Demon Hunters
Five starting Demon Hunters and additional unlockable hunters, their talents, weapons, and starter builds.
Introduction
Pass the Fear ships with five starting Demon Hunters, each defining a clear combat identity: the Iron Bucket Knight absorbs damage, the Explosive Cutie applies self-damage AoE bursts, the One-Eyed Codger focuses on precision crit damage, the Money Whiz scales gold into damage and shop discounts, and the Mysterious Nun keeps the squad alive through clutch saves and debuffs. Character Talents are per-hunter, so swapping hunters changes both your combat style and your progression tree. The official YouTube 'Demon Hunter Handbook' series teases additional unlockable hunters (Elena, Lanny, Stella, Jenny) that the wiki tracks as they appear in post-launch patches. Each hunter also has a fixed Ultimate ability and a weapon affinity that subtly steers build direction, so picking a hunter is the first major decision of any run.
Demon Hunter Role Matrix
| Hunter | Role | Affinity | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Bucket Knight | Tank | Shield | Bulwark |
| Explosive Cutie | AoE | Explosive | Blast |
| One-Eyed Codger | Burst | Crit | Snipe |
| Money Whiz | Economy | Gold | Gold Rush |
| Mysterious Nun | Support | Heal | Resurrect |
Demon Hunter Roster
Iron Bucket Knight
Iron Bucket Knight is the shield-tank starter who absorbs damage through his Bulwark Ultimate and per-hit shield abilities. He is the recommended first pick for new players because his shield mechanics forgive early-game positioning mistakes, and his tank role makes him the most sought-after squad member in 4-player co-op where one player must hold frontline damage while teammates focus on DPS rotations. His weapon affinity skews toward shield-and-part builds rather than raw DPS, so he is less suited to solo burst-window builds but unrivaled for Chaos Battle Scar mode where curses multiply incoming damage. Best paired with the One-Eyed Codger or Explosive Cutie in co-op squad compositions for clear-time optimization.
Explosive Cutie
Explosive Cutie is the AoE room-clear specialist who excels at wiping encounter rooms with explosive projectile parts and her Blast Ultimate. Her weapon affinity for Fireworks Master builds makes her the strongest Skorpian partner for projectile-stacking builds, where her self-damage AoE complements the chassis's screen-wide volley pattern. Her self-damage mechanic requires careful spacing — stand too close to your own burst and you lose half your HP, so the learning curve is steeper than the Iron Bucket Knight's. Best in solo runs where clear speed matters more than burst damage, and a strong fit for mid-game squad compositions that need reliable AoE.
One-Eyed Codger
One-Eyed Codger is the single-shot crit specialist who scales burst damage through his Snipe Ultimate and precision-hit passive. He is the strongest Act 3 boss burst pick for solo runs because his crit scaling rewards the high-damage single-shot chassis like Leaf Cutter, where his Snipe Ultimate adds 200% next-shot crit chance to the killing bullet. His weapon affinity skews toward crit-only builds, so he underperforms on AoE-focused chassis like Skorpian. Recommended for experienced players who can position for precision hits; less ideal for new players who prefer tank durability or AoE clear speed. His burst-window potential makes him a top-tier DPS rotation contributor in 4-player co-op squads.
Money Whiz
Money Whiz is the economy-scaling starter that converts gold pickups into damage and shop discounts. As a B-tier hunter, Money Whiz scales infinitely with gold accumulation but reads as weak in the early Talent slots without specific economy-build investments. His Gold Rush Ultimate doubles gold drop rate for 30 seconds, which compounds with his passive gold-to-damage Talent to create runaway scaling. Best for solo runs and shop-heavy builds; less impactful in 4-player co-op where gold drops are split across the squad. He rewards patient playstyles that prioritize economy over burst damage. The wiki tracks the recommended Talent investment for the strongest economy-build route.
Mysterious Nun
Mysterious Nun is the support starter that keeps the squad alive through clutch saves and debuff auras. As a B-tier hunter, Mysterious Nun underperforms in raw DPS without specific build investments but uniquely strong in 4-player co-op where her Resurrect Ultimate can save a wiped squad during the most punishing boss enrage timers. Her weapon affinity for healing and debuff auras makes her a strong pick for squad compositions that prioritize survival over burst damage. Best played by experienced players who understand support role positioning. The wiki tracks the recommended Talent path.
Core Mechanics
Each Demon Hunter has a unique Character Talent tree, a fixed Ultimate ability, and a weapon affinity that subtly steers build direction. The Iron Bucket Knight excels at tanking through shield abilities, the Explosive Cutie stacks AoE projectile parts, the One-Eyed Codger scales single-shot crit damage, the Money Whiz converts gold pickups into damage scaling, and the Mysterious Nun stacks healing and debuff auras. Talents reset on demand at the camp, so experimentation between runs is cheap — a failed Talent path costs only meta-currency, not in-run progress. The wiki documents each Talent path and the recommended build pairings, including which keyword chains synergize with each hunter's Ultimate. Ultimate abilities reset at the camp between Acts and are recharged by either the Mysterious Nun's Resurrect card or specific Tarot draft picks.
Advantages
Five starting Demon Hunters cover every combat niche: Iron Bucket Knight for tanking the Storm Wall guardians, Explosive Cutie for AoE room clearing, One-Eyed Codger for boss burst windows, Money Whiz for gold-scaling economy runs, and the Mysterious Nun for clutch save support play. Each hunter has a distinct Character Talent tree, so swapping between them feels like playing a different character rather than a stat reskin. The full roster includes Elena, Lanny, Stella, and Jenny as unlockable additions per YouTube handbook footage, expanding team comp depth far beyond the starter five. The hunter-affinity system lets each chassis feel slightly different in each hunter's hands, so skill expression matters as much as raw power. The Mysterious Nun is uniquely strong in co-op for clutch saves, while Money Whiz is the strongest solo clear pick for new players because gold-scaling forgives early mistakes.
Challenges
Demon Hunters are balanced around their Talent trees, but unlocking the full Talent path for a single hunter takes 8-12 runs of dedicated progression, which feels slow for casual players. Some Hunters (Money Whiz, Mysterious Nun) underperform in raw DPS without specific build investments, so they read as weak in the early Talent slots. The official YouTube handbook hints at additional unlockable hunters (Elena, Lanny, Stella, Jenny) but the unlock conditions are not documented yet, so the wiki tracks community findings. Hunter switching in mid-run is not supported — once you pick a hunter at the start of a run, you are locked in for the duration, so a wrong pick means restart. Some hunters also have anti-synergy with specific weapon chassis, so the recommended starter hunter for a new player depends heavily on which chassis they plan to favor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch Demon Hunters mid-run?+
How do Demon Hunter ultimates work?+
What are the differences between the five starting hunters?+
Quick Tips
Each of the five starting Demon Hunters has a unique Character Talent tree, so investing in one hunter's talents does not benefit other hunters. The wiki tracks the recommended per-hunter Talent investment order for the fastest meta-progression. Team Talents are squad-wide unlocks that apply to all hunters regardless of which one is selected, so investing in Team Talents first gives you the biggest cross-hunter benefit. After unlocking all Team Talents, focus on one hunter's Character Talents at a time. The wiki tracks the recommended order for the fastest completion route.
Hunter switching is not available mid-run — once you pick a hunter at the start of a run, you are locked in for the duration. There is no mid-run hunter switch in the current patch, and the developers have not signaled plans to add one. Hunter switching is only available between runs at the camp, where you can pick a different starter for the next attempt. Plan your hunter pick carefully for each run based on the build direction you want to explore.
Some hunters (Money Whiz, Mysterious Nun) underperform in raw DPS without specific build investments, so they read as weak in the early Talent slots. The Money Whiz is uniquely strong in solo economy runs where his gold-scaling compounds with his Gold Rush Ultimate, and the Mysterious Nun is uniquely strong in 4-player co-op where her Resurrect Ultimate can save a wiped squad. Pick these hunters once you have invested in their specific Talent trees — the wiki tracks the recommended Talent path for each hunter's strongest late-game scaling.
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