Dark Scrolls Unlock Heroes Guide: All 9 Characters

TL;DR: Dark Scrolls has 9 heroes. Grizz, Pigeon, and Emerys are unlocked by default. Biscuit is freed from a cage during the first boss. Quinn requires the maximum cumulative donation to the Camp wishing well; Confit requires a Mountain quest, a key from the Perk Shop, and a Castle rescue; Ironbeard follows after freeing Confit and throwing meat at him in the Cave; Saturn unlocks after completing Moon; and Nezumi is purchased from the meta-shop. These are the official manual's triggers.

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How does the Dark Scrolls unlock system work? (quick answer)

Three heroes are unlocked by default: Grizz, Pigeon, and Emerys. The six remaining triggers are not interchangeable dungeon secrets. Biscuit is freed from a cage during the first boss. Quinn is unlocked by donating the maximum amount of gold to the wishing well in the Camp screen; the manual says the donation is cumulative. Confit starts with a Mountain quest from the cowboy computer: after accepting it, buy the key carried in the Perk Shop during a run and use it to free Confit from his Castle cell. After Confit is free, throw a piece of meat at Ironbeard in the Cave. Complete the Moon level for Saturn. Purchase Nezumi from the meta-shop.

Each of those triggers is permanent once completed. The important correction is that the manual does not support the earlier claim that four or five heroes are all hidden in generic branches, nor does it give a 100-gem Nezumi price.

Once the roster is complete, use the Dark Scrolls hero tier list, best builds guide, and route and Shoppe guide to turn each unlock into a build plan. The co-op ghost guide covers the partner systems separately.

Your three starting heroes

Before hunting for the others, it helps to know your starting three well. Each one plays differently enough that your choice affects how your first dozen runs go.

Grizz is the barbarian. The manual describes axe-lobbing and ground-pounding attacks, with Axe Nova creating a circle of bouncing axes when the Star Meter is full. That gives new players a clear starting loop without relying on the old, unsupported "sneeze" label.

Pigeon is the rogue. She hurls dual daggers and has a double jump. Her Stealth special grants temporary invincibility and makes attacks deal critical hits. That is the verified high-ceiling part of her kit; the manual does not describe a downward dagger angle or a separate multi-direction burst.

Emerys is the mage. He fires bouncy fireballs, can blink-dash, and uses Orbitals to summon magical orbs that damage enemies and destroy projectiles. The special is a projectile-destruction tool, not an orb shield.

GODEEPER: If you want a full breakdown of how each hero ranks and which Shoppe perks matter most, the tier list covers all nine with detailed Shoppe synergy notes. Dark Scrolls Hero Tier List: All 9 Heroes Ranked →

Step-by-step: unlocking Biscuit

Biscuit is the one hero with a widely confirmed, specific unlock trigger.

1. Start a run with any hero.
2. Progress through Stage 1 normally until you reach the boss encounter.
3. During the boss fight, look for a cage in the arena. It will be visible in the stage.
4. Break open or interact with the cage to free the dog.
5. Complete the run or die. Biscuit is added to your roster either way, as long as you triggered the cage.

What Biscuit does after you get it: the barks pierce enemies, the dog has a bouncy double jump, and Scary Bark stuns every enemy on screen. This is real crowd control, but it is not a spinning pinball form or an infinite jump.

In co-op, Biscuit is a strong setup character. Scary Bark can stun every enemy on screen while a partner repositions or attacks. The Steam page confirms that partners can combine attacks and revive one another; detailed ghost behavior is kept cautious in the co-op guide because it is sourced to a third-party guide rather than the manual.

A co-op run further into the dungeon, once Biscuit and other unlocked heroes join the roster, later biomes shift the enemy roster and terrain considerably.

Nezumi, Confit, Saturn, and the remaining heroes

Nezumi is the saxophone-focused bard. The manual specifies the inputs 1 = UP, 0 = FORWARD, and 2 = DOWN; notes roll over after five. Double-jumping sends the stored notes as homing projectiles and clears the sax. Perform attempts the song, and a valid song triggers its associated named effect for both players. The manual lists multiple named effects, but it does not support the old "more than 16" count.

Unlike the route-triggered heroes, Nezumi is purchased from the meta-shop. The manual does not state a 100-gem threshold or a score-conversion formula, so those details should not be presented as facts.

Confit is the chef. He flips steaks, and the Cook special fires up a pot that sends damaging food flying or creates hearts. To unlock him, accept the cowboy computer's quest in the Mountain, buy the key carried in the Perk Shop, and free Confit from his cell in the Castle.

Saturn is the alien hero. He flies while firing an alien machine gun, and Abduct uses a tractor beam to suck up enemies, coins, and props, improving ammo capacity, fire rate, and firepower through experience. The manual says to complete the Moon level to unlock him.

Quinn shifts between walking and flying, fires love-infused arrows, and uses Aura for a healing ring and temporary fire-rate increase. Donate the maximum cumulative amount of gold to the wishing well in the Camp screen to unlock her. Ironbeard launches pickaxes, makes temporary platforms by double-jumping, and uses Tinker to build a cannon; after freeing Confit, throw a piece of meat at him in the Cave to unlock him.

Confit's food-throwing projectiles arc differently from Grizz's axes or Pigeon's daggers, trading direct accuracy for wider coverage.

GODEEPER: The dungeon's floor structure determines where you're likely to encounter hidden objects and cages. Understanding zone progression helps you know when to slow down and explore versus push forward. Dark Scrolls Dungeon Guide: Zone Progression and Floors →

Tips for completing the unlock list

The manual gives specific actions, so use those actions instead of searching every branch at random:

Reach the first boss for Biscuit. The dog is in a cage there. Freeing Biscuit is the only trigger this guide recommends treating as a generic in-run rescue.

Use the Camp screen for Quinn. The wishing-well donation is cumulative; the trigger is the maximum donation, not a single secret room.

Route through Mountain and Castle for Confit. Take the cowboy computer's quest, buy the key from the Perk Shop during a run, and use it on Confit's cell.

Return to the Cave for Ironbeard. This trigger is conditional on freeing Confit first, then throwing meat at Ironbeard.

Finish Moon for Saturn and use the meta-shop for Nezumi. Neither should be described as an unnamed dungeon secret or a guessed gem price.

Related Reading

• Dark Scrolls Hero Tier List: All 9 Heroes Ranked 2026: Tier rankings with full Shoppe synergy notes for each hero once you have them unlocked.
• Dark Scrolls Best Builds Guide 2026: How to build around each hero's attack pattern once you know which ones you are playing.
• Dark Scrolls Dungeon Guide: Zone Progression and Floors: How the auto-scroll structure works and when to explore versus push forward.
• Dark Scrolls Co-op Guide: Ghost System and Party Setup: The ghost recovery system explained and which heroes cover partners most effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many heroes are in Dark Scrolls? Dark Scrolls has 9 heroes: Grizz, Pigeon, Emerys, Biscuit, Quinn, Confit, Ironbeard, Saturn, and Nezumi. Grizz, Pigeon, and Emerys start unlocked.

How do you unlock Biscuit in Dark Scrolls? The manual says Biscuit is freed from a cage during the first boss. Free the dog and it becomes available for future runs.

What does Biscuit do in Dark Scrolls? Biscuit's barks pierce enemies, the dog has a bouncy double jump, and Scary Bark stuns every enemy on screen. The official kit does not describe an infinite jump or a pinball special.

How do you unlock Nezumi in Dark Scrolls? Nezumi is purchased from the meta-shop. The manual does not publish a 100-gem threshold or a score-conversion formula.

Which starting hero should I pick in Dark Scrolls? Grizz is the safest starting pick for this guide: Axe Nova creates a circle of bouncing axes when the Star Meter is full. Pigeon uses dual daggers, a double jump, and Stealth; Emerys uses bouncy fireballs, blink-dash, and Orbitals.

Can I play all heroes without unlocking them? No. Three heroes start unlocked. The other six use the manual's triggers: Biscuit's first-boss cage, Quinn's Camp wishing well, Confit's Mountain quest and Castle key, Ironbeard's Cave meat interaction after Confit, Saturn's completed Moon level, and Nezumi's meta-shop purchase.

What is the Shoppe in Dark Scrolls? Bruce and Goose's Shoppe is the in-run vendor where you spend coins on perks that modify your hero's abilities. Most heroes depend on the Shoppe to build power, but Nezumi bypasses it by playing saxophone note sequences that equip Shoppe effects for free.

References

• Dark Scrolls on Steam
• Dark Scrolls official instruction manual (PDF): official roster, abilities, unlock triggers, routes, perks, trinkets, and Nezumi songs
• Dark Scrolls official Steam announcements: official hero posts with additional kit details
• Devolver Digital: Dark Scrolls
• Worthplaying: Dark Scrolls Preview
• Nintendo Life: Dark Scrolls