Don't Starve Together Characters — All 19 Survivors Explained
All Don't Starve Together characters explained: the full roster of 19+ survivors, each one's perks and downsides, how they play, and which roles they fill on a team — Wilson, Willow, Wendy, Wortox, Wanda and more.
DST Characters Guide — Every Survivor's Perks, Downsides, and Best Role
Don't Starve Together has 19+ playable survivors, and the character you pick changes the entire game — not just stats, but how you're allowed to play. If you're searching "dst characters," you want to know who everyone is, what each one actually does, who's good for beginners, and which characters are DST-exclusive (not in the original single-player game). Here's the full roster, explained by how each survivor plays and what role they fill on a team.
How Many Characters Are There?
DST has 19 playable characters as of 2025 (Klei keeps adding new ones over time — the most recent additions came with the game's long-running "Year of..." and rework updates). All are unlocked through experience points earned by playing (or instantly via console commands/server settings) — you don't need to find them in the world.
Roster at a glance: Wilson, Willow, Wolfgang, Wendy, WX-78, Wickerbottom, Maxwell, Webber, Winona, Woodie, Wes, Wortox, Wurt, Walter, Warly, Wormwood (via DLC cross-content), Wanda, Wagstaff, Walani... — with new additions rotating in.
The Original Cast (From Don't Starve 2013)
These characters came from the single-player original and behave similarly in DST:
Wilson — The Beginner
- Perk: grows a beard (warmth in winter, meat when shaved)
- Role: pure jack-of-all-trades. No downside that hurts.
- Best for: literally everyone's first game. His beard makes the first winter significantly easier.
Willow — The Firestarter
- Perk: immune to fire damage, has a lighter, sanity rises near fire
- Downside: lights fires when nervous (low sanity) — a famous base-burner
- Best for: players who can keep sanity up; dangerous for chaos-prone groups
Wolfgang — The Strongman
- Perk: double damage when full, runs faster with a full stomach
- Downside: eats constantly
- Best for: the team's fighter — he shreds bosses, but the team must feed him
Wendy — The Ghost Girl
- Perk: Abigail, her ghost sister, fights alongside her
- Downside: deals less damage herself
- Best for: solo players (Abigail is a second fighter) and crowd control
WX-78 — The Robot
- Perk: eats gears to power up (max stats), immune to most penalties
- Downside: damaged by rain, starts weak
- Best for: late-game power scaling — the highest ceiling in the game
Wickerbottom — The Librarian
- Perk: starts with science books, can craft special "books" that summon rain, read for effects
- Downside: can't sleep, eats stale food faster
- Best for: experienced players who know the recipes; her books are game-changers
Maxwell — The King
- Perk: high sanity regen, crafts a shadow codex
- Downside: low health
- Best for: shadow-aligned gameplay (the game's endgame splits into shadow vs. lunar paths)
Woodie — The Werebeaver
- Perk: transforms into a werebeaver (fast chopping, strong fighting)
- Downside: transformation is involuntary with the curse meter
- Best for: wood gathering and burst combat
Webber — The Spider Boy
- Perk: spiders are friendly, can eat monster meat safely
- Downside: pigs are hostile
- Best for: spider-farm economies and teams that want a monster-meat food source
Wes — The Mime (The Challenge)
- Perk: none positive — the game's self-imposed hard mode
- Best for: veterans who want the game on maximum difficulty (or a meme)
DST-Exclusive Characters (Not in Don't Starve 2013)
These are the characters DST added that single-player Don't Starve never had:
Winona — The Builder
- Perk: builds faster, crafts a spotlight (fear of the dark is her story hook)
- Role: team engineer; her spotlight is an early-game base saver
Wortox — The Imp
- Perk: eats souls for health, teleports
- Downside: can't benefit from most normal food (soul economy)
- Role: the game's teleporter/backup fighter
Wurt — The Merm Queen
- Perk: merms are allies, builds merm houses
- Role: kingdom-builder; the merm economy is a full alternate playstyle
Walter — The Boy Scout
- Perk: slingshot ranged combat, Woby (his dog) is a mount
- Role: ranged DPS and the safest exploration character
Warly — The Chef
- Perk: personal crock pot, cooking buffs
- Downside: gets tired of eating the same food
- Role: the team's kitchen — his portable crock pot changes group food logistics
Wanda — The Time Traveler
- Perk: trades health for time manipulation (reverses age to heal)
- Role: high-skill glass cannon — the community's pick for "highest skill ceiling"
Best Characters by Situation
| Situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| First game ever | Wilson (no downside), Wendy (Abigail helps) |
| Solo player | Wendy, Wortox (self-healing), Wanda |
| Boss-fighting team | Wolfgang (dps), Wanda (dps), Wigfrid (self-sustain) |
| Base-building server | Winona (faster build), Wickerbottom (books) |
| Food economy | Warly (crock pot), Wurt (merm farms), Webber (spider meat) |
| Challenge run | Wes, or WX-78 with no gears |
The community consensus on "who is the best DST character": Wanda is the strongest in skilled hands (her time-reversal makes her nearly immortal with good play), and Wendy is the best all-rounder for most players (Abigail carries the early game). But DST is a team game — the best character is the one your team comp needs.
Unlocking Characters
- Experience: play any character and you earn XP; characters unlock as you level up
- Instant unlock: on dedicated servers or with console commands, everything is unlockable
- Cross-content: some characters (Wormwood) come from the Don't Starve: Hamlet/Shipwrecked crossover content and are available in DST through the same DLC ownership or via in-game events
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters are in Don't Starve Together?
19 playable characters as of 2025, with Klei adding new survivors over time.
Who is the best character in DST?
Wanda has the highest skill ceiling (time-reversal healing), Wendy is the best all-rounder for most players. For a team, pick by role (Wolfgang for boss DPS, Warly for food, Winona for building).
Which DST characters are best for beginners?
Wilson (no real downside, beard helps winter) and Wendy (Abigail fights for you) are the classic new-player picks.
What are the DST exclusive characters?
Winona, Wortox, Wurt, Walter, Warly, and Wanda — plus reworked versions of some originals — were added for Don't Starve Together and don't exist in the 2013 single-player game.
How do I unlock characters in DST?
Earn experience by playing; characters unlock progressively. Server settings and console commands can unlock everything instantly for custom servers.
Related guides: How to Play DST · DST Ending & Endgame · DST Platforms
Last updated: August 11, 2026.