All 18 Don't Starve Together characters explained: skills, weaknesses, team roles, unlock methods, the skill tree system, and the best picks for beginners.
Characters in Don't Starve Together — All 18 Survivors Explained
Explore our full Don T Starve Together Hub for complete guides and updates. Don't Starve Together currently has 18 regular playable characters (plus the temporary Wonkey transformation during moonstorms) — a full seven more than the 11 in the single-player original, with 5 of them DST-exclusive and 2 promoted from single-player DLCs. Your pick decides "how you're allowed to play": over the same 30 days, Wendy clears mobs with her ghost sister, Wigfrid lifesteals through fights, and Warly feeds the whole team out of one pot. This guide breaks down every survivor's skills, weaknesses, team role and unlock method, grouped by origin, then gives direct picks for beginners, solo players and every team archetype.
Official source: Per Klei Entertainment Official Forums, DST features 18 playable survivors with distinct skill trees.
Official resources: Official Wiki (Characters) · Steam store page · Wikipedia (Don't Starve Together) · IGN game page · Klei official site
The Full Roster: Where All 18 Come From
| Origin | Characters |
|---|---|
| DS original 2013 (11) | Wilson, Willow, Wolfgang, Wendy, WX-78, Wickerbottom, Maxwell, Woodie, Webber, Wes, Wigfrid |
| Promoted from DS DLCs (2) | Warly (Shipwrecked), Wormwood (Hamlet) |
| DST exclusive (5) | Winona, Wortox, Wurt, Walter, Wanda |
Many character lists online miss Wigfrid — she comes from DS's Reign of Giants DLC, is fully playable in DST, and is one of the strongest combat characters in the game (own spear and helmet, lifesteal on attack, songs that buff the whole team). If you're slotting a fighter, put her at the top of the list.
The DS Original 11: Old Faces in DST
Wilson — The New-Player Default
Skill: a beard (warm in winter, shaves into meat). No real downsides. The first pick for every new player — the beard makes your first winter dramatically easier, and his skill tree (part of the first batch in 2023) is genuinely useful.
Willow — The Firestarter
Skills: immune to fire damage, free lighter, sanity regen near fire. Downside: at low sanity she lights fires herself — a base-wrecker for new players. Watch that sanity bar.
Wolfgang — The Strongman
Skills: double damage and faster movement when full. Downside: eats like a horse and needs the whole team feeding him. The #1 main-fighter pick, as long as your cook can keep up.
Wendy — The Ghost Sister
Skill: her sister Abigail fights alongside her (summonable and upgradeable). Downside: her own damage is low. One of the best solo and mob-clearing picks — Abigail shreds early spiders and hounds. Wendy's personal building, the Sisturn (made with pet hair, petals and more), grants protective buffs and is the centerpiece of her base.
WX-78 — The Robot
Skill: eats gears to upgrade (highest stat caps in the game), recharges from lightning. Downside: takes damage in rain. A late-game monster, weak early — don't start with it.
Wickerbottom — The Librarian
Skill: built-in science machine, craftable books (summon rain, tentacles, mass sleep). Downside: can't sleep (uses books for sanity). An expert's character — her books are strategic resources.
Maxwell — The Former King
Skill: very fast sanity regen, shadow servants from the Shadow Codex. Downside: very low health (75). The core shadow-path character; with sanity gear he can stand still and farm.
Woodie — The Lumberjack/Werebeaver
Skill: unbeatable axe; on full moons transforms into werebeaver form (enhanced chopping and combat). Downside: the transformation is uncontrollable (curse meter). The best resource gatherer in the game.
Webber — The Spider Boy
Skill: spiders are friendly, can eat monster meat without sanity loss. Downside: pigmen are hostile. The heart of spider-farm economics — the team's meat supply chain.
Wes — The Mime (Challenge Character)
Skill: no positive skills, lowest stats in the game. Pure masochist/entertainment pick for experienced players.
Wigfrid — The Valkyrie ★ (the one old lists miss)
Skills: +25% damage dealt, -25% damage taken, lifesteal on attack, sanity from fighting, own spear and helmet; DST adds an inspiration meter and battle songs that buff the entire team. Downside: only eats meat and sweets. One of the combat ceiling picks — her songs cover the whole team during boss fights.
The 5 DST-Exclusive Characters: Made For This Game
- Winona: faster building, own spotlight (her backstory is a fear of the dark). The team engineer — fast, safe early bases.
- Wortox: a demon who heals by eating souls and teleports short distances. Downside: regular food is half as effective (soul economy). The mobile healer/rescuer slot.
- Wurt: merm queen — merms are friendly and she builds merm houses. A whole merm kingdom playstyle; late-game population build.
- Walter: boy scout with a slingshot and dog mount Woby. Downside: can't eat monster meat. The safest explorer in the game — kites every ground mob at range.
- Wanda: clockmaker who uses "age" as a resource (age backwards to heal, stopwatch time control). Widely considered the highest skill-ceiling character — the community's "strongest duelist" (nearly unkillable in practiced hands), but she demands serious experience.
The 2 Promoted DLC Characters
- Warly: the chef. Own portable Crock Pot, cooking buffs (attack/speed bonus after a meal). Downside: eating the same food repeatedly gets boring (diminishing returns). The team's food-economy core — with him around, food becomes a strategic weapon.
- Wormwood: the plant person. Free and fast planting, heals from rot. Downside: can't eat meat dishes (including stew), flowers attack him. The farming-flow pick, pairs perfectly with Warly's vegetarian menu.
Picking by Situation: Copy-Paste Recommendations
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| First time playing | Wilson (no weaknesses) or Wendy (Abigail does the work) |
| Long solo world | Wendy, Wortox, Wanda (strongest self-sufficiency) |
| Boss damage slot | Wigfrid (songs + lifesteal), Wolfgang (double damage), Wanda (highest ceiling) |
| Base building slot | Winona (fast building), Woodie (tree clearing) |
| Food slot | Warly (portable pot), Webber (spider meat economy), Wormwood (farming) |
| Explorer slot | Walter (slingshot + dog), Maxwell (shadow servants haul loot) |
| Challenge yourself | Wes, or WX-78 on a no-gears run |
Strongest in a duel: Wanda (time mechanics, nearly unkillable once mastered); best all-rounder: Wendy (Abigail carries the early game); highest team value: Wigfrid (songs buff everyone) or Warly (cooking buffs). But DST is a team game — the best character is the slot your group is missing.
Unlocks and the Skill Tree System (2023+)
- Unlocks: on PC, characters unlock gradually through in-game XP/insight, or the server can just enable everyone; on consoles, some characters (Wortox/Wurt/Wanda/Wormwood) come via Deluxe character packs on the PS Store/Xbox/switch shops, or can be braided with in-game Spools.
- Skill trees: the Skill Spotlight updates (from 2023) are adding a skill tree to every character, leveled with Insight points (earned by survival days — about 68 days for all 15 points). Each character gets their own branches plus shadow/lunar affinity branches — beating Ancient Fuelweaver (shadow) or Celestial Champion (lunar) for the first time unlocks the matching faction bonuses. For both endgame bosses and the affinity mechanic, see the DST ending guide.
- Wonkey: during moonstorms characters can transform into Wonkey (monkey form) — a temporary state, not a separate character.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters are in Don't Starve Together?
18 regular playable characters (plus the Wonkey transformation): the DS original 11 + 5 DST exclusives (Winona/Wortox/Wurt/Walter/Wanda) + 2 promoted from DLC (Warly/Wormwood).
Who is the best character in DST?
Highest solo ceiling: Wanda; best all-rounder: Wendy; highest team value: Wigfrid (songs) and Warly (cooking). The real answer depends on which slot your group is missing.
Which DST characters are best for beginners?
Wilson (no weaknesses, beard keeps him warm) and Wendy (Abigail fights automatically) are the classic newbie pair; a third option is Wigfrid (own gear, less survival pressure).
What are the DST exclusive characters?
Winona, Wortox, Wurt, Walter and Wanda — five characters that only exist in DST and aren't in single-player Don't Starve.
How do I unlock characters in DST?
On PC, earn in-game XP or have the server enable everyone; on consoles, some characters need Deluxe character packs; all characters can also be braided with Spools. Skill trees level with Insight points — see the DST update guide for more.
Related Guides
- How to Play Don't Starve Together — Beginner Survival Guide
- DST End and Endgame Guide — Fuelweaver, Celestial Champion and the Shadow/Lunar Paths
- DST Lore Guide — Maxwell, Charlie and the Story of the Constant
- DST Season Survival Guide — Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer
- Don't Starve vs Don't Starve Together — Which to Buy?
Last updated: August 20, 2026.
More Don't Starve Together Guides
Games like Don't Starve: Oxygen Not Included, RimWorld, Terraria, Valheim, Project Zomboid, Core Keeper and V Rising — split into co-op and solo picks.
The Don't Starve story explained: the Constant, Maxwell (William Carter)'s origin, Charlie and the Nightmare Throne, nightmare fuel and the lunar vs shadow war.
Where to play Don't Starve Together: Switch, PS4/PS5 (2025 native PS5 version), Xbox, Steam PC/Mac/Linux, the mobile Newhome confusion and Game Pass status.