Discover everything you need to know about how to unlock all characters in Vampire Crawlers, including their unique effects.
Vampire Crawlers features multiple unlockable characters, including familiar faces from Vampire Survivors. These characters are represented as cards that you can bring into a dungeon. Learning how to unlock all characters in Vampire Crawlers is essential to experiment with different playstyles and builds. Some characters are unlocked by defeating specific enemies or using certain cards, while others can be accessed by finding & opening coffins. They’re not just cosmetic – they completely change how you play. Characters are unlocked in two steps, so completing them lets you play them during the run.
How the Character Unlock System Works
There are 21 characters in Vampire Crawlers at launch, and you start your journey with Antonio Belpaese. Every other character requires completing an unlock condition and purchasing them with gold at the Inn. You first complete a specific requirement, like playing a specific stage, killing enemies, and reaching a certain level. Meeting these conditions doesn’t immediately unlock the characters, but you have to use gold to purchase them. The character becomes available in the Gorton Bell Inn.
How the Character Unlock System Works
If you skip this step, the character stays locked even if you met the requirement. For example, finish the tutorial to unlock Antonio and play a run in Mad Forest to unlock Imelda. Then, use the gold in the hub to actually use Imelda. Each character has a unique starting deck, passive ability, and a special synergy. This means unlocking characters changes gameplay strategy in Vampire Crawlers.
How to Unlock all Characters in Vampire Crawlers
Below are all the characters in Vampire Crawlers and how to unlock them.
| Character | Effects | Required Gold | How To Unlock |
| Antonio Belpaese | Add 3 Armor when Antonio is played.
Increase damage 10% when a red card is played. |
Free | Automatically unlock Antonio in the tutorial |
| Imelda Belpaese | Add 15 XP when Imelda is played.
Gain 1 XP Growth when a yellow card is played. |
10 | Play 1 run in Mad Forest |
| Pasqualina Belpaese | Add 10 Area when Pasqualina is played.
Increase Hand by 1 when a purple card is played. |
110 | Reach level 20 as Imelda in the Library |
| Gennaro Belpaese | Add 2 Amount when Gennaro is played.
Deal 60 damage when a red card is played. |
700 | Kill Mantichana in Mad Forest near the last floor before the last shovel. |
| Arca Ladonna | Add 3 Mana when Arca is played.
Add 1 Mana when a purple card is played. |
420 | Use Fire Wand 1000 times |
| Poe Ratcho | Add 20 Area when Poe is played.
Draw 1 card when a blue card is played. |
360 | Unlock the Garlic card by collecting 5 Floor Chickens and then use it 25 times. |
| Dommario | Gain 2 Duration when Dommario is played.
Deal 40 damage when a purple card is played. |
1120 | Collect 5,0000 Coins |
| Lama Ladonna | Increase damage 50% when Lama is played.
Increase damage 15% when a blue card is played. |
1300 | Unlock Curse and complete a run with 10% Curse active. |
| Bianca Ramba | Add 3 Amount when Ramba is played.
Add 1 Amount when a purple card is played. |
1330 | Kill Milk Elemental boss in Dairy Plant. |
| Porta | Add 25 Area when Porta is played.
Add 1 Mana when a red card is played. |
1000 | Defeat 2,500 enemies to unlock Lightning Ring and then play it 100 times. |
| Mortaccio | Add 2 Amount when Mortaccio is played.
Add 1 Amount when a blue card is played. |
600 | Defeat 444 Skeletons in Mad Forest. |
| Pugnala Provola | Increase damage 20% when Pugnala is played.
Draw 1 card when a yellow card is played. |
1440 | Kill the guardians after clearing the Mad Forest and opening the coffin. |
| Yatta Cavallo | Add 2 Amount when Cavallo is played.
Add 1 Amount when a yellow card is played. |
600 | Defeat 250 Lion Heads in Inlaid Library. |
| Giovanna Grana | Add 20 Luck when Giovanna is played.
Draw 1 card when a purple card is played. |
1360 | Open the coffin in the Library’s final area. |
| Krochi Freetto | Add 10 Revival when Krochi is played.
Add 5 Revival when a Wild W card is played. |
3000 | Defeat 6,666 enemies |
| Suor Clerici | Heal 3 when Clerici is played.
Heal 1 after an encounter when a blue card is played. |
1760 | Recover 1,000 HP during runs |
| O’Sole Meeo | Add 3 Amount when O’Sole is played.
Add 5 Luck when a red card is played. |
2400 | Kill 50 Dragon Shrimps in Gallo Tower. |
| Concetta Caciotta | Add 10 Area when Concetta is played.
Add 5 Area when a red card is played. |
1920 | Open the coffin in Gallo Tower. |
| Iguana Gallo Valletto | Gain 25% more coins when Gallo is played.
Gain 10% more coins when a Wild W card is played. |
4800 | Kill Galloat Gallo’s Tower |
| Christine Davian | Reduce the Mana cost of the next card played by 1 when Christine is played.
Prevent 1 enemy from attacking when a purple card is played. |
2800 | Reach level 35 in a run by unlocking the Pentagram card. Play the card in a single run. |
| Poppea | Increase Hand by 1 when Poppea is played.
Gain 1 Duration when a yellow card is played. |
2200 | Open the coffin in the Milk Factory. |
What Are the Best Characters to Unlock?
Choosing the best characters in Vampire Crawlers can be confusing, as each of them brings a unique playstyle and special effects. Characters are defined by how their passive affects your deck. The best ones let you win runs more often and require less RNG. Below are the best characters to unlock, depending on their abilities and synergy.
Best Characters to Unlock
- Poe Ratcho: This character has a passive that draws cards when playing an Armor card, allowing you to create infinite or near-infinite combo chains. This helps you cycle your entire deck in one turn, making it perfect for combo builds.
- Arca Ladonna: This Aggro Starter begins with Fire Wand to deal burn damage to enemies in combat. This character focuses more on fast combo chains and early pressure, letting you win runs quickly.
- Antonio Belpaese: The best beginner pick who gains Armor and damage boosts from red cards. This character is valued for reliable survivability and simple scaling, but is more forgiving and tanky.
- Imelda Belpaese: He gains extra XP and growth from yellow cards and becomes more powerful the longer the run goes in Vampire Crawlers. This is best for quickly leveling up and snowballs over time.
- Pasqualina Belpaese: An area control character who excels in clearing groups of enemies efficiently and synergizes well with the multi-target cards. Make sure to use it while running the crowd control builds or during the mid-game progression.
Best Tips & Tricks To Unlock Characters
Below are the best tips & tricks to unlock the characters in Vampire Crawlers.
Best Tips & Tricks To Unlock Characters
- Make sure to stack multiple unlock conditions in one run to speed up unlocking multiple characters at once.
- Focus on survivability before grinding unlocks, so prefer using survivability upgrades to make every unlock condition easier.
- Keep your deck small and consistent for more consistent combos and faster character unlocks. Have 12-14 cards max in the early game and focus on reliable combos.
- Farm gold efficiently by playing longer runs, opening chests, and clearing the maps.
- Rotate characters instead of sticking to one to progress multiple unlock trees at once.
- Explore every early stage, as most unlocks are hidden behind coffins, special enemies, and stage milestones.
