Tears of Metal Characters & Unlocks: Wallace, Brienne, Ruadh
See every confirmed playable Tears of Metal character, the official Brienne and Ruadh unlock information, and why Aodh is a companion—not a fourth hero.
Tears of Metal currently has three playable heroes: Wallace, Brienne, and Ruadh. Wallace is available from the start, Brienne uses an in-game unlock quest, and Ruadh unlocks after defeating the Banshee. The August 13 update adds Aodh as an unlockable companion—not a fourth playable hero—and does not publish his unlock condition.
What is confirmed
- Three heroes are playable in the launch Early Access build.
- Aodh, the Vigil is an unlockable companion, not a playable hero.
- Ruadh's documented unlock condition is defeating the Banshee.
- The official notes do not publish Aodh's unlock condition or a complete Brienne quest walkthrough.
Wallace: learn the baseline first
Wallace is the most useful starting reference because new players can use him to learn the shared campaign systems before comparing alternative heroes. The official patch history also names multiple Wallace weapons and balance adjustments, reinforcing that equipment can materially change how a hero plays.
Do not treat 'starting hero' as 'weak hero.' In a live roguelike, familiarity with timing and weapon behavior often matters more than a launch-week ranking. Learn what ends your runs before deciding that another character is the solution.
Brienne: follow the current in-game quest
Brienne is tied to an unlock quest. Paper Cult's July 24 notes fixed gates that could remain closed and block progress during that quest, so players following older reports may be reading about a bug that has already been addressed.
The safest instruction is to follow the current quest prompts in your installed build and update before troubleshooting. We do not publish an exact step-by-step route until every step can be verified against the live version.
Ruadh: current documented unlock
Patch 0.8.57278 changed Ruadh's unlock so that the hero becomes available after defeating the Banshee. That statement comes directly from the official balance notes. If the unlock does not appear, first confirm that the game updated successfully and that your save is on the same branch as the current patch.
Unlock conditions are especially vulnerable to Early Access changes. The verification date above matters more than an undated search snippet or video title.
Aodh is a companion, not a fourth hero
Version 0.12.58540 added Aodh, the Vigil as a new unlockable companion. The official announcement does not give a complete unlock route, so this guide does not invent one from community guesses.
Companions belong to the campaign support roster; they are not interchangeable with Wallace, Brienne, or Ruadh in the playable hero selection. This distinction matters when counting all currently playable characters.
How to choose a hero
| Question | What to test | Decision signal |
|---|---|---|
| Can I survive normal waves? | Defensive timing and movement | Choose the hero whose core rhythm you can repeat under pressure. |
| Do I understand my damage windows? | A complete encounter without changing equipment | Prefer clarity over a theoretically stronger but unfamiliar kit. |
| Does this hero fit my co-op group? | Positioning and overlapping responsibilities | Pick a role that reduces chaos instead of duplicating one player's plan. |
| Am I judging an old patch? | Read the newest balance notes | Retest after material weapon, cost, or survivability changes. |
What is confirmed for the roster roadmap
The launch announcement promises additional playable heroes during Early Access but does not provide a binding release date or final count. Paper Cult later acknowledged interest in two shown but not yet obtainable heroes. We list them only as planned content, not as currently playable characters.
How this guide was verified
We use official store listings and developer announcements for changing facts. Strategy recommendations are labeled as editorial guidance.
- Official Early Access launch post ↗Three-act launch scope, three playable heroes, full progression loop, and planned additions.
- Official August 13 update — v0.12.58540 ↗Networking optimization, HP-based revives, Aodh, performance work, and Steam Deck stability fixes.
- Official Steam announcements and patch notes ↗Current build notes, multiplayer priorities, unlock fixes, and crossplay notices.