15 Best Playable Castle Crashers Characters, Ranked (2024)

Originally released in 2008, Castle Crashers is a terrific hack-and-slash side-scroller that up to four players can play through together. There are four characters available at the start of the base game: Red Knight, Blue Knight, Green Knight and Orange Knight. The other 27 Castle Crashers characters must be unlocked by beating the game with specific characters or by purchasing DLC packs. Each character has their own unique play style, and some are more effective than others.

Since most additional characters need to be unlocked by completing specific objectives, it's helpful to know which are the strongest and most worth going for overall. Surprisingly, many of Castle Crashers' strongest characters are included within its base game, and three of the four starting knights are some of the most viable choices available.

Updated on May 30th by Robbie Robinson: Castle Crashers remains one of the most fun and exciting multiplayer games. This list has been updated to showcase even more characters and where they fall. Some of the best characters in the game can be tricky to get, so including easier to get characters like Skeleton and Pink Knight allows newer players to see what they're working with.

15 Skeleton Is Easy to Get and Easy to Play

Magic Jump: Pillar of Darkness

Skeleton can feel relatively average in terms of play style and damage in comparison to the other listed characters, which is why they land at the bottom of the list. However, their abilities still exceed those of the remaining 16 characters. They're an easy character to unlock as the game simply needs to be beaten with the Red Knight, one of the base characters. Their starting weapon is the Skeletor Mace.

The Skeleton's splash attack, Dark Pillars, is pretty effective against bosses. This character excels at enemy juggling and crowd control as well as being able to get a great combo lock off. Skeleton's Elemental Infusion makes quick work of enemies as it does twice the amount of normal damage. Skeleton is for any player who's a fan of running around and dishing out pain as an undead character.

14 Bear, the Adorable and Deadly Club Wielder, is Great for Multiplayer

Magic Jump: Wind Jump

Even blood splattered, Bear stands as one of the cutest Castle Crashers' playable characters. Strength stats are Bear's best friend and, luckily enough, their starting weapon is the Club. The Club balances nicely with Bear and doesn't require much stress towards getting a different weapon. This is particularly useful in a game filled with a plethora of weapons that can be a tad of a grind to unlock.

After players unlock Skeleton, they can then beat the game with that character to unlock Bear. Bear is a very co-op friendly character, allowing for devastating player combos against certain enemies. Bear is a pick for any player that wants to squad up with a buddy in multiplayer. Their splash attack, Tornado, is amazing for pinning enemies. Strong and resourceful, Bear is a force to reckon with.

13 Pink Knight Is A Psychedelic Stun-Locker

Magic Jump: Pink Weasel

The Pink Knight looks like they fit right in with the rest of the starter characters, but the Pink Knight was not an original starter character. Initially, this character was made to promote a breast cancer charity through DLC and is now a starter on all consoles. Their blushing cheeks and lollipop weapon certainly add a flare to gameplay. They're an awesome example of what it means to remaster a game with a refreshing addition.

Perfectly named "Rainbow Chain," the Pink Knight's stun-locking splash attack leaves enemies making a peace sign. Their splash attack firerate rivals that of the Fencer and Industrialist, making the Pink Knight an awesome pick for rapid bouts of damage. Rainbow Chain not only has a high hit-rate, but is also the longest ranged splash attack among all characters.

12 Snakey's Splash Attack Is Every Big Boss' Worst Nightmare

Magic Jump: Vine Jump

Snakey can be unlocked by players after beating the game with Thief. Snakey's starting weapon is the Snakey mace, and they're a great pick for tackling bosses with. They're also pretty handy for some basic knockback and enemy juggling. Snakey is a practical option for any player struggling with cramped arenas.

Bosses aren't the only enemies that need to watch out for Snakey. Snakey's splash attack, Thorny Vines, is also excellent for melting away health on enemies like Beefys. The AOE of Thorny Vines can easily hit enemies with bigger hotboxes multiple times, raising Snakey's utility. Mobs of enemies are Snakey's greatest weakness and if the player isn't prepared, they can be easily overwhelmed. It's best to play them with another player.

11 Brute's Combos And Boss-Slaying Abilities Are Hard To Beat

Magic Jump: Vine Jump

Brute is a character available in Castle Crashers' base game, unlocked after beating the game with Iceskimo. The playable Brute starts out with the Dual-Prong sword, and the only other way to obtain this weapon is incredibly time-consuming; it involves grinding Brute enemies and waiting for a lucky drop. RNG isn't a friend to any video game player.

The Brute excels at slaying bosses, has incredibly strong combos, and a decent amount of knockback and crowd control. The only thing Brute struggles against is taking down large waves of enemies at once, but having other players alongside them nullifies this weakness, much like Snakey.

10 Ninja Will Smoke Screen Their Way To Victory

Magic jump: Smoke Jump

Like Snakey, Ninja is a prime pick for dealing with advanced bosses with their splash attack, Smoke Screen. Their splash attack has very good DPS which is why they're ranked above previously mentioned boss slayers. Ninja starts with the Sai weapon, which has a critical strike chance of 2%. Ninja is great for slaying bosses, but still doesn't come close to the skills of the Industrialist. However, they're a great pick overall and take the tenth spot.

The Ninja can be unlocked after beating the game with Fire Demon. Though Fire Demon is ranked higher, Ninja's attacks make them a worthy adversary. It's best for players to focus on Magic in the beginning when using Ninja and then worry about a Strength weapon as late game approaches. Like all boss slayer characters, Ninja is weakest against hoardes of enemies.

9 Conehead Is A Great Choice For Dealing Fire Damage

Magic Jump: Dust Jump

When it comes to dealing fire damage in Castle Crashers, Conehead is an excellent choice that's unlocked after beating the Volcano Arena with any character. Conehead's base Arrow Rain isn't terribly effective, but this is more than made up with by their multiple bomb options, with a large explosion radius and damage over time.

Conehead is most effective at dealing with large crowds of enemies, and their explosions are especially effective when players spam down on enemies from above. The only areas where Conehead understandably struggles are ones based around fire, such as Lava World.

8 The Royal Guard Rains Explosions Down On Enemies

Magic Jump: Dust Jump

The Royal Guard's playstyle is almost identical to Conehead's, except for their different starting weapons. The Royal Guard is available by beating Castle Crashers using the Green Knight, and their primary attack is also the Arrow Rain. Their hellish firing from above fits right in as a game full of blood and guts.

When it comes to play style, the Royal Guard and Conehead are effectively reskins of each other, so players can choose whichever they like more aesthetically. Their ability to rain down explosions on enemies and deal damage over time is the same. Out of all the projectiles available in Castle Crashers, the Royal Guard and Conehead's bombs are the strongest.

7 Orange Knight Provides Great Crowd Control And Damage Over Time

Magic Jump: Flame Rise

The Orange Knight is one of Castle Crashers' four starting characters, starting out with the Broad Ax weapon. The splash damage dealt by Orange Knight has one of the longest ranges in the game, making them effective at dealing damage without getting too close to enemies. This is an exceptional ability to have in a game that becomes too chaotic too quickly.

Much like the fire elemental characters before them, the Orange Knight specializes in dealing damage over time. Orange Knight also unlocks Fire Demon later on, which is essentially a stronger version of the Orange Knight with slightly less range. In a sea of unlockable characters, the Orange Knight is a strong starter for a new game and new players. Their attack range also keeps them a viable option even through multiple playthroughs.

6 Iceskimo Has Castle Crashers' Most Powerful Elemental Infusion

Magic Jump: Snow Jump

The Iceskimo is unlocked after beating the Ice Arena, and fittingly, most of their kit revolves around ice attacks. Unlike the higher-rated Blue Knight, Iceskimo's projectiles and magic jump don't actually freeze enemies, so they're lacking the utility boasted by some other choices. That being said, they're still the second-highest ranking ice user. If a player wants to switch it up from Blue Knight, Iceskimo is the one.

Each shard of the Iceskimo's splash attack can freeze enemies, and it's highly effective with each attack firing four separate shards. Though, unlike other magic attacks, the Iceskimo's Ice Shard ability goes up in cost when upgraded, so it can only be used a limited number of times before players must recharge.

5 Fire Demon Is One Of The Best For Boss Slaying

Magic Jump: Flame Jump

By beating Castle Crashers with the Orange Knight, players unlock the Fire Demon, an ideal choice for mowing down bosses. Aside from being one of the most powerful boss-slayers in the game, the Fire Demon excels at crowd control and crowd clearing, as well as locking enemies into deadly elemental combos. All of this lands Fire Demon at spot number five. Nothing is worse than a frustrating boss fight; Fire Demon will alleviate that anguish.

Both of the Fire Demon's projectiles apply a hefty damage over time effect, and the only thing their Orange Knight counterpart has over them is range. The Fire Demon is also great at hitting airborne targets, and his splash magic deals damage to bosses and heavies multiple times. The Fire Demon is the optimum choice for any player that loves the fire element and a solid choice overall, landing them in the top ranks.

4 Blue Knight Excels At Freezing Enemies In Their Tracks

Magic Jump: Ice Fist

Crowd control is an incredibly powerful tool in Castle Crashers, and the Blue Knight has ways to easily apply it along with being part of the starting roster. Unlike the Iceskimo, the Blue Knight's projectiles can freeze enemies and can hit already-frozen enemies to unfreeze them and deal damage.

Most enemies can be locked in an infinite combo loop by the Blue Knight, quickly unfreezing and re-freezing enemies to the point where they can't react. This makes the Blue Knight one of the safest picks in Castle Crashers. Their ice capabilities let players take pressure off themselves by freeze-locking enemies. Keeping enemies trapped in a frozen loop can make the game feel like easy mode.

3 Red Knight Is A Perfect Pick Against Normal Enemies

Magic Jump: Lightning Pillar

Another one of Castle Crashers' starting four characters, the Red Knight excels at taking down normal enemies. Although Red Knight struggles against bosses compared to some of Castle Crashers' other top picks, they more than make up for this weakness via their mob-melting abilities. Out of all the starter characters, Red Knight is the strongest choice. Their powers are only topped by two other characters, the Industrialist and Fencer.

When using a full magic bar, the Red Knight can essentially oneshot any normal enemy with their splash attack, and this can damage as many enemies as are in its radius. This makes Red Knight the best choice available for clearing large groups of enemies quickly, though it does drain their magic bar.

2 The Industrialist Excels At Quickly Defeating Bosses

Magic Jump: Smog Rise

Unlocked after beating Castle Crashers with the Blue Knight, the Industrialist is one of the best choices for quick boss-slaying. Their splash attack is the fastest-hitting in the game, and it also hits behind the player. On top of that, their splash attack stays active longer than any other splash attack. Any seasoned player should have the Industrialist in their roster.

Their projectiles also boast incredible speed and unlimited range, making them perfect for dealing with normal enemies at a safe distance. Their Elemental Infusion pierces armor, dealing twice its usual damage, making the Industrialist a great pick for taking out beefy targets. The Industrialist is hard to beat when it comes to utility and gameplay.

1 The Fencer Shreds Through Enemies At Lightning Speed

Magic Jump: Smog Rise

After completing Castle Crashers with the Industrialist, players unlock the Fencer, which is essentially a reskinned version with slightly different stats. They're able to shred bosses and throw lightning-fast projectiles just like the Industrialist. The only main differences between these characters are their aesthetics and starting weapons.

While the Industrialist is tanky and their starting weapon offers higher defense, the fencer fittingly starts with a fencing sword and prioritizes speedy attacks. They can send out up to seven buzzsaws at once, quickly dealing with any enemies that threaten them. The Fencer greatly outshines the 30 other playable characters in Castle Crashers. Their kit is speedy and deadly, earning them the top spot on this list.