The Best Characters In Enter The Gungeon

Summary

• Each character in Enter the Gungeon has unique starting weapons and items that impact gameplay early on.
• The Pilot’s RNG-dependent abilities make him a risky choice, while the Hunter’s companion adds utility in combat.
• The Marine and Robot offer strong starting advantages with armor and powerful weapons, respectively, enhancing survivability.

Enter the Gungeon is infamous for its challenge, as well as its cartoonishly-large arsenal of increasingly outlandish weapons that players will collect in their ongoing quest to kill the Past. But the character that players choose at the start of a run can be vital as well, especially during the early floors before they’ve built up a beefy arsenal.

Each character starts with a different assortment of default firearms and special items, which can mean the difference between life and death in tense gunfights. A lot of these items will likely end up getting replaced as the run progresses, but starting strong is intensely important in a game like Enter the Gungeon, and these characters are the best way to ensure that happens.

9

The Convict

A Flash In The Pan

• Starting Weapons: Budget Revolver, Sawed-Off Shotgun
• Starting Items: Molotov Cocktail, Enraging Photo

In many ways, The Convict is Enter The Gungeon‘s quintessential glass cannon. Her weapons and items revolve entirely around dishing out damage at the expense of the utility offered by a lot of other characters. Her Sawed-Off Shotgun follows the grand tradition of this iconic weapon in dealing a lot of damage at relatively close quarters, and the Molotov Cocktail can be especially powerful against groups of enemies and bosses.

However, while these weapons give The Convict an edge against other characters in the early levels, by the second or third floor of the Gungeon, most everyone will have picked up a reliable new firearm, largely outclassing The Convict’s damaging edge. Her Enraging Photo does give her a substantial boost to damage when she gets hurt, however, and that can come in handy in a pinch, but only if players can afford to lose the health.

8

Pilot

The Handyman

• Starting Weapon: Rogue Special
• Starting Items: Trusty Lockpick, Disarming Personality, Hidden Compartment

The Pilot’s starting pistol, the Rogue Special, is very weak, with low damage output and sub-par accuracy, but the character has a lot of items to help ensure that players won’t be stuck with it for long. His Trusty Lockpick gives them a chance to open a chest even if they don’t have a key, and his Disarming Personality gives him a discount at any shops players find in the Gungeon. His Hidden Compartment gives him more room for items and more ammo for new firearms as well.

Unfortunately, his starting set is hampered by how heavily it relies on RNG. If players don’t find enough weapons and items to make use of the Hidden Compartment, or if the Trusty Lockpick breaks the lock on a valuable chest, he’ll lose a lot of power. The Pilot’s unreliability makes him a risky choice for gungeoneers.

7

The Hunter

Bring A Friend

• Starting Weapons: Rusty Sidearm, Crossbow
• Starting Item: Dog

The Hunter is unique among starting characters in that she has a companion in the form of her trusty hound. In terms of basic gameplay functions, the dog has relatively minor benefits; it has a small chance to dig up a bonus pickup when the player clears a room, and it will warn players if a chest is a mimic by barking at it.

The Hunter’s weapons give her an edge over some of the other default characters. Her Crossbow is a precise weapon with a solid damage output, but as one might expect from a crossbow, it can only fire one bolt at a time before players need to reload. Still, with reliable damage output and an adorable utility edge, the Hunter is a solid choice for early gungeoneers.

6

The Cultist

Be A Friend

• Starting Weapon: Dart Gun
• Starting Items: Friendship Cookie, Number 2

The Cultist is an unconventional character to rank, since they’re only available in co-op mode. Their loadout reflects this; Friendship Cookie’s only function is to revive the other player, and Number 2 gives the Cultist increased movement speed and damage when the other player goes down.

It’s all but impossible to do a solo run as The Cultist, meaning the character isn’t really comparable to the other Gungeoneers that Player 1 can choose from. Still, they present a resourceful and engaging opportunity for a friend to get in on the action, and the unique co-op mechanics associated with the character can make the game fresh even for experienced players.

5

The Marine

Military Might

• Starting Weapon: Marine Sidearm
• Starting Items: Supply Drop, Military Training, 1 Armor

The Marine is a robust and reliable starting character, especially for less experienced players. His Military Training buff makes all the weapons he holds more reliable, with shorter reload times, greater accuracy, and swifter charge times. His Supply Drop ability keeps fans’ most powerful weapons well-stocked with enough ammo to take down challenging enemies and bosses.

A particularly valuable addition to The Marine’s arsenal is the armor he starts with. Armor is a valuable resource that absorbs damage and sets off a Blank when it’s consumed, giving the player some much-needed breathing room. Having one equipped at the start of the run is an excellent way to start strong as players equip themselves for the greater challenge to come.

4

The Robot

Building A Better Gungeoneer

• Starting Weapon: Robot’s Right Hand
• Starting Items: Battery Bullets, Coolant Leak

The Robot is a distinctly powerful secret character, unlocked by escorting the Broken Television to the Gungeon’s final floor. The character’s starting weapon, Robot’s Right Hand, is one of the strongest in the game, and the Battery Bullets item gives it a truly potent edge. The Robot can electrify any pool of water that they fire over, and with Coolant Leak, they can spray water wherever they go. The character’s own immunity to this hazard makes it a lethally effective way to clear rooms.

The major downside of The Robot is the character’s complete lack of conventional health. The Robot has a robust set of Armor to carry them through a run, but they cannot pick up any heart items to stay alive. This makes the Robot a risky but deadly character option.

3

The Paradox

Playing The Odds

• Starting Weapons: Random
• Starting Items: Random

The Paradox is a difficult character to assess objectively. By its very nature, the character is entirely unpredictable. They start with two random weapons: a starting weapon from a different character and any other kind of weapon. They also have one random passive item to round out the arsenal.

This bizarre setup essentially makes every Paradox run a gamble from the moment the player starts. With the truly staggering amount of weapons available in Enter The Gungeon‘s catalog, no two Paradox playthroughs will ever go the same way. Fans who want to really lean into the game’s chaos will find a new best friend here.

2

The Gunslinger

The Burden Of The Past

• Starting Weapon: Slinger
• Starting Item: Lich’s Eye Bullets

The Gunslinger is the most important character in the lore of Enter the Gungeon, and the one responsible for the existence of the Gungeon in the first place He’s a major struggle to unlock, but his equipment makes it more than worth the effort.

The Slinger, his starting weapon, is a potent and devastating pistol. In addition to its heavy damage and reliable fire rate, it can be thrown upon reload, which can stun enemies. The true treasure in The Gunslinger’s arsenal, however, are the Lich’s Eye Bullets. This item activates all available synergies for every firearm The Gunslinger picks up, massively increasing the power of almost every weapon he finds. The Gunslinger’s legendary mastery over this world’s gun-based magic is reflected well in this devastating kit.

1

The Bullet

Know Your Enemy

• Starting Weapon: Blasphemy
• Starting Item: Live Ammo

The ubiquitous bulletkin are a common threat throughout Enter the Gungeon, but the secret The Bullet character lets fans step into their shoes for a change. As a wild change of pace, The Bullet does not actually start with a firearm. Instead, they wield a sword named Blasphemy, which can cleave through enemies and bullets alike with blistering efficacy.

This weapon is combined with the Bullet’s passive Live Ammo ability, which deals damage to enemies the character dodge-rolls into. This aggressive, close-range combat style is counter to Enter the Gungeon‘s gun-based philosophy, but it makes for a devastatingly powerful combat tactic if used effectively.