Darkest Dungeon 2 is a game that is all about experimentation. Instilled within its gameplay loop is the satisfaction that you get from learning something new, finding a new team member or unlocking a new item that will help you on the next dungeon run. Over time, you will unlock all twelve of the Heroes that can be recruited to hopefully destroy the darkness that has taken over the land. But which Darkest Dungeon 2 heroes are truly the best? This guide highlights a handful of characters that can carry you through the whole campaign.
Man-At-Arms
The Man-At-Arms is a human meat shield, just who you want in the front lines of your adventuring party. He is a consistent tank that will cover your team. He’s able to give himself defensive buffs and also give buffs to any of his companions. A defensive brute in all of the right ways!
This hero also has fantastic offensive techniques that can be utilized to set up his teammates for success, such as a skill that can shove enemies back a spot. This allows for great strategic moves. For example, if there’s an offensive character in the first spot that can only attack in that position, Man-At-Arms can just push him into the second position and nullify his offensive capabilities and threat level. He’s a wonderful Hero that everyone should play around with at some point.
Hellion
The Hellion is an interesting Hero due to her having to balance the Winded debuff with attacks which reduce her overall speed and damage. But, the trade off is very much worth it! She’s a melee attacker that can apply the Bleed effect to enemies. Bleed, as a persistent damage debuff, is very much worth it in every combat encounter. Hellion can also learn an ability that allows her to easily reach the back ranks of the enemies.
Besides being a powerful hero that can deal a ton of damage, she also has the ability to heal the entire party. This can come in handy during a pinch! Currently as the game stands, there’s only one other healer in the game, and Hellion does a fantastic job of both filling in that role and being a damage dealer.
Jester
Don’t let that lute fool you – the Jester is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield! One could argue that a Jester is needed on every single team that you may play in Darkest Dungeon 2. He has access to a skill that allows him to generate combo status, which most every Hero use. The Jester also can alleviate stress during battles. Finally, he has access to both debuffs and damage-dealing abilities.
Highwayman
The Highwayman is a simple guy. All he does is see things and kill them. The simplicity of the Highwayman is very much welcome when you’re juggling three other characters with their own rotations, debuffs and skill quirks. The Highwayman is able to self-buff and, with the help of combo statuses, he can consistently make critical hits and wipe out demons with one shot.
Plague Doctor
Plague Doctor is an amazing healer and damage dealer in Darkest Dungeon 2. What they bring to the table is access to consistently high heals and very important “damage over time” attacks with their poisons. Unlike some other classes in the game, the Plague Doctor is able to always be doing something important for the team. Don’t need a heal? They can blind the enemies or poison them. Need a heal? Here’s 8 HP. Need a character to penetrate an enemy’s defensive stance? Throw some knives!
At the end of the day though, don’t let this list deter you from experimenting with any of the other twelve Heroes in the game. Every character in Darkest Dungeon 2 is fun and unique. If you’ve found a cool synergy that this guide didn’t mention, please let us know in the comments below!
