Slay the Spire 2 Character Unlock Guide: How to Speedrun and Unlock All 5 Heroes Fast
When Slay the Spire 2 dropped into Early Access from Mega Crit, I did what most longtime fans did—booted it up instantly, expecting to dive into wild builds and broken synergies within minutes.
Instead, I hit a wall.
Only one character available. Everyone else locked.
Now, if you’ve played the original Slay the Spire, you probably already had a suspicion: unlocking characters would be part of the journey. But what surprised me is just how simple—and abusable—the system is this time around.
So here’s a clean breakdown of how to unlock every hero fast, along with some honest thoughts about each one from someone who’s already sunk way too many runs into this game.
How Character Unlocking Actually Works
Let’s get this out of the way: there’s no challenge gating, no boss requirements, no skill checks.
Unlocking characters in Slay the Spire 2 works like a domino chain:
| Order | Character | Unlock Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ironclad | Available immediately |
| 2 | The Silent | Complete 1 run as Ironclad |
| 3 | The Regent | Complete 1 run as Silent |
| 4 | The Necrobinder | Complete 1 run as Regent |
| 5 | The Defect | Complete 1 run as Necrobinder |
And here’s the key detail that makes everything trivial:
“Completing a run” does NOT mean winning.
You can literally start a run and quit instantly—and it counts.
Yes, seriously.
The 5–10 Minute Unlock “Speedrun” Method
This is where things get a bit hilarious.
If your goal is to unlock everything ASAP (which, honestly, it should be), here’s the fastest method I tested:
- Start a run with your current character
- Enter Act 1
- Pause the game
- Hit “Give Up” / “Forfeit”
- Return to menu
- Watch the unlock animation
- Repeat
Do this five times, and boom—you’ve got the full roster.
From a design standpoint, it feels like an intentional “soft unlock” system rather than a strict progression wall. Personally? I love it. It respects your time and lets you experiment immediately.
My Take on Each Character (From Too Many Runs)
Here’s where things get interesting. The real reason you want all characters unlocked isn’t just variety—it’s because each one plays like a completely different game.
The Ironclad – Still the King of Simplicity
- Passive healing every fight
- Strong beginner-friendly builds
- Flexible archetypes
My opinion: Still the best starting point. But once you’ve tasted the newer classes, he feels a bit safe. Reliable, but not exciting.
The Silent – Combo Machine
- Insane draw potential
- Poison builds still viable
- Shiv spam still addictive
What changed? Her playstyle feels faster and smoother. You can chain turns in a way that feels borderline broken if your deck clicks.
My opinion: If you enjoy playing 15 cards in one turn, this is your comfort zone.
The Regent – The New Brain Burner
- Uses a secondary resource (Stars)
- Can forge weapons mid-combat
- Requires actual planning
My honest take: The Regent is not beginner-friendly. But once it clicks, it becomes one of the most rewarding characters in the game.
You’re not just playing cards—you’re managing a system.
The Necrobinder – Controlled Chaos
- Summons a companion (Osty)
- Uses Doom mechanics
- Can manipulate combat flow
Osty basically acts as a tank, which creates a completely different dynamic compared to every other class.
My opinion: Feels experimental in a good way. Not always consistent, but incredibly fun when it works.
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The Defect – Still Broken, Still Amazing
- Orb system returns
- Better synergy with status cards
- Smooth scaling into late game
What stood out to me: The flow of orb generation and evocation feels cleaner than before. Less clunky, more intentional.
My opinion: Still one of the most satisfying classes to master. High ceiling, high reward.
Quick Comparison Table
| Character | Difficulty | Playstyle | Fun Factor (Personal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ironclad | Easy | Balanced / Tank | ★★★☆☆ |
| Silent | Medium | Combo / Poison | ★★★★☆ |
| Regent | Hard | Resource Management | ★★★★★ |
| Necrobinder | Medium-Hard | Summoner / Control | ★★★★☆ |
| Defect | Medium | Engine / Scaling | ★★★★★ |
The Hidden Bonus: Random Character Unlock
Once you unlock all five heroes, there’s one more small thing to grab.
To unlock the Random Character option:
- Start a run with The Defect
- Reach Act 2
- Forfeit the run
That’s it.
It’s a small feature, but honestly, it’s one of my favorites—especially when you don’t want to overthink your next run.
Is It Worth Unlocking Everything Immediately?
Short answer: yes, absolutely.
Long answer: Unlocking everything early doesn’t ruin progression—it enhances it.
- You learn faster by experimenting
- You find your preferred playstyle sooner
- You avoid burnout from repeating one class
- You get access to all mechanics immediately
From a design philosophy perspective, this is one of the smartest choices Mega Crit made. It removes artificial grind while keeping the real challenge where it belongs: deckbuilding and decision-making.
Final Thoughts (From a Slightly Addicted Player)
If you’re coming into Slay the Spire 2 expecting a grindy unlock system, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
This is a game that says: “Hey, here are all the tools. Now go break the game.”
And honestly, that’s exactly what makes it so addictive.
The real progression isn’t unlocking characters—it’s learning how to abuse them.
Whether you’re building infinite Shiv loops, stacking absurd Poison numbers, or crafting galaxy-brain Regent combos, the game shines when you’re free to experiment.
So yeah—use the speedrun method. Unlock everything in 10 minutes.
Then spend the next 100 hours figuring out what the hell you’re actually doing.
