
There are 34 playable characters in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, with 11 available in the base game and 23 available in the DLCs. Five of these characters ( Isaac,
Magdalene,
Cain,
Judas, and
???) came with the original The Binding of Isaac, while two additional characters (
Eve and
Samson) were added later. Eve was added in The Binding of Isaac's Halloween Update, while Samson was added in the Wrath of the Lamb expansion. Rebirth contains four new characters (
Azazel,
Lazarus,
Eden, and
The Lost). In the Afterbirth expansion, one new character (
Lilith) was added, plus one more character via an update (
Keeper). In the Afterbirth † expansion, one character (
Apollyon) was added, plus one more secret character (
The Forgotten) added via a Booster Pack. In the Repentance expansion, two characters (
Bethany and
Jacob and Esau) were added. Each character starts with different stats and abilities that give them their own unique playstyle.
Repentance also added an alternate 'tainted' version of all 17 characters, unlockable in the expansion's final endgame area. Each tainted character maintains the same general theme as the original incarnation, but twisted or taken to an extreme. Many have unique, game-changing mechanics, but often come with a corresponding drawback. Tainted characters have their own set of completion marks and corresponding unlocks, albeit fewer than the original characters — a single unlock for both of the timed challenges (Boss Rush and Hush), one for all of the main path bosses (Isaac, ???, Satan, and The Lamb), and one for each endgame boss, excluding 'normal' Ultra Greed.
Each character's progress can be gauged by checking their completion marks.
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Judas | ![]() |
Lazarus | ![]() |
The Forgotten | ![]() |
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No health | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.20) | 3.5 (*1.35) | 3.5 (*2.00) | 3.5 (*1.05) | 3.5 (*0.75) (*1.00 at ![]() |
3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.50) | 3.5 (*1.00) | ![]() ![]() |
3.5 ± 1.0 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.20) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.50) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 2.75 (*1.00) | 3.75 (*1.00) |
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+0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | -0.1 | +0.5, x0.267 | +0 | +0 | ![]() ![]() |
+0 | +0 | ![]() ![]() |
+0 | +0, x1/2 | +0 | +0 | +0.277 | -0.1 |
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1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.31 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 ± 0.25 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.15 | 0.85 |
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6.5![]() |
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4.5![]() |
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5.0![]() |
4.5![]() |
4.5![]() |
6.5![]() |
6.5 ± 1.5![]() |
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6.5 | 5 | 8 |
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1.0 | 0.85 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.23 | 1.1 | 1.25 | 1.0 | 1.25 | 1.0 ± 0.15 | 1.0 | 1.0 | ![]() ![]() |
1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 ± 1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | -1 | |
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x1 bombs | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
x1 key, ![]() ![]() ![]() |
x3 coins | None | None | None | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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x1 pills | None | x0-2 bombs x0-1 keys x0-5 coins x0-1 trinket, pill, or card |
x1 coins | None | x1 bombs![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
None | None | x4 soul charges | None | None | |
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None | ![]() |
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Short range ![]() Flight |
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Random active item Random passive item |
Flight![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Bone club | Flight Spectral tears |
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None | None |
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Satan | ![]() |
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Isaac | ![]() |
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The Lamb | ![]() |
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??? | ![]() |
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Hush ![]() |
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Delirium ![]() |
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Mother ![]() |
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The Beast ![]() |
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Mega Satan ![]() |
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Repentance | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Tainted Lazarus | ![]() |
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No Health | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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No Health | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*0.75) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.20) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.50) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.50) | 3.5 ± 1.0 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.30) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.50) | - | 3.5 (*1.00) | 3.5 (*1.00) | |
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+0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | -0.35 | -0.5, x0.66 | -0.1 | +0, x1/3 | +0 | -0.1 | +0.75 to -0.5 | +0 | +0 | -2.2 | -0.5 | +0, x1/2 | - | +0 | +0.277 | |
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1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 ± 0.25 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | |
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6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 ± 1.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | - | 6.5 | 6.5 | |
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1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.23 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.90 | 1.0 ± 0.15 | 1.0 | 0.85 | 1.0 | 1.0 | - | 1.09 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.00 | 0 ± 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
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1 bomb | None | 1 key | 3 coins | 3 Poop bombs | None | None | ![]() |
None | None | 0-2 bombs 0-1 key 0-5 coins 0-1 trinket, pill, or card |
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None | 1 bomb | None | None | None | 6 blood charges | None | |
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None | ![]() |
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None | None | ![]() |
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Random active item Random passive item |
Flight Spectral tears |
Demonic baby attack | None | ![]() |
Bone club | Flight | ![]() |
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Achievements | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hush and Boss Rush | ![]() |
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Isaac, ???, Satan, and The Lamb | ![]() |
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Delirium | ![]() |
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Mother | ![]() |
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The Beast | ![]() |
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Mega Satan | ![]() |
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Unlocking
Each character is unlocked by accomplishing a certain task in the game. The unlock requirements are as follows:
Character | Unlock requirement |
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Trivia
- One common theory (which was confirmed by Edmund) is that all characters are different forms of Isaac himself. This theory suggests that every character is a creation of Isaac's imagination which he assumes the personality and appearance of when playing as them. Most characters represent different issues that Isaac believes he has, while ??? is Isaac after dying by suffocation inside The Chest, Azazel is who Isaac sees himself as, and The Lost is Isaac's wandering soul (which can be seen upon dying).
Additionally, Keeper is Isaac's desiccated corpse, as evidenced by Ending 18.
The Forgotten could be Isaac's skeleton shown in Ending 17 and Ending 20.
This theory is also confirmed by the cutscene before fighting The Beast, in which Isaac briefly turns into The Lost, The Forgotten, and ??? as he grows his angel wings.
While on the character selection screen for the tainted characters, a male voice sings instead of the normal female voice, and the song is distorted. The same is true when loading into the game after selecting a tainted character.
- Also, when a tainted character is selected or being selected, the taskbar icon of the game changes to look like Tainted Isaac.
- In the upcoming Requiem expansion for the Four Souls card game, the tainted characters will have their achievement names (e.g. "The Broken" instead of "Tainted Isaac") unlike in the video game. This was decided in a poll made by Edmund via twitter.
- Before that, Edmund had posted an image of Isaac's alternate version being referred to as "Tainted Isaac".
- When switching back and forth between the tainted and normal characters, you can see Isaac's face behind the Who Am I? note, which either appears as Normal or Tainted Isaac depending on which side you switch to.
- The closet you find any tainted character in is the same closet you see during Ending 21. This is reflected in how the characters you find inside the closet are usually hurt or damaged in some way, like how a child would look after being forced into a closet.
- Most of the tainted characters' Delirium unlock are their starting ability. Exceptions to this are Tainted Isaac, Tainted Lost, Tainted Keeper and Tainted Eden.
- Many, if not all, of the tainted characters have similar abilities to their non-tainted variants, with them having a "twist" on the original character that alters the playstyle in significant ways. An example of this is Isaac and Tainted Isaac, where the former uses D6 to reroll unfavorable items, and the latter automatically is presented with 2 options each pedestal, at the cost of an inventory allowing only 8 passive items at a time.
Audio
One of the noises characters make when receiving damage.
Another sound characters make when taking damage.
Another noise characters make when getting hit.
One of the sounds characters make when dying.
Another death sound characters can make.
Another noise characters can make upon dying.
The sound characters make upon taking a pill with the "I Found Pills!" effect.