If you’ve just downloaded Brawl Stars after seeing your friends post about their latest ranked wins, one of the first questions you’ll probably have is how many brawlers in Brawl Stars you can collect. The roster has grown a lot since the game first launched back in 2017, and Supercell adds new characters on a regular schedule to keep the meta fresh and give players new playstyles to test. This guide breaks down the latest total count, plus all the context you need about rarity tiers, unlock methods, and which brawlers to focus on first if you’re new to the game.
How Many Brawlers in Brawl Stars Are Playable Right Now?
As of the latest seasonal update, there are 82 playable brawlers in Brawl Stars. This count only includes permanent, unlockable characters you can add to your permanent roster, so it doesn’t cover temporary event NPCs, modded brawlers from private servers, or limited-time test characters that only appear for a week or two in special game modes. Supercell typically adds 1 to 2 new brawlers every 2-month season, so this number will go up consistently as the game evolves. You don’t have to worry about missing out on old brawlers either: every character that’s ever been added to the permanent roster stays available to unlock forever, even after their launch season ends.
Many new players get frustrated when they see other users with rarer characters, but the game is designed so you don’t need every single brawler to compete at high ranks. Most top pro players only use 5 to 10 brawlers for almost all their competitive matches, so you can climb the ladder just fine with a small, well-leveled roster. The biggest advantage of having more brawlers is having more options to counter specific team compositions or map layouts, but it’s not a requirement to have fun or win matches.
Breakdown of Brawler Rarity Tiers and Unlock Odds
All 82 playable brawlers are split into 7 distinct rarity tiers, each with different unlock methods and drop rates from Brawl Boxes. Higher rarity brawlers aren’t always stronger, but they often have more unique mechanics that take more practice to master. The full breakdown of each tier, count, and unlock odds is below:
- Common (Trophy Road): 13 brawlers, unlocked automatically as you earn total trophies, no loot box luck required.
- Rare: 15 brawlers, 12% drop rate from Brawl Boxes, guaranteed unlock every 30 boxes if you haven't gotten one already.
- Super Rare: 12 brawlers, 3% drop rate, guaranteed every 150 boxes.
- Epic: 14 brawlers, 0.9% drop rate, guaranteed every 500 boxes.
- Mythic: 11 brawlers, 0.25% drop rate, guaranteed every 1800 boxes.
- Legendary: 9 brawlers, 0.08% drop rate, guaranteed every 5500 boxes.
- Chromatic: 8 brawlers, drop rate starts at 0.2% per season, increases by 0.1% every month you don't unlock them until you get the current season's chromatic.
Many new players assume legendary brawlers are always better, but that’s not the case. A level 9 common brawler like Shelly can easily beat a level 1 legendary brawler in a 1v1 fight, and some lower rarity brawlers are far more effective in most game modes than their rarer counterparts. The guaranteed drop counters reset every time you get a brawler of that rarity, so you never have to worry about being permanently locked out of a character no matter how bad your luck is with loot boxes.
How to Unlock New Brawlers Fast Without Spending Money
You don’t have to drop real cash on the Brawl Pass or loot boxes to build a full roster of brawlers. I’ve played the game consistently for 18 months without spending a single dollar, and I currently have 74 of the 82 available brawlers, so it’s totally achievable if you follow a few simple tips. First, prioritize Trophy Road progression above everything else when you first start. The first 13 brawlers are unlocked automatically as you earn total trophies, no luck required, and each new brawler you get gives you more options to push trophies faster in different game modes.
Second, complete every daily and seasonal quest you can. These quests give you free Brawl Boxes, Chroma Credits, and regular Credits that you can use to unlock brawlers directly, no random drops needed. If you save up 1000 Chroma Credits, you can pick exactly which chromatic brawler you want, instead of waiting for a lucky drop from a box. Third, make sure you claim all free rewards from events and the free Brawl Pass track. Even if you don’t buy the premium Brawl Pass, the free track gives you enough resources to unlock at least one new brawler per season if you finish all the required quests.
Don’t waste your coins on cosmetic skins early on either: save your coins for upgrading brawlers, because higher level brawlers let you win more matches and earn more rewards faster. It’s also a good idea to save your Star Points for exclusive brawler skins or special offer boxes that drop during seasonal events, as these boxes have higher drop rates for rare characters than regular Brawl Boxes.
Which Brawlers Should You Prioritize Building First
Once you start unlocking brawlers, it can be tempting to level every new character you get immediately, but that’s a huge waste of resources. Coins are hard to earn in large quantities, so you want to focus on a small set of brawlers first to get the most value. First, pick 2 to 3 brawlers for each core game mode that you play most often. If you mostly play Gem Grab, you’ll want a tank to hold the center of the map, a support to heal your team, and a long-range damage dealer to pick off enemies from a distance. If you prefer Showdown, you can focus on brawlers that have good survivability and area control.
Second, prioritize low-skill floor brawlers when you’re just starting out. Characters like El Primo, Colt, and Nita are easy to learn, work well in almost every game mode, and don’t require perfect aim or advanced game knowledge to use effectively. You’ll get far more wins with a level 9 El Primo than you will with a level 5 legendary brawler that you don’t know how to play. It’s also important to remember that the meta shifts every season when Supercell releases balance updates. A brawler that’s considered overpowered one month might get nerfed into obscurity the next, so don’t waste all your coins chasing the “best” brawler of the season unless you actually enjoy playing them.
If you’re not sure which brawlers to level first, you can test every character in the training mode for free before you spend any coins on upgrades. That way you can get a feel for their playstyle and see if they fit your preferences before you invest resources into them. At the end of the day, the best brawler for you is the one you have the most fun using, even if they’re not considered top tier by the community.
When your friends ask you how many brawlers in Brawl Stars there are, you can confidently tell them 82 permanent playable characters, with new ones added every two months. You don’t need to collect every single brawler to have fun or climb the ranked ladder, either. Some of the top competitive players in the world only use 5 to 10 brawlers for all their ranked matches, so focus on mastering the characters you like instead of stressing about getting every legendary drop. If you’re just starting out, take it slow, focus on earning trophies to unlock the free Trophy Road brawlers first, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different playstyles as you unlock new characters. I still get giddy every time I unlock a new brawler, even after almost two years of playing, because each one brings a totally new way to experience the game.