AION 2: List of All Classes

TL;DR

AION 2 launched globally on October 5, 2026 with 8 playable classes.
Classes are: Templar, Gladiator, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Cleric, and Chanter.
Both Elyos and Asmodian players can choose any class — there are no faction-locked classes.
Your class is chosen at character creation and cannot be changed freely — choose carefully.
A 9th class (Brawler) exists in the Korean and Taiwanese version and will come to global servers later.
Best for beginners: Templar, Ranger, Cleric. Hardest to master: Assassin, Sorcerer.

Table of Contents

How Many Classes Are in AION 2?

AION 2 launched globally with 8 playable classes: Templar, Gladiator, Assassin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster, Cleric, and Chanter. All eight are available to both factions — Elyos and Asmodian — from the moment you create your character.

There is currently no free class-change option in the global version. Your class is tied to your character, so understanding what each one does before committing is important. This guide covers every class in detail.

The Korean and Taiwanese version also has a 9th class called the Brawler — a gauntlet-wielding fighter that arrived with the Chapter 1 update in July 2026. NCsoft has not confirmed a firm release date for the Brawler on global servers, so treat it as coming later rather than now.

All AION 2 Classes at a Glance

Class	Role	Weapon	Difficulty	Best For
Templar	Main Tank	Longsword + Shield	Easy	Beginners, group tanking, dungeons
Gladiator	Melee DPS / Off-Tank	Greatsword	Moderate	Solo play, AoE damage, sustain
Assassin	Burst Melee DPS	Dual Daggers	Moderate–Hard	PvP, single-target burst, duels
Ranger	Physical Ranged DPS	Bow	Easy	Beginners, ranged play, safe leveling
Sorcerer	Magic Ranged DPS	Spellbook	Moderate–Hard	AoE burst, crowd control, PvP
Spiritmaster	Summoner / Control DPS	Orb	Moderate	Solo farming, PvE control, PvP utility
Cleric	Primary Healer	Mace + Shield	Moderate	Group healing, always in demand
Chanter	Hybrid Support / Buffer	Staff	Moderate	Group buffs, hybrid DPS and healing

Every AION 2 Class Explained

Templar — Main Tank

Aion 2 Templar Class

Weapon: Longsword and Shield
Role: Main Tank
Difficulty: Easy

The Templar is the definitive tank of AION 2. It wears heavy armor, carries a sword and shield, and holds the attention of bosses so the rest of the group can deal damage safely. Its job in every dungeon is clear: keep the boss facing away from the party and absorb hits so the DPS and healer do not have to.

Templar is one of the most beginner-friendly classes in the game. It survives mistakes that would end other classes, and its role in group content is so well-defined that you always know what you should be doing. Heavy defensive skills, crowd control abilities, and taunts make it the anchor of every party.

In PvP, Templar shines in group content — holding the frontline, soaking damage, and controlling enemy positioning. It is not the highest damage class, but it is always needed and always useful.

Positional stat: Front Attack — Templar naturally faces enemies head-on. See our Back Attack and Front Attack guide for how to maximize positional stats.

Best for: Players who want a clear, structured role in groups. Great first class.

Gladiator — Melee DPS and Off-Tank

Weapon: Greatsword
Role: Melee DPS / Off-Tank
Difficulty: Moderate

The Gladiator is a powerful front-line fighter with a two-handed greatsword. It hits multiple targets in wide sweeping arcs, making it one of the best classes for clearing groups of enemies. It also has life-steal mechanics that let it sustain itself during longer fights without relying entirely on a healer.

Gladiator can serve as an off-tank when needed, giving it flexibility in group compositions. It does not have the pure defense of a Templar, but it makes up for it with significantly higher personal DPS and stronger AoE output. In endgame content, its burst windows against single targets are among the best in the game, especially when it can maintain back positioning.

Gladiator is one of the fastest solo levelers in AION 2 and performs well in both PvE and PvP. In large-scale PvP, it excels as a frontline disruptor and AoE finisher.

Best for: Players who want strong solo capability, AoE damage, and frontline presence. Moderate entry barrier.

Assassin — Burst Melee DPS

Weapon: Dual Daggers
Role: Single-Target Burst DPS
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

The Assassin is the glass cannon of melee in AION 2. It deals some of the highest single-target burst damage in the game but is extremely fragile. One mistake in positioning — or one bad engagement in PvP — can end the fight quickly.

The Assassin’s whole identity revolves around stealth and back-attack positioning. It opens from stealth with skills like Ambush, builds Insignia marks on enemies, then detonates them with Insignia Explosion for massive burst. Core skills gain 30% bonus damage from behind. The passive Rear Smite stacks Back Attack Damage Boost, PvE Damage Boost, and PvP Damage Boost simultaneously. Lose your rear position and your damage drops significantly.

This class has one of the highest skill ceilings in AION 2. Learning to maintain back positioning, manage cooldowns, and pick fights you can win takes time and practice. It is not suitable for beginners who want an easy time. But for players who enjoy mastering a class, the payoff in both PvP and PvE is exceptional.

Positional stat: Back Attack — all in. Learn more in our Back Attack and Front Attack guide.

Best for: Experienced players who enjoy PvP duels, burst gameplay, and high skill expression.

Ranger — Physical Ranged DPS

Weapon: Bow
Role: Ranged Physical DPS
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

The Ranger is a mobile physical damage dealer who attacks from a safe distance using a bow and traps. It uses movement, kiting, and crowd control tools to keep enemies at range while dealing consistent damage. Unlike the Assassin, the Ranger does not need to be next to the enemy — it controls the battlefield from the outside.

Ranger is beginner-friendly because its role is simple: stay at range, apply traps, and keep attacking. It does not need to manage complex stealth or positioning mechanics to be effective early on. It is one of the safer choices for solo leveling, since it can pull enemies at range and control the pace of every fight.

In group content, Rangers provide consistent ranged DPS with solid mobility. In PvP, they use traps and spacing to zone opponents and deny positioning. Their main weakness is close-range combat — when enemies close the gap, Rangers need to use their mobility tools to disengage rather than fight toe-to-toe.

Best for: Beginners who prefer ranged play. Strong for solo leveling and very consistent in group DPS.

Sorcerer — Magic Ranged DPS

Weapon: Spellbook
Role: Magical AoE Burst DPS
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

The Sorcerer is a glass-cannon mage. It delivers enormous burst magic damage and AoE spells but has very low defense. It also brings strong crowd control tools — slows, stuns, and AoE debuffs — that help it control space before dealing damage.

The class revolves around burst windows. Sorcerers slow and control enemies, then unleash their hardest-hitting spells while enemies cannot respond. In both PvE and PvP, this pattern repeats: set up the situation, then explode the burst window. Miss the window or let enemies get too close, and the class struggles.

The Sorcerer has a higher mechanical difficulty than the Ranger because it requires good cooldown awareness, positioning to maintain range, and the ability to read when burst windows open. It rewards precise play with some of the highest damage numbers in the game.

Best for: Players who enjoy high-skill magic DPS gameplay and want top-tier burst damage potential.

Spiritmaster — Summoner and Control DPS

Weapon: Orb
Role: Summoner / Ranged Control DPS
Difficulty: Moderate

The Spiritmaster is AION 2’s summoner class. It fights alongside elemental spirits, each performing a different supporting job during combat. Think of it like the Necromancer in other MMOs — you and your spirit work as a team, and managing that partnership is what separates good Spiritmasters from great ones.

Spiritmaster brings strong utility alongside its damage. It has crowd control, ranged pressure, and sustained damage through its spirits. In PvE, it is one of the better solo-farming classes because the spirit absorbs hits and keeps enemies occupied while you deal damage from range. In PvP, it brings control and sustained pressure rather than raw burst — it holds enemies in place rather than deleting them instantly.

It is one of the fastest solo levelers in the game and performs well in group PvP as a utility and control contributor. Its weakness in PvP is that it lacks the agility of Assassin or Ranger and can struggle when fast melee closes in.

Best for: Players who like pet-centric gameplay, sustained DPS, and PvP utility. Good for solo farming.

Cleric — Primary Healer

Weapon: Mace and Shield
Role: Main Healer
Difficulty: Moderate

The Cleric is the only class in AION 2 with full resurrection capability. It is the backbone of every group’s survival. Without a Cleric, groups in harder dungeon content are significantly more fragile. That simple fact means Clerics are almost always in demand and find group invites faster than any other class.

Playing Cleric means spending most of your time watching your party’s health bars and knowing when to heal, when to remove debuffs, and when to use cooldowns. Its damage potential is the lowest of any class, but that trade-off comes with being indispensable in every party composition.

Cleric is often recommended for beginners who want to be useful in groups immediately. You will always find a group, and you will always have a clear job. Its weakness is solo leveling — without strong damage output, clearing content on your own is slower than most other classes.

Best for: Players who enjoy the support role and want to always be in demand for group content.

Chanter — Hybrid Support and Buffer

Weapon: Staff
Role: Hybrid Support / Party Buffer
Difficulty: Moderate

The Chanter sits between a damage dealer and a support. It provides powerful party-wide buffs and mantras that increase the output of your entire group, while still being capable of holding its own in DPS when needed. It can also off-heal in a pinch, though it cannot replace a Cleric.

What makes Chanter valuable is the team multiplier effect. A well-played Chanter raises everyone’s numbers, not just its own. In raid and group content, that contribution can be worth more than another pure DPS slot — especially in tight fights where every percentage of damage or healing efficiency matters.

In PvP, Chanter has strong utility in team fights. It is not the best class for dueling but becomes significantly stronger in coordinated group PvP where its buffs can swing a fight. Solo, it is a solid and self-sufficient class without the extreme fragility of the Sorcerer or Assassin.

Best for: Players who enjoy supporting their team without giving up their ability to deal damage. Strong in organized groups and PvP teams.

The 9th Class: Brawler (Coming Later)

The Brawler is AION 2’s ninth class, added to the Korean and Taiwanese version with the Chapter 1 update in July 2026. It fights with Gauntlets — a weapon type exclusive to the class — closing the gap with dashes and leaps, chaining rapid strikes to build a Rage resource that triggers a Rampage state at maximum stacks.

NCsoft has not published an official date for the Brawler’s arrival on global servers. The global version launched with 8 classes and will receive the Brawler in a future update. Do not count on being able to roll a Brawler at launch on global.

Which Class Should You Choose?

The best class is the one that matches your preferred way to play — not the one with the highest tier rating. Here is a simple breakdown by goal:

I want to tank for my group → Templar
I want to heal and be always useful → Cleric
I want safe solo leveling as a beginner → Ranger or Gladiator
I want the highest burst damage in PvP → Assassin
I want big AoE magic damage → Sorcerer
I want to support my team while still dealing damage → Chanter
I want a pet-based summoner playstyle → Spiritmaster
I want strong melee DPS with AoE and sustain → Gladiator

There is no universally bad class in AION 2. Balance patches have kept the roster competitive, and every class contributes something meaningful in the right hands. Pick what sounds most fun to you — that will carry you further than any tier list.

For more help choosing and setting up your character, see our character customization guide and the full AION 2 beginner’s guide.

Classes by PvE Role

Main Tank: Templar
Off-Tank / Bruiser: Gladiator
Main Healer: Cleric
Support / Buffer: Chanter
Melee DPS: Assassin, Gladiator
Physical Ranged DPS: Ranger
Magic DPS: Sorcerer, Spiritmaster

Classes by PvP Strength

Best small-scale PvP / dueling: Assassin, Sorcerer
Best group PvP: Templar, Spiritmaster, Cleric, Chanter
Strong in zoning and harassment: Ranger
Strong frontline pressure: Gladiator

In PvP, positional attacks matter for every class. Learning how to maximize your damage through Back Attack or Front Attack is one of the fastest ways to improve. Read our full Back Attack and Front Attack guide to understand how the positioning system works for your class.

Can You Switch Classes in AION 2?

No. Your class is set at character creation. There is no free class-change system in the current global version. If you want to try another class, you need to create a new character. The good news is that pet ownership, Genus Insight, and account-wide progression are shared across all characters on your server — so work done on your main benefits any alts you create.

Are you joining as Elyos or Asmodian? Both factions have access to all 8 classes. For details on what actually differs between the two factions, see our Elyos vs Asmodians guide.

AION 2: List of All Classes – Complete Guide

How Many Classes Are in AION 2?

All AION 2 Classes at a Glance