Okay, so I finally got around to doing it. Spent a good chunk of time playing Castle Crashers again recently, mostly banging my head against Insane Mode. Started thinking, like really thinking, about which knights are actually pulling their weight. You talk to people online, everyone’s got an opinion, right? So, I decided, screw it, I’m gonna make my own tier list based on my hours grinding this game.
First step was just remembering all the playable characters. Seriously, there’s a ton when you count all the unlockables. I just scribbled down every face I could picture, from the main four knights to weirdos like the Bear and Saracen, even the King. Had to check a list online quickly just to make sure I didn’t forget anyone obscure.
Then came the hard part: figuring out what makes a character ‘good’. Is it just raw strength? Nah, that stat’s kinda overrated later on. Magic? Yeah, magic’s huge. Agility for juggling? Pretty important too. Starting weapon? Mostly irrelevant, you ditch it fast. For me, it boiled down to a few things:
- Magic Power & Utility: How good is their magic for killing bosses, clearing crowds, or controlling fights?
- Melee / Juggling: Can they handle themselves up close? Can they keep enemies locked down?
- Usefulness in Insane Mode: This was a big one. Some characters just fall off hard when things get really tough.
With those ideas floating around, I started sorting. Didn’t use tiers right away, just made messy piles. Like, ‘God Tier’ pile definitely had Industrialist and Fencer right off the bat. Their saw magic is just broken for bosses, everyone knows that. Then a ‘Really Solid’ pile with guys like Blue Knight (freeze is clutch) and maybe Red Knight (lightning spam). Then an ‘Okay, I guess’ pile, and a ‘Why Bother?’ pile.
Sorting Them Into Tiers
Okay, time to get organized. Used the standard S, A, B, C, D tiers. Felt easier for people to understand.
S Tier: This had to be the boss melters. Industrialist and Fencer went straight in. Their magic just shreds health bars on Insane. I also put Red Knight and Blue Knight here after some thought. Red’s multi-hit lightning is amazing crowd control and decent boss damage. Blue’s freeze magic is just invaluable for locking down annoying enemies and setting up teammates. Orange and Green? Yeah, they make S tier too. Fire and Poison DoT (damage over time) are super effective, especially stacked up.
A Tier: This is for the really strong characters that just aren’t quite as game-breaking as the S tiers. I put Skeleton and Bear here. Their magic (dark pillars and tornado) is pretty good, solid stats too. Saracen fits here as well, basically a Bear clone. Alien Hominid? His blaster is strong and unique, definitely A tier material for me. Good damage output.
B Tier: The solid, average joes. Gray Knight felt right here. His bombs and arrows are okay, nothing flashy but get the job done. Characters like Barbarian and Thief land here too. Decent melee, okay magic. They’re fine, perfectly usable, just not outstanding. Iomedes (Pink Knight) with the animal helpers? Probably B tier, fun but kinda random.
C Tier: Getting into the weaker territory. The King. Man, I wanted to like him more. Healing is unique, but it’s slow and often impractical when you’re getting swarmed. Better to just kill things faster. Most of the other basic knights without standout magic, like maybe the standard Civilian or Open Faced Gray Knight, end up around here. They just don’t bring much to the table.
D Tier: Characters that are actively difficult or just underpowered. Honestly, not many characters are truly terrible in this game if you level them up. But maybe someone like the Hatty Hattington character? His magic felt kinda awkward to use effectively compared to others. This tier is pretty small.
Final Thoughts
So, I shuffled characters around a bit between B and C, maybe A and B. It’s tough because player skill matters a lot, and team composition can make weaker characters seem better. But this list feels about right for overall usefulness, especially thinking about solo Insane Mode runs.
Making this list was kinda fun, just laying out all my experience with the game. It’s messy, it’s based on my own playtime, and some folks will definitely disagree. But hey, that’s my process and how I see things after sinking way too many hours into Castle Crashers. That’s the list I came up with, warts and all.
