The Marine, The Pilot, The Hunter, and The Convict are open from your first run in Enter the Gungeon, while The Bullet, The Robot, The Paradox, and The Gunslinger are hidden until you meet a specific goal. The Cultist is a separate case, since she only plays as the second player in local co-op. Playable characters are called Gungeoneers, and the goals include sparing an enemy, finishing an elevator shortcut, or defeating a Past, the special boss fight tied to each character.
| Gungeoneer | How to Unlock | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| The Marine, The Pilot, The Hunter, The Convict | Available from your first run | None |
| The Cultist | Second player in local co-op | None |
| The Bullet | Spare five Red-Caped Bullet Kin | None |
| The Robot | Finish the Gungeon Proper shortcut, then carry the Busted Television to the Blacksmith | Shortcut deliveries to the Tinker |
| The Paradox | Interact with a cosmic rift after killing a Past, then finish that run | 5 Hegemony Credits per run to play |
| The Gunslinger | As The Paradox, defeat the Lich in Bullet Hell, then defeat The Gunslinger's Past | 7 Hegemony Credits per run to play |
How to Get The Cultist in Enter the Gungeon Co-op
The Cultist is the second-player character for local co-op, and she can't be picked in single-player. Her whole kit is built around having a partner, so she is meant for that role. To bring her in, follow these steps:
- Connect a second controller so a second player can join.
- As Player 1, enlist The Cultist in The Breach.
- Once the run begins, Player 2 controls her.
There's no separate unlock quest or Hegemony Credit fee for her. Hegemony Credits are the currency you spend at Breach merchants, and she doesn't require any.
How to Unlock The Bullet by Sparing Five Red-Caped Bullet Kin
The Bullet is the simplest unlock, but it depends on an enemy that only shows up now and then. Shooting Red-Caped Bullet Kin is the one thing to avoid, since the unlock depends on sparing them. They wander around and don't attack, so you can ignore them while you clear the rest of the room.
- Defeat the Past of any one starting Gungeoneer. The caped kin won't appear until then.
- Watch random rooms for Red-Caped Bullet Kin.
- Clear the other enemies in the room and let the caped kin leave on their own.
- Repeat until five have left. The Bullet unlocks, and you'll find him in The Breach.
How to Unlock The Robot With the Busted Television
The Robot is the one unlock that depends on an elevator shortcut. The key item, the Busted Television, only appears once that shortcut is open, so the shortcut comes first. It's an expensive step, so it's worth planning around.
- Find the Tinker in The Breach and open the Gungeon Proper shortcut. He asks for resources such as Blanks, Keys, Shells, Hegemony Credits, or a Master Round, and you can deliver them gradually as you can spare them.
- Head to the Gungeon Proper, the second chamber, and find the elevator maintenance room. Pick up the Busted Television there.
- Carry it through the Black Powder Mine and the Hollow to the Forge, the fifth chamber. Dodge rolling makes you drop it, so avoid rolling while you carry it.
- Hand the TV to the Blacksmith and let the cutscene finish. The Robot unlocks when it ends.
The TV is easy to lose, so keep a few things in mind on the trip:
- Leave it lying on the ground and the Resourceful Rat can steal it, so only step into the room when you're ready to carry it out.
- Enemy bullets can destroy it while it's on the floor, with no warning.
- In a fight, use its active item to toss it somewhere safe, clear the room, then pick it back up.
- Throwing it into a pit or into a wall it can clip through loses it for the run.
- Lose the Lord of the Jammed before the handoff, since he can kill you during the cutscene.
How to Unlock The Paradox Using a Cosmic Rift
The Paradox depends on a random event, a cosmic rift, so it can take some patience. Rifts only start appearing after a starting character's Past is down, and only in chambers two through four. Knowing where they can show up tells you where to focus.
- Defeat the Past of any one starting Gungeoneer.
- Explore the Gungeon Proper, the Black Powder Mine, and the Hollow. Rifts can appear in random rooms with a 20% chance.
- Interact with the rift to gain the Paradox effect.
- Finish that run by defeating the Lich or by killing the Past of the character you were playing.
Picking The Paradox for a run costs Hegemony Credits, but that fee is separate from the unlock. The unlock itself is complete once you finish the run.
How to Unlock The Gunslinger Through Bullet Hell and the Lich
The Gunslinger is the hardest unlock, and it works as a chain. Each step opens the next, and a failed attempt means repeating the Paradox step.
- Defeat the Pasts of all four starting Gungeoneers. This opens Bullet Hell.
- Play as The Paradox, reach Bullet Hell, and defeat the Lich. Your next run starts as The Gunslinger.
- During that run, get the Bullet That Can Kill The Past from the Blacksmith in the Forge.
- In the Aimless Void, use the Gun That Can Kill The Past and defeat The Gunslinger's Past. He unlocks permanently.
If the run ends before you defeat his Past, you'll need to complete another Paradox run and defeat the Lich to trigger the attempt again. Blessed Mode can't be used for this unlock, so play the attempt without it.
