Best Characters In Castle Crashers

Summary

• Castle Crashers offers various characters with unique abilities and playstyles for endless replayability.
• Unlockable characters like Bear, Blacksmith, and Ninja offer distinct perks and benefits for players.
• Fencer is considered the best character due to its speed and shared Splash Attacks and projectiles with Industrialist.

Castle Crashers has firmly entered nostalgia territory in recent years. The medieval hack-and-slash from The Behemoth was originally released on Xbox 360 in 2008 and has seen ports for PlayStation, PC, and the Nintendo Switch. Helmed by developers Dan Paladin and Tom Fulp, the game incorporates graphics and humor reminiscent of old Newgrounds.com cartoons.

With the ability to play as four characters at once, there are a plethora of unlockable heroes to choose from, giving the game endless replayability. While it might take quite a bit to unlock each one of them, these are Castle Crashers characters that the best of the best players tend to prefer in their playthroughs.

Updated March 15, 2025 by Blaise Santi: In a surprise to many Castle Crashers fans, the iconic indie beat-em-up is getting its first DLC in over a decade. Titled “Painter Boss Paradise,” the DLC will introduce new levels, playable characters, and adventures for those who were addicted to the game after it originally released in 2008. For now, fans have to wait until summer of 2025 to access Painter Boss Paradise, but if they’re naturally feeling the inclination to do another playthrough of Castle Crashers, we thought we’d remind you which characters are the best.

And for those who have somehow never played the game who want to experience it before the DLC drops later this year, have no fear! This is your ultimate guide to the best characters in Castle Crashers… for now!

16

Green Knight

Juggling’s A Struggle, But His Poison Is Toxic

Despite being one of the four main characters playable from the start of the game, Green Knight is sadly the worst of the bunch. It’s a shame, because Green Knight is the only character in Castle Crashers who can use the Poison element, which is especially useful in some instances due to its ability to inflict enemies with poison damage over time.

However, where Green Knight suffers is in his inability to pull off combos as well as the other main characters. Even though his poison-coated specials are very good, falling short of plain ol’ DPS in a hack-and-slash like Castle Crashers is kind of a non-starter. Still, if you’re starting the game new with a party of four, only one of you will get to play around with poison magic.

15

Grey Knight

Sometimes Simpler Is Better

As one of the easiest characters to unlock in Castle Crashers, there might be a lot of players who underestimate just how good the Grey Knight can be in the right hands. Players just need to complete some of the earliest levels to unlock this element-less knight, who is often seen fighting alongside players as an NPC ally throughout the story, though he’s far from a unique fighter.

In terms of his magic and specials, Grey Knight shares a lot of its glory with the Conehead, thanks to the incredibly useful Bomb projectile. Though he doesn’t deal as much damage per second as those other, much harder to unlock characters, the simple fact that you can unlock Grey Knight early in the game makes it a great addition to any playthrough.

14

Killer Beekeeper

Antagonize Your Opponents With Flying Insects

Killer Beekeeper is one of the most unique characters in Castle Crashers, especially since they only sparsely appear as enemies in the Flowery Field level and no others. To unlock this character, players only need to complete the entire game with the Barbarian, who’s one of the starting characters in all versions of Castle Crashers.

Many of the Beekeeper’s magic attacks incorporate summoning bees, which can be very devastating for enemies that fly in mid-air. While the bees themselves aren’t exactly the best sidekicks, as they’re very frail, their massive hitboxes and convenient use make Beekeeper not just a strong character, but a very useful one at that.

13

Brute

A Heavy Hitter With A Green Thumb

The Brute is practically a carbon copy of another playable character, Snakey, albeit they differ in their projectiles. Snakey utilizes a simple Dagger projectile, while Brutes have the more unique Acorn, which is comparable in power. However, where the Brute truly excels over its counterpart is its starting weapon: the Dual Prong Sword.

While Snakey’s signature mace powers up a user’s magic and agility, the Dual Prong Sword boosts strength and defense. It’s also typically a weapon that only level 20 users can wield, but Brutes can use one right from the get-go. The extra strength from an early stage definitely makes this iteration of the character the superior one to venture through the game with.

12

Orange Knight

This Default Character Brings The Heat

It may seem surprising that the Orange Knight ranks lower than the Fire Demon, another Fire user. However, Orange Knight isn’t as strong as the character he unlocks, particularly concerning his magic attacks. The one thing Orange Knight boasts over the Fire Demon is having better range with his magic, as well as the simple fact that he’s available from the very start of the game.

What makes the Orange Knight’s higher-ranged Splash Attack especially preferable to Fire Demon’s is that it also costs less to use. This can be especially helpful during boss fights, as players can take advantage of the farther range to deal massive damage with its rapid attacks. Fire in general is also a beloved element for how many common minions it’s super-effective against.

11

Iceskimo

The Blue Knight’s Weaker Alternative

Like how the Orange Knight is a lesser version of the Fire Demon, Iceskimo is a lesser version of the Blue Knight. Among the Iceskimo’s worst qualities is the fact that its ice attacks, unlike the Blue Knight, don’t freeze enemies. As a result, it’s hard to gain the same benefits from a character who players start the game with, but perhaps it’s a good alternate if Blue Knight is already taken.

Iceskimo especially becomes powerful when paired with a weapon that boosts both magic and strength, like the NG Golden Sword, though the Fishing Spear it starts with isn’t terrible with those stats, either. Sadly, while the Orange Knight had a cheaper cost to its Splash Attack, Iceskimo’s only increases in cost the more players upgrade the character.

10

Bear

Don’t Be Deceived By Its Cuddliness

Most Castle Crashers fans will recognize this character in the Tall Grass Field level, as the henchman of the Catfish boss. They’re unlocked once players complete the entire main story with the Skeleton character, offering some neat perks of their own. For starters, the characters’ “Splash Attack” creates a tornado that can last for up to 15 seconds and can devastate enemies.

A lot of the Bear’s other attacks involve wind-based projectiles and high jumps, allowing for a character with a lot of movement to their attacks. They’re best paired with a Strength class weapon, given that they can deal massive amounts of damage while keeping enemies on their toes, though some players might just keep the default Club for its decent damage output.

9

The Blacksmith

The Mysterious Background Character Joins The Fight

Though this character was a DLC-exclusive in the console versions of Castle Crashers, players can use Blacksmith right from the get-go in Castle Crashers: Remastered Edition. This NPC runs the Blacksmith shop throughout the main game, but when chosen as a playable character, offers some interesting benefits, including the use of its sidekick, the Weapons Frog.

Many of the Blacksmith’s attacks involve a small copy of the Weapons Frog, using its tongue to damage foes from far away. The Blacksmith also has a Flaming Hammer projectile, which will deal fire damage over time to enemies who are hit by it. He might not be the best character in the entire game, but he has enough originality to make some players prefer the challenge of using him.

8

Pink Knight

For Those Who Prefer A More Wholesome Approach

Like the Blacksmith, Pink Knight was another DLC-exclusive starter character. While each of the knights utilizes their own elemental attacks, Pink Knight’s attacks are non-elemental but completely unique, summoning rainbows, plush animals, and other cute and cuddly creatures. Their default weapon is even a Lollipop, considered one of the best starting weapons in the game.

The Pink Knight may seem like a very friendly character, but their attacks can pack a punch. Their Splash Attack, Rainbow Chain, shoots a rainbow that stuns enemies into giving a peace sign, leaving them open for combo attacks. Its jump attack also summons a cute pink weasel to launch them into the air, making this character both practical as well as fun to show off.

7

Ninja

Live Out Your Ninja-Centric Fantasies

Of all the playable characters in Castle Crashers, the Ninja is the most self-explanatory. Their choice of weapon is a Sai, and their attacks are all reminiscent of iconic ninja tropes, from creating smokescreens that hold off hordes of enemies or throwing shurikens as their projectile. But where the Ninja shines is in boss battles.

Because of the Ninja’s magic attacks, this character is the perfect choice against massive enemies or bosses, such as its Elemental Infusion attack “Armor Pierce,” which deals double damage. Plus, its projectile helps deal decent damage against bosses from a distance, while the smokescreen Splash Attack has a high DPS.

6

Conehead

Never Has Swinging A Lightsaber Looked So Cool

Although Coneheads appear like regular knights with pointy helmets, they have one special quirk that puts them above the rest of the enemies-turned-playable: the Light Saber. But that’s not all; the Conehead also comes with an extremely useful projectile in Bombs, which can not only deal massive amounts of damage to enemies but can reveal secret passageways and hidden areas.

The Conehead shares this projectile, as well as its raining arrows Splash Attack, with the Royal Guard, making them pretty equivalent characters to use. However, what sets the Conehead apart from the Royal Guard is the Light Saber itself, which boosts agility, with an increased chance of having attacks be embued with the electricity element.

5

Fire Demon

This Demon Out-Blazes The Orange Knight

For characters that heavily utilize the fire element, some Castle Crashers players might go for the standard Orange Knight. However, the Fire Demon is an improvement on the Orange Knight on practically all fronts, from how it can handle boss battles to even its Splash Attack. With its Splash Attack, the Fire Demon summons pillars of fire from the ground, up to seven at a higher level.

While the Orange Knight’s Splash Attack has a better range than the Fire Demon, the Fire Demon’s closer range is better for dealing with hordes of enemies at once. Plus, its use of fire in its attacks will leave enemies with an afterburn that’s much higher than the Orange Knight’s, making it a true fire demon in every sense of the word.

4

Blue Knight

It Doesn’t Get Cooler Than This

There aren’t many Ice-centric characters in Castle Crashers, especially ones that have the edge over the standard Blue Knight. The Iceskimo character shares a lot of similar combo attacks but can’t freeze enemies as the Blue Knight does. This is integral to many of the Blue Knight’s attacks, like its Splash Attack that freezes enemies with a high magic cost.

It also helps that even the Blue Knight’s projectile attack, a powerful icy shard, deals a great amount of damage with the potential to freeze as well. However, players will likely want to find a stronger weapon than the Blue Knight’s default sword, and they should be aware of how much magic some of these attacks cost, as they can become depleted very fast even at high levels.

3

Red Knight

A Shockingly Great Choice For The Series Mascot

It might seem confusing that the Red Knight utilizes electricity element attacks, but thankfully it’s part of what makes the Red Knight such a great character. Its electrical moves, such as its lightning bolt-summoning Splash Attack, freeze enemies in place while they’re being hit. This can be especially helpful for co-op play, allowing teammates to string combos with ease.

The one downside of the Red Knight is its projectile, with both its grounded and airborne iterations quite lackluster in reach and power. Thankfully, the usefulness of the Splash Attack as well as its raw power, being able to one-shot most enemies aside from bosses, makes Red Knight the go-to choice for players just starting their Castle Crashers adventure.

2

Industrialist

This Character Makes Beating The Game Feel Hardcore

Industrialists are encountered as enemies in the aptly named Industrial Castle, with their attacks incorporating heavy machinery. Their starting weapon, the Ugly Mace, gives a solid defensive boost at the cost of some magic power, which can come at a detriment to the Industrialist’s magic attacks, which have ridiculous range and are fast enough to boost DPS.

Its Splash Attack is also a certified boss-killer, summoning a buzzsaw trap that hits fast albeit with weaker damage output than most other Splash Attacks. As a bonus, the Industrialist’s Splash Attack also lasts for a long time, allowing them to set one off to deal constant damage to bosses or rid hordes of enemies with ease.

1

Fencer

It’s All About Speed With This Enemy

Easily the best character in Castle Crashers is the Fencer, who prioritizes speed over all else, a necessary quality for a hack-and-slash game. Their default weapon, the Foil, offers minor boosts in strength, magic, and agility, and the character shares all its Splash Attacks and projectiles with the Industrialist, with the added benefit of being incredibly speedy.

However, unlocking the Fencer requires players to complete the entire main game with the Industrialist, so those players will likely find themselves upgrading when they switch over to the Fencer. That being said, there’s no wrong character for players to pick as long as they’re having fun exploring and kicking butt with their friends in Castle Crashers.