Pass the Fear Characters & Hunters — Every Kit, Ranked

Pass the Fear ships with seven confirmed playable hunters, each with a distinct kit, a 15-upgrade character skill tree, and a different way of turning the same two-weapon/ten-relic build system into power. Picking a hunter is not cosmetic: it changes how efficiently you convert pickups into damage, which is why the launch-week tier lists and the official store page treat the roster as the first build decision of every run.

The launch roster (community-documented names, per the character guides and StrategyWiki's Pass the Fear page):

One source (TheBigBois' launch review) lists an eighth character; the eighth is unverified as of mid-August 2026 — treat the roster as 7 confirmed plus one possible unlockable.

Per the official Steam store description: "Scraped together mid-escape, this motley crew consists of the Iron Bucket Knight, the Explosive Cutie, the One-Eyed Codger, the Money Whiz, and a mysterious nun picked up by the roadside..."

Jester — the Free Starter That Isn't a Trap

Jester is handed to you at the very start, and that fact fools a lot of people into replacing him as soon as anything else unlocks. Don't. His kit is simple and extremely effective:

• Novice's Luck — dodge the next incoming attack. A get-out-of-jail card in boss fights where one mistake ends the run.
• Justice Heart — +60% fire rate and reload speed for 8 seconds.

Chaining the two turns Jester into a boss-melting machine: dodge through the dangerous pattern with Novice's Luck, then pop Justice Heart and unload. The launch tier lists place him in A-tier, and the combo is one of the most reliable builds in the game for new players.

Lanny — the Economy Hunter

Lanny's entire playstyle revolves around coins: his kit rewards managing your spending, and doing it right guarantees rare spawns from the in-game shop. His ultimate is a trade-off — a solid damage boost while also increasing the damage you take, so it is a risk-reward button you learn to time.

Lanny rewards full-room exploration and shop-heavy routes. He is not weak, but he demands discipline: the community tier lists put him in B-tier at launch purely because his ceiling is gated behind spending discipline — and in co-op, a disciplined Lanny can fund the whole squad.

Marcus — the Bullet Hose

Marcus is the answer to "what if we just fired even more bullets?" His Fatal Silver Bullet fires extra rounds that deal bonus damage on critical hits. Some of his abilities are RNG-dependent early, but unlocking Bullseye and Spray and Slay in his skill tree smooths that out and gives him control over his damage.

Marcus is the most straightforward gunfighter in the roster — the right pick for players who want the game's build system without a character gimmick on top.

Jenny — the Bomb Tactician

Jenny is one of two launch S-tier picks, for two separate reasons:

1. Recycling passive — every 7 weapon parts you dismantle pays out a new random part. Long runs involve constant dismantling, so this quietly turns into a free part pipeline.
2. Wildcat Bomb ultimate — throws a bomb within 1,000 range dealing 1,000% of your current weapon's damage to every enemy in the radius. Destructoid calls it "probably the strongest one in the entire game" — the AoE and range are what make it broken rather than merely strong.

Her bombs inherit your weapon's element, so she slots into elemental and transmutation builds naturally. The best builds guide covers her dismantle-economy build in full.

Elena — the Silver Arrow Dancer

Elena is one of the best damage dealers in the game and one of the hardest to pilot. Her entire kit orbits the Demon Hunting Silver Arrow: after firing, her next dodge fires a Silver Arrow at the nearest enemy for 100% of your current weapon's damage. The shoot → dodge → shoot loop sounds simple; landing it consistently under bullet-hell pressure takes practice.

Unlocking her dash upgrades adds mobility and raises her ultimate's potential, letting you weave aggressively instead of standing and shooting. The Elena character video from the official channel sells the fantasy: "the dancer of the silver arrows."

Long Tong — the Dragon Companion

Long Tong never fights alone. Her dragon Amber fights beside her constantly, breathing 80% of your main weapon's elemental damage and applying dragon flame (a damage-over-time burn). Her ultimate Fury sends Amber into a rage state for 10 seconds, doubling her final damage and attack speed.

The dragon makes her the easiest S-tier to succeed with: a constant, autonomous source of damage and status application that scales with your main weapon. She is one of the two new hunters added at full release (with Stella), joining the demo's four.

Stella — the Tarot Caster

Stella is the second launch addition: an astrologer who builds Starlight, throws spectral cards, and bends tarot outcomes. Her kit ties into the tarot system — community documentation describes her as the Tarot/Pearl synergy pick, with a Wheel of Fate interaction that can grant tarot effects permanently when the card comes up upright. She was not included in the earliest launch tier lists because she required unlock progression before testers could reach her.

The Launch Tier List

Destructoid's launch hunter tier list and the community tier lists published in the first week agree closely:

Tier lists shift with patches, so treat them as starting points — the skill trees are free to respec and the meta moved noticeably between 7.26 and 8.7.

FAQ

How many characters are in Pass the Fear?

Seven confirmed playable hunters at launch: Jester, Lanny, Marcus, Jenny, Elena, Long Tong and Stella. One source lists an eighth unlockable, which is unverified. The demo shipped four; Long Tong and Stella were added for full release.

Who is the best character in Pass the Fear?

At launch, Long Tong and Jenny are the S-tier picks. Long Tong's dragon Amber provides constant scaling damage; Jenny's Wildcat Bomb ultimate deals 1,000% weapon damage in a huge radius and her passive feeds the part economy.

Which characters are new in the full release?

Long Tong (dragon companion) and Stella (tarot caster) joined the demo's four hunters. The demo roster was Jester, Lanny, Marcus and Jenny (Jenny's kit was reworked for launch).

Can you unlock characters in Pass the Fear?

Yes — most hunters start locked and open up as you clear early stages. Difficulty tiers and additional roster members unlock through progression rather than purchases.

Who should I pick for co-op?

Balanced parties mix roles: a frontline/aggro pick, AoE DPS (Jenny or Elena), utility (Jester), and a status applier. Long Tong scales well in any comp because Amber is autonomous. Lanny shines when the team coordinates gold routes and item trading.

Related Guides

• Pass the Fear Beginner's Guide
• Pass the Fear Best Builds
• Pass the Fear Build System Explained
• Pass the Fear Progression & Meta Guide
• Pass the Fear Co-op & Multiplayer Guide
• Pass the Fear Unlocks & Unlockables

Official resources: Steam store page · Destructoid hunter tier list · TheBigBois review

Last updated: August 13, 2026 — roster and tier placements through Update 8.7 (V1.0.491, August 7, 2026).