Back 4 Blood: All characters and perks

Lauren Bergin
Back 4 Blood Walker and Karlee in front of a apocalyptic american flag

Back 4 Blood‘s character roster is full to the brim with battle-hardened Cleaners with their own unique perks, so here’s how to unlock all of the playable heroes. 

As the hordes descend on what’s left of Back 4 Blood‘s dystopian universe, it’s up to you to fight back for the sake of humanity.

Taking control of one of the game‘s eight characters, you’ll need to weigh up which zombie slayer is right for you by taking their perks and personalities into account.

From Doc to Walker, Holly to Mom, here’s all of Back 4 Blood’s characters and their associated solo and team perks.


Contents


back 4 blood characters stand in front of hazard door with zombies outside
Who will you choose as your Ridden slayer in Back 4 Blood?

How to unlock characters in Back 4 Blood

Thankfully unlocking all of Back 4 Blood’s roster isn’t the mass slaughter that you might expect. Starting off with four characters (Evagelo, Holly, Mom and Walker,) you can complete your roster simply by finishing Act 1: The Devil’s Return. 

Taking a couple of hours in total, after reaching safety via The Crossing you will be shown a cinematic starring the four remaining zombie hunters: Doc, Hoffman, Jim and Karlee.

Once you’ve watched the cinematic and spawned at the camp you’ll be able to swap to one of the newcomers, however you’ll need to start a new Act 1 run to play them because you can’t change character midway through.

Back 4 Blood: All characters & perks

Doc

doc from back 4 blood stands against a black warehouse door
Doc may play the support role in Back 4 Blood, but she’s still pretty fierce.

Unlocked just after Act 1, Doc brings a supportive role to the team. Perfect for players who like to keep their allies alive and look good doing it, the combat medic is a great pick for completing the campaign, as well as modes like Swarms.

As with all of the Cleaners, she comes with three unique perks: two solely for her, and one that helps out the whole team:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Heals low heath teammates without items Team trauma resistance
Healing efficiency

Evangelo

Back 4 Blood evangelo shoots zombies
He might be young, but he ain’t dumb.

Despite being the newest member of the Cleaners, Evangelo’s charisma matches his battlefield prowess. Ideal for players that enjoy a high-risk-high-reward playstyle, he can zip in and out of fights, as well as fight his way out of the grasp of the Ridden’s finest.

With stamina focused perks, Evangelo is perfect for getting both himself and his team to safety pretty quickly:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Breaks out of grabs Team movement speed
Enhanced stamina regen

Hoffman

Back 4 Blood hoffman uses a huge gun to mow down zombies
Hoffman is the man with a plan – and a rather large gun.

Weapon enthusiast and conspiracy theorist, Hoffman, is the guiding light behind this merry band of misfits. Perfect for tank players, or those who simply want to mow down the Ridden, the slightly paranoid doomsday prepper gives as much as he takes.

With perks focusing on offense, including an extra item slot and huge ammunition boosts, he’s an essential part of the Cleaners:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Spawns ammo per kill Increases team’s ammo capacity
One extra offensive slot

Holly

Back 4 Blood bloodstained holly raises gun to camera
Holly has become the team’s cheerleader.

Despite having lost it all to the Ridden, Holly is the teams cheerful cheerleader who keeps the morale high and the bullets flying. Similar in style to Evangelo, Holly is a hit and run bruiser that’s slightly tankier than the crew’s younger member.

We’d recommend running Holly over Evangelo simply because of this, but both are pretty evenly matched:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Recover stamina with kills Increases team’s stamina
Increased damage resistance

Jim

back 4 blood jim looks down sniper at camera
Sharpshooter Jim is a must for sniper mains everywhere.

Lurking in the wings and popping heads is sniper expert and saboteur, Jim. The perfect assassin, his eagle eye is great for players who love to deal damage, but don’t enjoy being right in the thick of it.

His solo perks enhance his sniping capabilities, but his team ability also lets his colleagues get a taste of what it means to become a one shot nightmare:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Precision kills increase damage Team weakspot damage
+1 ADS speed

Karlee

Back 4 Blood Karlee side profile
Rocker queen Karlee matches Jim’s stealth and is equally as deadly.

Prowling the shadows alongside her fellow sharpshooter is Karlee, the leather-clad stealth agent. We prefer Karlee over Jim due to her ability to sense hazards in advance, meaning you’ll be able to get in and out without a scratch.

Her unique team perk also increases the use speed of weapons and items, making your team more efficient and, most importantly, even more deadly:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Sense hazards +1 Team use speed
+1 quick inventory

Mom

back 4 blood mom with a shotgun
Mom might literally be the mother figure of the group, but she’s got a shotgun and isn’t afraid to use it.

The stubborn Mom is truly one of the Cleaners’ leaders, but her spiky shell hides a caring, compassionate fighter. Again offering more of a supportive role, her instant revives are great for picking up downed players.

Just beating out Doc as a must have for your zombie slaying squad, her extra life perk can come in clutch when traversing the plains of armageddon:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Instant revives +1 Team extra life
+1 Support inventory

Walker

Back 4 Blood walker shoots at the camera

Last but not least is the battle hardened Walker. The group’s leader and combat specialist, his eyes are very much on the prize: wiping out the Ridden. While Walker’s prowess as a tanky frontman make him a viable pick for your team, Hoffman’s sheer firepower drops him down the tier list a bit.

His perks are all about giving the hordes hell, as well as giving his allies some additional slots on that health bar:

Solo Perks Team Perk
Precision kills increase accuracy Team health
Damage increase

So that’s all of Back 4 Blood’s characters, as well as their associated perks. Looking to take on the hordes in style? Be sure to check out our dedicated main page.

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About The Author

Lauren was formerly Dexerto's Features Editor and resident Diablo Sorceress. With two Master's degrees under her belt and a lot more Steam achievements, she specializes in all things Blizzard and Riot Games, with some Lost Ark and FFXIV on the side.