Summary
Castle Crashershas 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 areCastle Crasherscharacters that the best of the best players tend to prefer in their playthroughs.
Updated July 02, 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!
Unlock Method
Available at the start of the game
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 inCastle Crasherswho can use the Poison element, which is especially useful in some instances due to its ability toinflict 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 likeCastle Crashersis 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.
Complete levels between Home Castle to Barbarian Boss
As one of the easiest characters to unlock inCastle 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. Thoughhe doesn’t deal as much damage per secondas 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.
Beat the game with Barbarian
Killer Beekeeper is one of the most unique characters inCastle 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 ofCastle 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.
Beat the game with Iceskimo
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.
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.
Beat Icy Arena
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.
Beat the game with Skeleton
MostCastle Crashersfans 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 attacksinvolve 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.
Frogglet Li-ceration, Flaming Hammer, Springboard
Available at the start of the game (Remastered Edition), DLC (360/PC/PS3)
Though this character was a DLC-exclusive in the console versions ofCastle Crashers, players can use Blacksmith right from the get-go inCastle Crashers: Remastered Edition.This NPC runs the Blacksmith shopthroughout 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.
Rainbow Chain, Stuffed Animal, Pink Weasel
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.
Beat the game with Fire Demon
Of all the playable characters inCastle Crashers, the Ninja is the most self-explanatory. Their choice of weapon is a Sai, and their attacks areall 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.
