Characters

“We just want to play!”

–Webber

Character select before the world generates.

Character select in Don't Starve Together.

There is currently a combined total of eighteen playable Characters in Don't Starve, its DLCs and Don't Starve Together. Each Character has at least one character-specific perk, in addition to various bonuses and penalties to their stats, and usually are different in play style. Each Character is "voiced" by a different instrument, and speaks differently when examining items and objects. The only exception to this is Wes, the speechless mime, who does not make sounds or have quotes, instead he uses pantomimes.

The first accessible Character is Wilson, considered the protagonist and the focus of the game's story. Most of the other Characters can be unlocked when sufficient Experience has been accrued, gained at Death or when escaping to a new world. There are currently six Characters that are not unlocked via experience, but through game feats. If the player has not unlocked a Character, it will appear as their respective silhouette. Upon selecting a silhouette, the Poster on the left will be a coffin shut with chains and a lock, and the description will simply say "The Unknown".

Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve Together includes all Characters from the base game and Reign of Giants DLC. All Characters are unlocked from the start and several perks have been changed and balanced for the multiplayer aspect of the game. It also contains an exclusive character, Winona.

List of Characters

Below are the abilities and requirements to unlock each Character.

Wilson	Willow	Wolfgang
Grows a magnificent beard.	Immune to Fire damage. Has a sweet Lighter. Lights fires when nervous.	Grows stronger with a full belly. Is afraid of monsters and the dark.
Wendy	WX-78	Wickerbottom
Is haunted by her twin sister. Feels comfortable in the dark. Doesn't hit very hard.	Not a picky eater. Is charged by lightning, but damaged by water. Can upgrade with gears.	Knows many things. Self-publishes books. Can't sleep, hates food spoilage.
Woodie	Wes	Maxwell
Has a lovely axe. And a terrible secret. Is thankful for bountiful harvests.	Can't talk. Has trouble staying alive. Practices balloonomancy.	Is dapper, but frail. Can split his mind into pieces. On a first-name basis with the night.
Wigfrid	Webber	Walani
Excels in battle. Absorbs the power of fallen foes. Only eats meat.	Is a monster. Can befriend spiders. Grows a silky smooth beard.	Loves surfing. Dries off quickly. Is a pretty chill gal.
Warly	Wilbur	Woodlegs
Has a refined palate. Cooks in custom kitchenware. Brings a stylish chef pouch.	Can't talk. Slow as biped, but fast as quadruped. Is a monkey.	Can sniff out treasure. Captain of the "Sea Legs". Pirate
Wilba	Wormwood	Winona
Is a pig. Carries her father's legacy. Is afraid of the dark.	Plants relate to him. Has a Green Thumb. Food fills his stomach, but not his heart.	Is a skilled builder. Gets one free hit from the dark. Invents her own gadgets.

Character Statistics

Character	Requirements	Sanity	Health	Hunger
Wilson	Always available	200	150	150
Willow	160 exp (8 days)	120	150	150
Wolfgang	320 exp (16 days)	200	150-300	300
Wendy	640 exp (32 days)	200	150	150
WX-78	960 exp (48 days)	100-300 150-300	100-400 150-400	100-200 150-200
Wickerbottom	1280 exp (64 days)	250	150	150
Woodie	1600 exp (80 days)	200	150	150
Wes	Find and rescue Locked Wes in Adventure Mode	150	113	113
Maxwell	Finish Adventure Mode	200	75	150
Wigfrid	1920 exp (96 days in a Reign of Giants save slot)	120	200	120
Webber	Find Webber's skull and bury it inside an opened Grave when playing in a Reign of Giants save slot	100	175	175
Walani	2240 exp (112 days in a Shipwrecked/Shipwrecked compatible save slot)	200	120	200
Warly	2560 exp (128 days in a Shipwrecked/Shipwrecked compatible save slot)	200	150	250
Wilbur	Find the Tarnished Crown and return it to Wilbur when playing in a Shipwrecked save	150	125	175
Woodlegs	Find Woodlegs' Cage in the Volcano and then unlock it with the Iron, Bone and Gold Keys while playing in a Shipwrecked save	120	150	150
Wilba	Acquire the Royal Crown by defeating Queen Womant, give it to the Pig Queen in the Palace in a Hamlet save	100	150	200
Wormwood	Always available	200	150	150
Winona	Always available	200	150	150
Wortox	Weave for 2700 Spools OR Buy the Wortox Chest for $7.99 or the Wortox Deluxe Chest for $10.99	150	200	175

Non-player Characters

Maxwell (Antagonist)

Main article: Maxwell (NPC)

Maxwell initially serves as the main antagonist of Don't Starve. He appears before the start of every game, saying, "Say pal, you don't look so good. You better find something to eat before night comes!" He disappears before the player assumes control of their character.

As seen in the Forbidden Knowledge video, Maxwell gives Wilson the knowledge necessary to build Maxwell's Door which captures Wilson and takes him to The Constant.

When the player chooses to play as Maxwell, non-player Maxwell will not appear. Maxwell will instead awaken and exclaim "Freedom, at last!"

Abigail

Main article: Abigail

Abigail is Wendy's twin sister, and as Wendy's perk, she can be summoned with Abigail's Flower.

Unimplemented Characters

Main article: Unimplemented Characters

There are several additional characters for Don't Starve and and Don't Starve Together that have yet to be implemented. These other characters only exist in the form of portraits, sound, and other assets found in the game files. The character Warbucks was part of the Hamlet DLC, but was removed from the game in favor of Wormwood.

Character Mods

Main article: Mods

On the PC version of Don't Starve, Characters created by users can be published on the Steam Workshop or the Klei Forums using the Don't Starve Mod Tools. Once downloaded, the character can be set up in its directory. When the player starts up the game, they can click the Mods button to enable the character. They will now be available for use after restarting.

Trivia

• All playable characters' names start with W apart from Maxwell's. Within the game's code, Maxwell's name is written "Waxwell," in line with the other characters and not to confuse playable Maxwell with NPC Maxwell. The trailer puzzles confirmed that Maxwell's real name is William Carter.
  • Having all characters' names start with W was unintentional at first, but Klei decided to go with it.
• Wolfgang was previously unlocked after Wendy.
• All characters are ambidextrous thanks to their sprite work.
• Before the Shipwrecked characters were released, they each had a locked character portrait, the title of "The Unfinished", the motto quote of "Don't look at me. I'm not ready yet.", and the perk of "Hasn't arrived on the island yet".

Gallery

All the characters in-game (excluding Winona, Wormwood and Wilba). Wilson's beard growth. Willow and her Lighter. Wolfgang's different looks. Wendy and Abigail by a fire. WX-78 during their "System Overload". Wickerbottom summoning lightning with her book. Woodie in his Werebeaver form. Wes and his balloons. Maxwell creating Shadow Puppets. Wigfrid wearing her special helm and spear. Webber with his silky beard and some Spider friends. Walani surfing on her Surfboard. Warly cooking his exclusive recipes in Portable Crock Pots. Wilbur running on all fours. Woodlegs sailing on The 'Sea Legs'. Characters can hold items with their left and right hand. The Strange New Powers update introduced gameplay differences to many characters. The portrait on the character selection screen for a locked character. The portrait for selecting a random character in DST. The old version of DST's character selection screen. Promo poster for new DST characters from the Don't Starve Together Roadmap 2019 forum post. Promo poster for new Hamlet characters from the Don't Starve: Hamlet Roadmap forum post.