Quick summary
- Current playable roster confirmed by Paper Cult: Wallace, Brienne and Ruadh.
- Wallace: available at the beginning in current public launch captures.
- Ruadh: officially unlocks after defeating the Banshee.
- Brienne: an official unlock quest exists, but its exact current trigger remains under verification.
- The wolf and plague-doctor portraits are previews, not unlockable Heroes yet; new Heroes are on the roadmap.
Current Hero unlock table
| Hero | Current answer | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| William Wallace | Available at the beginning in released launch captures | Current public observation; not stated as a numbered unlock rule by Paper Cult |
| Brienne Ironleg | Complete Brienne's unlock quest | Quest existence is official; exact current trigger is not publication-ready |
| Ruadh Stonecrusher | Defeat Iseult, the Banshee | Official version 0.8.57278 change log |
How to unlock Ruadh
Paper Cult's version 0.8.57278 notes give the clearest current unlock rule on the roster: Ruadh is unlocked after defeating the Banshee. Current released gameplay places Iseult, the Banshee after the Act 2 sequence, so continue the campaign through that boss rather than searching for a separate shop purchase.
- 1
Reach the Banshee encounter
Progress beyond Gilles and through the following act until Iseult, the Banshee. Generated objectives can vary, so do not expect one fixed route copied from a video. - 2
Defeat Iseult
Version 0.11 makes damage affect her stun bar more, makes parries affect it less and slows the bar's decay. Use the current rule rather than a demo-era tactic. - 3
Return and verify the Hero roster
After the victory and campaign transition, check the Hero selection state. If Ruadh remains locked, record the visible game version and branch before treating it as an unlock bug.
Read the Iseult, the Banshee guide for the current stun-bar changes and known historical bugs.
What is confirmed about Brienne
Version 0.8 says Paper Cult fixed gates that could remain closed and block progression during Brienne's unlock quest. That proves the quest exists and that an older progression blocker was addressed.
Public posts and videos disagree about whether the current trigger should be described as reaching Act 2, completing a particular stage or finding a specific event. An older public gameplay recording shows Brienne joining after a story event, but it predates the current Early Access patch and cannot lock the present trigger to one generated-stage number.
Can the preview Heroes be unlocked?
Not yet. In a July 22 developer reply, Paper Cult explained that the extra character-select portraits preview upcoming unlocks. The developer named the current playable set as Wallace, Brienne and Ruadh, then confirmed that the wolf and plague-doctor characters were not yet available and that new playable Heroes are on the roadmap.
That first-party statement conflicts with competitor pages that list six currently playable Heroes. For the released Early Access build, this guide uses Paper Cult's three-Hero answer.
How many playable Heroes are in Tears of Metal right now?
How do I unlock Ruadh?
How do I unlock Brienne?
Can I unlock the wolf or plague doctor?
Sources
- Paper Cult developer reply naming the three current Heroes
- Paper Cult's version 0.8.57278 announcement
- Public Brienne recruitment recording used only as historical observation
- Current all-boss recording corroborating the encounter order