Starfield Backgrounds are a starting class; the guide presents the full list and can help you decide which are the best for you.
Character Backgrounds in Starfield
Starfield has 21 different character backgrounds, also referred to as starting classes, which determine the protagonist’s origin story. Who is your character, and how was their life before? Each unique background will provide a character with certain buffs and benefits. Additionally, This choice will determine your three starting skills and how the game’s environment, NPCs, and companions will react and interact with your character.
For example, if your character has a diplomat background during one of the missions, an NPC character can comment:
….says here you spent some time as a diplomat. Having a way with words might prove useful.
Starfield
One of the biggest Bethesda strengths is storytelling. And as we know from their previous titles, what skills and path you choose next is entirely up to you.
What Backgrounds Influence & How Do They Work?
Not every NPC’s reaction to your character’s origin may be positive. Some may accuse you of murder if they learn you are a Gangster or they simply don’t like your Chef’s cuisine. And you never know when your background can be helpful. You may be on the street, shopping or exploring, recognized as a Bounty Hunter or someone’s former professor. Also, your knowledge or training connected to the background may help you complete quests and offer new missions.
What Background Should You Choose?
Background primarily affects the roleplaying aspect and how companions or NPC will interact with you in Starfield. Some Background traits will offer small buffs or bonuses that can be useful, especially if you want to focus on specific weapon expertise or playstyle. For example, if you pick the Combat Medic background with the Pistols Certification trait, you’ll be trained in this type of weapon from the start of the game. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be good with pistols if you want to be a professor. Your character will learn and progress. As a result, you can choose from various skills and knowledge through the playthrough. All backgrounds are a starting point and will give your character their story and place in the Starfild.
What Starfield Backgrounds Are The Best?
The best backgrounds that will help you maximize your battlefield performance are undoubtedly Combat Medic and Beast Hunter. You’ll be proficient in weapons and know how to care for your team during the fights. Medicine, weapon efficiency, lasers, and wellness background traits will help you achieve the best combat performance.
The best roleplaying backgrounds are Diplomat and Chef, and you’ll get many chances to show off your exceptional skills to your crew or even your love interest. Another fantastic option for those who like to solve problems and complete missions without bloodshed might be the Diplomat background. Those who want to be intimidating to others, maybe earn some money on the side, might enjoy the Bounty Hunter or Gangster backgrounds.
The Full List of Starfield Backgrounds
Below, we present a full list of Starfield backgrounds, and hopefully, you can find the best origin story for you:
- Beast Hunter
- Bouncer
- Bounty Hunter
- Combat Medic
- Cyber Runner
- Cyberneticist
- Diplomat
- Explorer
- File Not Found
- Gangster
- Homesteader
- Industrialist
- Long Hauler
- Pilgrim
- Professor
- Ronin
- Sculptor
- Soldier
- Space Scoundrel
- Xenobiologist
- Chef
1 Beast Hunter
From the Ashta of Akila to the Terrormorphs that plague the whole of the Settled Systems, hostile alien life abounds. You’ve learned the skills to track them, find them, and take them down.
Beast Hunter Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Fitness: In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
- Ballistics: Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.
- Gastronomy: Access to brand new worlds means access to brand new ingredients, and there is almost no limit to the delicious foods and drinks a talented chef can prepare.
2 Bouncer
You’ve worked the line at the toughest clubs in the Settled Systems. Back then, you learned that most non-lethal confrontations can be solved one of two ways: a strong right hook, or a more strongly secured door.
Bouncer Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Boxing: Once considered a “sport of kings,” boxing is still practiced as a recreational competitive activity, but its combat applications can’t be denied.
- Security: While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
- Fitness: In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
3 Bounty Hunter
Wherever there are wanted individuals, there are those who profit from their capture. And your quarry knows that in the vastness of space, they can run… but they can’t hide.
Bounty Hunter Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Piloting: As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
- Targeting Control Systems: Missile weapons are favored because they can lock onto an enemy ship, but an intimate knowledge of tracking systems can make them even more effective.
- Boost Pack Training: Specialized training and innovations in personal mobility systems have allowed for unfettered exploration of alien worlds.
Related:
4 Combat Medic
Leave it to human beings to fight over something as infinite as outer space. That’s where you come in. You’ve never been afraid to take on the enemy… but you’d much rather take care of your friends.
Combat Medic Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Pistol Certification: Considering the popularity of the personal sidearm in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such weapons is often considered essential.
- Medicine: Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy’s many dangers.
- Wellness: By embracing an active lifestyle and good nutrition habits, one may improve their overall sense of health, and even gain prolonged life expectancy.
5 Cyber Runner
From Neon to New Atlantis, the megacorps stand as monuments to power, prestige and profit. You’ve worked both for and against them, on the inside and out, often sacrificing conscience for credits.
Cyber Runner Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Stealth: For a combatant who values discretion above all else, the ability to approach a target while undetected and kill with a silenced weapon is as terrifying as it is effective.
- Security: While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
- Theft: While not entirely honorable, and certainly not legal, it is nonetheless occasionally necessary to discreetly remove property from someone’s person.
6 Cyberneticist
Robots? Mere toys. Neuroamps? Good for parlor tricks. The Colony War may have made implants and upgrades available to veterans, but you once saw a greater future. Humans and machines, as one.
Cyberneticist Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Medicine: Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy’s many dangers.
- Security: While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
- Lasers: Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.
7 Diplomat
The wars are over. Peace now reigns in the Settled Systems. But only because there are those quietly fighting to keep it. Because of you, agreements were signed, words were heeded… lives were spared.
Diplomat Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Persuasion: In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
- Commerce: In the Settled Systems’ free market economy, almost anyone with the right skillset can open and run a successful business.
- Wellness: By embracing an active lifestyle and good nutrition habits, one may improve their overall sense of health, and even gain prolonged life expectancy.
8 Explorer
They said exploration is a lost art. You didn’t listen. As the major factions argued over the space they desperately tried to control, you were busy uncovering the wonders of the Settled Systems.
Explorer Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Lasers: Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.
- Astrodynamics: Advanced technology is one thing, but it takes skill, patience, and a little bit of love to coax even more capability out of a ship’s grav drive.
- Surveying: Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
9 File Not Found
Oddly, there is no information on file about your past life. Clerical oversight? Deletion by some powerful unknown faction? Or was there just nothing of note to mention? Whatever the reason, your past is known only to you. What’s important is the here and now, and the path you’re about to forge…
File Not Found Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Wellness: By embracing an active lifestyle and good nutrition habits, one may improve their overall sense of health, and even gain prolonged life expectancy.
- Ballistics: Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.
- Piloting: As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
10 Gangster
You were always disgusted by suckers killing themselves to make an “honest wage.” As soon as you were old enough to hold a weapon, you took what you wanted from anyone unlucky enough to have it.
Gangster Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Shotgun Certification: The cornerstone of close quarters combat, or CQC, the shotgun has proven a simple, deadly weapon for hundreds of years.
- Boxing: Once considered a “sport of kings,” boxing is still practiced as a recreational competitive activity, but its combat applications can’t be denied.
- Theft: While not entirely honorable, and certainly not legal, it is nonetheless occasionally necessary to discreetly remove property from someone’s person.
11 Homesteader
The discovery of the Settled Systems’ many oxygen-rich planets and moons meant humans could live just about anywhere… if they had the know how. You did, and utilized it to great effect.
Homesteader Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Geology: Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
- Surveying: Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
- Weight Lifting: Weight training can significantly increase one’s ability to carry weapons and equipment, both in space and on the ground.
12 Industrialist
There was a time when all you wanted to be was a titan of industry, maybe a ship designer, or megacorp exec. Thankfully, that skillset never goes out of style in the Settled Systems.
Industrialist Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Persuasion: In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
- Security: While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
- Research Methods: By skillfully employing both new and time tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights.
13 Long Hauler
Let those other hotheaded pilots obsess over laser weapons and maneuverability. You’re a space trucker, pure and simple. Pack the cargo, get it there fast, get paid, repeat. Life is simple and good.
Long Hauler Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Weight Lifting: Weight training can significantly increase one’s ability to carry weapons and equipment, both in space and on the ground.
- Piloting: As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
- Ballistic Weapon Systems: While there have been significant advancements in ship-borne weaponry, sometimes the simplest tool is the most effective.
14 Pilgrim
Wayfarer, wanderer, seeker… transient. You’ve been called many things during your travels, and learned something those others could never understand – the journey IS the destination.
Pilgrim Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Scavenging: There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.
- Surveying: Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
- Gastronomy: Access to brand new worlds means access to brand new ingredients, and there is almost no limit to the delicious foods and drinks a talented chef can prepare.
15 Professor
You always enjoyed learning, but nothing could compare to the joy of teaching others. As humankind spread throughout the stars, there was never a lack of knowledge to obtain, and you gladly assisted.
Professor Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Astrodynamics: Advanced technology is one thing, but it takes skill, patience, and a little bit of love to coax even more capability out of a ship’s grav drive.
- Geology: Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
- Research Methods: By skillfully employing both new and time tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights.
16 Ronin
Masterless and unbound, you wandered the Settled Systems as a blade for hire. To some, you were a simple mercenary. To others, a hero. And to a select few… a nightmare they could never wake from.
Ronin Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Dueling: Considered by many to be a lost art, close attacks with a melee weapon can often be deadlier than ranged combat when carried out by a skilled practitioner.
- Stealth: For a combatant who values discretion above all else, the ability to approach a target while undetected and kill with a silenced weapon is as terrifying as it is effective.
- Scavenging: There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.
17 Sculptor
With your knowledge of anatomy and skilled, steady hands, you could have had a lucrative career as a surgeon. Instead, you followed your heart, and created works of art to amaze and inspire.
Sculptor Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Medicine: Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy’s many dangers.
- Geology: Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
- Persuasion: In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
18 Soldier
The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare, and if there’s one thing armed conflict relies on it’s trained warriors with guns and guts. You had both. Simple, bloody work… and you were great at it.
Soldier Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Fitness: In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
- Ballistics: Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.
- Boost Pack Training: Specialized training and innovations in personal mobility systems have allowed for unfettered exploration of alien worlds.
19 Space Scoundrel
Good? Bad? Whose right is it to say? If there’s anything you’ve learned while traipsing through the galaxy, it’s this: space may look black, but it’s really one big shade of grey.
Space Scoundrel Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Pistol Certification: Considering the popularity of the personal sidearm in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such weapons is often considered essential.
- Piloting: As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
- Persuasion: In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
20 Xenobiologist
The Settled Systems is home to untold alien species. And while none of them have yet proven sentient, that never deterred you. So you sought out and studied them for whatever gifts they offered.
Xenobiologist Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Lasers: Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.
- Surveying: Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skill set.
- Fitness: In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
21 Chef
While the unfined masses scarfe down Chunks by the shipload, you created to those witha more… discerning plate. In your kitchen, countles alien spiecies become true culinary masterpeces.
Chef Starting Skills in Starfield:
- Scavenging: There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.
- Dueling: Considered by many to be a lost art, close attacks with a melee weapon can often be deadlier than ranged combat when carried out by a skilled practitioner.
- Gastronomy: Access to brand new worlds means access to brand new ingredients, and there is almost no limit to the delicious foods and drinks a talented chef can prepare.
Looking For More About Starfield?
Thank you for reading What Starfield Backgrounds Are The Best – Full List Guide. We provide the latest news and create guides for Starfield. Also, watch me play games on Twitch or visit my YouTube channel! Starfield launches exclusively on Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 6, 2023. You can play it day one with Xbox Game Pass.
