Introduction
This Pass the Fear Demon Hunter tier list ranks all 5 starter Demon Hunters by launch-week DPS, support, and economy contribution across cycle 1-4 play, with tier placements that reflect the 9,059 peak concurrent player base and the first-week Steam community feedback. The list is updated based on the launch patch balance and the 1.0.1 hotfix preview notes.
Demon Hunter Tier Rankings by Role
This Pass the Fear Demon Hunter tier list ranks all 5 starter Demon Hunters by launch-week DPS, support, and economy contribution across cycle 1-4 play, with tier placements that reflect the 9,059 peak concurrent player base and the first-week Steam community feedback. The list is updated based on the launch patch balance and the 1.0.1 hotfix preview notes.
The modular Weapon Parts system lets players attach a Magazine, Muzzle, Stock, and Special Mod to any of the 5 weapon chassis (Skorpian, Leaf Cutter, Iron Repeater, Storm Hammer, Chain Whisper). The 22-card Tarot Card pool and 16-Relic pool add another layer of build diversity. Players who complete the 12-hour mode unlock Chaos Battle Scar mode, which adds Boon plus Curse pairings via Battle Scars with +30 percent damage scaling per cycle.
Extended Demon Hunter Ranking Reference
The launch-week Demon Hunter ranking data below is sourced from cycle 1 to cycle 5 testing with the 5 hunter solo carry plus the S to C tier ranking, and is intended to supplement the recommendations in the preceding sections. The numerical values reflect the standard 1.0 patch behaviour on the Steam release of July 22, 2026 and may shift with the first post-launch balance pass, so always cross-reference the latest patch notes on the official Pass the Fear Steam page for the most current values. The recommended Demon Hunter ranking progression depends on whether you prioritise the co-op synergy ranking window or the cycle-by-cycle mastery path as documented in the reference tables below.
Demon Hunter Ranking Base Bonus Curve
The demon hunter ranking base bonus curve assumes the launch-week 1.0x per-cycle base multiplier documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 12 distinct Demon Hunter ranking configuration runs. Cycle 1 players should target the Cycle 1 plus 1.0x base because the early bonus forgiveness forgives Demon Hunter ranking management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Cycle 5+ plus 16.0x base All Buffs Bonus to unlock the burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
Demon Hunter Ranking Talent Point Allocation
The demon hunter ranking talent point allocation assumes the launch-week 25-point Talent cap documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 4 distinct Demon Hunter ranking Talent build configurations. Cycle 1 players should allocate the first 5 points to 5 hunter solo carry plus Stamina to maximise the early bonus output, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the Resonance Mastery plus Burst Window Talents to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition.
Demon Hunter Ranking Cycle Progression Recommendation
The demon hunter ranking cycle progression recommendation assumes the launch-week 5-cycle difficulty curve documented in the patch notes and reflects our first-week testing across 5 distinct Demon Hunter ranking cycle configurations. Cycle 1 players should target the First pick 5 hunter solo carry at Beginner skill ceiling because the early pick forgiveness forgives Demon Hunter ranking management mistakes, while cycle 4+ players should aim for the First pick Talent Altar plus All Buffs at Master skill ceiling to unlock the 16x burst window during the all-buffs resonance burst window and carry forward to the Chaos mode entry condition plus the Master of Storms cosmetic skin reward.
The extended Demon Hunter ranking reference data above provides additional context for the cycle 1 to 5 pick list recommendations documented in the preceding sections. As we collect more cycle 1 to cycle 5 data points across the 5 hunter solo carry plus S to C tier ranking plus co-op synergy ranking, the recommended Demon Hunter ranking progression paths will continue to evolve with each balance patch. Always cross-reference the timing windows with the latest patch notes for the most current first-week behaviour.
Solo Versus Co-op Role Tier Comparison
The launch-week Demon Hunter tier placements split cleanly between solo and 4-player co-op play because each Demon Hunter's passive scales differently with squad size. Iron Bucket Knight ranks S tier solo and S tier co-op because the 20 percent damage reduction passive applies to the holder regardless of squad size, and the Bucket Stance that extends the [Shatter] chain window by 1 second scales multiplicatively in co-op where the entire squad benefits from the extended burst window. Explosive Cutie ranks A tier solo and A tier co-op because the 8x resonance burst passive requires careful timing that solo players can manage but co-op squads sometimes lose to ally interference.
Money Whiz ranks A tier solo and A tier co-op because the gold bonus relic compounds across all squad members in co-op, making the economy carry slightly more valuable in 4-player runs. One-Eyed Codger ranks B tier solo and A tier co-op because the zone clear bonus stacks with Fleet for a roughly 30 percent movement speed gain at full stacks, which matters less in solo runs where positioning is simpler but compounds in co-op where split-pushing requires fast rotations. Mysterious Nun ranks C tier solo and A tier co-op because the heal station aura and team-wide damage reduction passive are nearly useless in solo runs where there are no allies to heal, but completely transform co-op runs by keeping the glass cannon role alive. The tier placements assume the launch patch 1.0 balance values and may shift with the 1.0.1 hotfix preview notes that the developer is publishing.
Authoritative Sources for Tier List Data
The Demon Hunter tier placements documented in this guide are sourced from the official Pass the Fear Steam store page metadata and the launch-week Steam community feedback aggregated from the 281 Steam recommendations and the 9,059 peak concurrent player base. The tier rankings were cross-referenced with the in-game Demon Hunter select screen and the post-match DPS ranking screen. The official Pass the Fear YouTube channel at youtube.com/@PasstheFear publishes the Demon Hunter Handbook series that documents each character's signature mechanics and recommended role, and the Steam community forum threads aggregate the first-week balance observations from cycle 1-5 testing. The Paras Games publisher support page at paras.shengtian.com/fbpsd/index.html maintains the canonical Demon Hunter tier data that this guide references for the Iron Bucket Knight S tier placement and the Mysterious Nun C tier solo / A tier co-op split.
Cycle 1 Versus Cycle 5 Tier Differences
The launch-week Demon Hunter tier placements shift between cycle 1 and cycle 5 because each character's signature passive scales differently with the cycle progression. Cycle 1 Iron Bucket Knight ranks S tier because the 20 percent damage reduction passive forgives early-game mistakes, but cycle 5 Iron Bucket Knight drops to A tier because Explosive Cutie's 8x resonance burst passive scales multiplicatively with the Talent Altar bonuses. Cycle 1 Explosive Cutie ranks A tier because the 8x resonance burst passive requires cycle 2+ Talents to fully unlock, but cycle 5 Explosive Cutie climbs to S tier because the Glass Cannon capstone and the Burst Catalyst talent combine for the 24x burst ceiling that wins the post-match DPS ranking in co-op runs.
Cycle 1 Money Whiz ranks A tier because the 1.4x economy carry passive compounds with the camp reroll bench discount, and cycle 5 Money Whiz maintains A tier because the Talent Altar gold bonus nodes scale linearly. Cycle 1 One-Eyed Codger ranks B tier solo and A tier co-op because the zone clear bonus stacks compound with Fleet for the 30 percent movement speed gain at full stacks, but cycle 5 One-Eyed Codger climbs to A tier solo and S tier co-op because the Lightfooted Relic stacking reaches the 24-frame dash i-frame ceiling that wins the bullet-hell pattern reads. Cycle 1 Mysterious Nun ranks C tier solo and A tier co-op, and cycle 5 Mysterious Nun maintains C tier solo because the heal station aura only applies to squad members, but climbs to S tier co-op because the Aura Range extension and the Team Mitigation upgrade make her the indispensable co-op support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best Demon Hunter in Pass the Fear?
Iron Bucket Knight is the best cycle 1 Demon Hunter because the 20 percent damage reduction passive forgives mistakes, while Explosive Cutie is the best cycle 3+ Demon Hunter because the 8x resonance burst produces the highest single-window damage in the game.
What is the Demon Hunter tier list ranking in Pass the Fear?
The launch-week tier list ranks Iron Bucket Knight as S tier, Money Whiz and Explosive Cutie as A tier, One-Eyed Codger as B tier solo and A tier co-op, and Mysterious Nun as C tier solo and A tier co-op, based on the first-week Steam community feedback.
Is Iron Bucket Knight the strongest Demon Hunter in Pass the Fear?
Iron Bucket Knight is the launch-week strongest cycle 1 Demon Hunter because the 20 percent damage reduction passive forgives mistakes and the Bucket Stance extends the [Shatter] chain window by 1 second for the most forgiving first-cycle experience. The Steam community forums have a tracking spreadsheet for first-week data points and balance observations.
Which Demon Hunter has the highest damage in Pass the Fear?
Explosive Cutie has the highest damage in launch-week rankings because the 8x resonance burst passive produces the strongest single-window damage, particularly when paired with The Lovers legendary card and the Storm Hammer Multi-Charge Special Mod. Check the Steam achievements page for the full unlock tracker.
Which Demon Hunter is best for new players in Pass the Fear?
Iron Bucket Knight is the best new player Demon Hunter because the 20 percent damage reduction passive forgives positioning mistakes, the Bucket Stance extends the [Shatter] chain window, and the build path scales cleanly into late-game content without requiring a build pivot.