If you’ve spent any amount of time running missions in The First Descendant, you know that switching up your playable character can completely change how you approach fights, exploration, and co-op runs. Whether you’re looking for a support that keeps your team alive, a tank that can absorb waves of enemy fire, or a high-damage assassin that melts bosses in seconds, there’s a playstyle for every preference. This guide breaks down exactly how to unlock new characters in The First Descendant, with no hidden paywalls or confusing hoops to jump through for most unlocks.
Complete Main Story Quests to Unlock Base Characters
The first set of characters you’ll add to your roster are unlocked automatically as you progress through the main story quest line, no extra grinding required. You’ll get your first three characters — Viessa, Ajax, and Bunny — within the first two hours of play if you stick to the core story path, and each comes with a fully unique ability kit that covers basic playstyles for solo and co-op play. You won’t miss these unlocks if you stick to the main quest path, because they’re given as rewards for completing key story beats, no extra steps required.
Many new players make the mistake of skipping story quests to jump straight into public co-op missions, but that will lock you out of these base characters early on. Even if you’re not interested in the game’s lore, running the first 5 to 6 story missions is worth the time, as these base characters are all viable for endgame content. For example, Ajax is still one of the most popular tank picks for high-difficulty boss raids, even though he’s one of the first characters you unlock.
Farm Required Crafting Materials for Unlockable Characters
Almost all characters past the base roster require you to collect a set of specific crafting materials to unlock them at the central workbench in Albion, the game’s main hub. You can view the full list of required materials for any locked character by opening the character menu and selecting the “Unlock” tab under the descendant you want to add to your roster. Common materials you’ll need for most unlocks include:
- Character-specific memory shards: Dropped by defeating specific world bosses or completing high-difficulty side missions tied to that character’s lore
- Core alloy and bio-components: Farmed from regular enemy drops across all mission types, with higher rarity versions dropping in hard mode runs
- Unlock codes: Earned by raising your reputation with different in-game factions, or as a reward for completing weekly challenge rotations
You can increase your drop rate for rare materials by equipping loot boost mods on your current character, and running missions on hard difficulty when you’re farming for character shards. Even a 10% loot boost can cut your total grind time by almost a third over multiple runs, so it’s worth swapping your mod loadout before you start a farming session. A lot of players take short breaks between long farming runs to avoid burnout, because grinding the same boss 10 times in a row can get tedious fast. Many casual players I know switch to low-stakes, quick-play games between runs to reset their focus, and one popular pick for quick 5-minute breaks is Rummy Grand, which fits perfectly into the gap between boss respawn timers without pulling you away from your grind for too long.
Don’t waste rare materials on characters you don’t plan to play right away. High-rarity materials like gold-tier memory shards can take 6 to 8 hours of grinding to collect, so you want to make sure you’re investing them in a character that fits your preferred playstyle.
Complete Limited-Time Event Missions for Rare Exclusive Characters
Some of the most powerful unique characters in the game are only available during seasonal event cycles, which run for 4 to 6 weeks at a time. To unlock these characters, you’ll need to complete event-specific daily and weekly quests to earn event currency, which you can exchange for the character’s full unlock kit before the event ends. These characters are usually added to the general crafting pool 3 to 4 months after their event ends, but you can get them for free earlier if you participate in the event while it’s active.
Set a reminder to check the event page at least once a week to make sure you don’t miss out on limited unlocks, because event rewards often disappear entirely once the cycle resets. Event characters also usually come with exclusive skins and bonus ability upgrades that you only get if you unlock them during the event, even if they get added to the general pool later. Event missions are usually easier to run with a full co-op team, so joining a public squad can cut your grind time in half, and you’ll usually get better loot drops when you run with a full group.
If you miss an event, don’t panic. Almost all event characters are re-released in later event cycles, or added to the premium shop for free currency after a few months, so you’ll almost always get a second chance to unlock them later down the line.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When You Unlock New Characters in The First Descendant
Even if you follow all the standard unlock steps, it’s easy to make small mistakes that cost you hours of extra grinding. The first and most common mistake is spending premium currency on character unlocks you can get for free with a little farming. Almost every character in the game is unlockable without spending real money, so don’t waste your premium currency on unlocks unless you absolutely need a character right away for a specific raid or event.
The second big mistake is not testing characters in the practice range before you commit to farming them. You can test every locked character in the practice range for 10 minutes to try out all their abilities and see if their playstyle fits you, so you don’t waste 10 hours farming a character you end up hating. Always test a character’s abilities in the practice range first to avoid wasting rare crafting materials on a playstyle that doesn’t match your preferences.
Another common mistake is ignoring weekly reputation challenges, which give you a huge boost to the faction rep you need for many character unlock codes. You can max out a faction’s reputation in 2 to 3 weeks if you complete all their weekly challenges, which is far faster than grinding reputation through regular missions. Don’t skip daily login rewards either, as they often include free character shards or rare crafting materials that can save you hours of grinding later on, even if you only log in for 30 seconds to claim them.
Unlocking new characters in The First Descendant doesn’t have to be a confusing or frustrating process, as long as you follow the quest lines, farm materials strategically, and keep an eye out for limited-time event rewards. Take your time to test each character before you commit to grinding for them, and don’t be afraid to take short breaks to avoid burnout during long farming sessions. With a little patience, you’ll be able to build a full roster of descendants that fit every possible playstyle for solo and co-op runs alike.