Vampire Survivorsis such an influential title that it spawned an entire genre.Bullet Heaven gameshave become pretty popular, but none compare to the ridiculous wealth of content in the game that started it all.
You can win with any character inVampire Survivorsonce you’re sufficiently powered up and know a few synergies. With this in mind, some characters on this list aren’t necessarily the most powerful but benefit you in other ways.
If you’re looking for the best characters in the game, here’s a selection that will transform you from the hunted to the hunter.
Keep in mind thatBullet Heaven games are fundamentally different from Bullet Hell, but both have dozens of games worth your time.
We will be delving into spoiler territory in our hunt for the best of the best, so consider yourself warned!
10Pasqualina Belpaese
Great For An Absolute Beginner
Key Information
Base Game or DLC
How to Unlock
Purchase for 100 Gold
Pasqualina Belpaese is one of the few charactersavailable from the startof the game and is arguably the best in that limited roster. I may rate Pasqualina a little highly, but I scored my first win with her, and her starter weapon is nothing to scoff at.
Pasqualina starts with the Runetracer, which is a punchy projectile weapon. The part I like about the Runetracer the most is that it evolves with Armor, which is a solid defensive item.
With these items, you get decent damage and survivability, and they evolve into the “NO FUTURE” that feels almost broken when you’re a new player.
9Big Trouser
The Wolf Of Vampire Survivors
Collect all 16 accessories in Moongolow
Gold is honestly anend-game commodityonce you’ve fully upgraded your Power-Ups. That said, if you want to line your pockets, there’s one obvious choice.
Big Trouser starts with a +20% Greed stat, which increases every time he levels up. Greed dictates how much gold you earn from any source so he can quickly amass a fortune.
On that note,Gold Fever lasts 1.5x longer, making those periods particularly lucrative. Another great feature of Big Trouser is thathe starts with the Candy Box, allowing him to choose any weapon in the game.
8Red Death
The Grim Reaper Drip
Defeat the Reaper for the first time
Red Death is a deadly character inVampire Survivors, boastingone of the fastest movement speedsin the entire game.
This extraordinary character has a +100% Movement Speed stat with bonus Health and Might, so he’s mobile and packs a real punch. Many bonus objectives require you to travel to the far corners of the map, and you’ll really appreciate the boost if you’re trying to get somewhere quickly.
The speed is excellent, but Red Death alsospawns with the Death Spiral, the Evo between the Axe and Candelabrador. Needless to say, starting with an Evo weapon is incredibly strong, and while I wish Death Spiral had a faster fire rate, it makes Red Death a DPS monster.
7Imposter Rina
Purple Seems Suss
Emergency Meeting DLC
Evolve the “Report.”
I love a bit ofAmong Us, and the Emergency Meeting DLC proves that a collaboration between the two IPs is amatch made in heaven.
Imposter Rina is a fantastic character who starts with the Sharp Tongue weapon andmodestly boosted statsacross the board. This cheeky Crewmate makes the list thanks to its unique ability, which periodically turns Rina into an Imposter, complete with a scary set of teeth.
While in Imposter form, the character moves much faster, and the Sharp Tongue’s attack speed and power dramatically increase.The form change is tied to kills, so you’re able to frequently change state as long as you’re racking up a body count.
The Perfect Homage
Ode to Castlevania DLC
Beat the Doppelganger with Trevor Belmont
Alucard is a DLC character from theOde to Castlevania DLC, and he’s everything you could want from this incredible crossover.
Alucard is easily one of the coolest-looking characters in the entire game. His movement and combat animations look fantastic, and he immediately feels more fleshed out than your typicalVampire Survivorscharacter.
Fortunately, Alucardplays as good as he looks, with a boost to Movement Speed, Armor, and Max Health. He can also accessfour DLC abilities on top of his regular kit, making him feel immensely powerful. For example, Alucard can use Soul Steal after standing still to charge momentarily.
Our vampiric friend has it all and is a supreme addition to the cast.
“Please Try Not to Binge” Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania
On Halloween, Vampire Survivors releases a crossover DLC celebrating its Castlevania influence
The REAL Money Maker
Defeat 6000 Sammy the Caterpillar enemies. (Lake Foscari is good for this!)
Sammy may seem unremarkable at first glance, but it is arguablybetter at Gold farming than the almighty Big Trouser.
Our courageous caterpillar starts with Vicious Hunger, which can transform enemies into gold upon death.Sammy gains EXP from Gold, too, and if you combine this with Limit Break, you’re able to rely solely on Vicious Hunger throughout the entire run.
The route to crazy gold gains is a little less obvious with Sammy but absolutely dwarfs Big Trouser when you do it right. The only downside is you mustdefeat 6000 Sammy enemiesto unlock the character, which will take a long time.
4Scientist Mina
Pink Is Even More Suss
Evolve the “Lucky Swipe”
I already spoke highly of Imposter Rina, but her Pink friend is arguably even better.
Scientist Mina has aconfusing descriptionof her ability, but it basically works like this: Mina has a negative Luck stat, which gradually worsens the longer you play.
To offset this drawback,you can choose a stat every 10 levels. The chosen stat increases by 1% for each level and stacks if you keep picking the same one.
I love characters that give you freedom and a way to fundamentally break the game. Scientist Mina fills that role perfectly, and every run with her feels completely different.
3Avatar Infernas
An Infinite Scaling Apocalypse
Solve a riddle in the Inverted Inlaid Library
Avatar Infernas has everything you’d want in a super-powerful character, and itsbroken abilitiesmake it a ton of fun to play.
Avatar starts with decent boosted stats, but the parts we care about are the ones that areinfinitely scaled. The character gains Movement Speed, Curse, Might, and Cooldown at every level, and as there’s no cap, you can reach almost uncontrollable speeds.
The Cooldown stat, in particular, can turn slow-charging weapons like the Pentagram in a machine gun, and it’s hilarious to see some of Vampire Survivors' most deadly weapons used this way.
Avatar Infernuseventually becomes incredibly difficult to control, but embrace the chaos, and you’ll have a great time!
2Queen Sigma
She Takes No Prisoners
Complete every entry in the 1.0 Collection
Queen Sigma is thefinal unlockable character in the base game, requiring every entry in the 1.0 collection.
As you may expect from such lofty requirements, Queen Sigma is insanely powerful.Her base stats are off the charts, with massive boosts to everything, including Speed, Health, and Armor. She also starts with the Victory Sword, which is a decent weapon.
Queen Sigma’s impressive stats make the early game an absolute breeze.She also has over 100 Rerolls, which means you can effectively target any item in the game.
If that wasn’t good enough, Queen Sigma can chooseany Arcana Card she likesat several intervals throughout a run for unrivalled build customization.
You pick the Queen when you need to get the job done, and she’s a fitting reward for a player who’s seen it all.
The Game Breaker
Main Game or DLC
Complete every secret in the Ode to Castlevania DLC
Chaos isthe most broken character in the gameand a new addition with the Ode to Castlevania DLC.
Honestly, Chaos is so utterly busted that it breaks the rules ofVampire Survivors. The character starts withevery Arcana Card in the game, and they are all active simultaneously.
If you’re a new player, that may not sound like a big deal, but I assure you, 21 game-changing effects is, well, chaotic.
The Arcanas would be enough for Chaos to take the top spot, but its base stats are even more ridiculous than Queen Sigma’s.
Chaos is the ultimate end-game character for players who’ve seen it all and want to watch the world (and their graphics cards) burn.
The only question I have is how Poncle can possibly top this monstrosity.
If you’re feeling burnt out on Vampire Survivors but want to play something that feels similar,why not try Brotato?The title leans more into build crafting, and while it looks simple, it has a ton of depth.
