BioWare has finally released all of the eight available classes in The Old Republic. The classes offer the ability for people to play four distinct types of characters on both sides of the war: Republic and Sith. BioWare went in and created characters based on personalities of people: do I want to play as a tank? Do I want to be behind the scenes? Am I sneaky or am I aggressive? By answering these questions and pulling at types of characters that have often been desirable characters, BioWare effectively created four types of classes, but a total of eight on each side.

BioWare did something interesting, though, when creating classes. They wanted there to be a distinct difference between the Republic and Sith (so it really felt as if you were on one side), but at the same time, they wanted to create the archetypal characters for any MMO: Tank, healer, etc. The result is an effective four types of specific classes that provide specific characters per side of the war. Here’s a walk-through of each classes.

Bounty Hunter

The bounty hunter is the greedy, selfish, doesn’t care who has to die to get the job done type of character. While the Sith Empire would rather those that work for them being a part of the Empire, they make exceptions when it comes bounty hunters who get the job done. The bounty hunter has to understand that there is no one in this galaxy that they can trust completely because credits are the most important thing to a bounty hunter. If the bounty hunter messes up, his best friend could be the one the Empire hires to kill him off. Chances off, that best friend will do it if the pay is right.

For combat, the Bounty Hunter relies on strong armor to protect against damage. They come to the field with the strongest weapons available, but also make sure to have some backup gadgets just in case. They don’t want to come to the stage without all of their bases covered. Preparation is key to the bounty hunter. Using their rocket pack, they are able to rise above the field and shoot down onto their enemies when the bounty hunter achieves the correct level. The bounty hunter is the equivalent to the next class.

Trooper

The trooper is the heavy soldier of the Republic. As a member of the Republic Special Forces, they will either be seen in very small squads or, if they are especially daring, all by themselves, wrecking mayhem on the Sith Empire. Between very heavy armor that still allows great mobility and powerful blaster rifles, going against a Republic trooper is not an easy feat. It requires the ability to get past the consistent barrage of laser fire, the grenades, as well as the overall strong abilities that come with being known as the best soldiers in the entire Republic.

Unlike other classes that might hide and slowly move up to attack, the Republic Trooper isn’t afraid of a little dirt. He runs head on into battle, his blaster rifle killing as he goes, clearing a path for those to follow. Because of his heavy armor, he can take damage and not actually feel it. If, while on the battlefield, you see a lone soldier running towards the Sith base, chances are, it is a Republic special forces trooper who is going to conquer that area.

Imperial Agent

The Imperial Agent is the spy of the Empire. His job is to go behind enemy lines and destroy something that is pivotal to the Republic and then get out before anyone knows what has happened. A single Imperial agent can change the course of a battle more than an entire legion of soldiers or army of Sith Warriors. Focusing heavily on recon and weapons with long range and accuracy, the agent is known for their life of solitude. Unlike the Sith who are all about more power and force insight, the Imperial Agent is the one who really has the Empire’s citizens in mind; he fights for them.

He comes with very durable heavy armor that allows quick motions. While the agent specializes in killing from afar, he is more than prepared to get in close and kill at this range. Sometimes they work alone; however, sometimes they are a part of a strike team of other agents. The Empire relies heavily on them for their cunning and sneaking. In the end, the fate of the Empire might rest on the information provided by the agent over any other class. However, maybe the agent will mess things up. You decide.

Smuggler

Finally, after so many games, the ability to play as Han Solo, or at least a Han Solo type of character, is available. They are known for being incredibly sneaky and cunning. They can adapt to a situation faster than most other classes, but that’s because they have to. They make enemies faster than any other class. While they rely on sneaking the most, if they are caught doing something illicit, their handing blaster definitely can get their opinion heard and help them to escape.

For a smuggler, it isn’t about heavy armor or any of that; instead, it’s about comfort and speed. If a smuggler can run away from the situation, it is probably better so he can recover. However, he does rely on a strong blaster that can pack a punch. When doing combat as a smuggler, the ultimate goal is to be sneaky and trick the enemy into make a mistake so that the kill can be made. If nothing else, knee him in the balls. That always works for a smuggler.

Sith Warrior

If you had to imagine the class that Darth Vader would be, this is it. Heavy armor, aggression, and getting what you want anyway possible, but the lightsaber is probably the first way. When there is a problem in the Empire, it is the Sith Warrior that goes to handle it. Whether he is wielding a single lightersaber or duel wielding, the Sith Warrior will continue to beat at their opponent until the enemy makes a mistake and dies. Deflecting laser bolts is nothing and expect to see the Sith Warrior going against three or four troopers at a time without breaking a sweat.

Everything about them breathes aggression. Their lightsabers have sharp points on them; they have incredible armor that makes it difficult to kill them. More importantly, they are not against using experimental components on their bodies that will make them even stronger, even at the cost of danger to their own self. For them, raw power and strength is the only thing that matters. Being the opponent to go against a Sith Warrior requires guts. Or, maybe just being the next class.

Jedi Knight

The Jedi is a paradox in itself. On one hand, their entire lives are devoted to combat and battle. On the other hand, their entire purpose is to promote peace in the galaxy. In other words, they promote peace through their lightsaber. If someone is getting in the way of peace, a Jedi will try and negotiate; however, if they become a threat, they will just as easily pull their lightsaber and do battle. They spend their lives devoted to learning the Force and their weapon, but when a threat comes to the Republic, they are the valiant Knight fighting off the foes.

Their armament is typical for a Jedi: a simple looking lightsaber. Known for blue lightsabers like Obi-Wan-Kenobi, the Jedi Knight likes simple; however, is not adverse to putting on entire suits of armor to protect their bodies when doing battle against a formidable foe. Having trained from a young age, the Jedi Knight can rely on the force to add a mixture of incredible lightsaber maneuvers as well as force pushes and holds. The Jedi Knight is a pivotal part of a battle because he can defend allies and attack foes that are doing too much damage. A very epic character to play as.

Sith Inquisitor

The Sith Inquisitor is the wizard of the Sith Empire. He spends his time trying to find ancient Sith artifacts that will make him even wiser and stronger. They are completely corrupted by the Dark Side and live for it. Unlike the Sith Warrior who relies on his lightsaber and brute strength to get what he wants done, the Sith Inquisitor relies on the force, similar to how Emperor Palpatine did. An Inquisitor is not against electrocuting one of their foes with lightning to show them just how serious they are. Give them what they want or die.

Their armament is much more elaborate and fancy than other classes. They don’t wear much armor, relying on expensive and fancy wardrobes. Their lightsabers typically are double-bladed and have fancy gems in the middle to show how mystical they are. While the warrior is on the front line, the inquisitor is involved in the politics of being a part of the Empire. They make deals and they use cunning to try and get what they want. That doesn’t mean, though, that an inquisitor won’t ignite their lightsaber and use speed to make that lethal blow on any of their foes.

Jedi Consular

The Jedi Consular is the negotiator for the Republic. Similar to Yoda, the Consular would rather use intelligence and knowledge to get their needed results rather than a lightsaber. Very powerful in the Force, the Consular is very capable on the battlefield if they need to be. In history’s past, they would have been doing less combat oriented work; however, with the Empire constantly expanding, ever able Jedi needs to be on the battlefield doing their part to hold the Sith back.

On the battle field, expect to see the Consular as the fast, nimble warrior. They rely on their double bladed lightsaber and speed to get their work done when fighting. Unlike the Jedi Knight who does battle in armor and more brute strength, the Consular will wear robes only and fight with speed. They expect to deflect all laser bolts and lightsabers and never have to worry about something hitting their bodies. They will use the force such as lifting a heavy bolder, to throw at an opponent rather than just parrying with their weapon.

Conclusion

Those are the classes. Each one brings its own combat expertise and ways of doing war. More importantly, each one is absolutely necessary for either side to win the war. The Bounty Hunter and Trooper go head to head; the Imperial Agent and Smuggler go head to head; the Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight go head to head; the Sith Inquisitor and Jedi Consular go head to head. Who is the strongest? No one class is. It all depends on how you play them. You make them the strongest.