Kliff

Overview

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, 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 the Abyss, a cloud-like otherworldly realm where he traversed the Corridor of the Void and unlocked the Blinding Flash ability. After escaping the Abyss, he was pulled from the river and nursed back to health by Sebastian in Hernand territory at the Wycliffe Mappery. 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.

Starting Stats

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.

Starting Equipment

Kliff begins the game with a basic loadout that covers both melee and ranged combat. His default weapon is a one-handed sword paired with a shield, plus a bow for ranged engagements. This combination gives him a solid foundation: the sword and shield offer reliable blocking and counterattacks, while the bow lets him thin out enemies before closing to melee range.

Early equipment upgrades are available in Hernand Town. The blacksmith Turnali introduces the refinement system through a short quest that involves gathering timber. The Bekker Shield is the first refinement upgrade, costing 10 Timber. Rhett's Equipment Shop on the town square sells the Canta Armor Set, which provides a meaningful survivability boost for early boss encounters. The Contribution System shop at Hernand Castle stocks the Bolton Armor Set for players who have accumulated enough contribution points.

Before difficult fights, players can use a Grindstone to temporarily boost weapon attack power or an Anvil to increase gear defense. These temporary buffs make a noticeable difference in early boss battles like the Reed Devil encounter.

Personality

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."

Characterization in IGN's Hands-On Preview

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.

Key Companions

Kliff's leadership of the Greymanes rests on personal bonds forged long before the Black Bears' ambush. Each companion has a distinct relationship with Kliff that evolves as the story progresses.

Oongka

Oongka is Kliff's oldest friend and the Greymanes' most physically imposing fighter. The two share a brotherhood built on years of fighting side by side. When the Black Bears scattered the Greymanes, Oongka's absence hit Kliff hardest. Players reunite with Oongka during Chapter 6 and fight alongside him for several missions before he becomes fully playable at the end of Chapter 7. Unlocking Oongka grants a second playable character for open-world exploration and side content.

Yann

Yann serves as the Greymanes' strategist and scout. Where Kliff leads from the front, Yann handles reconnaissance and planning. Their dynamic is one of mutual reliance: Kliff trusts Yann's intelligence gathering without question, and Yann trusts Kliff's battlefield instincts. Reuniting with Yann opens up new faction quest lines and expands the Greymane Camp with additional facilities.

Naira

Naira is a skilled archer known among the Greymanes as the Empress of the Bow. She and Kliff share a quiet, understated loyalty. Naira's reunion triggers archery-related side content and companion dispatch missions that expand the Greymanes' influence across Hernand.

Damiane

Damiane is not an original Greymane. She meets Kliff's group after leaving her home in Demeniss, apparently fleeing something. She becomes playable at the start of Chapter 3, right after the End of Greed questline, making her the first additional character Kliff's journey unlocks. Her combat style contrasts with Kliff's versatility; she relies on speed and precision rather than brute force.

Other Allies

As Kliff rebuilds the Greymanes, he also recruits non-combatant allies. Hubert the healer joins the camp and provides recovery services. Turnali the blacksmith unlocks the refinement system after a short introductory quest. Sebastian, who pulled Kliff from the river in Hernand, remains an early benefactor. Each new ally recruited expands the camp's facilities and unlocks crafting, trading, or training options.

Appearance and Customization

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.

Weapons

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.

Starting Skills

Kliff begins his journey with a broader set of basic combat and survival abilities than the other playable characters. These starting skills provide a well-rounded base that players can build upon as they unlock nodes in the Abyss Tree. His 15 starting skills cover armed combat, unarmed fighting, grappling, archery, and defensive techniques.

Skill Branches

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.

Full Skill Tree

Kliff's complete skill tree contains over 60 individual skills distributed across three color-coded branches. All three branches converge on a single ultimate ability, Falling Palm, which is unlocked after maxing out any one branch. Players can freely mix skills from all three branches.

Blue Tree (Stamina Skills)

The stamina branch covers physical combat, mobility, and weapon techniques. It spans 16 levels and includes every melee and archery skill. Key sub-categories within this branch:

Unarmed and Grappling: Unarmed Combat (5 ranks), Scissor Takedown, Pump Kick, Dropkick, Vault, Flying Kick, Meteor Kick, Grappling (5 ranks), Throw, Restrain, Lariat, Back Hang, Lariat Follow-up, Clothesline, Body Slam, and Giant Swing. Giant Swing requires Grappling rank 3.

Archery: Archery (5 ranks), Multishot (fires 10 arrows in a cone), Evasive Shot (3 ranks, slide-dodge while shooting), and Charged Shot (consumes Spirit for a powered arrow).

Armed Combat: Armed Combat (5 ranks), Evasive Slash, Charge (shield rush), Rush (counter strike), Quick Swap (rapid weapon switching with an attack bonus), Forward Slash (3 ranks), Shield Bash, Turning Slash (3 ranks), Stab (3 ranks with Bleed), Skewer (follow-up to Stab), Sword Flurry (2 ranks, leaping AoE spin slash), Blinding Flash, and Blinding Flash Finisher (rapid flurry on blinded targets).

Green Tree (Spirit Skills)

The Spirit branch spans 14 levels and focuses on supernatural perception, counters, and force manipulation. Key skills:

Defensive and Perception: Keen Senses (3 ranks, unlocks Parry, Backstep, and Counter), Evasive Roll (perfect-timed roll), Double Jump (consumes Spirit), and Focus (3 ranks, slows time with sub-skills Focused Repulsion and Focused Insight).

Nature Powers: Nature's Echo (3 ranks, summons phantom clones that mimic attacks), Nature's Snare (3 ranks, projectile-blocking barrier), Nature's Grasp (lift and move heavy objects; story unlock), Focus Shot (3 ranks, slow-motion aiming).

Force Palm: Force Palm (5 ranks, an energy strike that reduces enemy Defense), Aerial Force Palm, Healing Force Palm, Force Palm Pulse (swift follow-up), Focused Palm (charged variant), Light Falling Palm (ground slam via Axiom Force), and Force Current (long-range pulse that builds stagger).

Red Tree (Health Skills)

The Health branch spans 18 levels and covers elemental manipulation, survivability, and high-risk abilities. These skills consume Health to activate, trading survivability for burst damage or utility.

Elemental: Imbue Elements (4 ranks, cycle between fire, frost, lightning, and wind), Fist of Flame (fire-imbued charging punch), Mantle of Frost (freezing barrier that blocks one hit), and Surge of Sparks (AoE electric shock zone).

Traversal and Utility: Axiom Force (3 ranks, magical hand for object manipulation; story unlock), Flight (2 ranks, gliding ability; story unlock), Aerial Roll (high-speed midair dash), Winch (pull enemies toward you and slam), Mystical Storage (seal objects in the Kuku Pot), and Veil of Fog (creates fog that breaks enemy line of sight).

Falling Palm (Ultimate)

The central ultimate skill, Falling Palm, unlocks after completing any one branch. It unleashes a ground-impact strike that channels all remaining Stamina into a single devastating blow. The skill functions as a finisher that rewards players who have invested deeply into at least one branch of the tree.

Skill Acquisition

Kliff does not gain experience points from killing enemies in the traditional sense. Instead, his progression relies on three distinct methods of learning new abilities:

Abyss Fragments: Collected from quests, boss victories, exploration, and treasure. These are spent at the Abyss Tree to unlock core stat boosts (Health, Stamina, Spirit) and branch into combat technique nodes.

Observation Learning: Some skills cannot be purchased at all. Kliff must personally witness them being performed in the world or watch enemies use them in combat. This is done through the Observation system. For example, watching an enemy perform a belly slam jump attack can unlock that move for Kliff. This encourages players to pay attention during combat rather than button-mashing through encounters.

Boss Equipment: Defeating bosses yields special equipment that grants access to the boss's signature abilities. This means the order in which bosses are fought directly affects available build options. A player who defeats a fire-wielding boss early will have access to flame-based moves that another player might not unlock until much later.

Stats and skill allocations can be reset and reallocated at any time, so players are free to experiment with different builds without permanent consequences.

Recommended Early Build

For a detailed breakdown, see the dedicated Build Guide: Kliff article. The following covers the most effective early-game priorities.

Stat Priority

Invest Abyss Fragments into Health first, reaching at least level 4 before branching into Stamina. Health and Stamina upgrades carry over to all playable characters, so investing early benefits Damiane and Oongka once they are unlocked. Spirit can be raised more gradually since most early combat relies on physical attacks.

Priority Skills

Keen Senses (rank 3): This is the single most important early unlock. Rank 3 unlocks Perfect Dodge, which restores Stamina on successful timing and is the core survivability mechanic for the entire game.

Stab (max rank): The highest DPS basic skill available. The max-rank perk Rend Armor lets attacks ignore boss and elite super armor, which trivializes many otherwise punishing encounters.

Nature's Echo: Requires Keen Senses rank 3 and Forward Slash rank 3 as prerequisites. Creates phantom clones that double your attacks. One of the strongest damage multipliers in the early and mid-game.

Forward Slash and Turning Slash: Both are reliable gap-closers and crowd-clearers. Forward Slash closes distance quickly, while Turning Slash's spinning overhead strike knocks groups of enemies away.

Shield Bash: Breaks free from enemy groups and creates breathing room. Especially useful when surrounded.

Recommended Late-Game Weapon

The Ignir Sword is widely considered the best weapon for Kliff. It has a base attack power of 20 and can be upgraded to 45, with five Abyss Core sockets. It drops from defeating Ludvig during the Time to Face Justice quest in Chapter 7. Pair it with the Lifsoth Large Shield (starting defense 12, upgradeable to 35, two Abyss Core sockets), found on the second-floor balcony of the Witch of Wisdom's house in Hernand.

Abyss Cores

Focus on three Abyss Cores: Swift (increases speed), Destruction (boosts attack power), and Fortification (enhances defense). For offensive builds, the Crow's Pursuit core sends crows toward opponents for additional damage, while Groundsurge creates rocks and lava from the ground for crowd control. Haste cores are generally not worth investing in since movement speed has diminishing returns.

Signature Abilities

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.

Double Jump:

Kliff can perform double 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.

Axiom Bracelet and Elemental Combat

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.

Wrestling and Unarmed Combat

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.

Grappling Moves

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.

Martial Arts Strikes

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.

Defensive Mechanics

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.

Traversal

Kliff's traversal toolkit is the most developed of the three playable characters. His double 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.

Mounted Combat

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.

Progression

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.

Story Role

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, a mysterious cloud-like realm between life and death where he traversed the Corridor of the Void. He was eventually pulled from the river at the Wycliffe Mappery 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.

Establishing the Greymane Camp

After being rescued by Sebastian, Kliff and the surviving Greymanes travel through Hernand and eventually claim a ruins site that becomes the Greymane Camp near Hernand Town. This camp functions as the player's central hub for the entire game. It starts as little more than a cluster of tents and broken walls, but expands with each companion rescued, each ally recruited, and each questline completed. Camp upgrades unlock new crafting options, combat training opportunities, fast travel improvements, and story content.

Chapter-by-Chapter Progression

Prologue (Dead of Night): The game opens with the Black Bears' devastating night ambush on the Greymanes. Kliff fights desperately but is overwhelmed, thrown into a river, and left for dead. He briefly awakens in the Abyss, where he traverses the Corridor of the Void, before being pulled from the water at the Wycliffe Mappery by Sebastian.

Chapters 1-2 (Hernand): Kliff recovers in Hernand territory and begins rebuilding. These chapters introduce the City of Hernand, its factions (House Celeste, House Lanford), and the local power dynamics. Kliff takes on commissions and bounties to earn coin and reputation while searching for scattered Greymanes.

Chapter 3 (Howling Hill): Kliff establishes the Howling Hill camp as the Greymanes' new base of operations. Damiane becomes playable after the End of Greed questline, giving players their first alternate character for open-world exploration.

Chapters 4-5: The story expands beyond Hernand as Kliff pursues leads about scattered Greymanes and encounters the broader political conflicts of Pywel. The Abyss's influence becomes more apparent, and Kliff begins to understand that the threat extends far beyond the Black Bears.

Chapters 6-7: Kliff reunites with Oongka during Chapter 6 and fights alongside him through several missions. At the end of Chapter 7, Oongka becomes fully playable. The Time to Face Justice quest in Chapter 7 pits Kliff against Ludvig, one of the game's most challenging boss encounters. Defeating Ludvig yields the Ignir Sword.

Chapter 8 (Blood Coronation): The story reaches its climax as Kliff confronts the full scope of the Abyss threat and the Black Bears' role in the wider conflict. The Blood Coronation brings the factional warfare to a head.

Leadership and Legacy

Kliff inherited leadership of the Greymanes after the death of their previous leader, Gian. Gian was killed by the Black Bears, which threw Pailune into open conflict and created a power vacuum that the Black Bears exploited to devastating effect. Kliff, already renowned as possessing the finest swordsmanship in Pailune, was the natural successor to lead the scattered survivors.

The wizard Alustin later reveals that stopping the chaos threatening the Abyss was once Gian's mission, a burden that now falls on Kliff. This dual responsibility, rebuilding the Greymanes while confronting a supernatural threat that endangers all of Pywel, defines Kliff's arc. He is not merely avenging a fallen leader; he is carrying forward a mission he never chose but cannot refuse.

Complete Weapon Arsenal

Kliff has the broadest weapon selection of any character in Crimson Desert. He can equip two weapon sets and switch between them mid-combat, chaining different weapon attacks into fluid combos. His weapon versatility is one of his defining traits: there is no class restriction on what he can wield.

The Quick Swap skill in the Blue (Stamina) branch grants a brief attack bonus when switching weapons mid-combo, rewarding players who mix weapon types within a single engagement. This encourages experimentation rather than sticking to a single weapon for every encounter.

Skill Branch Overview

Kliff's combat abilities are organized across three branches of the Abyss Skill Tree, each tied to a different resource pool. All three branches converge on the ultimate ability, Falling Palm, which unlocks after maxing out any one branch.

For a complete breakdown of all 84 of Kliff's skills organized by branch, see Kliff Skills. For character-specific skill trees, see Damiane Skills and Oongka Skills.