There are tons of Back 4 Blood characters available in Turtle Rock Studios’ new game. Each one is unique and offers you varying abilities and advantages that give you an edge. However, how do you know which character is best suited for your playstyle? Let’s determine that together.
What Is Back 4 Blood?
The new Back 4 Blood game is a cooperative/competitive first-person shooter produced by the creators of Left 4 Dead. Like the prominent franchise, it is set in an intense post-apocalyptic era where the world is overrun by zombies. These zombies, called “Ridden” in Back 4 Blood, are citizens-turned-reanimated-corpses that you and your team have to defeat. As such, the question of whether you and what’s left of humanity can fight to reclaim the world remains.
Gameplay Modes
In essence, Back 4 Blood’s gameplay acts like most other FPS games. You can choose from multiple Back 4 Blood characters each with special characteristics. They can be useful for both the game’s cooperative campaign or competitive player vs. player (PVP) battles. Moreover, you can even use them for solo gameplay if you prefer playing alone. However, note that this won’t provide Campaign progression until the developer adds the update.
If you choose to play in co-op, you’re allowed to team up with up to three other friends online. Together, you have to strategize against the enemy and overcome the raging apocalypse. On the other hand, there’s also PVP mode where you can assume the role of either Cleaner or Ridden. Regardless, either side will come equipped with abilities, weapons, and more.
Lastly, Back 4 Blood also comes with a “rogue-lite” Card System that randomizes your experience. You can create personalized decks, roll for more varied builds, and engage in more difficult battles. This provides tons of potential for replayability in case you ever get bored of playing Battlefield 2042 or New World.
Back 4 Blood Release Date & Platforms
Back 4 Blood was released on October 12, 2021, and has received several updates since it first launched.
You can get Back 4 Blood on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
Back 4 Blood Lore & Character Overview
Are you a new Back 4 Blood player who’s curious about the game’s story, characters, and lore? Here’s a rundown of the stuff you might want to know before you enter the game. Warning: there are spoilers ahead so we suggest you skip this part if you want to go in blind.
Back 4 Blood Lore
What are the enemies in Back 4 Blood? Why is there an infection and what are its origins? Like many other zombie-based franchises, Back 4 Blood has a deep and rich history. It dials the clock handle back 1.4 million years and zooms in on an ancient meteor crash. This meteor crash created a large crater, called the Pingualuit Crater, in Quebec, Canada.
Fast forward to the 20th century, a group of scientists and geologists make expeditions to the site. However, things take a turn for the worst when they find the preserved body of an unidentified worm. While it was safely preserved at first, it sprang back to life and quickly infected the scientist. Since the events of that accident, it’s now been dubbed the “Devil Worm” (hence the name “The Devil’s Return” in Act 1).
Back 4 Blood Character Mechanics
Before we get into character choices, abilities, and specialties, let’s explore a little bit about the game’s character mechanics. Firstly, does Back 4 Blood have character creation? The answer is no. Unfortunately, it’s not like simulation games where you can create an avatar and modify its abilities or characteristics.
Now, if you’re wondering how many playable characters are in Back 4 Blood, there are eight total choices you can use within the game. However, you start with just four Back 4 Blood characters (called “Cleaners”). These guys, namely Walker, Holly, Mom, and Evangelo, are already there by default. Once you finish “The Devil’s Return,” you’ll get to unlock Doc, Hoffman, Jim, and Karlee. We’ll talk more about each person and their specialties later.
For now, all you need to remember is that Campaign progression is only possible through multiplayer mode. At least that’s true at the time of writing. This is because the developers seem to have created the game with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer. Of course, this came with a lot of backlash from the general public. As a result, Turtle Rock Studios has promised to add progression to Solo Campaigns sometime this December 2021.
Lastly, remember that each of the Back 4 Blood characters has unique starting weapons and cards. The cards are particularly important as you get to build a deck as you progress through the game. These are crucial for helping you survive and even thrive within the world. Some might even regard them as more significant than choosing the best character.
All Back 4 Blood Characters and How to Unlock Them
Who are all the characters in Back 4 Blood? Here’s a list of all characters you can play (in alphabetical order) along with relevant information per character.
Doc
If you’re a defensive player who is mostly concerned about safety, then Doc should be your go-to character. As her name implies, she’s great for healing your comrades as you fight hordes of the RIdden. She grants +30% healing efficiency and even boosts your teammates’ trauma resistance by 25%. Moreover, she can even heal each member for 25 health each level.
Of course, in Back 4 Blood, characters unlock only after specific events and triggers. In Doc’s case, you’ll only need to complete chapter 1 of Act 1. Afterward, you can use her whenever you wish and heal your teammates to boost your defenses.
Evangelo
Next up is Evangelo. He’s the newest member of the Cleaners — but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s weak or inexperienced. Some Back 4 Blood characters wiki lists rank him as the best playable character. That’s unsurprising considering the perks he gives you when you play him. What are these “perks,” you might ask?
Firstly, Evangelo is awesome because he provides you with 25% more stamina regen. This means you’ll be able to persevere through the fights. Additionally, he boosts the team’s movement speed by a whole 5%. Since timing and speed are crucial at each level, he’ll no doubt be useful on your expeditions.
In addition, Evangelo is also great at getting out of sticky situations. More specifically, he can quickly break away from grabs every one minute. That’s incredibly handy during tough segments when the Ridden manage to get you in their clutches. Furthermore, he also uses a melee weapon which doubles his effectiveness because of how important close-range combat is.
Thankfully, there’s nothing special that you need to do to unlock Evangelo. That’s because he’s one of the default 4 characters that are already unlocked when you begin Act 1. Hence, you can use him to your heart’s content to get through the first few phases.
Jim
All Back 4 Blood characters are pretty unique and versatile. In Jim’s case, he’s your best bet when it comes to raining down tons of damage on your enemies. That’s because his damage increases by 5% whenever you make precision kills. This can increase by up to 50% — incredibly useful for quickly taking down hordes of zombies. However, this effect has a caveat and that is that Jim cannot take damage at all. Otherwise, the effect is nullified.
Apart from this, Jim also has many other skills that make him useful to the team. For example, he innately has an aim-down-sights speed boost of 25%. In addition, he adds 10% to the team’s weak spot damage making him very useful for harder enemies. If he happens to head-shot a Common Infected or hits a Special Infected’s weak point, the damage dealt increases, too.
Unfortunately, Jim isn’t one of the default characters you can use right off the bat. You’ll have to unlock him by completing the first act’s fourth level in the co-op campaign first. Nonetheless, once you’ve unlocked him after that, he’ll be ready and at your disposal any time.
Hoffman
As you progress through the game, enemies and levels get much more difficult. When times become desperate and you’re not sure what to do, we recommend trying out Hoffman for a change. Sure, the other Back 4 Blood characters have tons of unique quirks that boost speed, damage, or healing. However, people tend to overlook the need for inventory space pretty often.
That’s exactly what Hoffman is here for. When using him, you obtain additional offensive inventory space that might spell the difference between success and failure. Moreover, he’s great for support and boosts your team’s max ammo capacity by 10%. It also doesn’t hurt that he has a higher chance of finding ammo whenever he gets a kill. When it comes to unlocking Hoffman, you’re gonna have to finish the first four levels of Act 1.
Holly
Back 4 Blood characters all come with varying abilities and specialties. When it comes to Back 4 Blood’s Holly, it’s all about the chase and stamina. Through her character, you can keep your team moving as she increases all the members’ stamina by 25%. In addition, whoever plays her character gets +10% damage resistance, making her more resilient overall. Lastly, she can also gain back a bit of stamina every time she kills an enemy.
Thankfully, Holly is one of the easiest characters to get in the game. That’s because she’s one of the default options you can get even when you first begin. Hence, you don’t need to complete any levels just to get her stamina boosts to help out your team.
Karlee
The power of foresight is not one to take lightly. That’s precisely why Karlee is an incredibly useful addition to your team. With her as your character, you can easily detect mutations and hazards close by to alert your team. Of course, this skill might not always prove to be useful especially when an enemy makes their presence obvious. Nonetheless, she’s great to have around — even more so during later stages when things tend to move faster.
In addition, Karlee provides her player an extra quick inventory slot for whenever you’re in a pinch. She’s also great for speed because of the 25% speed bonus she bestows the rest of her crewmates. The only con, however, is that you must unlock her like the other three unlockable players. Thankfully, the method is the same and you can get her after completing the initial four levels of Act 1.
Mom
Everyone needs a good mom in their life and that’s certainly true even in Back 4 Blood. Why? That’s because Mom bestows her teammates one extra life, adding a layer of protection to the team. This also renders the game slightly easier and more manageable, especially during the game’s more difficult stages.
In addition, Mom can instantly revive a teammate once at every level. If that doesn’t make her a life-giving mother, then we don’t know what will. Lastly, Mom is also pretty handy because she has one extra inventory slot for support. Hence, she can carry around first aid kits, bandages, and the like to keep herself alive.
Luckily, Mom is also a default character in the game. As a result, you can choose her to support your team right off the bat. However, her skills truly shine in later stages when things get harder. You might not need her too much during the early phases of the Campaign.
Walker
Lastly, Walker is one of the greatest Back 4 Blood characters to get if you need someone well-rounded. That’s because he is not only precise but also helpful to boost the team’s overall health. With him around, every member gets +10 health which should increase the odds of survival for each level.
In terms of accuracy, Walker is great because you get +20% more accurate while using his character. However, this boost only lasts for 5 seconds after each precision kill. Apart from this, his other useful skill is that he can damage enemies by 10% more. This works regardless of the enemy type you face, whether common or special.
Fortunately, Walker is also one of the easiest Back 4 Blood characters to get a hold of. He’s part of the default roster so you don’t need to clear any levels just to get him on board. You can shoot as precisely as you want with his character from the moment you jump in.
Best Characters for Single Player and Multiplayer
The new Back for Blood game was built for multiplayer. It’s the ideal experience to play it in a co-op environment with three other online players. However, just because multiplayer is the best, doesn’t mean you can’t fly solo. While the game requires four characters to complete a level, the game can use bots to control the other members.
Single Player
Now, let’s say you’re dead set on flying solo. You might have scoured the Back 4 Blood characters wiki to check which one is best for single-player mode. However, you’re left with no information about who is best to choose and now you’re stuck. No worries, my friend. That’s precisely why we’re here: to give you good advice on who to choose in single-player mode.
The first advice we have to give is that you shouldn’t play any support or healing-based character. That’s because most bots aren’t that useful and will stick close to you during the fight. Enemies will come running straight after you more than they will your fellow members. Moreover, while the others can somehow deal damage and survive by themselves, they can’t reliably have your back. Therefore, you should be capable of standing alone.
With that said, we recommend dropping Mom as a potential option. Apart from that, the other characters are all pretty fair game. That’s because success mostly depends on your Deck building skills regardless of your character. With the right Deck, you can trust yourself to survive and thrive in single-player mode.
Multiplayer
In terms of multiplayer, the best Back 4 Blood characters will depend on your playstyle. This is because multiplayer requires a ton of teamwork if you truly want to progress through the game safely. If you can play well with your team, it might not matter too much which character you choose.
Nonetheless, we can rank each of the Back 4 Blood characters. However, we still recommend you try each one for yourself before you land on a go-to character.
With that said, we think the best characters for multiplayer are Doc and Mom. These are both S-tier characters and are followed by Hoffman, Holly, and Karlee in the A tier. Afterward, Jim and Walker tie for B tier and Evangelo comes in last place.
Conquer Back 4 Blood with These Characters Today
Choosing the right character is a significant decision you’ll have to consider carefully in Back 4 Blood. That’s why we recommend thoroughly researching each one even if it means reading the entire Back 4 Blood wiki. Once you’ve landed on a good character, you’ll be able to progress more confidently as you play the game. Just make sure not to neglect the other important aspects like the cards you choose for your Decks.
