Dark Souls 3 Best Classes After 800 Hours Experience

In this guide, I will come to a consensus on which class is the best for you and your playstyle, while also explaining the attribute system within the game as it can be quite confusing for new players.

Best Classes And Comparison

Here is a comparison table of my best Classes in Dark Souls 3. Each stat can be sorted to view the highest and lowest values, which has been done for your convenience:

No.	Name	Best for	Level	VGR	ATN	END	VIT	STR	DEX	INT	FTH	luck
1	Knight	Best Class for Beginners.	9	12	10	11	15	13	12	9	9	7
2	Mercenary	Best Class for Dexterity Build.	8	11	12	11	10	10	16	10	8	9
3	Warrior	Best Class for Strength Build.	7	14	6	12	11	16	9	8	9	11
4	Herald	Best Class for Spear Weapons.	9	12	10	9	12	12	11	8	14	11
5	Thief	Best Class for Luck/Hollow Build.	5	10	11	10	9	9	13	10	8	14
6	Assassin	Best Class for Speedrunning.	10	10	14	11	10	10	14	11	9	10
7	Sorcerer	Best Class for Intelligence/Dexterity Build.	6	9	16	9	7	7	12	16	7	12
8	Pyromancer	Best Class for Fire Spells.	8	11	12	10	8	12	9	14	14	7
9	Cleric	Best Class for Faith Build.	7	10	14	9	7	12	8	7	16	13
10	Deprived	Best Class for Challengers.	1	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10

Class Comparison Table. 

Related Article: Dark Souls 3 Best Strength Weapons

Dark Souls 3 contains multiple classes, mainly 10 of them. Each with its own pros and cons to the playstyle of the player. In this guide, I will explain all of the classes in detail, so you can determine which ones fit the best for you.

1. Knight

Best Class for Beginners.

“An obscure knight of poor renown who collapsed roaming the land. Sturdy, owing to high vitality and stout armor.
-Dark Souls 3

Level	9
VGR	12
ATN	10
END	11
VIT	15
STR	13
DEX	12
INT	9
FTH	9
Luck	7

Knight Stats Table.

The knight is the standard class that any newbie or veteran can enjoy. They start with a Long Sword and a Knight Shield whilst wearing the Knight Armor Set, which is quite good for the beginning areas of the game.

The knight also starts at Soul Lv.9 which is amongst the higher side of the starting classes.

This class is best for those who would like to stick more to melee and want to enjoy the game on a sort of ”default” setting and some have even called it the best class for beginners.

2. Mercenary

Best Class for Dexterity Build.

 

“A mercenary and veteran of the battlefield. High dexterity allows masterful wielding of the dual scimitars.”
-Dark Souls 3

The mercenary is an interesting class due to the starting weapons and allocation of the attributes. This class starts with Sellsword Twinblades and a Wooden Shield whilst adorning the Sellsword Set.

The mercenary is a very over-powered class if the player knows how to exploit the game’s hidden mechanics and buffs. The mercenary also starts with Soul Lv.8.

Level	8
VGR	11
ATN	12
END	11
VIT	10
STR	10
DEX	16
INT	10
FTH	8
Luck	9

3. Warrior

Best Class for Strength Build.

“Descendent of northern warriors famed for their brawn. Utilizes high strength to wield a heavy battle axe.”
-Dark Souls 3

Level	7
VGR	14
ATN	6
END	12
VIT	11
STR	16
DEX	9
INT	8
FTH	9
Luck	11

The warrior is one of the more niche classes that exist within and that can be attributed to the fact that this class does not offer many special features, unlike the previously discussed classes.

The starting weapons are the Battle Axe and a Round Shield with the Northern Armor Set. The warrior also starts with a relatively low Soul Lv.7.

4. Herald

Best Class for Spear Weapons.

“A former herald who journeyed to finish a quest undertaken. Wields a sturdy spear and employs a gentle restorative miracle.”
-Dark Souls 3

Level	9
VGR	12
ATN	10
END	9
VIT	12
STR	12
DEX	11
INT	8
FTH	13
Luck	11

Just like the Warrior, the Herald is a niche class very rarely used by the players. This class has 3 basic weapons. One of these is a long-range Spear and a Kite Shield with a Talisman that casts the Heal Aid Miracle alongside a Herald Set of armor, with Soul Lv.9.

Still, I would not recommend it to every player unless you are trying a specific challenge run or you are a big enthusiast of spears.

5. Thief

Best Class for Luck/Hollow Build.

“A common thief and pitiful deserter. Wields a dagger intended for backstabs alongside a military-issue bow.”

 

Level	5
VGR	10
ATN	11
END	10
VIT	9
STR	9
DEX	13
INT	10
FTH	8
Luck	14

The thief is an interesting class most usually reserved for builds who aim for high bleed damage and a tougher run of the game. This is because the Thief starts off with a Soul Lv.5, which is the second-lowest in the game.

The thief starts off with a Bandit’s Knife and an Iron Round Shield alongside a Short Bow which has 30 arrows in it.

This is usually not in the running for the best class, not by a long shot. However, it does have its place and we have a very good guide on a good Dark Souls 3 Thief Build.

6. Assassin

Best Class for Speedrunning.

“An assassin who stalks their prey from the shadows. Favors sorceries in addition to thrusting swords.”

 

Level	10
VGR	10
ATN	14
END	11
VIT	10
STR	10
DEX	14
INT	11
FTH	9
Luck	10

The assassin is considered to be one of the best classes to speedrun the game. This class starts with the Estoc as a base weapon which is quite powerful in the early game, alongside a Target Shield and a Sorcerer’s Staff with which to cast its most powerful spell.

The spell I’m talking about is Spook, a spell that negates all fall damage to the player character, all while starting at Soul Lv.10, the highest soul level of any class.

7. Sorcerer

Best Class for Intelligence/Dexterity Build.

“A loner who left formal academia to pursue further research. Commands soul sorceries using high intelligence.”

 

Level	6
VGR	9
ATN	16
END	9
VIT	7
STR	7
DEX	12
INT	16
FTH	7
Luck	12

The Sorcerer is a magic-focused class that mainly utilizes spells from long range. They are equipped with the Mail Breaker, an average weapon, and a Sorcerer’s Staff alongside a Leather Shield.

The sorcerer also has spells in the form of Soul Arrow and Heavy Soul Arrow, hence reinforcing the ranged playstyle of the sorcerer. All of this with a Young Dragon Ring which boosts sorceries alongside a Soul Lv.6.

8. Pyromancer

Best Class for Fire Spells.

“A pyromancer from a remote region who manipulates flame. Also, an adept close combat warrior who wields a hand axe.”

 

Level	8
VGR	11
ATN	12
END	10
VIT	8
STR	12
DEX	9
INT	14
FTH	14
Luck	7

The pyromancer is a different type of sorcerer that uses flame-type spells that can aid them in hand-to-hand and range-based combat. This is also a good starter class that allows for a mixed style of combat for the player and is in the running for best starting class.

The pyromancer starts off with a Hand Axe and a Caduceus Round Shield.

What sets this class apart is the Pyromancer Flame which allows the user to cast a variant of spells, known as pyromancies. The starting pyromancy given to the class is the Fireball which does a good bit of damage to all flesh-based enemies. This class also starts with a Great Swamp Ring which boosts pyromancy damage.

Similar Article: Dark Souls 3 Pyromancer Builds

9. Cleric

Best Class for Faith Build.

“A traveling cleric who collapsed from exhaustion. Channels high faith to cast many varied miracles.”

 

Level	7
VGR	10
ATN	14
END	9
VIT	7
STR	12
DEX	8
INT	7
FTH	16
Luck	13

Once again we arrive at a niche class that is not used by the wider player base. The cleric is a high-faith character meaning he relies heavily on magic and miracles.

The cleric begins with the Mace and a Blue Wooden Shield, which is nothing special. But the cleric also has the Cleric’s Sacred Chime to cast miracles. The miracles that the cleric has access to in the beginning are Heal and Force. The cleric also has a relatively low Soul Lv.7.

10. Deprived

Best Class for Challengers.

“Naked and of unknown origin. Either an unfathomable fool in life or was stripped of possessions upon burial.”

 

Why Did I Choose Deprived?

The Deprived class allows you to start from scratch, with only a soul Level 1 to work with. Players who love a good challenge should try this class at least once, just like I have.

[/su_note]

Level	1
VGR	10
ATN	10
END	10
VIT	10
STR	10
DEX	10
INT	10
FTH	10
Luck	10

Last but not least is the Deprived class. The class for true try hards and masochists who either love grinding or love to challenge themselves to the point of insanity. This class starts out equipped with nothing but a Club and a Plank Shield. This class also has the lowest soul level in the entire game Soul Lv.1.

Attributes Explained

Vigor: The Vigor determines overall Health and Frost Resistance. This will help your character live more than one or two hits from bulky enemies and brutish bosses.

Endurance: This Attribute controls Stamina, Lightning Resistance, and Bleed Resistance. Without this aspect, you will not be able to maneuver during confrontations with bosses.

Attunement: This specific Attribute raises your FP (Focus Points) and the number of Attunement Slots you receive upon leveling up. This is primarily focused on spellcaster builds and more or less ignored on melee builds.

Vitality: The Vitality in Dark Souls 3 controls your Equip Load, Defense, and Poison Resistance. This is important for wearing different types of armor sets and general defense. Important for any type of build be it specialist or quality.

Luck: This increases Item Discovery which is basically the chance of items dropping from mobs while your Curse Resistance and increases your character’s Bleed capabilities and Poison capabilities. Check more on Luck Here.

Strength: This raises your Fire Resistance and determines how heavy of a weapon you can equip in-game. It also determines the Attack Power when using any weapon and it is usually used in conjunction with Dexterity for quality builds or used alone for very high strength builds.

Dexterity: Dexterity adds Attack Power while decreasing spellcasting times, and is required for equipping a number of weapons. This is the same as Strength, where it can be used in combination with another aspect for a quality build or used solo for high dexterity builds.

Intelligence: Intelligence is required to cast Sorceries, and Pyromancies and increases Magic Resistance. This is mainly an attribute for spellcasters and magic specialist builds.

Faith: The Faith is also a requirement for casting spells and raises the power of spells too whilst also increasing the players Dark Resistance. Another attribute that is focused on more magic specialist builds and used in conjunction with Intelligence and Attunement.

What Would I Recommend?

When it comes to the best class – the answer becomes quite subjective and dependent on personal preference.

With that being said though the most common answer to this question is the Knight class. The knight class is an all-rounded class that lets new players get accustomed to all the mechanics of the game while giving them enough room to make their character lean towards any particular direction, given the data and statistics observed.

That is why the Knight class is crowned the best class for beginners and veterans of the series.

Up Next:

• Dark Souls 3 Best Daggers.
• BEST Dark Souls 3 Boss Soul Weapon.
• BEST Dark Souls 3 Infusions.