Don’t Starve Togetheris the multiplayer version of the super unique and addictive gameDon’t Starve. This game involves teaming up with friends to play different characters and attempt to survive in The Constant. Each of these characters has their unique skills, strengths, and even weaknesses, meaning that a well-rounded cast of characters can make surviving a bit easier.
Because each character is so unique and different, it can be hard to figure out which character is the best. While this depends on playstyle, it can still be argued that some characters are more useful than others. There are cons to each character to balance out the pros, so finding the best one that suits a player is ideal.
Updated June 09, 2025, by Ashely Claudino:The Don’t Starve series has some of the best indie games out there. Over the years, several characters have been released for the game, whether it’s the original, sequel, or DLC content. This list has been updated and now includes a list at the end summarizing all of the characters' stats and quirks as well as improved images.
25Wes
Does Less Damage And Needs More Food
SomeDon’t Starvecharacters are only goodif players looking for a gaming challenge, and Wes is one of those characters. However, if the player isn’t looking to take things to the next level, they might want to skip him. Wes does 25 percent less damage and gets hungry 25 percent faster than just about every other character.
His special ability is creating balloons that can distract enemies and do a tiny bit of damage when they pop. This use is unlimited, but it does cost 5 sanity to use. The fact that he does not speak means players will never get survival cues or communicate with other characters. Overall, it’s a struggle to survive as Wes. For solo or group runs, Wes will only hold players down and can be a risk for survival.
24Maxwell
Low Health and Perk Punishment
Maxwell was originally the villain ofDon’t Starvebefore he found himself trapped in The Constant. While Maxwell can be a fun character to play because he can spawn Shadow Puppets using his Codex Umbra and his sanity isincrediblyeasy to manage, he’s not as strong as many other characters.
He also starts in The Constant with his items, such as the Dark Sword, Night Armor, Purple Gem, some Nightmare Fuel, and his book.
The Shadow Puppets can live up to 2.5 days before dying off. Upon summoning the puppets, Maxwell will lose 15 Health, 2 Nightmare Fuel, and 55 Maximum Sanity. While it’s satisfying seeing the antagonist trapped in The Constant, he’s not a character worth playing as he has such low health, so it can be hard to explore unless players can keep up his armor.
23Wilson
Freezing Resistance and Insight Ability
Wilson is the first character that fans will play with, as he is the only character unlocked when starting the game. For so long Wilson has been the default character with very few abilities except for his beard. The beard can be useful for the winter because it gives the player 135 insulation against Freezing, and it can also be shaved for Beard Hair, which is needed to make a Meat Effigy.
The Effigy will restore 10 Sanity as well as resurrect the player on Death.
But thankfully, an update eventually gave Wilson his own abilities, which is perfect for those starting out. While players are exploring the game, Wilson can now gain ‘Insight’, which can be spent on learning new abilities under categories such as “Beard”, “Torch”, and “Alchemy”.
22Wortox
Resistant to Negative Effects But Must Eat Souls to Survive
Wortox is a DLC character who once worked with Krampus until his life took a terrible turn. Wortox is unique because he primarily eats Souls, items dropped by other players or creatures upon their death. He can eat food but gains only half the amount of health as other characters.
Wortox can use Souls to teleport short distances and doesn’t lose as much sanity near monsters. However, since he eats Souls primarily, he does crave them often, which means eating regular food only affects him halfway.
Souls will appear if something dies within 20 units from Wortox, but they must be collected within 10 seconds. So players have to make sure to be quick on their feet.
21Wurt
Great Merm-Related Buffs But Tough to Feed
Wurt is a DLC character and young Merm. She can craft Merm homes and marsh turf. Additionally, she can summon the King by crafting her Royal Tapestry, and once he is summoned, her stats will be buffed.
Housing and befriending Guards will help players feel more protected as they will help her battle or do chores. Unlike other non-human characters like Wortox, Wurt isn’t attacked by creatures like the Bunnymen. One of the main disadvantages for Wurt is the fact that she is a vegetarian. On the bright side, she’s able to eat durian without any side effects. Another big disadvantage is her relationship with pigs. They will try to attack her on sight, and she despises them as well. Even with a disguise, she can not befriend pigs or try to trade with the Pig King.
While she sounds like a great character, it’s more for the later part of the game once she’s befriended guards, created tapestries, and covered the floors in marsh turf.
20Woodie
Can Transform and Chop Trees Quickly, But Serious Stat Depletion Post-Transformation
Woodie starts in The Constant with a unique axe named Lucy, who is constantly talking to him and encouraging him to chop down trees. Lucy can cut down trees faster than a normal axe and never breaks.
On a full moon or after eating a Totem, Woodie will transform into one of three different creatures if he eats two Monster Foods in under 4 minutes. These creatures are either a Werebeaver, a Weremoose, or a Weregoose. A Wereness meter will appear on the screen, and once it reaches zero, players will transform back to Woodie. The hunger meter will be quite low once he transforms back, so gamers should be sure to stock up on food before turning.
19Wonkey
Neutralizes Character Nerfs and Can Run, But Aggros Many Mobs
Wonkey is a secret internal character that players can unlock by having ten Accursed Trinkets in their inventory. Technically, Wonkey isn’t its own character since it cannot be selected from the menu. Rather, becoming Wonkey is a curse placed on whichever character the player is using. This means that Wonkey will neutralize any nerfs that the character has - Wigfrid can eat non-meat items or Wurt can eat meat, - and this is Wonkey’s main selling point since it doesn’t have any specific perks.
Wonkey also has permanent access to Moon Quay island and won’t aggro Powder Monkeys or Prime Mates. However, Pigs and Bunnymen are hostile to Wonkey - but they can still trade with the Pig King. Wonkey also has a slower move speed, but if it moves for three seconds it will start to run, and its running speed is 33 percent faster compared to other characters.
18Willow
No Fire Damage and Has Bernie’s Protection, But Major Arson Tendencies
Willow starts the game with her teddy bear and a lighter. This lighter can be used to start fires, which will help to slowly increase her sanity. And if players want to put those fires out, Willow never takes fire damage. Bernie, the teddy bear, can provide sanity and warmth to Willow. And if he is placed on the ground close to Willow at 15 percent or less Sanity, Bernie will grow to a larger size and help her battle mobs or bosses.
If Willow’s sanity starts to get low, and she has the lighter in her inventory, she will randomly set fires in front of herself. While they won’t hurt her, it can cause some serious problems, depending on what players standing by. She’s a decent character, as she’s the second character players will unlock, but she can be a bit hard to control if players don’t keep up with her needs.
17Woodlegs (Single Player Only)
Brilliant Early Game Items But Can’t Be On or Near Land
Woodlegs is perhaps one of the most “stacked” characters from a starting standpoint. His inventory is filled with a bevy of useful items, and his specialty-crafted item, the “Sea Legs,” has the same durability as an Armored Boat and an infinite cannon to blast away at enemies. His special headgear allows him to “see” nearby treasure spots, and he will start the session with the closest treasure spot revealed. He can be a great resource for finding valuable items and his craftable ship is pretty powerful.
Unfortunately, Woodlegs will absolutely hemorrhage Sanity when he is on land (or hovering near a coastline, for that matter). This makes him very difficult to use during the early game and players will need to keep up with his quickly-draining sanity in the first few days.
16Wilba (Single Player Only)
Great For Werepig Relations But Difficult Sanity Control
If players are tired of being attacked and bullied by Pigs when attempting to gather resources near them, consider using Wilba. This unique character is the daughter of the Pig Queen and therefore swine royalty. Her favor will allow her to pluck items from Pig Villages and the denizens will sometimes gift the Princess with basic resources and goodies. She’s quite the ally to have if players plan on setting up near a Pig Homestead.
Unfortunately, she’s afraid of the dark and will lose Sanity at night much faster than a normal character. She has a small Sanity pool too, which makes it easy for her to transform into an insane state. Additionally, even though she starts off equipped with a handy necklace that will “keep her from entering her Werepig form”, it causes her to slowly bleed Sanity. She’s unique and useful in her own right, but it can be a chore to keep her sane.
