Lazarus

Lazarus is unlocked once the player has four or more soul hearts (or black hearts) at once during a run. He is a new character in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. He starts with three red heart containers and a double-blue pill of a random effect. He has slightly lower Range and Luck than but also has 1 extra life at the beginning of the game.

His revived form has increased base stats, with above-average damage, speed, and range. Though low on health, his improved stats counterbalance this weakness well.

After Challenge 31: Backasswards is beaten, Lazarus will start with.

Lazarus Risen
When Lazarus (or another character with the item ) dies, they will be resurrected in the same room as Lazarus Risen.

Lazarus Risen gains a significant increase to most of his stats, with bonuses in Damage, Speed, Range, and Luck, as well as the passive item, causing him to leave a toxic blood trail behind him after taking damage. Note that unlike other items that cause the player to respawn, Lazarus' revival ability revives him on the spot, as opposed to the previous safe room.

Lazarus Risen is considered by the game to be a separate character from Lazarus, but all unlockable items can be earned by completing objectives with Lazarus Risen, and if you beat particular bosses for the first time with Lazarus Risen, you will gain the corresponding Completion Mark on Lazarus's post-it note.

After Challenge 31: Backasswards is beaten, Lazarus Risen's Anemic effect is permanent and no longer requires him to take damage.

Item Interactions

 * : Lazarus gains nothing directly from Birthright. Dying and becoming Lazarus Risen, or picking up Birthright when already in that form grants a slowly fading +21.6 damage bonus.

Good Items

 * Any range up items. (, ...)
 * The lack of range can be compensated by a higher shot speed, via picking up items such as or.
 * Any luck up items. (, ...)
 * Lost Cork increases the size of Anemic's creep trail, which can be useful for Lazarus Risen, especially if he has the Anemic effect permanently due to the player having beaten Backasswards.
 * , or  can turn Lazarus' beginning pill into a positive one unless his pill has an effect deemed neutral.
 * safer to use due to inherent extra life.
 * can be used most effectively when playing as Lazarus.
 * is less dangerous than for most of the characters as Lazarus already starts with an extra life.
 * After his resurrection, any health up items will help. Lazarus Risen initially has only 1 heart, therefore he is rather fragile.

Bad Items
Note that after his resurrection, or receiving Anemic for the first life, these problems become much less troublesome due to the increased Range stat.
 * has to be avoided. Although it allows an increase in Tears and gives splash tears, its range diminution, added with Lazarus' already low range, can become dangerous. The same applies to.
 * and 's drastic shot speed reduction can also prove themselves to be negative for Lazarus.
 * loses efficiency due to Lazarus' initial range.
 * Be careful not to use self-damaging items or take devil deals as Lazarus Risen, due to his shortness on heart containers.

Trivia

 * Lazarus is a reference to Lazarus of Bethany. In the Bible, Lazarus of Bethany was resurrected by Jesus 4 days after his death. This is why Lazarus spawns with 1 extra life.
 * Lazarus Risen's next floor art, in which he is crying about a bad memory, has blood tears, rather than the normal tears.
 * If a co-op player joins in and takes a red heart from Lazarus, then Lazarus dies and gets revived, the co-op player can leave to grant Lazarus Risen an extra heart container.
 * If the player dies as Lazarus Risen, his signature on Isaac's last will will have blood drops on it.