📖 Don't Starve's Easiest Characters: Stress-Free Picks for DS & DST Newbies
Quick-Start: Top 5 Easiest Characters 👾
For those who want results now, here's a quick summary of the easiest characters and why, in both single-player Don't Starve and DST.
Don't Starve (Solo)
Pick Wilson or Wendy. Wilson has no downsides and his beard keeps you warm in winter. Wendy comes with her ghost twin Abigail who can kill threats and light up dark areas, making nights and mobs much safer for newbies.
Willow is decent (free lighter = no night terror) and Wigfrid (if unlocked) gives strong combat capability with built-in armor – just mind her meat-only diet.
Don't Starve Together (Co-Op)
Start with Wendy or Wigfrid. Wendy is often hailed as the easiest DST character – Abigail handles crowds (hounds, spiders) effortlessly, protecting the whole team.
Wigfrid provides combat security and buffs allies (great for teams). Wilson is still fine, and Wolfgang can carry fights if fed, but his constant hunger can burden a new player.
Top 5 Easiest (Overall)
Wendy, Wilson, Wigfrid, Wolfgang, and Webber. These five have strong upsides that outweigh their downsides, giving beginners a gentler learning curve while still teaching core mechanics.
For modded picks, consider "Wirra the Wild Child" or "Wisteria" if playing DST mod-friendly – they add even more safety nets without breaking the game.
1️⃣ Solo Survival Made Simple (Don't Starve)
Pain Point:
"I keep dying to winter or darkness!"
Wilson – The Safe All-Rounder
No special downsides, grows a beard for winter warmth. Eases winter survival – essentially built as the tutorial character. He's the standard by which all other characters are measured.
- Beard provides insulation in winter (up to 135 insulation when fully grown)
- Standard stats (150 health, 150 hunger, 200 sanity)
- No special dietary needs or restrictions
Willow – The Insanity Shield
Starts with a lighter for infinite light, immune to fire damage (harder to die by accidental fires). Great for sanity since Bernie bear fights hallucinations when insane.
- Lighter provides unlimited light source (never fear darkness)
- Complete immunity to fire damage
- Bernie bear acts as a sanity buffer when Willow is insane
Wendy – The Monster Decoy
Abigail handles mobs at night (provides light and protection). Lower damage output isn't a big drawback in single-player.
- Abigail (ghost sister) protects you from mobs and provides light
- Sisturn helps maintain sanity and strengthen Abigail
- Less affected by darkness, reducing sanity drain
- Lower physical damage (25% less) compensated by Abigail's support
Wigfrid – Combat Prowess (if unlocked)
Her combat prowess and free armor make her formidable, though her strict diet can be a challenge early on.
- 25% damage boost and 25% damage reduction
- Regains health and sanity from combat
- Can craft exclusive Battle Helm and Spear (better than Football Helmet and Spear)
- Limitation: Can only eat meat dishes
Advanced: World Settings as Training Wheels
Use custom world settings to ease your learning curve:
- Set longer days and shorter nights
- Reduce monster spawns and make winters shorter
- Use campfire sanity tricks (e.g. picking flowers) until comfortable
Tools: In-game "Compendium" (Scrapbook) for survival tips. Community guides (Novice-to-Expert Survival Guide) on Steam cover seasonal strategies to complement your character choice.
2️⃣ Multiplayer Mayhem Minimizers (DST Team Play)
Pain Point:
"In DST, I don't want to drag my team down."
Wendy – Team Player's Bodyguard
Abigail softens hordes of hounds or spiders in multiplayer too, making world events (hound waves, boss add-ons) more manageable for everyone. Little sister doubles as a friend for newbies afraid of fighting solo.
- Abigail has AoE damage (area-of-effect) - perfect for crowds
- Abigail provides light for the team at night
- Sisturn can provide group sanity aura when flowers are added
- 2024 skill tree update enhanced her boss fight capability
Wigfrid – The Viking Tutor
Comes with craftable helmet + spear (instant combat gear) and boosts allies with Battle Songs. In team play, Wigfrid can tank hits and buff teammates' damage and defense, letting beginners contribute safely.
- Battle Songs provide team-wide buffs (damage, defense, speed)
- Natural combat ability makes her an excellent tank
- Life-steal from combat helps sustain in prolonged fights
- Remember: Only eats meat, so coordinate with the team crock pot!
Wolfgang – Muscle with a Learning Curve
His raw strength makes fights shorter (less chance to mess up), but DST players note he's overkill in a group. Still, if fed well, he trivializes combat – helpful for teams struggling with bosses.
- 2x damage when Mighty (well-fed), making him the highest DPS character
- Increased health when Mighty (up to 300 HP)
- Can maintain Mighty form through working out at Mighty Gym
- Drawback: Consumes food faster, needs team support for optimal performance
Wortox – The Forgiving Teleporter
Can heal allies by soul-hopping, and escape death via teleport. His easy crowd-control (soul heal AoE) can carry a team of newbies through tough fights.
- Soul Jump teleportation for escaping danger
- AoE team healing from souls (invaluable during boss fights)
- Collects souls from fallen enemies for later use
- Downside: Food provides only 50% hunger value, requires souls management
Webber – Spiderman with Caveats
Friendly with spiders = instant monster army for defense and food. Great for teams that communicate (Webber can farm silk and monster meat for everyone).
- Can befriend spiders (common enemies) to create a personal army
- Silk and Spider Gland farming capabilities (crucial resources)
- Can craft Spider Dens to expand his network
- Caution: Other players might accidentally aggro his spiders. Works best if your friends know not to attack your spider friends.
Advanced: Team Synergies
Once you're comfortable with the game, try these powerful combos:
- Wickerbottom + any - she can farm resources for everyone, but she's not beginner-friendly due to sanity management
- Wigfrid's battle songs + Wolfgang's strength - massive damage output
- Webber's spider army + Wendy's Abigail - mob control supremacy
Tools: Use in-game chat and emotes to coordinate. Mods like Global Positions (shows everyone on the map) help teams stick together – crucial when your safety might rely on Wigfrid or Wendy being nearby.
3️⃣ Character Face-Off: Why Are They "Easy"?
Pain Point:
"What makes an 'easy' character? Isn't it subjective?"
We break down four factors – Survival Viability, Combat Strength, Resource Efficiency, Learning Curve – and see how each top character scores:
| Character | Survival Viability | Combat Strength | Resource Efficiency | Learning Curve | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 💚💚💚 | 💚 | 💚 | 💚💚💚 | Beard = winter insulation, straightforward kit with no penalties |
| Wendy | 💚💚💚 | 💚💚 | 💚💚 | 💚💚💚 | Abigail provides safety at night, handles groups, farms resources easily |
| Wigfrid | 💚💚 | 💚💚💚 | 💚 | 💚💚 | Built-in armor and life-steal, but diet restriction means early meat focus |
| Wolfgang | 💚 | 💚💚💚 | 💚 | 💚 | High damage but burns food fast, needs to maintain Mighty form |
💚 = relative ease or advantage in that category
Advanced: Character Reworks Impact
Note how reworks affected these factors:
- Wolfgang's 2021 rework: Made his strength tied to working out (gym stations) rather than just food – slightly more complexity for new players, but also more control over his power.
- WX-78's circuit system (2022): Added initial complexity but ultimately lets players tailor difficulty (e.g. slot in a Hardy Circuit for +HP if you struggle surviving).
- Skill Trees (2023-2025): Allow characters to become even more specialized and powerful as you learn the game.
Tools: Character Discovery
If unsure who fits your style, try the Character Randomizer (there's a mod that picks a random character each time) – you might discover an "easy" favorite by accident and learn nuances of each without overthinking it.
4️⃣ Dark Horses: Other Notable Easy Characters
Even if not top-tier "easiest," these characters have aspects that some players find make the game easier or more fun. Depending on playstyle, you might consider:
WX-78 – The Self-Upgrader
Starts average, but by eating gears (DS) or installing circuits (DST), WX can skyrocket stats to become nearly unkillable. For a new player who manages to farm some early gears, WX becomes very forgiving.
- Can upgrade health, hunger, and sanity with gears/circuits
- Gets SUPERCHARGED from lightning strikes (speed boost, light)
- Downside: Takes damage from rain (manageable with umbrella)
Tip: In DST, scan a spider with the Bio Scanalyzer to unlock the Hardy Circuit (needs a spider gland to craft) – plug it in for +HP on day 1.
Maxwell – The Puppet Master (Expert's Easy)
Maxwell has only 75 HP (fragile!), so on the surface he's hard. But an experienced player might call Maxwell the "easiest" because his shadow puppets automate labor (chopping, mining) and even tank enemies.
- Shadow puppets gather resources automatically
- High sanity regeneration (20/min)
- Drawback: Very low health (75 HP) makes him die quickly
Advanced tip: Craft Shadow Loggers early and let them mass-chop trees while you focus on food and base-building.
Wurt – Queen of Swamp (Intermediate)
Wurt is a vegetarian Mermfolk character introduced in DST. She's not often labeled "easy" because of her diet (only eats plant foods) and the fact you need to craft a Merm King for full benefits.
- Can create Merm armies that fight for her
- Gains bonus stats for each friendly Merm
- Limitation: Vegetarian diet and swamp focus
In multiplayer, if someone on your team loves base-building, Wurt can focus purely on food farms and swamp setups. Once established, a Wurt with a Merm army and endless crops is nearly untouchable.
Walter – The Ranged Safety
Walter can attack from range with his slingshot, meaning you can kill spiders, beefalos, etc. without ever risking melee hits. He also never loses sanity from dusk/night which simplifies sanity management.
- Ranged combat with slingshot keeps you safely distant
- No sanity loss from darkness
- Has Woby (pet dog) who can store items and be ridden
- Drawback: Loses sanity when taking damage
Pro tip: Pair Walter with his buddy Woby – keep Woby fed so you can ride her to escape danger if things go south.
5️⃣ Modded Characters: Easy Mode or Balanced Fun?
Pain Point:
"I want more characters – are mods viable for beginners?"
The modding community has created hundreds of custom characters. Many are purely for fun or challenge, but a few stand out as high-quality picks for players who want an easier or more interesting experience without breaking immersion.
Wirra the Wild Child (DST Mod)
"Adorable, extremely configurable, with a hound-taming mechanic". Wirra is often recommended because she's balanced and well-coded: basically a kid who was raised by hounds.
- Can befriend hounds (turning a threat into allies)
- Seasonal abilities that enhance survival
- Highly configurable difficulty in mod settings
For a beginner, Wirra can make hound attacks – a common mid-game killer – trivial, as you'll suddenly have an army of doggos at your side.
Wisteria the Herbalist (DST Mod)
A custom character that "fits the lore and art style" perfectly. Wisteria is a human herbalist with a green thumb – she instantly picks plants and gains extra benefits from herbs.
- Instant plant harvesting (efficient resource gathering)
- Extra benefits from herbs and plants
- Downside: Physically weaker in combat
For someone learning the ropes, Wisteria simplifies the resource grind aspect of Don't Starve – less time picking grass and twigs, more time to experiment with cooking or base building.
Other Notable Mod Characters
- Welina (DST Mod) - A courier character with increased movement speed, making exploration and kiting easier. She slows down in rain as a balanced drawback.
- TeruTeruBozu - A support character with weather manipulation abilities. Very polished but check if updated.
- Claus (from Mother 3) - Has powerful energy attacks at the cost of sanity, essentially an easy combat mod if you don't mind juggling sanity.
Overpowered "Cheat" Mods
If your goal is pure easy mode, the workshop has those too – e.g. characters with night vision, infinite stats, or insane damage.
Warning: Most mod characters tend to be incredibly overpowered with insane perks and little to no downsides. Examples include the "Myth Characters" series which are intentionally power fantasy mods.
These can trivialize the game (great if you just want to mess around after dying for the 100th time, but you won't learn much).
Mod Tips
- Always read the mod description – creators usually note if a character is meant to be balanced or a "just for fun OP" experiment.
- For beginners, stick to mods tagged with "balanced" or those mentioned above.
- Keep an eye on compatibility: after major game updates, some mods might break.
Tools: Use Steam Collections – some players curate "Beginner Mod Characters" lists. The Don't Starve Mod forums are also a good place to ask for recommendations.
6️⃣ Patch-Informed Tips & Commentary
This section merges recent patch info with gameplay advice, so you're not reading outdated tips from 2015. The devs have refreshed almost every character over the years, so let's quickly note how some refreshes affect ease-of-use:
Wilson's Skill Tree (2023)
Wilson used to be just the vanilla, no-frills guy – now he has opt-in abilities. Instant benefit for newbies: one of Wilson's skill tree paths gives an alchemy ability to transmute materials.
This won't make or break your early game, but it can help with resource scarcity later. If you're new and playing Wilson long-term, don't ignore his skill tree – spending a couple insight points on beard insulation or making more effigies can further cushion your survival.
Wendy's Refresh & Skills
Wendy's character refresh (2020) gave Abigail levels and potion buffs, and her 2024 skill tree further lets her buff Abigail (e.g. gestalt Abigail for boss fights).
Net effect: Wendy stayed easy for beginners but gained advanced depth if you want it. As a new player, you can still just summon Abigail and forget it – she'll do her thing. If you get comfortable, you can learn to use Abigail's modes (aggressive/defensive) and potions to take on giant bosses with relative ease.
Wolfgang's Refresh
They toned down Wolfgang's straightforward power by adding a workout mechanic – but frankly, he's still a beast. One notable change: Wolfgang no longer loses sanity from the dark or monsters more than others (in single-player DS he had that fear).
Modern Wolfgang in DST only really asks you to eat a lot and maybe craft a Gym. The refresh made Wolfgang easier to maintain at max strength once you understand it, because working out with dumbbells is an active way to stay Mighty (not solely dependent on constant eating).
WX-78's Rework
As mentioned, WX got circuits. This initially confused some players, but it actually made WX more flexible. You can decide to be newbie-friendly (slot in multiple Hardy Circuits for a gigantic health pool) at the cost of other abilities.
Essentially, WX can customize difficulty: new players can buff the stat they struggle with (if you die to insanity a lot, there's a circuit that prevents insanity aura from monsters; if you die to health, buff it; etc.).
Other Character Refreshes
- Wickerbottom's Refresh (2022): Added new books, including a cookbook that newbies who love farming might enjoy. Not recommended for beginners though due to her no-sleep mechanic and high sanity loss.
- Maxwell's Refresh (Dec 2022): Made shadow puppets shadowier and added a shadow sneak ability. For ease-of-use, the main benefit is he can now have multiple Duelists to tank bosses decently.
- Character Refresh TL;DR: No character is outright bad – Klei has tried to ensure each has a strong niche. But some niches inherently require game knowledge.
Advanced Tip: World Settings
If you want an easy start, remember world settings: you can create a custom world with fewer threats (turn off wildfires, make winter shorter, etc.). This isn't a character choice, but it can make any character easier to play.
Pro Tip: Don't consider it shameful – think of it as training mode. Many players do this to learn boss fights or survive longer with their favorite (but challenging) character. You can always dial the difficulty back up later.
7️⃣ Gamer-to-Gamer Anecdotes & Advice
Wilson – "Oops, I Messed Up" Safety Net
"I thought I was hot stuff and switched off Wilson after a few successful runs… promptly froze to death in winter as Willow because I relied too much on that beard insulation!"
— Steam Community Player
Moral: Wilson forgives your forgetfulness (didn't make a winter coat? Beard's got you).
Tip: When playing others, remember to compensate – craft that puffy vest or heat stone if winter's coming.
Wendy – The Chill Playthrough
"With Wendy, I actually survived long enough to see phase 3 of Bee Queen because Abigail thinned the crowd. It felt like playing on easy mode – in a good way!"
— Reddit User
Actionable tip: Use Wendy's Sisturn item (4 boards + 3 cut stone + 1 ash) – if you place flowers in it, it gives everyone around a sanity gain aura. Great for team base sanity and one more reason Wendy makes life easier for all.
Wolfgang – Risk vs Reward
"Wolfgang is the easiest way to turn the game into an action RPG instead of horror survival. As Wolfgang, you fear starvation more than monsters – because you are the monster to them."
— Experienced Player
My first Deerclops kill was with Wolfgang; I barely knew how to kite, but I stuffed my face with meatballs, stayed Mighty, and facetanked the giant with a football helmet and hambat. It was sloppy – I tanked hits I should've dodged – but Wolfgang's doubled damage and high health forgave me.
Tip: Always keep cheap food on hand (like cooked cactus flesh or meatballs) for emergency healing and to maintain mightiness. Treat hunger as your second health bar – never let it drop too low.
Don't Starve Together – Team Easy Mode
A group anecdote: we had a newbie group where one chose Wickerbottom (hard mode) and was struggling, while another was Wigfrid and I was Wendy. By mid-summer, the Wicker player was constantly near insane, getting stomped by terrorbeaks.
Our Wendy realized she could drop Abigail's flower at Wickerbottom's feet and effectively loan Abigail to protect Wicker while we rushed to help. That little act – a beginner using Wendy's mechanics creatively – saved our Wicker from rage-quitting.
If you play DST with friends, consider having at least one of these easy characters in the mix; they can be the clutch that saves the day when things go south.
Action Steps for New Players
- Pick a forgiving character (Wilson or Wendy recommended for absolute beginners).
- Set one goal at a time: e.g. "Survive 10 days" then "Make a crock pot" then "Survive winter."
- Use pause (single-player) or Plan at Dusk (multiplayer): Take stock each evening – do you have light, food, protection?
- Learn from death: Each death, ask "What went wrong, and how could [character] have prevented it?"
- Gradually try others: Once you've got the basics and survived a full year with an "easy" character, try a harder one.
8️⃣ Quick Questions (FAQ) 🔍
Character Update Timeline
Don't Starve Character Evolution
Don't Starve releases. Wilson is the default character – intended as the baseline easy character. Others like Willow, Wendy, Wolfgang unlock via experience.
Reign of Giants DLC introduces Wigfrid and Webber. Wigfrid quickly becomes known as a strong survivor (easy combat with lifesteal), though new players must adapt to her diet.
Don't Starve Together Beta launches. All characters now playable from the start. Wilson remains the recommended newbie pick in game tips.
DST adds multiple new characters: Wortox (2019), Wormwood (2019), Warly (2019), Winona (2018), Walter (2020), Wurt (2019), Wanda (2021). Among these, Winona and Wortox are the more beginner-friendly.
Character Refreshes begin. Major reworks for Willow, Wendy, Wigfrid, Woodie, Wolfgang, WX-78, Wickerbottom, and Maxwell. Each receiving more distinct abilities while keeping their core identity.
Skill Trees added for most characters, starting with Wilson (July 2023), followed by Wolfgang, Wigfrid, Willow, and most recently Walter, Wendy, and Wortox (Feb 2025). These add optional abilities that let characters become even more specialized.
Final Thoughts
The "easiest" character ultimately depends on your playstyle, but Wilson, Wendy, Wigfrid, Wolfgang, and Webber consistently rank as most forgiving for beginners. They offer strong upsides that outweigh their downsides, giving new players a gentler learning curve while still teaching core mechanics.
Remember that Don't Starve is meant to be challenging – even with the easiest character, you'll face struggles and learn from deaths. That's part of the experience! Use these character recommendations as training wheels until you're confident enough to try more complex survivors.
Whether you pick Wilson for his no-nonsense approach, Wendy for her ghostly companion, or try a balanced mod character like Wirra, the most important thing is to have fun in the Constant. Good luck, and don't starve!