This TBH: Task Bar Hero class tier list ranks all six heroes from best to worst, tells you which are free and which cost money, and lays out the team comps and pets that carry you deepest into the game. The short version: the free Knight and the DLC Hunter sit at the top, Priest is near-mandatory as the only healer, and you can reach endgame without spending a cent. Below is the full ranking with the reasoning, the best builds and team setups, and a pet tier list, since pets stack on top of your heroes and quietly do a lot of the heavy lifting.
Key Takeaways
- Best class overall: the free Knight is the top all-rounder, a tank that still deals real damage and shields the team. The DLC Hunter is the strongest pure damage dealer.
- Free vs paid: Knight, Ranger, and Sorcerer are free, Priest is a free unlock, and only Hunter and Slayer cost money (about $4 each).
- Healer is mandatory: Priest is the only class that heals and revives, so it earns a slot in almost every serious team.
- Best free team: Knight, Sorcerer, and Priest reaches endgame without any purchases.
- Pets matter more than you think: you deploy one pet at a time, but every pet you have unlocked keeps its passive bonus active, so their gold, EXP, and chest bonuses stack. The Bat is the best free pet to chase first.
Class Tier List at a Glance
| Tier | Class | Role | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Knight | Tank / hybrid bruiser | Free |
| S | Hunter | Ranged AoE DPS | Paid DLC (~$4) |
| A | Priest | Healer / support | Free unlock |
| A | Sorcerer | AoE mage | Free |
| A | Slayer | Melee berserker | Paid DLC (~$4) |
| B | Ranger | Ranged debuffer | Free |
No class in TBH: Task Bar Hero is genuinely bad. All six are viable, and the game is friendly to free players. The tiers below are about who carries a team hardest and who needs the most help to keep up.
How We Ranked the Classes
Three things decide a class’s spot. First, role coverage: a team needs a frontline, a healer, and damage, so classes that fill a needed role rank higher. Second, how much the class carries on its own versus how much support it demands. Third, cost, since a free class that does the job of a paid one is worth more to most players.
One note on disagreement: some tier lists rank the Ranger higher and argue the Knight tapers off in the late Acts. The wider consensus, and our take, keeps the Knight at the top because it is the strongest free pick and the easiest team anchor for new players. We call out where opinions split in each entry.
S-Tier Classes
Knight (Free)
The Knight is the best all-rounder in the game and the reason most teams feel stable. It tanks the frontline, still puts out solid damage, and can throw a bubble shield to protect allies, so it covers two jobs at once. The build is flexible: lean into defense for a pure wall, or split into a hybrid that chips in real damage. For a new free player, this is the single best class to build first.
The one knock, raised mostly by players deep into the late Acts, is that the Knight’s relative damage can fall behind dedicated DPS once enemies get spongy. Even then it keeps its job as the team’s anchor, which is why it holds S-tier.
Hunter (Paid DLC)
The Hunter is the strongest pure damage dealer and the main reason to open your wallet. She fires a crossbow that deals explosive and lightning AoE, stacking elemental status effects across a whole wave, and she melts a boss health bar before it reaches your frontline. The catch is the price (about $4 as DLC) and the support tax: she wants an attack-focused build and benefits a lot from a Knight up front and a Priest keeping her alive.
A-Tier Classes
Priest (Free Unlock)
The Priest is the only class that heals, buffs your team’s attack, and revives fallen allies, which makes it close to mandatory for any long run. It cannot carry a fight on its own, so it lives or dies by the damage around it. Build into defense so it survives, and slot it next to a Knight and a damage dealer. Some players rank the Priest even higher simply because nothing else can do its job.
Sorcerer (Free)
The Sorcerer is the best free damage option. She throws ranged elemental AoE, slows enemies to control a wave, and can summon a Hydra minion to add extra damage when packs get big. The downside is a thin health pool, so she needs a tank in front and rewards an ability-power build. If you are not buying the Hunter, the Sorcerer is the damage core your free team is built around.
Slayer (Paid DLC)
The Slayer is a berserker melee fighter whose damage scales as it racks up kills, with an HP-sacrifice mechanic that pushes that damage even higher and some crowd control mixed in. It is genuinely strong, but it sits in A-tier for two reasons: it overlaps the Knight’s frontline role, and it is locked behind paid DLC. Run it as a second damage source rather than your tank.
B-Tier Classes
Ranger (Free)
The Ranger is a free ranged attacker with bleed debuffs, and it works as a stand-in for the Hunter if you refuse to pay. The problems are a limited AoE range and a kit that is fiddlier to use well than the other free picks, so it takes more optimization to get the same output. It is far from useless, and a few players rank it much higher, but for most teams the Sorcerer is the better free damage option and the Ranger lands in B-tier.
Best Team Compositions
A team is one tank, one healer, and one or two damage dealers. These three setups cover the main cases.
| Goal | Team | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Knight + Hunter + Priest | Tank, top boss DPS, and the healer to keep both alive |
| Best free-to-play | Knight + Sorcerer + Priest | Same shape with AoE magic instead of the paid Hunter |
| Max damage | Knight + Hunter + Sorcerer | Two damage dealers behind one wall for fast clears |
The Knight anchors every comp because the frontline never stops mattering. The only real choice is whether you pay for the Hunter’s single-target boss damage or lean on the free Sorcerer’s wave clear. The max-damage team drops the healer, so only run it when your gear is strong enough to win the race before anyone dies.
Best Pets Tier List
Pets are the quiet multiplier in TBH: Task Bar Hero. You only actively deploy one pet at a time, but every pet you have unlocked keeps its passive bonus running, so their gold, EXP, and chest-drop bonuses stack on top of each other no matter which one is out. The tier list below is really a priority order for which pets to chase first, not a list of which few to keep.
| Tier | Pet | Bonus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Dragon | +20% EXP, +15% gold, +20% common chest | Three bonuses at once, but paid (Supporter Pack DLC) |
| S | Dark Spirit | +15% Stage Boss Chest drops | Boss chests hold the best rewards past Act 1 |
| S | Bat | +10% common chest, +15% EXP | Best free pet; unlock early by killing 5,000 bats in Act 1 |
| A | Watcher | +15% gold per kill | Free, and beats the paid Butterfly outright |
| A | Burning Skeleton | +10% Stage Boss Chest drops | The Dark Spirit’s little sibling; run both |
| A | Blue Golem | +15% common chest drops | Floods low-rarity gear for Cube synthesis |
| A | Sword | +15% EXP gain | Simple, reliable leveling boost |
| B | Butterfly | +10% gold per kill | Paid, and the free Watcher does it better |
⚡ Quick tip: Park your team in Act 1 and let it grind out 5,000 bat kills early. The Bat pet you unlock pays for itself across the rest of the run because its EXP and chest bonuses never turn off.
Best Picks for Free Players
You do not need to spend money to finish TBH: Task Bar Hero. Run Knight, Sorcerer, and Priest, an all-free team that covers tank, damage, and healing, and you will reach endgame content and farm the high-tier Cosmic gear without touching the DLC. The paid Hunter and Slayer add power and variety, but they are not a requirement, which is a big part of why the game is sitting near the top of Steam’s charts.
For pets, free players should grab the Bat first, then pick up the Watcher, Blue Golem, Burning Skeleton, Sword, and Dark Spirit as they unlock. Because every pet stacks, your bonuses only grow over time, so the free roster eventually rivals what a paying player gets from the Dragon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best class in TBH: Task Bar Hero?
The Knight is the best all-around class and the strongest free pick, working as a tank that still deals damage and shields the team. The DLC Hunter is the best pure damage dealer if you are willing to pay. For most players, a Knight-led team is the safest foundation.
Which TBH: Task Bar Hero classes are free?
Knight, Ranger, and Sorcerer are free from the start, and the Priest is a free unlock. Only the Hunter and the Slayer are paid DLC, at around $4 each. You can build a complete tank, damage, and healer team using only free classes.
What is the best free team in TBH: Task Bar Hero?
Knight, Sorcerer, and Priest is the best free-to-play team. The Knight tanks and protects, the Sorcerer provides ranged AoE damage, and the Priest heals and revives. This trio reaches endgame content and farms high-tier gear without any purchases.
Is TBH: Task Bar Hero pay-to-win?
Not really. Free players can reach endgame and farm top-tier Cosmic gear with the free classes, and the best free pet bonuses stack to rival the paid Dragon over time. The DLC Hunter and Slayer add power and variety, but they are not required to clear the game.
What is the best pet in TBH: Task Bar Hero?
The Dragon is the strongest pet because it grants +20% EXP, +15% gold, and +20% common chest drops at once, but it is paid DLC. The Bat is the best free pet, giving +10% common chest drops and +15% EXP, and you unlock it early by killing 5,000 bats in Act 1. You deploy one pet at a time, but every unlocked pet keeps its passive bonus, so you eventually want them all.
How many classes are in TBH: Task Bar Hero?
There are six playable classes: Knight, Ranger, Sorcerer, Priest, Hunter, and Slayer. Four are free or free to unlock, and two (Hunter and Slayer) are paid DLC. All six are viable, so no pick is a wasted choice.
Gear for Long Idle Sessions
TBH: Task Bar Hero runs in a window while you do other things, so the gear that matters is whatever makes an all-day desk comfortable. Softer light for hours of screen time, room on the desk for your kit, and audio so you catch a loot or boss ping without staring at the window. Here is a practical trio, with prices as of June 2026.
Miritz Monitor Light Bar
A dimmable bar that lights your desk without glaring on the screen during long sessions.
Canjoy Large Desk Mat (31.5″)
A wide mat that gives your keyboard and mouse room on an always-on station.
JBL Quantum 200
Wired over-ear sound so you catch a loot or boss ping without watching the window.
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If you want more rankings like this one, our Forza Horizon 6 car tier list and our roundup of gaming headsets under $100 are good next reads.
The Bottom Line
The safest answer to the TBH: Task Bar Hero class tier list is simple: build a Knight, add a Priest for healing, and pick your damage based on your wallet, the free Sorcerer or the paid Hunter. The Slayer is a strong second damage option, and the Ranger is a serviceable free backup that just asks for more work. None of the six are bad picks.
Then let the pets do the rest. Chase the Bat early, stack every pet you can, and your gold, EXP, and loot climb on autopilot while the game plays in your taskbar. If you are still deciding whether to install it, our explainer on why Task Bar Hero is topping Steam’s charts covers the controversy and whether it is worth your time.