Lazarus is a character unlocked by having four or more 
Soul Hearts (or 
Black Hearts) at once during a run. He was introduced in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. He starts with three red heart containers and a double-blue pill with an unidentified effect. He has slightly lower Range and Luck than 
Isaac but also starts with an extra life.
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 starts with 
Anemic. Additionally, Lazarus Risen's Anemic effect is permanent and no longer requires him to take damage.
Upon transforming into Lazarus Risen, Lazarus loses one heart container, instead of removing all but one. This cannot bring Lazarus below one heart container. When moving on to a new floor after losing an extra life on that floor, Lazarus Risen will revert back to Lazarus, and regain an extra life. Each time Lazarus dies, he gains a +0.5 damage up to both forms.
Lazarus Risen[ | ]
When Lazarus (or another character with the item 
Lazarus' Rags) dies, they will be resurrected in the same room as Lazarus Risen with lowered health. Note that unlike most 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 resurrects with 1 full red heart container.- Lazarus Risen loses a red heart container upon resurrecting but cannot go below one. If he has no red hearts upon dying, he gains a red heart container instead. One of the container(s) is filled.
Lazarus Risen gains a significant increase to most of his stats, with bonuses in Speed, Range, Luck, and a 
1.2x 1.4x damage multiplier. He also gets the Anemic passive item (if Lazarus didn't already have it), causing him to leave a damaging blood trail behind him after taking damage. If Challenge 31: Backasswards has been completed, Lazarus Risen's Anemic effect is permanent.
Lazarus Risen is considered by the game to be a separate character from Lazarus, but all unlockable items can be earned by completing Lazarus' objectives with Lazarus Risen. You will gain the corresponding Completion Mark on Lazarus' post-it note.
Notes[ | ]
- Resurrection items (ability, in this case) activate in a set order. Lazarus' inherent extra life is 4th / 3rd in this order after Soul of Lazarus and 1up!.
- It can be a reliable strategy to purposefully die at the beginning to become Lazarus Risen and obtain stronger stats, although it will leave Lazarus with only 1 heart container. For example, attempt to complete the 2nd floor without any red heart damage, enter the Devil Room, and make deals until Lazarus dies. This will utilize Lazarus's 3 red heart containers to the most if successfully performed but heavily relies on player's skill and RNG.
- Dying on every floor to always have the stronger stats and a permanent +0.5 damage is tempting, but it will leave Lazarus with little health to deal with the devil. It is preferred to go in Angel Rooms instead to gain health.
- After beating Challenge 31: Backasswards, Lazarus will have Anemic even before reviving. Anemic gives +5 +1.5 range which compensates his shortness on the range, effectively nullifying his need for extra range ups like he did before.
- Lazarus Risen will always have Anemic activated and will constantly leave blood trails. A higher Speed attribute may help him spread more blood around the room.
- Donating the last heart piece to a devil beggar and respawning as Lazarus Risen activates the beggar an extra two times for a total of three.
- This is no longer possible.
Item Interactions[ | ]
- Birthright: Lazarus gains nothing directly from Birthright. Dying and becoming Lazarus Risen, or picking up Birthright when already in that form grants a +7.2 damage bonus that fades over the course of one minute. This effect triggers each time Lazarus dies.
- Lazarus' Rags: Grants Lazarus two lives. Dying for the first time on a floor uses his inherent ability. Dying a second time will only boost his damage like a normal death, due to Lazarus being Lazarus Risen. Travelling to the next floor will revert his stats as per normal, but does not reset his life count to x2, nor does his ability and the item combine.
Good Items[ | ]
- Any range up items. (Mom's Heels, Mom's Underwear...)
- The lack of range can be compensated by a higher shot speed, via picking up items such as Cat-o-nine-tails or Speed Ball.
- Any luck up items. (Latch Key, Lucky Foot...)
- 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.
- Plan C is safer to use due to inherent extra life.
- Suicide King can be used most effectively when playing as Lazarus.
- Damocles 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[ | ]
- Items that reduce range (such as Number One) or items that reduce shot speed (such as Eve's Mascara and Dead Onion) can prove themselves to be negative for Lazarus. The same applies to item that require a good range stat to be effective (such as A Lump of Coal).
- Note that after his resurrection or after receiving Anemic, these problems become much less troublesome due to the increased Range stat.
- Note that after his resurrection or after
Unlockable Achievements[ | ]
- Wrapped Baby - Defeat Mom's Heart on Hard mode as Azazel Defeat Mom's Heart on Hard mode as Lazarus.
Defeat 
Unlockable Starting Items[ | ]
- Complete Backasswards (challenge #31) - Start with Anemic. Lazarus Risen will have the effect permanently.
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, depicts him crying blood, rather than the normal tears.
- If a co-op baby 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.
- Lazarus's locked icon shows him bound in chains.
- Lazarus's locked icon shows him covered in rags—this is a reference to how in the Bible (John 11:44) Lazarus “came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin” when he was resurrected.
Gallery[ | ]
Lazarus's transition screen portrait.
Lazarus Risen's transition screen portrait.
Lazarus's locked character icon.
Bugs[ | ]
 Bug!
|
 Lazarus will receive a copy of Anemic when resurrecting. The item does nothing when stacked.
|
|---|
 Lazarus Unlocks 
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
      
|
    
|
 
|
   
|
 Characters
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
|
|---|
