How to unlock every character in The First Descendant

Nathan Warby
The First Descendant characters on fallen Descendant

Every new character in The First Descendant comes with a unique set of abilities to suit a specific playstyle, but unlocking each one is no easy task.

The free-to-play looter shooter gives you the choice of three to begin with, but earning each of the remaining Descendants is a major part of the endgame grind.

So, if you’re wondering how to get new Descendants in The First Descendant.

How to get new characters in The First Descendant

New characters need to be researched by talking to Magister Anais in the Albion in The First Descendant. We’ve marked her location on the map below:

Anais location in The First Descendant

By talking to her in the hub area, you’ll be able to start the Research Quest for each Descendant, which will task you with crafting the following four elements:

  • Enhanced Cells
  • Stabilizer
  • Spiral Catalyst
  • Code

From the research menu, you can see where to gather each of the resources, some of which will be regular drops for defeating enemies, while others will require you to farm specific areas. If you can’t see where the material is found, it means it’s from an enemy or location that you’re yet to discover.

The First Descendant features 14 unlockable characters at launch, as well as five Ultimate variants. Some require you to farm specific materials to research each component, while others are earned by picking up the components themselves during individual missions.

Research menu screen in The First Descendant

There’s also the option to head to the Descendant Material Shop in Albion, where you can purchase spare material that you’re missing. However, while this could save you hours of grinding, the resources cost a lot of Caliber.

All The First Descendant characters & how to get them

Blair

Blair in The First Descendant
  • Enhanced Cells
    • Location: White-night Gulch – Mystery’s End
  • Stabilizer
    • Location: White-night Gulch – Bio Lab
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Location: Hagios – The Haven
  • Code
    • Location: Hagios – Old Mystery

Bunny

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Location: Kingston – Vulgus Field Generator
  • Stabilizer
    • Location: Kingston – Magister Lab
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Location: Kingston – Vulgus Data Transmitter
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Grave Walker (Amorphous Material Pattern: Bunny required)

Freyna

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Location: Vespers – The Shelter
  • Stabilizer
    • Location: Vespers – Ruins Path
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Location: Vespers – Ruins Underground
  • Code
    • Location: Sterlile Land (Void Fusion Reactor – Serlile Land Rockfall Zone)

Sharen

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Location: Echo Swamp – Seed Vault
  • Stabilizer
    • Location: Echo Swamp – The Chapel
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Location: Agna Desert – The Asylum
  • Code
    • Complete: Agna Desert – Caligo Ossuary

Ajax

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Silicon (430)
    • Hellion (303)
    • Artificial Biometal (35)
    • Ajax Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Hardener (386)
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Compound Carbon Activator (30)
    • Ajax Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Compound Coating Material (402)
    • Shape Memory Alloy (462)
    • Positive Ion Particle (42)
    • Ajax Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Executioner (Amorphous Material Pattern 019 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Swamp Walker (Amorphous Material Pattern 096required)
    • Vespers: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Vespers Lost Moonlight Lake
    • White-night Gulch: Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Hatchery

Enzo

Enzo in The First Descendant
  • Enhanced Cells
    • Monomolecular Extractor (499)
    • Flectorite (292)
    • Inorganic Biogel (58)
    • Enzo Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Silicon (430)
    • Nanopolymers (363)
    • Advanced Neural Circuit (90)
    • Enzo Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Semi-permanent Plasma (290)
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Positive Ion Particle (42)
    • Enzo Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Dead Bride (Amorphous Material Pattern 025 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Hanged Man (Amorphous Material Pattern 053 required)
    • Agna Desert: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Agna Desert Miragestone Deposit
    • White-night Gulch: Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Hatchery

Esiemo

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Flectorite (292)
    • Shape Alloy Metal (462)
    • Deformed Biometal (76)
    • Esiemo Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Reverse Charging Coil (455)
    • Organic Biogel (26)
    • Esiemo Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Semi-permanent Plasma (290)
    • Nanopolymers (363)
    • Specialised Biometal (56)
    • Esiemo Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Vespers: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Vespers Moonlight Lake
    • Kingston: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Kingstone Grand Square
    • Agna Desert: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Agna Desert The Storage
    • Hagios: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Hagios Corrupted Zone

Gley

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Monad Shard (246)
    • Silicon (430)
    • Cooling Metallic Foil (38)
    • Gley Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Metal Accelerant (519)
    • Flectorite (292)
    • Complex Carbon Activator (60)
    • Gley Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Nanopolymers (363)
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Synthesized Artificial Biometal (99)
    • Gley Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Grave Walker (Amorphous Material Pattern 002 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Dead Bride (Amorphous Material Pattern 069 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Molten Fortress (Amorphous Material Pattern 0124 required)
    • Location: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Agna Desert Miragestone Deposit

Jayber

Jayber in The First Descendant
  • Enhanced Cells
    • Hellion (303)
    • Reverse Charging Coil (455)
    • Insulating Metallic Foil (34)
    • Jayber Enhanced Cells Blueprint x1
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Nanopolymers (363)
    • Shape Memory Alloy (462)
    • Balanced Plasma Battery (43)
    • Jayber Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Flectorite (292)
    • Carbon Crystal (554)
    • Thermal Metallic Foil (26)
    • Jayber Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Agna Desert: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Agna Desert Miragestone Deposit
    • Fortress: Void Fusion Reactor – Fortress Frozen Valley
    • Sterile Land: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Sterile Land Restricted Zone
    • White-night Gulch: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Observatory

Kyle

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Carbon Crystal (554)
    • Hellion (303)
    • Inorganic Biogel (58)
    • Kyle Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Metal Accelerant (519)
    • Monomolecular Extractor (499)
    • Deformed Biometal (76)
    • Kyle Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Reverse Charging Coil (455)
    • Compound Carbon Activator (30)
    • Kyle Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Vespers: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Vespers Lost Supply Depot
    • Sterile Land: Void Fusion Reactor – Sterlie Land Repository
    • Hagios: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Hagios Dune Base
    • White-night Gulch: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Observatory

Lepic

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Semi-permanent Plasma (290)
    • Monomolecular Energy (499)
    • Highly-concentrated Energy Residue (34)
    • Lepic Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Superfluid (571)
    • Shape Memory Alloy (462)
    • Crystal Biogel (43)
    • Lepic Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Metal Accelerant (519)
    • Carbon Crystal (554)
    • Complex Carbon Activator (60)
    • Lepic Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Obstructer (Amorphous Material Pattern 102 required)
    • Vespers: Void Fusion Reactor – Vespers Ruins
    • Vespers: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Vespers Lost Supply Depot
    • White-night Gulch: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Mountaintops

Valby

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Repton (422)
    • Superfluid (571)
    • Data Processing Neural Circuit (48)
    • Valby Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Monad Shard (246)
    • Compound Coating Material (239)
    • Murky Energy Residue (40)
    • Valby Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Metal Accelerant (519)
    • Hardner (386)
    • Encrypted Neural Circuit (32)
    • Valby Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Devourer (Amorphous Material Pattern 032 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Pyromaniac (Amorphous Material Pattern 036 required)
    • Sterile Land: Void Fusion Reactor – Sterlie Land Rockfall Zone
    • Sterile Land: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Sterlie Land Repository

Viessa

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Repton (422)
    • Semi-permanent Plasma (290)
    • Fusion Plasma Battery (40)
    • Viessa Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Compound Coating Material (239)
    • Monomolecular (499)
    • Common Carbon Activator (14)
    • Viessa Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Superfluid (571)
    • Hardener (386)
    • Synthesized Artificial Biometal (99)
    • Viessa Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: Execution (Amorphous Material Pattern 018 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Devourer (Amorphous Material Pattern 030 required)
    • Intercept Battle: Swamp Walker (Amorphous Material Pattern 095 required)
    • Echo Swamp: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Echo Swamp Derelict Covert

Yujin

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Flectorite (422)
    • Reverse Charging Coil (455)
    • Divided Plasma Battery (22)
    • Yujin Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Compound Coating Material (239)
    • Carbon Crystal (544)
    • Pure Energy Residue (40)
    • Yujin Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Hardener (386)
    • Ceramic Composite (408)
    • Anode Ion Particle (27)
    • Yujin Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Echo Swamp: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Echo Swamp Muskeg Swamp
    • Fortress: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Fortress Fallen Ark
    • Sterile Land: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – Sterile Land Restricted Zone
    • White-night Gulch: Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor – White-night Gulch Observatory

Luna

  • Enhanced Cells
    • Silicon (430)
    • Carbon Crystal (554)
    • Pure Energy Residue (40)
    • Luna Enhanced Cells Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Spiral Catalyst
    • Superfluid (571)
    • Hardener (386)
    • Specialized Biometal (46)
    • Luna Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Stabilizer
    • Flectorite (292)
    • Hellion (303)
    • Highly-concentrated Energy Residue (34)
    • Luna Stabilizer Blueprint
    • Gold (200,000)
  • Code
    • Intercept Battle: (Hard) (Swamp Walker) Amorphous Material Pattern: 094-Mutant AA required
    • Agna Desert (Normal): The Storage Void Fusion Reactor
    • Agna Desert (Hard):  Abyssal Void Fusion Reactor

How to unlock Descendants fast

Working to unlock characters in The First Descendant can be a difficult task, especially because the drop rates for their components can be daunting to think about. Unfortunately, there is no surefire trick to unlock Descendants fast, but there are ways to make the process easier.

The easiest way to unlock Descendants fast is to choose one and focus on their components

Codes for Descendants are the most difficult components to find, so to make the grind a little easier, make sure you find their Enhanced Cells, Stabilizers, and Spiral Catalysts first. Each of these takes around 16 hours to research. 

Once you have these three and you start researching them, the time you take looking for their Code should mitigate the time you’d wait for that research to be done. 

More Descendants are set to arrive in the future, so we’ll be sure to update this page with how to get each character.

The First Descendant is finally in players’ hands, so make sure you know the best Lepic build to get you started, as well as how Mastery and difficulties work.