[Top 10] Don't Starve Together Most Challenging Characters That Are Fun To Play

Updated:

17 May 2022

1. Wes

Wes being his badass self

“Some people just seem to attract more than their fair share of bad luck... and even those people are grateful they aren't Wes.”

Wes is a delicate French mime who uses pantomimes to communicate instead of speaking. His existence in the game provides a challenge to experienced players.

What Wes Excels In

Struggling to survive
Due to his reduced efficiency, the tools and weapons he uses will not wear out as fast as with other characters
Not giving timely warnings of any sort for impending dangers

Wes details and stats

Hunger, Sanity, and Health: 75 (lowest stats of all survivors)
Enters the Constant with Pile o' Balloons
Favorite Food: Fresh Fruit Crepes (can only be cooked in Warly's Portable Crock Pot)
Has a low damage multiplier, is not a skilled fighter or worker, and has trouble staying alive
Can craft a variety of balloon-related equipment
Can inflate balloons which, once popped, deal a small amount of damage to enemies nearby
Each inflation costs 5 Sanity, and there’s no limit to the number of balloons he can inflate
Balloons can be used to lure Mobs to traps or towards other hostile entities
Weapons that deal indirect damage, such as the Fire Dart or Gunpowder, are the best choices for him
A Belt of Hunger will nullify Wes's Hunger drain and also provide a boost to Sanity
Eating food that restores more than 75 hunger would be wasteful

Pick Wes if…

You want to play a character who is:
More susceptible to overheating and freezing
Takes more time to recover from grogginess
Will suffer from prioritized attacks from Hounds
Is more likely to be struck by lightning while being unable to speak to crops? This is your guy.
You’ve already experienced the most challenging aspects of the game and want to push the limits further!

2. Maxwell

Could Maxwell BE any more pretentious?

The former king of the Nightmare Throne and de-facto antagonist of the base game. When freed at the end of Adventure Mode, he returns to his dapper human form and is sent into the Constant as another survivor.

He is the only character in DST whose name does not start with the letter ‘W’, though technically his former name, William Carter, does start with a W. And M is an upside down W...

Fitting to his distinct position in the Constant, he breaks the fourth wall by talking about Don't Starve itself; for example, he comments on "game logic" when examining an Opulent Pickaxe.

Maxwell's name is a reference to the scientific thought problem "Maxwell's demon".

What Maxwell Excels In

Shadow magic: the player can summon shadow puppets after using the Codex Umbra, and they will aid Maxwell in combat. They will also assist him with mining and chopping down trees.
Handling his Sanity quite well, as it constantly increases over time due to his dapper style

Maxwell details and stats

75 Health, 150 Hunger, 200 Sanity
Enters the Constant with 6 Nightmare Fuel and his own Book called the Codex Umbra
The Codex Umbra allows him to fragment his mind, has infinite durability, and also functions as a portable crafting station
His favorite food is Wobster Dinner, gaining a bonus of 15 Hunger
Shadow puppets will live up to 2.5 days before dying off
Upon the death of a Puppet, Maxwell's maximum sanity will be restored by 55 points
Maxwell's voice is a harmonium

Pick Maxwell if...

You’re up for the challenge of playing a character with a max of 75 Health. This will make fights quite hazardous if the player doesn't have good armor
You fancy yourself as dapper, but frail
You’re intrigued about playing a dethroned king of the Nightmare Throne
You’re attracted to dark magic
You find it fun to embrace a pretentious character who often has snarky comments

3. Wanda

"There's no need to be afraid of curses if you're clever enough to outsmart them."

Wanda is a skilled clockmaker who will stop at nothing to outrun her future.

“Wanda has been trying to outrun her future for longer than she can remember - but after a split-second decision left her tangled up in the Constant's timestream, it might be her past that's finally catching up to her...”

The unique aspect of Wanda’s character is that she does not have a health meter. Instead, she has an age meter. As a result, she’s in a constant race against the clock.

Wanda ages by several years instead of taking damage. When Wanda is old, her voice becomes distorted and has a vibrato effect.

Her quotes constantly refer to the fact that she's in a hurry somewhere, despite some abilities associated with time.

She needs to be unlocked, either by weaving for 2700 Spools or purchasing a Wanda Chest.

What Wanda Excels In

Her health meter being replaced by a time meter makes for an exceptional experience and unique, creative gameplay
Has excellent time management skills
Wanda's special power is a Crafting Tab called "Clocksmithy", allowing her to craft 7 different character exclusive watches and tools with Time Pieces and other ingredients

Wanda details and stats

Hunger 175 Sanity 200 Age 20-80
Favorite food is Taffy
She enters the Constant with Ageless Watch and 3 Time Pieces
Wanda is voiced by grandfather clock chimes
Her age ranges from a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 80 (at which time she dies)
She will again a power buff in Shadow Equipment with old age, but gets weaker with normal weapons
Her special items: Clockmaker's Tools, Time Pieces, Ageless Watch, Second Chance Watch, Backstep Watch, Backtrek Watch, Rift Watch, Alarming Clock
When using the Backstep Watch, Wanda's teleport distance is 8 when young, 4 when middle-aged, and 2 when elderly
Wanda is considered young between the ages of 20 and 35, middle-aged from 36 to 64, and elderly from 65 to 79; this affects several aspects of her gameplay.
During old age, she cannot carry heavy objects such as Chess Pieces
She starts a game at an age of 38, and ages 12 years per day
Cannot receive any healing from any source other than the Ageless Watch, which rewinds her age by 8 years
Wanda's three stages are marked as sections on the badge
She can cheat death by using her Ageless Watch just after getting a fatal hit from an enemy. The Ageless Watch reverses her age meter going rapidly down.
Using the Backstep Watch gives a generous amount of invincibility upon use making it an amazing combat tool to dodge the enemy's attacks without much effort

Pick Wanda if...

You want to experience an out-of-the-box sort of gameplay
You are happy to be a very useful addition to your base camp team

4. Wolfgang

Hell yeah! You know he's about to get on a motorcyle!

“Wolfgang always prided himself on his strength, but after an embarrassing mishap reveals his might to be a touch exaggerated, he finds himself eager to accept any opportunity to get stronger… no matter how dubious the source.”

Wolfgang is an affable, musclebound giant with a heart plagued by a myriad of phobias. He needs to work out to become mighty, becomes wimpy over time, and burns a lot of calories.

He's afraid of monsters and the dark. He is a simple-minded Strongman who is very boastful about his might.

What Wolfgang Excels In

Wolfgang's stats (Health, Hunger, and Sanity) have a maximum of 200
When Mighty, Wolfgang deals 2x damage, can carry heavy items at full movement speed, and does not lose Might while carrying them
He freezes slower, with 60 more insulation
Chopping wood, mining, or hammering things is at 150% effectiveness and he also rows at 133% effectiveness
Does not lose Might while sleeping

Wolfgang details and stats

Health 200 Hunger 200 Sanity 200
Enters the Constant with a Dumbbell
Favorite food is Roast Potato
Wolfgang's voice is played by a tuba, which changes in pitch depending on his current form
He has a new "Might Meter" which slowly decreases over time and needs to be filled via lifting weights.
Wolfgang's might meter decreases faster with lower hunger
Has his own Strongman crafting tab, from which he can build the Mighty Gym and his various Dumbbells
Players can load the gym with better weights to change its effectiveness, such as with Statues or Giant Crops
To use the gym, a minigame is played where the player must lift the weights in a steady rhythm to gain mightiness
The Mighty Gym consumes hunger when working out
He also gains a small amount of mightiness when doing chores such as mining and chopping trees, as well as when attacking.
Wolfgang can craft four types of Dumbbells
Running with dumbbells will pause mightiness drain, as will raising an anchor
Wimpy Wolfgang has a 25% slower hunger drain and has an easier time staying cool
The main drawback of Wolfgang is his increased sanity drain during the night
Wolfgang's sanity rate changes depending on the number of friends and enemies that are within 16 meters

Pick Wolfgang if...

You’ve always wanted to be a bodybuilder
You want to be the mightiest member of your team
You enjoy working out
Mini-games are fun for you

5. Wurt

"Mermfolk known for hos-per-tality, florp."

“The cold wind howls. Trees stand tall and bare, their skeletal branches silhouetted against a broken moon. Gather close children, for these, are the Hallowed Nights when ghouls and monsters come out to play… and something has started watching our Survivors from the fog.”

Wurt is a curious young Merm trying to expand her horizons... as long as those horizons don't extend into Pig territory.

At home in the swamp, she has big plans for Merm-kind. Wurt is a vegetarian. She has a unique way of referring to various mobs, such as calling the Merms "mermfolk" and the Clockworks (including WX-78) "ironfolk".

This character needs to be unlocked, either by weaving for 2700 Spools or purchasing a Wurt Chest.

What Wurt Excels In

Wurt can craft the Royal Tapestry, facilitating the creation of the King of the Merms whose existence buffs the stats of all Merms, Loyal Merm Guards, and Wurt herself
She can also craft Craftsmerm Houses, which house Merms, and Merm Flort-ifications, which house Loyal Merm Guards
Can befriend Merms by feeding them, and they can help her fight, chop trees, and mine boulders
In order not to leave out any other players who are not Merms, she can craft a Clever Disguise for them to wear
Wurt can craft Marsh Turf, which increases her movement speed when walked upon by 30% (though this boost does not stack with that of roads). She can also see where Tentacles are hiding.
Drowning in the Ocean will only give Wurt 50% Wetness. She keeps her full inventory (though she will still drop her Hand slot item) and none of her stats are affected
Due to the unique thermal properties of the Ice Bream and Scorching Sunfish, Wurt can use her fish-prolonging abilities to remain cool or warm throughout the Summer and Winter

Wurt details and stats

150-250 Health, 200-250 Hunger, 150-200 Sanity
Favorite food is Durian
Wurt's voice is the combination of a sawtooth tone and the sound of gargling
Merms and Wurt players can tell the King is active by a change in physical appearance.
By trading the King Fishes, the player can receive Kelp Fronds, Seeds, specific Crop Seeds, Rot, Tentacle Spots, and certain Trinkets.
Bunnymen and other creatures that attack Webber & Wortox are instead neutral with her
She won't drop slippery tools nor lose sanity when being wet or equipping wet items
Durians and Kelp Fronds (raw, cooked, or dried) won't make her lose Health or Sanity when eaten. Furthermore, any Vegetables/Fruits/Butterfly Wings will give her 33% extra Hunger, with Durians giving 93% extra instead.
Keeping a living Fish, Eel, Ocean Fish, or Star-Sky in her inventory gives her 3.3 Sanity per minute
Fish held by Wurt will stay alive longer
Wurt can read Books, but won't trigger their effect (it will, however, affect her sanity in various ways)
Because Wurt hates Pigs and they hate her, they will attack her on sight. If she gives a Pig her Clever Disguise, they will become neutral but can't be befriended. She also cannot trade with the Pig King.
Wurt can't eat any Meats products or Eggs. This includes Fish, but not Butterfly Wings

Pick Wurt if...

You like unique, sweet characters with big dreams
You are up for the challenge of being a Vegetarian
You’re ready to declare war on Pigs

6. Woodie

"That's a nice lookin' tree, eh?"

Woodie is a Canadian lumberjack with a love for chopping trees and a mysterious curse. He’s thankful for bountiful harvests. He has a lovely axe, and rumor has it that his axe, Lucy, is sapient. He harbors a terrible secret.

What Woodie Excels In

Woodie transforms into a random form, Werebeaver, Weremoose, or Weregoose, if he eats two Monster Foods in under 4 minutes or during a full Moon
In all his Wereforms, the Hoedown Soundtrack will begin to play, inventory will be unavailable, and the Hunger meter will disappear and be replaced by the Wereness Meter
Woodie's beard grants him 45 points of insulation against the cold
During his transformations, Woodie is immune to the slowness caused by Sandstorms in the Oasis Desert in Summer. This means that while transformed, the player can fight Antlion without the need for Desert Goggles.
His special Axe, Lucy, has infinite durability and reduces the number of chops required to chop a tree

Woodie details and stats

150 Health, 150 Huger, 200 Sanity
Enters the Constant with Lucy the Axe
Woodie's voice is played by a cello
His favorite food is Honey Nuggets
He gains a bonus to maximum loyalty time whenever he recruits a Pig, and a different bonus to loyalty time when recruiting Bunnymen and Rock Lobsters
If Woodie eats one of the Kitschy Idols he will transform into the corresponding form
Has 50% more chance to spawn Treeguard and Poison Birchnut Tree whatever the season
When his Wereness Meter reaches 0, the Hunger meter is set at 0
He can craft Kitschy Idols in the Magic Tab, which can be eaten to trigger specific transformations

Pick Woodie if...

You’re a lumberjack at heart
You like to be mysterious about your past
You’re into flannel shirts and beards
You never want to craft an axe
You want to explore a more unpredictable character who can get out of control very quickly, who simultaneously possesses unique and overpowering abilities
You’re at war with the forest
You’ve always wanted a talking axe

7. Winona

Looking strikingly similar to Charlie in this outfit, Winona!

“Anything can be fixed with hard work and elbow grease.”

“Armed with her indomitable spirit and trusty mending tape, Winona seems to have been plucked straight off the factory line and dropped into the world of Don't Starve for something or someone's unfathomable amusement. There may be more to her arrival than it appears, however, as more than a few eyes will be watching the next move of the newest survivor...”

Winona, the Handywoman, is a former assembly line worker. She has a lively attitude and a profound love for all things mechanical. A skilled builder, she likes to invent her own gadgets. She gets one free hit from The Dark due to her mysterious past connection with Charlie.

She is a former Voxola factory worker who dislikes laziness and, to a lesser degree, things from high society. She is Charlie's older sister.

What Winona Excels In

She’s able to craft items and structures at twice the speed of other characters
Can dodge one hit from Charlie in the dark
Has access to her own crafting tab called Engineering, where she can build five extremely useful items: Trusty Tape, Winona’s Catapult, Winona’s Spotlight, Winona’s Generator, Winona’s G.E.Merator
She can fix things easily
Using her Trusty Tape, she can effectively repair Clothing items where there are no Hounds. This makes her a useful asset when spelunking.
Utilising her special ability to dodge a single hit from Charlie, she can be in the dark longer and can go insane quite quickly, if one wanted to farm Nightmare Fuel from Shadow Creatures.

Winona details and stats

150 Health Points, 150 Hunger, 200 Sanity
Enters the Constant with 3 Trusty Tape
Favorite food is Vegetable Stinger
Winona's voice sounds similar to a percussive PVC pipe instrument such as a tubulum
Winona's signature item, Trusty Tape, can be used to repair damaged Clothes and patch boat leaks. It is also a material component of her buildable structures
The Trusty Tape is especially useful for surviving tougher Seasons, as some clothing items used to delay Freezing/Overheating are not durable enough to survive an entire winter/summer season.
Webber can easily supply Winona the Silk she needs to make her Trusty Tape, making its single-use less of a problem.
Her increased crafting speed really shines when she is building complex structures or items that require refined resources (like an Alchemy Engine); crafting all the components at once saves more time.

Pick Winona if...

You’re ready to lose a small amount of hunger when crafting
When Winona’s hunger is below 50, you won’t mind that her crafting speed will be reduced (she won’t suffer any extra hunger costs below this threshold)
You like the dark and you’re willing to go insane from it to farm nightmare fuel
You’re a tinkerer at heart and you like to help your allies by fixing their stuff and quickly building complex structures in your camp

8. Wortox

"Pardon me if I don't shake your hand."

“A playful imp with a colourful past, Wortox was once a gentle (if rascally) forest creature without a care in the world -- until the day he inherited a terrible curse, and lost a close friend. Unlike the other Survivors, he does not appear to be trapped in the Constant. Perhaps he views this as some sort of game?”

Wortox is a mischievous imp whose levity masks a deep well of guilt. He has taken many souls in his time. Described by Klei as "a fun, mischievous fellow with a big, kind heart… minus the fact that he eats souls for sustenance." He can hop through time and space, and is less nourished by physical food

Unlike the other survivors, Wortox wasn't trapped in the Constant. He arrived through the Ancient Gateway, according to his examination quote for the structure when deactivated. His place of origin is unknown. He needs to be unlocked, either by purchasing a Wortox Chest, or by weaving him with 2700 Spools.

What Wortox Excels In

Wortox has a character-exclusive item, the Soul. When Mobs or fellow players die within 20 units of him, Souls will be spawned
He can release Souls to heal himself or nearby allies
Players standing within 8 units of the Soul's release will receive healing
He can spend one Soul to be able to Soul Hop, or teleport, a short distance
Wortox will lose 50% less Sanity when being near Monsters like Spiders, Hounds, Tentacles, etc.
He's invincible while Soul Hopping, therefore Wortox can use his Soul Hop ability to easily kite large mobs such as Deerclops and Bearger

Wortox details and stats

200 Health 175 Hunger 150 Sanity
Wortox's favorite food is both raw and cooked Pomegranate
Wortox is voiced by a violin (a possible reference to the popular association of the violin with the devil)
Enters the Constant with 6 Souls
Wortox's body craves Souls, and so this cuts the hunger, health, and sanity gained from regular food by half
Souls will immediately flow to Wortox when he is within 8 units of the Soul. If it is not collected within 10 seconds, it will disappear
Most Mobs will drop one Soul, and Monsters will drop seven to eight Souls
Wortox can eat Souls to restore 18 Hunger
He cannot store Souls in external storage (such as a Chest or Backpack), nor can any other character hold Souls
Pigs, Catcoons, and Bunnymen are hostile to him and cannot be befriended, like Webber. Unlike Webber, Spiders will also be hostile to him.
To easily farm Souls, players can keep a few Flowers around their base and kill the Butterflies that spawn
Wortox can be extremely powerful when paired with a Wickerbottom, as reading Birds of the World and Sleepytime Stories in quick succession can result in many Souls captured

Pick Wortox if...

You’re a little troublemaker
You’re ready to join the dark side
You’ve always wanted to role-play as a grim reaper
You’re attracted to unique, darker gameplay experiences, such as wanting to play with souls

9. Wormwood

"Hello, friend?"

"An amalgam of vines given sentience by lunar magic, Wormwood searches for friends so he can finally belong."

He appears to be an animate plant, akin to Treeguards, though he has a green cut stone on the front of his chest.

Wormwood is friendly while a little eccentric, addressing things such as insects as "Bzzters" and birds as "Tweeters."

He has a Green Thumb, plants relate to him and he gets saddened when plants are killed.

Food fills his stomach, but not his heart.

He needs to be unlocked, either by purchasing a Wormwood Chest, or by weaving him with 2700 Spools.

What Wormwood Excels In

Wormwood's main perk is access to the exclusive Green Thumb Tab. This gives him the ability to craft 4 items that cannot be crafted by any other character.
He has many unique abilities related to Plants and plant-like Mobs, and he has access to unique crafting recipes that can help with healing and defense
He can plant Seeds without the use of a Farm, and he is treated neutrally by Mobs such as the Lureplant and Snaptooth Flytrap
He also seems to have some sort of kinship with plants, addressing most of them as "Friend," or things similar
Wormwood also has several other perks, chief of which is the ability to plant Seeds and Plant Seeds without the need of a Garden Digamajig or Garden Hoe
No Food item will change his health in any way, so items such as Monster Lasagna can be consumed without taking any damage
Eyeplants are neutral towards him, harvesting Sea Weeds won't make them wake up and attack him, and he is also immune to the effects of Fire Nettles and Spiny Bindweed.
Starts blooming at the start of Spring or when using Growth Formula fertilizers
Doesn't suffer a sanity drain while being Wet or when equipping wet items
During the third stage of blooming, Wormwood's flower will open up and a small particle effect of pollen will begin to fall from his head.
Gains 60 Overheating protection while fully blooming

Wormwood details and stats

150 Health 150 Hunger 200 Sanity
Wormwood's favorite food is Cooked Banana
Wormwood's voice is a didgeridoo.
He loses Sanity when plants around him die, and he gains Sanity when he plants them
The Green Thumb Tab items are: Living Log, Bramble Husk, Bramble Trap, Compost Wrap
Plants planted by Wormwood (either using his perk or just planting seeds into hoe holes) stay fresh in the ground 1.5 times longer than planted by anyone else
Takes 25% more damage from fire
Wormwood also gains 10 Sanity from planting
He can also fertilize himself with Fertilizers. It gains instant heal based on Manure Nutrient value, it gains heal over time based on Compost nutrient value
There are three stages of growth, before blooming, followed by the three stages again in reverse as blooming subsides. Each stage gives a movement speed multiplier and hunger drain multiplier
When in full bloom, Wormwood tends all Farm Plant within a 1-tile radius around him
In the third stage of Blooming, each place he walks on will begin to grow small tufts of grass and flowers. This trail will attract Bees, Grumble Bees, and Bee Queens
Food items will neither increase nor decrease Wormwood's health. This limits the usefulness of items such as Dragonpie and Pierogi, restricting him to non-edible healing items

Pick Wormwood if...

Plants are your friends
You want to mostly rely on farming crops for food
You like to team up with Warly
You like gardening
You’ve always secretly wanted to be a plant
You never want to fight a bee again (Bees and Killer Bees are neutral to Wormwood unless provoked)

10. Walter

“A Pinetree Pioneer is always prepared!”

“While in pursuit of answers to the strange and unexplained, Walter suddenly found himself lost and alone in a place, unlike anything even he could have imagined.

Luckily, he would not be alone for long. Even a stout-hearted Pinetree Pioneer feels a little braver with a loyal friend by their side!”

Walter, the Fearless, is a strange but cheerful boy. He isn’t very good at understanding dangerous situations.

He’s great with a slingshot, has a four-legged friend, and has an allergy to bees. Has no interest in fashion and fears nothing (except getting hurt).

What Walter Excels In

During Night, Walter can tell stories at a campfire or endothermic fire by right-clicking them
Cooks food over fire faster, like Willow and Warly (he can cook food with Willow’s lighter too)
Only loses half the normal hunger during sleep
His special Pinetree Pioneer hat reduces sanity drain from damage
Can craft an exclusive item called Camper’s Tent, which has 10 uses and is portable
Has Woby, his special pet with nine inventory slots, like Chester
Woby can be fed moster food to transform into big Woby, and can then be mounted like a Beefalo
Can still use his slingshot while mounted on Woby
Does not lose sanity from negative aura effects such as monsters, dusk/night, nightmare light, or night light
Is not affected by the sanity effect (negative or positive) from equipped items, such as the Tam o’shanter, Spiderhat, Seawreath, or any other wet equipped items (though he still suffers sanity drain when being wet)
His exclusive weapon, Trusty Slingshot, has no durability loss and can be loaded with a variety of ammo for different effects.

Walter details and stats

130 Health Points, 110 Hunger, 200 Sanity
Damage modifier: +10 when attacked by bees
Hunger modifier: -0.5x when sleeping
His campfire stories generate a sanity aura of +10 sanity/min for himself and other survivors nearby
Enters the Constant with Trusty slingshot, Pinetree pioneer hat, 10x slingshot ammo
Ammo types: Pebbles, Gold Rounds, Marble Pellets, Freeze Rounds, Slow Down Rounds, Poop Pellets, Cursed Rounds, Melty Marbles Trinket
Favorite food is Trail mix
Walter's voice sounds similar to an out of tune Bugle or a Blade of Grass whistle

Pick Walter if...

You’re ready to deal with losing sanity when you lose health (the sanity loss is halved when wearing a pioneer hat)
You’re up for the challenge of continuously losing sanity when your health is not full
You don’t mind not being able to adopt a pet from the Critter Den since Walter already has Woby
You don’t rely on clothing items for sanity
You’re prepared to take extra damage from bees
You’re a boy/girl scout at heart and you love having four-legged companions to follow you around on your adventures!

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Camelia Karmala

Dark goddess of Transylvania, spurred by the wanderlust of her Dacian ancestors, quixotic Camelia Karmala has started her journey into the Unknown by exploring every wondrous realm she stumbles upon.

Gamer Since:

1996

Favorite Genre:

RPG

Currently Playing:

Don't Starve Together

Top 3 Favorite Games:

Don't Starve, Stardew Valley Bachelor Ratings (All Stardew Bachelors Ranked Worst To Best), Grand Theft Auto V

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