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Back 4 Blood characters: How to unlock all characters and Back 4 Blood character abilities explained

Agh, no Francis.

Wondering how to unlock the whole Back 4 Blood roster? Here's how to unlock all characters, as well as the unique abilities of each.

The task to unlock all Back 4 Blood characters is quite enigmatic at first.

The co-op first person shooter presents a cast of eight characters that you can choose from to slay zombie hordes with friends and people around the globe. That being said, only half of the roster is available right away. It may take you a while to unlock the full cast unless you know what to do beforehand.

This page explains how to unlock all characters in the frantic FPS, as well as a rundown of all the unique character abilities of each.

On this page:

Let's Play Back 4 Blood Open Beta PC GameplayWatch on YouTube

If you're looking for more tips, our Back 4 Blood crossplay explainer can help.

How to unlock all characters in Back 4 Blood

There are eight characters in Back 4 Blood to choose from, but only half of them are available from the start.

Unlocking the other half of the roster definitely has its own incentive, considering that all eight characters have a standout ability each. As you start progressing through the game, and especially as you unravel the Cards system, the right character can make the difference depending on the situation.

If you're wondering how to unlock all characters in Back 4 Blood, all you need to do is finish the first four stages of Act 1.

Act 1 is composed of four chapters with a certain number of missions each. The first that you'll be focusing on is called The Devil's Return, which has the following stages:

  • Resurgence
  • Tunnel of Blood
  • Pain Train
  • The Crossing

After you complete all these four missions, a cutscene will play out showcasing the previously locked characters: Doc, Hoffman, Jim and Karlee.

You will reach this goal in no time, but it's helpful to know beforehand as the game does not explain it to you. If you're wondering about tips to make this easier, we highly recommend for you to start playing in Recruit difficulty.

Also, if you can, avoid tagging along with bots and prioritize jumping into online co-op to streamline the process. Now, let's see what you and your squadmates will bring to the table depending on the character of choice.

Back 4 Blood character abilities explained

Each character has its own card with a total of three benefits. In order, here's what you can expect from each member of the roster:

Evangelo

  • Evangelo can quickly break out of grabs once every 60 seconds
  • +25 percent stamina regeneration
  • Team effects: +5 percent team move speed

Walker

  • Precision kills grant Walker +20 percent accuracy for 5 seconds
  • +10 percent damage
  • Team effects: +10 team health

Holly

  • Holly recovers 10 stamina when she kills a Ridden
  • +10 percent damage resistance
  • Team effects: +25 team stamina

Mom

  • Mom can instantly revive a teammate once per level
  • +1 support inventory
  • Team effects: +1 team extra life

Doc

  • Doc can heal each teammate for 25 health once per level
  • +20 percent healing efficiency
  • Team effects: +25 percent team trauma resistance

Hoffman

  • Hoffman has a chance to find ammo whenever he kills a Ridden
  • +1 offensive inventory
  • Team effects: +10 percent max team ammo capacity

Jim

  • Precision kills grant Jim 2.5 percent stacking damage until he's hurt
  • +25 percent aim down sights speed
  • Team effects: +10 percent team weakspot damage

Karlee

  • Karlee can sense nearby hazards and mutations
  • +1 quick inventory
  • Team effects: +50 percent team use speed

Good luck against the Ridden hordes!