Loading...
Loading...
Kliff
March 20, 2026 at 01:04 AM
Content expansion (2026-03-19)
Kliff is the main protagonist of Crimson Desert and the leader of a ragtag band of mercenaries called the Greymanes, who are his family in all but name. He is the son of Martinus, a former Greymanes leader who met a tragic end. Renowned as possessing the finest swordsmanship in Pailune, Kliff commands the absolute trust of his comrades through his cool and calculating judgment. Despite this reputation, he suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Black Bears' schemes after the death of their faction leader Jian, whose passing threw Pailune into open conflict.
During a night ambush led by Myurdin (also known as Lava Myurdin), the Black Bears devastated the Greymanes. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Kliff was thrown into a river and presumed dead. He mysteriously awakened in a cloud-like realm known as the Abyss at a location called the Wycliffe Mappery, before being rescued from the river by Sebastian in Hernand territory. This brush with death and the Abyss is what grants Kliff his newfound supernatural powers and sets up his mission to rebuild the Greymanes.
As the most versatile of the three playable characters, Kliff has the widest weapon selection and can adapt to virtually any combat situation. There is no class system; his combat identity is defined entirely by whatever weapons, skills, and Abyss Artifacts he chooses to equip. He can wield axes, daggers, maces, hammers, swords, clubs, shields, and two-handed weapons across two weapon slots, switching between them mid-combat. His combat approach branches into three distinct paths: stamina-based physical attacks, spirit-focused supernatural abilities, and health-dependent elemental techniques channeled through the Axiom Bracelet.
He is voiced by Alec Newman, known for his BAFTA-winning lead performance in Still Wakes the Deep, his role as Adam Smasher in Cyberpunk 2077, and characters in Final Fantasy XIV and Elden Ring.
Kliff begins the game with a balanced stat spread that leans toward physical endurance. His high Stamina pool supports an aggressive melee playstyle, while his modest Spirit reserve is enough for occasional supernatural ability use early on.
Stat | Starting Value |
|---|---|
Health | 100 |
Spirit | 50 |
Stamina | 130 |
Attack | 16 |
Defense | 14 |
Critical Hit Chance | 5% |
Kliff is defined by his cool and calculating judgment, a strong sense of right and wrong, and the deep loyalty he inspires in those around him. Newman described Kliff as someone with "a strong moral compass" who "knows very clearly what is right and what is wrong." He carries the burden of leadership after the destruction of the Greymanes at the hands of the Black Bears. He starts the game at his lowest point, barely any abilities left and comrades dead or scattered. Despite this, his fierce loyalty to those who depend on him drives the entire narrative.
Kliff has a guarded personality that relaxes when he is among his tribe. Newman noted that Kliff initially appears reserved but "loosens up and opens up more" alongside his companions as the group reunites. Newman imagined Kliff as a Scotsman, which helped him identify traits like "a natural skepticism and watchfulness." He drew vocal inspiration from Graham Fleck, his wife's stepfather who passed away in 2022. Newman stated: "There was danger in his voice, but also enormous warmth and a sense of loyalty. I hope using his voice as inspiration for Kliff will mean he'll live on somehow." Fleck's lower register "brings an attitude that seemed to work for Kliff."
IGN's extended hands-on preview described Kliff as a "rugged and stoic hero who can easily cut down enemies in his path, but is also willing to lend a helping hand to the citizens across the land." The preview confirmed that after his defeat at the hands of Myurdin and the Black Bears, Kliff is seemingly killed in battle but is resurrected by mysterious new allies that come from the sky realm known as the Abyss. This resurrection is what grants him his newfound supernatural powers and sets up his mission to rebuild the Greymanes.
Despite the serious tone and brutal combat, IGN found that much of Kliff's appeal comes from seeing this very serious warrior engage in unexpectedly lighthearted activities. Helping a man clean his chimney, rescuing an abducted sheep for an upset child, and playing rock-paper-scissors with back-alley ruffians all showcase a humorous contrast with his otherwise grim persona.
Before the Black Bears' devastating assault, Kliff's closest allies included Oongka, Yann, and Naira, all of whom were at his side when the ambush struck. Rebuilding these bonds and tracking down scattered Greymanes across the five regions of Pywel forms the backbone of Kliff's personal journey. Each reunion unlocks new story beats and, in Oongka's case, an additional playable character for open-world exploration.
Kliff has a defined, fixed appearance with no character creation screen. His armor consists of leather and metal plates, reflecting his pragmatic nature and experience in countless battles. While his base appearance cannot be changed, limited cosmetic customization is available through in-game Barber shops at the Greymane Camp.
Option | Details |
|---|---|
Hairstyles | 6 different options, the widest selection among playable characters |
Beard | Multiple beard style options available |
Hair Color | Palette includes white, grey, red, amber, brown, green, blue, purple, and pink shades |
Armor Dyeing | Individual armor piece sections can be recolored through the Dyehouse |
Kliff has the broadest weapon selection of any character in the game. He can seamlessly switch between all weapons mid-combat, chaining different weapon attacks into fluid combos. For example, he can parry with sword and shield, switch to a spear for a follow-up, chain a greatsword swing into a bare-fisted grapple, and then pull out dual blades, all in one continuous sequence.
Weapon Type | Description |
|---|---|
Sword and Shield | Balanced offense and defense; the default starting loadout with reliable blocking and shield bashes |
Two-Handed Greatsword | Slower but harder-hitting sweeping attacks with long range |
Longsword | A versatile one-handed blade with moderate speed and damage, usable with a shield |
Dual Curved Swords (Nitoryu) | Fast dual-wielding style with rapid combo chains; confirmed as separate curved blades |
Spear | Extended reach with thrust-focused attacks for keeping enemies at distance |
One-Handed Axe | Quick chops with decent stagger potential |
Two-Handed Axe | Heavy overhead swings with high damage per hit |
Mace and Hammer | Blunt weapons effective for staggering armored opponents; available in one-handed and two-handed variants |
Club | A blunt improvised weapon with solid stagger damage |
Dual Daggers | Extremely fast close-range attacks for aggressive rushdown combat |
Bow | Ranged attacks with multiple arrow types including explosive, freezing, and fire arrows |
Musket | A firearm that charges for a delayed but powerful ranged shot; effective for opening engagements |
Pitchfork | An improvised weapon with thrust attacks, showing Kliff's resourceful combat approach |
Bare Hands | Unarmed combat with its own dedicated damage stat, making fist-fighting a fully viable approach |
Kliff begins his journey with a foundation of basic combat and survival abilities. These starting skills provide a well-rounded base that players can build upon as they unlock nodes in the Abyss Tree.
Skill | Description |
|---|---|
Armed Combat | Core melee proficiency enabling basic attack chains with any equipped weapon |
Blinding Flash | A disorienting burst of light that briefly stuns nearby enemies, creating openings for follow-up attacks |
Forward Slash | A quick lunging strike that closes distance and deals moderate damage |
Grappling | The ability to grab and throw enemies using wrestling-style holds and slams |
Parrying | Timed defensive maneuver that deflects incoming attacks and creates counterattack windows |
Marksmanship | Ranged proficiency governing accuracy and damage with bows and muskets |
Kliff's combat abilities are organized into three distinct branches, each tied to a different resource pool. Players can mix and match skills from all three branches to create hybrid builds, or specialize deeply into one path.
Branch | Resource | Focus |
|---|---|---|
Physical Attacks | Stamina | Melee combos, weapon techniques, dodge-cancels, and physical strikes that consume Stamina |
Supernatural Abilities | Spirit | Abyss-granted powers including elemental infusions, Force Palm, and Axiom Force maneuvers |
Elemental/Axiom Techniques | Health | High-risk, high-reward abilities channeled through the Axiom Bracelet that cost Health to activate, trading survivability for burst damage |
Crow's Wing:
A raven-wing cloak gifted by White Crow the Witch after Kliff visits the Abyss. It allows Kliff to glide across large distances, transforming him into a shade-like figure. Kliff is the only playable character who receives this ability. See the dedicated Crow's Wing article for full details.
Force Palm:
The Force Palm is a powerful palm strike that can be charged and infused with elemental effects through the Axiom Bracelet. In combat, it launches enemies skyward for aerial follow-ups. For traversal, it launches Kliff himself into the air. Some advanced skills like Force Palm cannot simply be purchased; Kliff must personally witness them performed in the world or observe enemies using them in combat to learn them.
Axiom Force:
An aerial combat maneuver performed while gliding. Kliff crashes into the ground in a damaging shockwave, transitioning from traversal directly into combat. This connects the Axiom Bracelet's elemental powers with aerial movement.
Grappling Hook:
A versatile traversal tool that does not snap Kliff instantly to a target. Instead, it slingshots him into the air, from which he can transition into a glide or divekick. He can target rooftops, treetops, and cliff ledges as launch points. See the Grappling Hook article for full mechanics.
Triple Jump:
Kliff can perform triple jumps as part of his traversal and combat toolkit, gaining significant vertical height with each successive jump. This ability feeds into his aerial combat options, allowing him to chain jumps into glides, divekicks, or Axiom Force ground pounds.
Kliff has no innate magical ability. All of his elemental powers come from the Axiom Bracelet, a magical artifact accessed via a selection wheel during combat. Elemental infusion can be applied across all attacks and weapon types, enabling creative environmental combos such as using lightning against wet enemies for bonus damage, or fire interacting with flammable surroundings.
Element | Effect |
|---|---|
Fire | Incinerates enemies and causes explosions; fire arrows explode on impact |
Ice | Freezes enemies solid, enabling shattering follow-up attacks |
Lightning | Paralyzes enemies with area-of-effect attacks; deals bonus damage against wet targets |
Wind | Provides a quick aerial lift, allowing Kliff to launch into the air and dive-kick down onto groups |
Nature | Creates afterimage effects for deceptive combat maneuvers |
Wrestling is a core, defining part of Kliff's combat identity, with the developers drawing heavily from professional wrestling for his moveset. Bare-hands combat has its own damage stat that can be upgraded, making unarmed fighting a fully viable primary approach rather than a last resort. Directional grapples are performed by holding two face buttons plus a direction for different variations.
Kliff's grappling repertoire is extensive and draws from real professional wrestling techniques. Confirmed moves include chokeslams (compared to The Undertaker's signature), suplexes and German suplexes, the Angle Slam (inspired by WWE's Kurt Angle), the Giant Swing (inspired by WWE's Cesaro), RKOs, DDTs, back breakers, clotheslines, shoulder tackles that send foes flying, and hammer throws that launch enemies across the battlefield. He can also grab enemies off their mounts and commandeer the mount for himself.
Beyond wrestling, Kliff has dedicated martial arts strikes that were motion-captured from real martial artists for authenticity. These include taekwondo kicks, knee lifts extended into thrust kicks, series of rapid punches, drop-kicks, and dive-kicks launched from aerial positions.
Kliff has several defensive options that reward precise timing. He can perform stamina-draining blocks with shields, execute precise parries that create openings for counterattacks, use dodge rolls with perfect dodge windows that restore stamina on successful timing, and employ sliding evasion to reposition during combat.
Kliff's traversal toolkit is the most developed of the three playable characters. His triple jump provides vertical mobility, the grappling hook slingshots him to elevated positions, and the Crow's Wing allows sustained gliding across large distances. The combination of grappling hook launches into glides is described as the fastest traversal method available before late-game unlocks. Later in the game, Kliff gains access to dragon riding for covering vast distances and can pilot a missile-firing mech.
Kliff can fight while mounted on various creatures, including bears and dragons. While riding, he adds his own sword swipes alongside the mount's attacks. He can grapple enemies off their mounts during combat and commandeer the mount for himself, turning an enemy's advantage into his own.
Kliff's progression is built around Abyss Fragments, collected from quests, boss victories, and exploration. These unlock nodes in the Abyss Tree, which contains core nodes for stat boosts like Health and Stamina, and branch nodes for actual combat techniques. Some advanced skills cannot be purchased outright; Kliff must personally witness them performed in the world or observe enemies using them in combat. Defeating bosses yields special equipment that grants access to the boss's signature abilities, meaning the order in which bosses are fought affects available build options. Stats and skill allocations can be reset and reallocated at any time.
The story begins with the Greymanes' devastating defeat at the hands of Myurdin and the Black Bears. Their previous leader, Jian, had been killed, throwing Pailune into chaos. The Black Bears exploited this power vacuum, launching a surprise night ambush that scattered and nearly destroyed the Greymanes. Kliff was thrown into a river and left for dead.
After his apparent death, Kliff awakened in the Abyss at a location known as the Wycliffe Mappery, a mysterious cloud-like realm between life and death. He was eventually pulled from the river by Sebastian in Hernand territory, where he began his long road to recovery and vengeance.
Driven by the desire to reclaim Pailune and reunify the Greymanes, Kliff must travel through all five regions of Pywel to find his companions, rebuild the Greymane Camp, and ultimately confront the Black Bears. As the journey progresses, Kliff discovers that the threat to Pywel extends far beyond the factional conflict, involving the Abyss and forces that endanger the entire continent. Kliff is the only playable character who can advance the main story; Damiane and Oongka become available for open-world exploration and side content after being unlocked through story progression.
