class very much like the Thief class except instead of access to Magic abilities it has a higher Agility stat. It starts with the fast-swinging Falchion and Dagger, a Wooden Shield, Leather Armor, and even a set of Hard Leather Boots.
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All things considered, the Wanderer is the better choice for players who want to make an Agility-reliant build, while the Thief is better for those who want build their Intelligence throughout the game.
3 Knight
The Knight class in Demon's Souls is characterized by its ability to take damage in the early game and use spells other classes don't have access to. It starts with the Long Sword, Mail Breaker, and Kits Shield, along with the heavy Fluted Armor set.
It's arguably the best starting class for Demon's Souls beginners as it has access to basic magic and miracles, which can make recovering from fights a fair bit easier. The downside of the Knight is its lack of Vitality and Endurance compared to other melee classes.
2 Royalty
The Royalty class is the only class in Demon's Souls that starts out at Soul Level 1. It comes with the Silver Catalyst, the Rapier and Buckler combo, the Mana-recovering Fragrant Ring and the Mana-expanding Silver Coronet headpiece.
It's a fantastic class to start the game with, though it does have the lowest stat totals of any of the nine options. However, the Silver Catalyst makes it one of the best choices for players who want to use Magic, as it mana regeneration capabilities outrank the Magician class.
1 Temple Knight
The Temple Knight is similar to the Knight class except with less access to magic and higher defense. The Halberd is a great long-reach weapon, and the Heater Shield is a 100% damage blocking shield usable from the very start. It also has access to Miracles from the very start.
The Heal miracle is available through the Temple Knight's Talisman of God, which makes early fights much more manageable. Paired with a half-decent armor set in the form of the Mirdan Set and it's one of the easiest classes to start Demon's Souls with.
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