Overview
Crimson Desert features three predefined playable characters rather than a custom character creator. Players begin the game as Kliff, the main protagonist and leader of the Greymanes mercenary band. As the story progresses, two additional characters become playable: Damiane, an agile fighter within the Greymanes, and Oongka, a powerful orc warrior. Each character offers a fundamentally different playstyle with unique weapons, abilities, traversal gadgets, and individually motion-captured animations.
How Character Unlocking Works
Damiane and Oongka are not available from the start. Players unlock them by progressing through the main story. Both characters are encountered and recruited into the Greymanes during Kliff's campaign. Once recruited, they become available for the player to control.
The main story campaign can only be advanced while playing as Kliff. Damiane and Oongka are available for open-world exploration, side quests, commissions, and optional activities outside of the main narrative. This means players are free to switch to either character for the bulk of the open-world experience, but must return to Kliff when they want to push the central storyline forward.
Switching Mechanics
Pearl Abyss has confirmed that once unlocked, players can freely switch to Damiane or Oongka at any time during open-world gameplay. However, the exact mechanical process for switching (whether it is done through a menu, at specific hub locations like the Greymane Camp, or seamlessly in the open world) has not been publicly detailed. When asked on the Dropped Frames podcast in February 2026 whether players can swap characters at any time or must visit a hub location, Pearl Abyss marketing director Will Powers stated: "There are some specific things that we are still leaving to be discovered." He described this as "one of the cards we're holding back for now," explaining that with a media event approaching before launch, the studio wanted to save certain reveals for that occasion.
Why Switching Matters
Each character was individually motion-captured, giving them a distinct feel and personality in combat. They are not reskinned versions of the same moveset. The three characters differ across three key areas: combat style, weapon selection, and traversal options.
Kliff: The Versatile Leader
Kliff is the most adaptable of the three, described as a "Swiss Army Knife" capable of using magic, blades, and gadgets. He has the widest weapon arsenal of any character.
Weapon | Style |
|---|---|
Sword and Shield | Balanced frontline fighting with blocking |
Greatsword | Heavy two-handed strikes with wide swings |
Spear | Extended reach for keeping enemies at distance |
Dual Blades | Fast dual-wielding with rapid combo chains |
Axes and Longsword | Varied melee options with different attack speeds |
Bow | Ranged attacks with multiple arrow types |
Musket | Powerful ranged shots with reload downtime |
Bare Hands | Wrestling-style grapples; hands have their own damage stat |
Kliff also wields the Axiom Bracelet, a magical device that grants elemental powers including fire, ice, lightning, wind, and nature. Since Kliff has no innate magical ability, the bracelet is his sole source of magic. A selection wheel lets players choose which element to infuse into attacks.
For traversal, Kliff uses the Crow's Wing, a raven-wing cloak that enables gliding across large distances. He also has a grappling hook for latching onto structures and chaining mid-air jumps, as well as a triple jump ability.
Damiane: The Agile Striker
Damiane is built for speed and precision. Her combat style rewards hit-and-run tactics and tactical positioning. She has her own independent skill tree, separate from Kliff's progression.
Weapon | Style |
|---|---|
Greatsword | Heavy swings that deal massive damage per hit |
Rapier with Buckler | Fast thrusting attacks with a small shield for parrying |
Short-Range Pistol | Quick-draw ranged bursts for close quarters |
Musket | Longer-range shots with more damage after a short delay |
One of Damiane's signature moves is the Izuna Drop, a spinning kick that transitions into an aerial grab and slams the enemy to the ground.
For traversal, Damiane uses a propeller gadget. Unlike Kliff's Crow's Wing, which only allows gliding, Damiane's propeller can spin faster to achieve true flight. This makes her traversal potentially superior for aerial exploration and reaching elevated locations.
Oongka: The Powerhouse
Oongka is an orc warrior focused on raw power and area-of-effect damage. His combat style features slow, devastating attacks with easy-to-learn combos that obliterate groups of enemies. He functions as a tank-like presence designed for breaking through enemy lines.
Weapon | Style |
|---|---|
Two-Handed Great Axe | Spinning cleaves that hit multiple targets at once |
Large Hammer | Knockback attacks that send enemies flying into each other |
Wrist-Mounted Crossbow | Fires incendiary bolts with slow-motion aiming |
Arm-Mounted Cannon | Explosive ranged blasts for heavy area damage |
Pickaxe | Doubles as a mining tool for resource gathering |
Oongka's pickaxe is notable because it doubles as a mining tool, suggesting that he has unique utility for resource gathering during exploration. His signature moves include body slams and leap slams in a barbarian-style approach to combat.
Character Customization
All three playable characters can be cosmetically customized, though the game does not feature a full character creator. Customization options are available at barber shop locations found throughout the world of Pywel.
Customization Option | Details |
|---|---|
Hairstyles and Hair Color | Wide palette including white, grey, red, amber, brown, green, blue, purple, and pink |
Beard and Eyebrows | Adjustable facial hair styles and shapes |
Clothing and Outfits | Different outfit sets for each character |
Armor Dyeing | Separate parts can be dyed with different material options |
Body Tattoos and War Paint | Decorative body art options for added personality |
Design Philosophy
The character switching system serves Pearl Abyss's goal of offering gameplay variety without forcing players into a single combat style. Each character occupies a distinct niche: Kliff as the versatile all-rounder, Damiane as the precision-focused speedster, and Oongka as the raw-power bruiser. This design encourages players to experiment with different approaches to combat and exploration depending on the situation.
Several outlets have drawn comparisons to GTA V's three-protagonist structure. However, the systems are fundamentally different. In GTA V, all three protagonists have their own story threads and can all advance the main narrative. In Crimson Desert, the main campaign belongs exclusively to Kliff, while Damiane and Oongka expand the gameplay variety for everything outside the central story.
Community Reception
The announcement of Damiane and Oongka as characters playable "outside the main story" generated discussion within the community. Some players questioned the purpose of having additional characters who cannot advance the primary narrative, while others welcomed the added variety for open-world exploration. Pearl Abyss's official wording was: "Meet Damiane, one of the two other playable characters you will be able to freely explore Pywel with outside of the main story."
Some community members compared the approach to The Witcher 3's Ciri segments, noting that optional secondary characters offer welcome variety without disrupting the main protagonist's journey. Others expressed concern that the feature might feel like an afterthought rather than a core system. The full details of how character switching integrates with the broader gameplay loop remain among the final pre-launch reveals from Pearl Abyss.