Every Aion 2 class and how to pick yours

Aion 2 launches in the West in September 2026. The data on this page comes from the Korean and Taiwanese version, live since 19 November 2025: the class structure is settled, but balance numbers can change before the global launch.

The nine classes at a glance#

Eight classes were available on day one. The Brawler arrived on 1 July 2026 with Chapter 1: it wields an exclusive Gauntlet weapon and revolves around the Rampage skill set — seven abilities including Flurry, Roundhouse and Exploding Fist.

Some sources call the Spiritmaster an Elementalist. It's the same class — the final English name will come with the western localisation.

The four roles, honestly#

Picking a class means picking what you do when things go wrong, not how much damage you do when they go right.

Tank#

The tank holds boss aggro and absorbs the hits that would delete anyone else. It's the role with the highest tolerance for individual mistakes and the lowest tolerance for positioning mistakes: put the boss in the wrong place and the group dies.

One huge practical advantage: tanks find groups instantly. In an MMO where group content carries most of the progression, that isn't a footnote.

• Templar — the pure tank. Shield, taunts, damage reduction. The easiest class to take to max level without frustration.
• Gladiator — takes less punishment than the Templar but deals far more damage, especially in AoE. It's the tank that turns into a DPS when the group already has one.

Melee DPS#

High damage, high risk. You're glued to the boss, so you eat every ground mechanic and need the patterns memorised.

• Assassin — stealth, opening burst, priority-target deletion. In PvP it's the class that decides fights; in PvE it demands precise rotations. Not a first class.
• Brawler — bare-handed combat built on close-range chains. Same philosophy as the Assassin but more head-on, less reliant on invisibility.

Ranged DPS#

The classic trade: less raw damage than the Assassin, far less risk.

• Ranger — bow and traps. Controls space: slows, knocks back, hits from where the enemy can't reach. The most legible DPS class — you know immediately whether you're playing it well.
• Sorcerer — elemental magic, long casts, enormous damage spikes. Fragile: if they reach you, you're dead. Rewards good positioning.
• Spiritmaster — summons spirits and works through damage over time, debuffs and control. The most complex class in the game because you're managing two entities at once, but also the most self-sufficient: the pet tanks for you while you solo.

Healing and support#

• Cleric — the pure healer. Direct heals, shields, resurrection. Like the tank, you find groups instantly. The flip side: solo kills are slow.
• Chanter — the hybrid. Heals less than the Cleric but buffs the group with mantras and deals respectable damage alone. The pick for players who want to matter in a group without giving up solo play.

How to actually choose#

Three questions, in this order:

1. Will you play solo or grouped? If 70% of your time will be solo, avoid the Cleric. If you'll almost always be grouped, Templar and Cleric save you hours of queueing.
2. How much does dying bother you? Sorcerer and Assassin die a lot while you learn. Templar and Chanter forgive.
3. Do you care about PvP? Aion has always been a PvPvE game: the Abyss and sieges are the real endgame. Assassin and Sorcerer have the highest PvP ceiling; Cleric and Templar are always wanted in organised groups.

What should not factor in: pre-launch tier lists. They're built on a version of the game nobody in the West has played, and balance at global launch will differ.

What doesn't constrain your pick#

• Faction locks nothing. Elyos and Asmodians have access to the same nine classes. The difference between them is aesthetic, environmental and server-side, not mechanical.
• Gender changes nothing. Every class is playable by both.
• You don't start specialised. Your character begins as an Adventurer and picks a class right after the tutorial, so you get a few minutes with the game before deciding.

If you pick wrong#

Levelling a second character in Aion 2 costs far less time than in the first Aion: the main campaign is the fastest route to max level and secondary content scales with your level. Realising at level 20 that you hate your class isn't a disaster — but it's still better not to have to.