I still remember my first week playing The First Descendant, running random low-tier missions for hours because I had no clue how to get characters in The First Descendant beyond the three starter units. I wasted almost 10 hours grinding the wrong battles, waiting for random drops that never came, before I realized there’s a structured, reliable system for unlocking every playable unit in the game. You don’t have to spend real money to get any character, even the strongest S-tier options, if you know which activities to prioritize. This guide breaks down every proven method I’ve used over 80 hours of casual play to unlock 90% of the current roster without spending a cent.
Core Methods for How to Get Characters in The First Descendant
Every permanent character in the game can be unlocked through four free, in-game paths, no premium currency required. You don’t need to spend real money to unlock any playable character, even the most powerful endgame units, so you can ignore any push to buy premium packs unless you want to skip grind for convenience. If you’re just starting out, these four methods are all you need to focus on as you learn the game’s core mechanics:
Crafting Character Components Faster Without Premium Currency
Once you collect all four required components for a character, you’ll need to craft them at the central base workbench. Most base characters take 12 hours to craft, while S-tier units take 24 hours, but you don’t have to wait out that timer if you plan ahead. Daily login rewards give you 2 free Accelerators every week, which cut craft time by 12 hours each, so you can skip one full S-tier character craft per month without spending extra resources. Crafting timers can also be skipped using in-game credits if you have a surplus, though I only recommend this if you’re trying to unlock a character before a limited-time event ends. You can farm extra crafting materials by running 10-minute Resource Expeditions, which drop double the required ore and tech parts if you run them during your daily 2-hour bonus window. Duplicate character components can also be traded in for universal shards, which you can use to fill gaps if you’re missing one piece for a character you really want. I once traded 3 duplicate Gley components for the last shard I needed for Freyna, and it saved me almost a full week of grinding weekly missions.
Limited-Time Events for Exclusive Rare Characters
Every 2 to 3 months, the game runs limited-time events that feature unique characters not available in the standard mission pool. Many new players panic if they can’t unlock the event character before the event ends, but event-exclusive characters usually return every 3 to 4 months on a rotation, so you’ll get another chance if you miss out the first time. Event missions have lower difficulty thresholds for character drops, so even new players under level 20 can unlock the limited unit if they log in daily for the 2 to 3 week event run. You also don’t need to buy the premium event pass to get the event character. The free track of every event pass gives you all four required components for the limited unit if you complete 70% of the daily and weekly event missions. Just make sure you prioritize event daily missions over regular ones when an event is running, because the rewards expire once the event ends, and you won’t be able to earn those components again until the character cycles back.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Unlocking Characters
It’s easy to waste resources on unnecessary grind if you don’t know what to avoid, and I’ve made almost every possible mistake in my first few months of play. First, don’t waste Accelerators on low-rarity characters you’ll only use once. Prioritize crafting S-tier characters first, as they will carry you through all endgame content, and you can pick up lower rarity units in the background as you grind for higher tier drops. One of the biggest errors new players make when figuring out how to get characters in The First Descendant is leaving squad groups early during Void Intercept Battles. You’ll forfeit all your loot if you leave before the mission ends, even if you did 90% of the work, so stick around until the final reward screen pops up. You also don’t need to hoard universal shards for no reason. They refresh weekly from login rewards and event drops, so use them if you’re only missing one component for a character you want, instead of waiting weeks for another random drop. Finally, don’t ignore faction daily missions. Maxing out faction reputation takes about 4 weeks of casual play, and the exclusive characters you can unlock from faction shops are some of the strongest support units in the game, perfect for endgame squad play.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get characters in The First Descendant doesn’t have to be a confusing, time-consuming grind if you follow these structured steps. I now have every permanent character in the game after 3 months of playing 5 to 6 hours a week, so you don’t have to no-life the game to build a versatile, powerful roster. Take your time with the story first, prioritize the right missions, and avoid the common mistakes we covered, and you’ll have your dream squad built in no time. If you’re currently grinding for a specific character, feel free to share your progress in the comments below!