Tears of Metal currently has three playable heroes: William Wallace, Brienne Ironleg, and Ruadh Stonecrusher. Wallace is the hero used at the start of the game. Brienne becomes available through her recruitment quest, while Ruadh unlocks after you defeat Iseult the Banshee on the current Early Access build.
The additional portraits on the hero-select screen are previews of future characters. They cannot be unlocked yet.
Current playable heroes
| Hero | Availability | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| William Wallace | Available at the beginning | The starting hero and the easiest place to learn the basic combat flow. |
| Brienne Ironleg | Complete Brienne’s recruitment quest | A close-range fighter built around fast attacks and keeping pressure on enemies. |
| Ruadh Stonecrusher | Defeat Iseult the Banshee | A slower, heavy-hitting hero who fights with a hammer. |
Paper Cult launched Early Access with three heroes and has said that more will be added during development. The two extra portraits currently visible in the selection screen are not secret launch characters.
William Wallace
Wallace is the starting character. You do not need to complete a separate unlock challenge before using him, and the opening tutorial introduces the game’s basic attacks, defensive actions, and battalion commands through his moveset.
Use Wallace for your first campaign unless you already have another hero unlocked and specifically want a different combat rhythm. Starting with him also avoids confusing a difficult early run with a character-specific unlock problem.
How to unlock Brienne Ironleg
Brienne is tied to a recruitment quest encountered during campaign progression. Complete the objectives shown for her event and finish the encounter to add her to the hero roster.
If the quest gates remain closed after you complete the visible objectives, make sure the game is fully updated. Paper Cult fixed a bug in version 0.8.57278 that could leave those gates shut and block the quest. The fix is included in later builds.
Follow the quest objectives shown in the current campaign. If the event stops at a closed gate, update the game before repeating the encounter.
Use the complete Brienne recruitment guide for the event sequence and closed-gate troubleshooting.
How to unlock Ruadh Stonecrusher
On the current build, Ruadh unlocks after you defeat Iseult the Banshee. Earlier launch information may tell you to finish the entire campaign or defeat the final boss; that requirement was changed in patch 0.8.57278.
For the shortest current route:
- Update Tears of Metal to the latest standard branch.
- Progress through the campaign until the fight with Iseult the Banshee.
- Defeat Iseult and finish the post-battle sequence.
- Return to the village and check the hero selection screen for Ruadh.
See the complete Ruadh unlock guide if the hero is still locked after the Banshee fight.
Which hero should a beginner use?
Wallace is the simplest starting point because the game opens with him and teaches its main controls through his kit. That does not make him universally stronger than Brienne or Ruadh; it only means you can learn blocking, dodging, attacks, and army commands without first adapting to another hero’s special rhythm.
Once Brienne is available, choose her if you prefer fast, continuous melee pressure. Choose Ruadh if you prefer slower attacks with more weight behind each swing.
Can co-op players choose the same hero?
Yes. A developer confirmed that multiple players can choose the same hero in the same session. A four-player group therefore does not need four different unlocked characters.
For player limits and lobby setup, use the Tears of Metal co-op guide.
Why are there more portraits than playable heroes?
The unavailable portraits tease characters planned for Early Access updates. As of version 0.11.57863, only Wallace, Brienne, and Ruadh are playable. There is no current in-game method for unlocking the other displayed characters.
Frequently asked questions
How many playable heroes are in Tears of Metal?
There are three playable heroes in the current Early Access version.
Is Wallace unlocked from the start?
Yes. Wallace is the starting hero.
Do I have to defeat the final boss to unlock Ruadh?
No. The current requirement is to defeat Iseult the Banshee. The requirement was changed shortly after launch.
Are the plague doctor and wolf-like character playable?
Not yet. Paper Cult has described the extra selection-screen slots as previews of future unlocks.
Sources
- Paper Cult Early Access launch announcement Accessed 8/2/2026
- Paper Cult answer on the current hero count Accessed 8/2/2026
- Tears of Metal patch history Accessed 8/2/2026
Last updated August 2, 2026