You’re staring at the hero select screen. It’s been years since Ubisoft launched this weird, experimental sword-fighting sim, and yet, here we are. The for honor list of characters has ballooned from a modest twelve to a massive roster of over thirty heroes, each with enough frame data and soft-feint options to make your head spin. It’s a mess. But it's a beautiful, tactical mess that somehow still works.
If you played at launch, you remember the "Turtle Meta." Everyone just sat there, staring, waiting for a parry. Today? It's a different game. It's faster. It's more aggressive. If you don't know who you're fighting, you're dead before the second round starts.
The Core Identity of the For Honor List of Characters
The roster is basically split into four factions, plus the "Outlanders" who just kind of do their own thing. You’ve got the Knights, Vikings, Samurai, and the Wu Lin. But the faction doesn't really tell you how they play. The labels—Vanguard, Heavy, Assassin, Hybrid—are almost suggestions at this point.
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Take the Warden. He’s the poster boy. Simple? Yeah. Effective? Honestly, in the right hands, he’s a nightmare. He relies on that shoulder bash mix-up that has been tweaked more times than I can count. Then you look at someone like the Shinobi. Total opposite. You’re flipping around, kick-extending, and praying your opponent has slow thumbs.
The evolution of the for honor list of characters reflects a shift in how Ubisoft views "fun." Early on, heroes were designed around a gimmick. The Shugoki was just a big dude with hyper-armor. Now, every hero needs a way to open up a defensive player. This led to the "rework" era. If you haven't played in a year, your old main probably feels like a stranger. The Conqueror doesn't even play the same sport anymore.
Breaking Down the Factions
The Iron-Clad Knights
The Knights are usually where people start. They’ve got the most "standard" kits, but that’s a bit of a lie. Lawbringer used to be the king of parry punishes, but after his recent shifts, he's more about chain pressure. Then there’s Black Prior. If you want to flip a four-man gank over your head, he’s your guy. His "Bulwark Counter" is still one of the most satisfying buttons to press in any fighting game ever made.
The Savage Vikings
Vikings are all about momentum. The Raider is the quintessential "I’m going to hit you with a stunning tap until you cry" hero. Except it’s not a stunning tap anymore—it’s a storming tap. Details matter. Berserker is just pure aggression. If you aren't trading hits with your hyper-armor, you aren't playing him right. And Jormungandr? He went from being a "stamina bully" who everyone hated to a "slam-down specialist" after his rework. He’s less annoying now, but he hits like a truck.
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The Disciplined Samurai
This faction is where the "weeb" jokes live, but the kits are incredibly technical. Kensei is the gold standard of balance. His top heavy mix-up is a masterpiece of game design. On the other end, you have Orochi. People love to hate him. Why? Because the light-spam is real, even if it’s easier to block these days. Nobushi still relies on that "Hidden Stance" and bleed damage, making her a "stay away from me" specialist.
The Wu Lin and the Outlanders
The Wu Lin brought the "flow" to the game. Tiandi screams at you while dancing around your attacks. Jiang Jun looks like a slow old man but has the best area-of-effect swings for 4v4 matches. Then the Outlanders arrived. Pirate, Medjay, Afeera. They don't follow the rules. Afeera has a tool for literally every situation, which is why you see her in every high-level competitive match.
Why Some Heroes Just "Work" Better
There's a massive gap between "Duel" viability and "Dominion" viability. This is the biggest trap for new players looking at the for honor list of characters.
You might love Peacekeeper. She’s fast, she stabs, she’s cool. In a 1v1, she’s a menace if she gets you bleeding. In a 4v4 Dominion match? She struggles. She doesn't have the big "unblockable" swings that hit three people at once. Meanwhile, someone like Raider or Medjay can just press buttons and accidentally win a team fight.
The competitive community—shoutout to the folks on the r/ForHonorCompetitive sub—spends hours debating tier lists. But for 90% of us, the "best" character is the one whose timing you actually understand. This isn't Street Fighter. Latency, thumbstick deadzones, and even your monitor's refresh rate change how these characters feel.
The Mechanics That Define the Roster
It's not just about the moves; it's about the "properties." You'll hear these terms constantly:
- Hyper Armor: You can get hit and keep swinging. Essential for Highlander or Shugoki.
- Undodgeable: The blue glow. You can't dodge out of it. It catches those annoying Tiandi players.
- Unblockable: The orange glow. You have to parry, dodge, or interrupt.
- Bash: Usually unblockable, usually leads to a guaranteed light hit.
The current for honor list of characters is built around "Reads." The developers moved away from "Reactable" gameplay. Basically, you can't just be fast anymore. You have to guess what your opponent is going to do. Are they going to let that heavy fly, or feint it into a guardbreak? That's the core loop.
The Problem With Power Creep
We have to talk about it. The newer heroes often feel like they have "everything." Afeera has a bash, a crushing counter, undodgeables, and high mobility. Compare that to Warlord. Warlord is great, he’s a solid wall of meat and shield. But his kit is tiny.
Ubisoft tries to fix this with the "Hero Skin" updates and mid-season patches. They'll give an old hero a "Dodge Attack" because, in modern For Honor, if you don't have a dodge attack, you can't punish bashes. It's led to a bit of homogenization. Everyone starts to feel a little bit similar because they all need the same basic tools to survive.
Hidden Gems and Hard-to-Master Heroes
If you want to feel like a god, try learning Highlander. He has two modes: Defensive and Offensive. In Offensive form, he can't block. At all. You have to dodge everything. It’s incredibly hard, but watching a skilled Highlander "wave-dash" through a flurry of attacks is like watching a ballet with a six-foot claymore.
Then there's Centurion. The "Incredibilis" man himself. He’s a stamina-draining, punch-throwing bully. He’s not the strongest on the for honor list of characters right now, but he has the most personality. Sometimes, you just want to kick someone into a wall and jump on them.
How to Actually Choose a Main
Stop looking at tier lists. Seriously. They change every three months when a new patch drops. If you want to find your place in the for honor list of characters, do this:
- Go to the Training Arena. Every hero is free to try there. You don't have to buy them first.
- Look at their "Hero Tactics." This walks you through their best combos. If the combo feels "clunky" to your fingers, drop them.
- Fashion. It sounds stupid, but "Fashion Honor" is the real endgame. You’re going to spend 100 hours looking at this character’s back. Make sure you like their armor sets.
- Role. Do you like being the "tank" who holds a point alone? Go Conqueror or JJ. Do you like roaming and ganking? Go Orochi or Shaman.
The Future of the Roster
Ubisoft isn't done. They’ve committed to "Year 8" and beyond. Every year we get a couple of new heroes. Usually, these new additions shake up the meta by introducing a mechanic we haven't seen, like the Varangian Guard’s unique all-guard timings.
The for honor list of characters is a living document. It’s a weird mix of historical fantasy and fighting game precision. It’s frustrating when you lose to a "spammy" character, but there is no feeling quite like winning a 1v3 because you knew exactly how to use your hero’s kit.
To improve your standing, focus on mastering one hero from each "type." Learn a Vanguard for the basics, a Heavy for defensive positioning, and an Assassin to work on your reflexes and deflects. Don't just stick to one. Knowing how a hero works by playing them is the best way to learn how to beat them.
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Check the "Moveset" tab in the menu often. Many players forget about "hidden" properties, like the fact that some heroes can soft-feint their heavies directly into a guardbreak or a different attack without hitting the cancel button. These small efficiencies are what separate a "Rep 1" player from a "Rep 100" veteran. Keep your guard up, watch your stamina, and stop falling for the same bridge-toss bait. It’s embarrassing.
Next time you log in, take a hero you’ve never touched—maybe someone weird like Shaolin—and just spend ten minutes in the arena. You’ll be surprised how much your defense improves once you understand the rhythm of their attacks. That's the real secret to mastering the roster. It's not about being fast; it's about being prepared.
Key Takeaways for Dominating the Roster
- Identify the Properties: Learn the difference between Undodgeable (Blue) and Unblockable (Orange) immediately.
- Stamina is Life: Most heroes on the for honor list of characters become useless once their stamina bar is empty. Manage yours, and punish theirs.
- Learn the Soft-Feints: Characters like Kensei, Raider, and Shaman can change attacks mid-swing. Knowing these options prevents you from panic-parrying.
- Use the Environment: This isn't a "fair" duel. Use ledges, spikes, and walls. A "Wall-Splat" often guarantees your heaviest attack.
- Adapt to the Read: Stop trying to react to everything. Start predicting. If a Centurion always charges his punch, start dodging late. If he always lets it go early, dodge early. It’s a mental game.