BDO Class & Character Creation Guide (Black Desert Online)

Ready to find the best class to play in Black Desert Online? Looking to weed out the feeble and raise a mighty fighter with awesome power during Character Creation? Evil must flee before mighty BDO classes!

This BDO Class and Character Creation Guide has class tier lists and rankings with a simple overview to highlight strengths and weaknesses. Class difficulty is also discussed. BDO class comparison is provided via class tier lists created from player polls and developer stats. After reading this guide, you should have a better understanding of which classes you would like to research more.

HAPPY Character Creation!!

NOTE: Always take class guides with a grain of salt. You’re a smart cookie. So you know that the best class is the one you enjoy the most! No matter how high tier a class is, if I don’t absolutely love the class, then it’s a squeaky mouse to me, because I won’t play it! 🙂

TIP: You can now create Trial Characters that are level 60. Read more details below.

BDO Classes: Character Creation Introduction

Trinity Roles in BDO?
Classes in BDO are not typical of traditional MMORPG’s. For example, the “trinity” of tank, damage dealer, and healer classes are not required in BDO. Any rag tag group of adventurers will probably be successful, as long as they are the correct level and have good gear. Solo play in BDO is normal at lower levels. With the help of potions, any class can easily heal and regenerate power for themselves. There are plenty of group activities to take part in, but you don’t have to scrap the whole party just because you can’t find a healer or tank.

Class Balance in BDO?
IMHO there are no bad classes in BDO. Just play and have fun. Trying to always have a META class is an ongoing adventure because the developers like to play around with BDO to maintain class balance. Then, when you lay slumbering blissfully in bed, they will shake up your class, and you will wake up to a HAETA instead of META. 🙂

Character Creation Aesthetics in BDO
NOTE: The Character Creator image of the giant with the flaming mohawk was one of the winners in a past Character Creation event called Beauty and Beast. It gives you a little hint into the extreme flexibility and creative freedom players can achieve during Character Creation. You can make your character look like anything you want, from a rainbow bright complexion to a celebrity look alike. There is also a Beauty Album that allows you to sort and edit player made templates.

BDO Classes Tier List & Rankings

——— via Character Creation Stat Map ———

Classes in BDO are gender locked. Below you will find a list of classes divided by gender in BDO, along with the class tiers and ranking stats visible during Character Creation. For player opinion on top tier classes in PVE or PVP, skip to the bottom.

Character Creation Key: Class Tier Stats Explained:

• Control: This is a measure of the difficulty in controlling the class. Classes with the highest Control tier, such as the Sorceress, are the most difficult to master. The Berserker class, on the other hand, has a very low Control ranking and is one of the easiest classes to play.

• Defense: Defense measures the class ability to take damage that hits them. Higher Defense score means this class is better equipped to take damage. Classes with the lowest Defense rank, like Ranger, receive more damage from hits.

• Combo: A Combo is a combination of key presses in a set order to perform a series of powerful moves. This ranking is a measure of the complexity of key combos available to the class. For the easiest class to play, look for classes with low Combo ranks plus low Control ranks. (like Witch/Wizard/Valkyrie/Berserker)

• Evasion: Evasion measures the class ability to evade attacks.

• Attack: Attack measures how much damage this class can dish out.

Top Tier Classes (Max Rank):

It’s interesting to note that Ninja, with it’s female counterpart (Kunoichi) have been given top rankings in every category but defense! Do you agree with the developer’s opinion? Read below about the best PVE and best PVP classes to cast your votes.

BDO Class Comparison: Weapons & Skills

Here is a comparison of the different classes, showcasing their weapons and hints at their end game play style. The Awakened skill movie shows off the end game Awakening weapon of each class. The “Black Spirit’s Rage Awakened Skill” is usually a special skill that has extra power when Black Spirit’s Rage is at 100%.

BDO Class Icon	Class Weapon	Class Subweapon	Awakening Weapon	Class	Black Spirit’s Rage Awakened Skill
Guardian	Battle Axe	Shield	Poleaxe		View Guardian Skills on bddatabase.net
Warrior	Longsword	Shield	Greatsword		View Warrior Skills on bddatabase.net
Valkyrie	Longsword	Shield	Lancia		View Valkyrie Skills on bddatabase.net
Musa	Blade	Horn Bow	Crescent Blade		View Musa Skills on bddatabase.net
Maehwa	Blade	Horn Bow	Kerispear		View Maehwa Skills on bddatabase.net
Ninja	Shortsword	Kunai, Shuriken	Sura Katana		View Ninja Skills on bddatabase.net
Kunoichi	Shortsword	Kunai, Shuriken	Sah Chakram		View Kunoichi Skills on bddatabase.net
Tamer	Shortsword	Trinket	Celestial Bo Staff		View Tamer Skills on bddatabase.net
Witch	Staff	Dagger	Aad Sphera		View Witch Skills on bddatabase.net
Wizard	Staff	Dagger	Godr Sphera		View Wizard Skills on bddatabase.net
Striker	Gauntlet	Vambrace	Gardbrace		View Striker Skills on bddatabase.net
Mystic	Gauntlet	Vambrace	Cestus		View Mystic Skills on bddatabase.net
Dark Knight	Kriegsmesser	Ornamental Knot	Vediant		View Dark Knight Skills on bddatabase.net
Ranger	Longbow	Dagger	Kamasylven Sword		View Ranger Skills on bddatabase.net
Sorceress	Amulet	Talisman	Scythe		View Sorceress Skills on bddatabase.net
Berserker	Axe	Ornamental Knot	Iron Buster		View Berserker Skills on bddatabase.net
Lahn	Crescent Pendulum	Noble Sword	Crimson Glaives		View Lahn Skills on bddatabase.net
Archer	Crossbow	Ra’ghon	Greatbow		View Archer Skills on bddatabase.net
Shai	Florang	Vitclari	Sol: – Lute (Tring) – Flute (Tute) – Drums (Tamtam)		View Shai Skills on bddatabase.net

Class Comparison: Tier Charts with Pros & Cons

The following class tier charts are visible during Character Creation after you click on different BDO classes. Each chart gives a tier or rank for each stat.

BDO Class Icon	Character Creation Class Stat Map	Class	Pros	Cons
Warrior			Amazing Self Sustain Many Health Steal Abilities	Long AOE cool downs Low mobility Annoying low duration damage buff
Valkyrie			amazing self sustain superior defense	low mobility slower low levels
Musa			high ranks in PVE Massive AOE arsenal super high mobility extremely fast class	weaker 1v1 PVP
Maehwa			Massive 1v1 and frontal cone damage super high mobility extremely fast class	few 360° AOE skills gather mobs into a tight group for frontal cone damage
Ninja			high ranks in PVP super high mobility extremely fast class short range superior 1v1 damage	fewer 360° AOE skills no long-range dashes or movement slows a bit after awakening into a heavy hitting explosive play
Kunoichi			high ranks in PVP super high mobility extremely fast class short range well rounded PVE + PVP	more AOE than Ninja, but less 1v1 power no long-range dashes or movement
Tamer			Powerful 1v1 PVP: chain stun lock until opponent is dead Powerful AOE Pet can be used for mount	Pet can be glitchy, especially around water (will despawn if water is too deep)
Witch			high ranks in PVP easy play style for beginners well rounded PVE + PVP	has block instead of Wizard’s grab: more defensive slightly less mobility than Wizard
Wizard			high ranks in PVP high ranks in PVE has grab instead of Witch’s block: more aggressive slightly more mobility than Witch	some complain too easy/boring of a class
Striker			high ranks in PVP high mobility big AOE damage surprising tanking ability: super armor and high health	somewhat tricky combos to learn
Mystic			high ranks in PVP high ranks in PVE super high mobility rapid AOE damage surprising tanking ability: super armor and high health	somewhat tricky combos to learn more squishy than Striker, but also more damage
Dark Knight			awesome AOE easy mob to mob mobility excellent PVE	squishy
Ranger			Amazing AOE Good in PVE very mobile	squishy potion hog
Sorceress			high ranks in PVP rank #1 in PVE Powerful AOE excellent mobility and debuff skills	highest combo/control difficulty poor super armor and forward guards
Berserker			Decent in both PVP + PVE. Can heal to 100% in a few seconds. Second highest HP pool.	Large frame: can be glitchy in small spaces
Lahn			long range stun lock combos good PVE + PVP glass cannon	no resistances and easily stunned heavily stamina dependent, so must keep careful watch on that resource
Archer			long range heavy damage dealer massive AOE arsenal	squishy stamina hog buggy/tricky heal skill
Shai			high HP and LT Impressive Healing & Support Professional 1 Alchemy & Gathering	extremely weak offensive PVP sometimes swims in shallow water can’t defend grinding spots
Guardian			High Crits & Damage Impressive Defensive Ability	some slow animations charging skills can get long

Best PVP Classes

The best class for PVP is a hotly debated topic. 1v1 PVP strength is considered different than siege/group PVP strength, which can complicate matters. According to a poll on the BDO forums, the top classes ranked best in overall PVP excellence are:

1. Mystic: 232 votes 55.5%
2. Sorceress: 184 votes 44.0%
3. Ninja: 183 votes 43.8%
4. Archer: 111 votes 26.6%
5. Striker: 81 votes 19.4%
6. Witch: 46 votes 11.0%

Best PVE Classes

The best PVE class is also argued about among players. According to many, the best grinding class greatly depends upon where you plan to hunt during end game. To view player opinion on the best farming class and to cast your vote, visit this poll on the BDO forums. So far, the top classes ranked best in overall PVE excellence are:

1. Sorceress: 51 votes 23.2%
2. Musa: 35 votes 15.9%
3. Wizard: 33 votes 15.0%
4. Mystic: 20 votes 9.1%
5. Witch: 15 votes 6.8%
6. Lahn: 13 votes 5.9%

 

• Shai: Her PVE strength is in her Life Skill focus. Read about Shai here.

 

Class Difficulty: Easiest Classes To Play

The easiest classes to play are classes with low Control and Combo tiers. These classes are Wizard/Witch, Valkyrie, and Berserker. Shai class ranks 0 in Control difficulty and has 2 in Combo. These classes have fewer complex combos and are easier to control than other classes.

If you are looking for a class that has low difficulty, also consider classes that receive the highest Defense rankings. (Warrior and Guardian have 3 out of 4 in Defense. Top ranking in Defense are Valkyrie and Berserker.)

These class tiers are the opinion of the developers and may not suit what you consider difficult or easy to play.

Highest Tier Class List in PVE + PVP

So which class is the best of the best? It’s interesting that we do see a few classes consistently in the top tiers for both PVE and PVP. These include:

1. Mystic: #2 PVP, #4 PVE
2. Sorceress: #4 PVP, #1 PVE
3. Wizard: #5 PVP, #3 PVE
4. Witch: #7 PVP, #5 PVE

Best Beginner Class

The best beginner class is probably the easiest class to play, but maybe you’re up for more of a challenge! Do you like simple controls or enjoy mashing complex key combinations? Do you like heavy hitting attacks or speedy finesse? What’s important to you? It may not be to someone else. This guide will hopefully help you determine the best class for you.

Is Witch/Wizard Class right for me?
For beginners to BDO, looking for the easiest class to play, most recommend Witch or Wizard. This class boasts several benefits to beginners trying out BDO.

• Easy key combos: you can Chain Lighting all the way to level 50. (Hold Shift + Right button)
• High & Cheap Sustainability: Beginners have to worry less about using up precious inventory and weight limits on buying and carrying Mana and HP potions. (Pots are very heavy.) They are more free to focus on obtaining loot and using silver for gear. They have several spells that almost instantly regenerate health and mana.
• Magic Lighthouse: a spell that turns a monster’s attention away from you and reduces their defense. This can help beginners, who probably have lower gear scores and less silver for repair bills and pots.
• Good Reputation: with a little research, you will find the Witch/Wizard are popular classes. Tier lists report that they are high ranking in both PVE and PVP polls.

Some people hate this class because they say it’s boring, and others love it. To me, it’s not boring at all. I suggest you play a class that looks fun to you at least until level 56. At level 56, all classes change by getting a new set of combat skills after their Awakening (except Archers, who enter the game with Awakened abilities). If you don’t want to bother with that, don’t forget that you can try out a level 60 of any class. Read more below.

Berserker and Valkyrie are also considered easy to play, but do not have the reputation of the Wizard/Witch classes for top tier PVE + PVP play.

Testing a Class via Trial Characters

Testing Out a Class
Trial Characters were recently added in the 6th March 2019 Patch. This allows you to try out a class to see if you will like it near end game.

• Max 3 Trial Character slots. (This is separate from the Standard slots.)
• All Trial Characters are level 60
• 4,000 Skill Points.
• Trial Characters can only enter a PVE cooperative tower defence mode called Savage Rift or specific PVP areas: Battle Arena, Red Battlefield, Arena of Arsha. No Savage Rift rewards.
• NPC Haz in Battle Arena sells Trial Gear for 1 Silver. (You are given 100k to spend.)
• Arsha’s Chest
• Trial Weapon Box
• Ramones’s Armor and Accessories Set
• [Battlefield] Instant HP Potion (XL)
• [Battlefield] Instant MP Potion (XL)
• Buffs that can’t be used in Arena of Arsha
• [Battlefield] Exquisite Cron Meal
• [Battlefield] Giant’s Draught
• [Battlefield] Perfume of Courage
• [Battlefield] Body Enhancement
• Trial Character Limitations: Can’t impact Family Fame. Can’t do normal activities like Attendance Rewards, In-game Mail, Challenges (Y), Node investment, and Guild Bonuses.
• Click <Here> to find out more about Trial Characters.

BDO Class Release Order

The following classes were released in order of first to last for North American (NA) server.

1. Musa and Maehwa classes were released for play on April 20, 2016
2. Kunoichi and Ninja classes were released for play on July 20, 2016
3. Dark Knight class was published April 2017
4. Striker class was released May 2017
5. Mystic class was released December 13th, 2017
6. Lahn class was released 23rd May, 2018
7. Archer class was released 12th December 2018
8. Shai class was released 26 June 2019
9. Guardian class was released 22 January 2020

BDO Class Discord Channels

Discord Channels are live chat and talk web apps that are good sources of info, help, and current events. If you are looking for more information about a specific class, it pays to visit their Discord Channel.

BDO Class Discords:

• Musa/Maehwa
• Ninja/Kunoichi
• Ranger
• Sorceress
• Tamer
• Valkyrie
• Warrior
• Witch/Wizard
• Berserker
• Dark Knight
• Striker/Mystic
• Lahn
• Archer
• Shai
• Guardian

Class Videos: Popular & Player Made

Youtube is a great source to find player opinions about BDO classes. Here are a few of the most popular and highly up-voted class videos:

Official BDO Class Descriptions & Videos