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How to unlock The First Descendant characters

Learn how to unlock The First Descendant characters during the crossplay open beta, such as the seven you get for completing missions and finding spare parts.

A bionical woman with cybernetic gear is one of The First Descendant unlock characters. Her visor is engaging as she prepares to fight.
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The First Descendant 

How do you unlock The First Descendant characters? There are a total of eleven characters to pick from right now, with one of three given to you from the start. To get your hands on the rest of them, you’ll need to jump through a few hoops while playing the open beta.

While playing The First Descendant beta, you may have noticed that each mission has a set list of rewards for completing them. Upon repeatedly finishing assignments in The First Descendant, there’s a good chance that you can get an item relevant to reconstructing them. While the official First Descendant release date is a little way away, you can at least play all available ones in the beta. So here’s how to unlock First Descendant characters and complete the beta’s playable roster.

You can purchase First Descendant characters by researching them with Anais, pictured here on the left clutching her metal hand.

Unlock all The First Descendant characters

To unlock The First Descendant characters, you’ll need a Code, Spiral Catalyst, Enhanced Cells, and Stabilizer specific to that character. Upon collecting all the parts, head to the hub area and speak to Magister Anais. Select Research Quest, and, provided you have all the components needed, you can finally pay for the recruit to join your roster.

Note that this is a hugely time-consuming process. To help with this, Magister Anais has a shop in Albion called the “[Event] Descendant Material Shop”, which you can use to find the spare part you need to unlock that character at the cost of several thousand Caliber.

You can also use looted parts from missions to research each part. This also requires lots of resources and takes several hours to finish. To get them, you’ll need to go into the world map and highlight each mission reward for the parts you’re looking for. You’ll then need to grind each mission until you get the part you seek or enough resources to craft the part at Magister Anais’s research station.

The First Descendant unlock characters available to you at the start of the game. Ajax has a helmet on and crossed arms. Viessa sits on the table, and Lepic is staring at you.

The First Descendant character resources

You can choose between Lepic, Viessa, or Ajax at the start of the game. To get the rest, you need to make them at Albion. Here are all The First Descendant characters, click on their name to see all their unlock resources:

The First Descendant character infographic for Ajax, a Descendant in full armor including a horned helmet.

Ajax

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Hardner x453
    • Hyper Cube x5
    • Ajax Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Superfluid x384
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Ajax Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Ajax Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Code parts
    • Ajax Code x1

Blair, one of the First Descendant characters, holds his hand out in front of him, a smug look on his face as a flame bursts from his palm.

Blair

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Blair Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Repton x192
    • Hardner x453
    • Data Processing Cercuit x9
    • Blair Stablizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Hardner x453
    • Monite Stone x16
    • Blair Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Blair Code x1
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Bunny

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x4
    • Bunny Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Superfluid x384
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Data Processing Cercuit x9
    • Bunny Stablizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Hardner x453
    • Monite Stone x16
    • Bunny Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Bunny Code x1

The First Descendant character Freyna stands holding a gun in front of a smoky green background.

Freyna

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Hyper Cube x5
    • Freyna Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Monite Stone x16
    • Freyna Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Superfluid x384
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Freyna Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Freyna Code x1

The First Descendant character inforgraphic for Gley, who holds her glasses.

Gley

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Superfluid x384
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x3
    • Gley Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Data Processing Cercuit x9
    • Gley Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Superfluid x384
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Gley Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Gley Code x1

The First Descendant character infographic for Jayber, a young, blonde man wearing a hooded outfit..

Jayber

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Semiconstant Plasma
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x3
    • Jayber Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Superfluid x384
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Jayber Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Hardner x453
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Jayber Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Jayber Code x1

Kyle, one of the First Descendant characters, is in the background, his powerful mechanical arm taking the spotlight in the foreground.

Kyle

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Repton x192
    • Superfluid x384
    • Hyper Cube x5
    • Kyle Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Kyle Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Hardner x453
    • Monite Stone x16
    • Kyle Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Kyle Code x1

The First Descendant character infographic for Ajax, one of the first Descendants you can choose to play.

Lepic

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Superfluid x384
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Lepic Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Repton x192
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Monite Stone x16
    • Lepic Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Hardner x453
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x4
    • Lepic Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Code parts
    • Lepic Code x1
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Sharen

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Superfluid x384
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Data Processing Cercuit x9
    • Sharen Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Repton x192
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Hyper Cube x5
    • Sharen Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Semiconstant Plasman x225
    • Hardner x453
    • Arche Receptor x15
    • Sharen Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Sharen Code x1

Young The First Descendant character Valby wears a space helmet and holds her hands out in front of her making a diamond with her fingers.

Valby

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Superfluid x384
    • Hardner x453
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x3
    • Valby Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Valby Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Hardner x453
    • Hyper Cube x5
    • Valby Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000x gold
  • Code parts
    • Valby Code x1

The First Descendant character infographic for Viessa, one of the Descendants you can choose at the start of the game.

Viessa

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • Metal Accelerant x270
    • Semiconstant Plasma x225
    • Data Processing Cercuit x9
    • Viessa Enhanced Cell Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Monad Shard x402
    • Hardner x453
    • Optical Catalyst x13
    • Viessa Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • Repton x192
    • Superfluid x384
    • Anti-Gravity Fixer x4
    • Viessa Spiral Catalyst Blueprint x1
    • x150,000 gold
  • Code parts
    • Viessa Code x1

Ultimate Lepic

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • 1 x Ultimate Lepic Enhanced Cell Blueprint
    • 42 x Optical Catalyst
    • Semiconstant Plasma x675
    • Monad Shard x1,206
    • x450,000 gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • Repton x576
    • Hardner x1,359
    • Data Processing Circuit x27
    • Ultimate Lepic Stabilizer Blueprint x1
    • 450,000x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • 1 x Ultimate Lepic Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • 9 x Anti-Gravity Fixer
    • 1,152 x Superfluid
    • 1,359 x Hardner
    • 450,000 x gold
  • Code parts
    • Ultimate Lepic Code x1

Ultimate Viessa

  • Enhanced cell parts
    • 1 x Ultimate Viessa Enhanced Cell Blueprint
    • 45 x Monite Stone
    • 810 x Metal Accelerant
    • 1,206 x Monad Shard
    • 450,000 x gold
  • Stabilizer parts
    • 1 x Ultimate Viessa Stabilizer Blueprint
    • 48 x Arche Receptor
    • 675 x Semiconstant Plasma
    • 1,152 x Superfluid
    • 450,000 x gold
  • Spiral Catalyst parts
    • 1 x Ultimate Viessa Spiral Catalyst Blueprint
    • 18 x Hyper Cube
    • 576 x Repton
    • 810 x Metal Accelerant
    • 450,000 x gold
  • Code parts
    • Ultimate Viessa Code x1

And that’s everything you need to know about unlocking The First Descendant characters. Once you’ve unlocked any one of them, you can change your current character by selecting the Descendant tab in the inventory menu and selecting them before clicking Use. If you haven’t signed up for the beta yet, you can check our The First Descendant beta release date guide for detailed instructions or see what other action-adventure games are on the horizon after the beta concludes.

Dave is a Guides Writer at PCGamesN. He's partial to a good Soulslike and is always up for a hunt in Monster Hunter Rise. If he's not playing fighting games like Street Fighter 6, you'll find him bashing badniks in Sonic games or demolishing demons in Diablo 4. Outside of guides, Dave also attends preview events, including Dragon's Dogma 2 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, writing features about GTA 6 and the best Steam indies, and reviewing games, most recently WWE 2K24 and Mortal Kombat 1. Before PCGN, Dave wrote for Rock, Paper, Shotgun, and TheSixthAxis. Just don’t talk to him about old games, board games, pro wrestling, or birdwatching; he won’t shut up about any of them!