Video Games
Isaac Tier List Maker
Rank The Binding of Isaac characters, from Isaac and Magdalene to The Lost, The Forgotten and Jacob and Esau.
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Drag items into a tier — or tap an item, then tap a tier.
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Meet every character (17)
These 17 characters load into the maker above. Each write-up covers what the character is and what to weigh when you rank it. Facts were last checked on .
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Isaac
Isaac Moriah is the titular main character, returning from the original 2011 version of the game. He is the only character unlocked by default, and he starts with three Red Heart containers.
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Magdalene
Also called Maggy, an unlockable character shown as Isaac in a yellow wig, who starts with four red heart containers. She is unlocked by obtaining seven or more heart containers at once in a run.
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Cain
A character unlocked by obtaining 55 or more coins at once in a run, who starts with two Red Heart containers. He can only shoot tears from his right eye, which affects certain items.
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Judas
A character unlocked by beating a specific boss for the first time, starting with one red heart container, 3 coins and a 1.35x damage multiplier. If he dies with a certain item, he respawns as Dark Judas.
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Blue Baby
Written as ???, an unlockable playable character. The same name is also used for an unlockable pill that gives the Curse of the Maze, a final boss and an optional floor.
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Eve
A character unlocked by beating two floors in a row without collecting any hearts. She starts with two Red Heart containers, Whore of Babylon and the Dead Bird.
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Samson
A character unlocked by beating two floors in a row without taking damage. He starts with three Red Heart containers, and gets a damage boost each time he is hit, up to six times.
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Azazel
A character unlocked by making three deals with the Devil in one run. He starts with a short-ranged tear attack and the ability to fly, but without regular Red Heart containers.
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Lazarus
Introduced in Rebirth, unlocked by having four or more of a certain pickup at once. He starts with three red heart containers and an extra life, and his revived form has increased base stats.
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Eden
A Rebirth character who is only playable with at least one Eden Token. Each time you start as Eden, a token is consumed and a new Eden is generated with random stats and items.
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The Lost
A secret character who starts with no health and cannot gain any, so any damage kills him. He starts with flight and spectral tears, which makes him a high-risk, high-reward pick.
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Lilith
A character added in Afterbirth who is permanently blindfolded, so she cannot fire tears and instead deals damage with a familiar that follows her. She is unlocked by completing Greed mode.
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The Keeper
A secret character added in Afterbirth, unlocked by donating 1000 coins to the donation machine. He starts with a triple shot and uses Coin Hearts.
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Apollyon
A character added in Afterbirth, unlocked after defeating Mega Satan for the first time. His strength comes from turning bad items into base stats, which lowers the need for luck.
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The Forgotten
A secret character added in Booster Pack #5 who resembles a skeleton. He cannot fire regular tears and swings or throws a bone club, and shares a health bar with The Soul.
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Bethany
A character added in Repentance who starts with three Red Heart containers and four soul charges. She converts Soul and Black Hearts into "soul charges" at a rate of one charge per half heart.
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Jacob and Esau
A character pair added in Repentance, unlocked by defeating a boss with any character. They move together at the same speed, yet have independent stats, items and health.
Isaac tier list questions
Which Binding of Isaac versions are these characters from?
Most are from the original game and Rebirth, with Lilith, Keeper, Apollyon and The Forgotten added by later updates, and Bethany plus Jacob and Esau added in Repentance.
Do all characters need to be unlocked?
Only Isaac is unlocked by default. The others need specific conditions, such as collecting 55 coins for Cain or making three Devil deals for Azazel.
How should I rank Binding of Isaac characters?
Common criteria include starting items, survivability, playstyle, ease of winning and fun. Many players rank by how easily they win with each character, while others rank by design.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these references on .