Class

Passive (+) +7 Muse +6 Two male classes +5 +4 Implied female class +3 Speculated to be one male and two female classes +2 +1 0 — -1 Speculated to be two male and two female classes -2 -3 -4 -5 Implied male class, likely Prince -6 Female class -7 Lord Active (-)

Known information about the passive/active system depicted as a linear scale.

A class is one part of a title assigned to a player of Sburb, the other part being aspect. There are twelve known normal classes and two "master" classes.

Classes describe the intended role of a particular player in Sburb, and how they can use their aspect. They come in passive (+) and active (-) pairs, with each member of a particular pair preforming a similar function but with differences in execution and outcome. It is a vague concept with some flexibility. Calliope has given two examples of this dichotomy with the Rogue/Thief pairing (both steal, with Rogues doing so to help their team mates and Thieves doing so for their own benefit) and the Bard/Prince pairing (both cause destruction, with Bards bringing destruction and Princes directly destroying). Various guidelines of the dichotomy have been revealed from a simplistic "active means offensive, passive means defensive"; to more complex ones with the active classes employing or affecting their aspect directly and for their own gain, and the passive classes being affected by their aspect, and sharing their actions with the team. One definition is they are able to do something using their aspect and do something to their aspect. The passiveness or activeness of a class is one of multiple factors related to whether a player is a Prospit or Derse dreamer.

The passive/active system exists on a scale with classes being more passive or active than others. With the exception of the master classes, no class' position on the scale has been revealed, although some hints have been given.

The classes have different gender alignment with some of the classes tending to be assigned to both males or females, with others being exclusive to a certain gender. While not all the gender alignments are known, Calliope has stated there to be equal numbers of male exclusive and female exclusive classes. So far three male exclusive classes (Bard, Prince and Lord) and a single female exclusive class (Muse) have been confirmed. Out of the remaining ten classes, five are known to be assigned to both genders, and the final five have only been shown assigned to a single gender but unconfirmed to be gender exclusive. However given the unbalanced numbers, at least two of the remaining five must be female exclusive, with the remaining three all assigned to both genders or split between gender exclusive and gender biased.

A few class mechanics have been explicitly explained, others only implied.

Rogue and Thief

Rogue and Thief are a pair of classes, respectively passive and active, that are assigned typically, but not exclusively, to female players. They deal with stealing and turning others' powers against them. While the active Thief will steal things to their own benefit, the passive Rogue will enhance their teammates, or their session with the stolen aspect and is described by Roxy as a "Robin Hood" of their aspect.

Vriska, as the Thief of Light, is able to steal luck from her allies or enemies, and make herself luckier. It should also be noted that little things characters do reflect their classes, as Vriska stole the victory by landing the finishing blow on the black king even though Gamzee dealt the most damage. Roxy, as the Rogue of Void, is said to black-out her entire session in the future, presumably via sharing the black-out with her teammates. Roxy also "stole" pumpkins from around the world and shared them with her neighbors, fitting in with the "Rogue = Robin Hood" description. Another ability Roxy shows is being able to steal the nothingness from imaginary objects, making things that exist from things that don't exist, seemingly materializing them out of thin air.

Meenah, as the Thief of Life, "stole" her friends' lives (by killing them) so they could continue to exist after the scratch. As the Condescension she was able to lengthen hers and The Helmsman's lifespans indefinitely and cut short a thousand others at her will. This could lead to speculation that Thieves can share when it suits them, whereas Rogues share by nature. Nepeta, as the Rogue of Heart, is presumably able to give or share her 'heart' with others, as she does ridiculous things for the people she loves. It might also be that she'd be able to give others love, as she dearly wants Karkat to return her feelings, and as The Disciple and The Signless were lovers as well, although all this is speculation. Worthy of notation as well is Nepeta's affinity for shipping.

The idea of the black-out may or may not have anything to do with Rose going grimdark, which disrupted Trollian's viewport.

One theory on these two is that where a thief is "one who steals (aspect) from others", a rogue is "one who steals from (aspect)". This idea stems from Vriska stealing luck from her friends as opposed to Roxy stealing from the nothingness of non-existent objects in order to create them.

Known Thieves are Vriska Serket, the Thief of Light; and Meenah Peixes, the Thief of Life. Known Rogues are Roxy Lalonde, the Rogue of Void; Nepeta Leijon, the Rogue of Heart; and Rufioh Nitram, the Rogue of Breath.

Heir

The exact powers of an Heir are unknown. John (the Heir of Breath) was saved by the Breeze twice before he learned how to willingly use it, and Jack Noir was unable to pick up the source of his scent, as if the Breeze was protecting him. He was also saved in a battle with Jack Noir by turning into wisps of wind and reforming behind him. Equius (as well as his ancestor) was given the ability to not be noticed, which can be seen as an effective form of protection. Equius used his fists as his main weapon, which can be interpreted as him using nothing (Void) to fight and defend himself with. Mituna Captor was also said to have lost his psychic powers (and possibly part of his sanity) while protecting his friends from an imminent disaster.

Their placement on the passive–active scale is unknown; they may be the active (-) or passive (+) equivalent to any of the classes of Maid, Knight, Sylph, Witch, or Page. They could also be the counterpart to the Mage. One speculation of the Mage is that they are protected from their aspect and since an Heir might be one who is protected by their aspect they may be opposites of each other. Their gender alignment is unknown, but if only two of the standard classes are female exclusive, Heirs would be biased towards males. Should three of the standard classes be female exclusive Heirs may be either biased towards males or male exclusive, depending on the alignment of the Page class.

Known Heirs are John Egbert, the Heir of Breath; Equius Zahhak, the Heir of Void; and Mituna Captor, the Heir of Doom.

Speculation

A common speculation for this class is that it is 'one who protects themselves with [aspect]', or 'one who is protected by [aspect]'. That said, they could be the active (-) counterpart of Maid. This is strongly hinted at here with the quote “The heiress is the Maid.”

Another definition of Heir may be 'one who is consumed by their aspect', or 'one who is surrounded by [aspect]', since John was surrounded by the Windy Thing, Equius was surrounded by a Void that protected him from Doc Scratch's omniscience, and Mituna was surrounded by the screams of the imminently deceased. 

Also, it has been theorised that the class of Heir can possibly be "one that manipulates their [aspect]". Said to be the passive (+) counterpart of Witch who actively "increases or decreases the amount of [aspect]". This can be seen by how both John and Jade can seemingly have control of their aspects. John by using the "windy thing" to save others, and by Jade changing the amount of space a planet holds by shrinking etc.

The title "Heir" could also have a more literal meaning, as "one who inherits/receives aspect". John, the Heir of Breath, receives a sort of freedom from the storyline when he is affected by Lord English's "treasure", and Mituna receives a kind of doom when he lost part of his sanity. 

Yet another meaning could be 'one who becomes [aspect]', based on John's ability to become Breath, and the fact that Equius's blood was used to Void out the words on a page. Mituna is less clear, however he may have become the literal embodiment of Doom during his accident. 

Maid

The exact powers of a Maid are unknown. Aradia (the Maid of Time) was able to freeze Jack, while Jane was able to heal herself after being stabbed, and is able to bring people back from the dead, although according to Jade, that ability is limited to one use per person. Likewise, its passive/active alignment is also unknown; it could be the passive or active counterpart to any of the classes Heir, Sylph, Witch, Knight or Page. All seen Maids have been female, however whether the Maid class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Witch or Sylph classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive than the Maid class would be female exclusive, as of the gigapause there is a 91.6% chance that Maids are female exclusive.

Known Maids are Jane Crocker, the Maid of Life; Aradia Megido, the Maid of Time; and Porrim Maryam, the Maid of Space.

Speculation

One theory is that the Maid class is a pun, and that Maids are 'made of (aspect) or 'provide themselves with [aspect]', which could make it the active (-) counterpart to the Page class which is speculated to "provides others with their aspect'. it is also possible that Maid is shorthand for "Handmaid" or "Shieldmaiden", fitting with its class's apparent focus on protecting/defending.

Maid could be the passive counterpart of the Heir class; if Heir is 'one who protects themselves/is protected by [aspect]' then Maid could be 'one who allows others to be protected by [aspect]/one who protects [aspect]'- as in, literally one who serves their aspect, like how Aradia froze Jack to protect others and protected time by maintaining the timeline or how Jane can bring back the dead protecting them from death. And if Heir is 'one who is surrounded by [aspect]', then Maid may be 'one who surrounds others with [aspect]', as seen when Aradia surrounds Jack Noir in a field of stopped Time.  

Maids may also be the active (-) counterpart to the Sylph class, as healers or repairers, as Sylph appears to be a healer class, while Aradia used time travel to avert doomed timelines, in essence, "repairing the timeline", and Jane repaired her planet and also herself.

Maid could also refer to protecting/"cleaning up/tidying" [aspect]. Aradia, when talking to Sollux, mentioned the reason she was accompanying Vriska on her mission to find Lord English's treasure, was because “all loops must be tidied up even his”.

It is also possible that the Maid is someone who protects themselves and/or others with [aspect]' since Jane could resurrect herself after being stabbed. Aradia could also use her time powers to freeze Jack in time, thus protecting herself with time. There is also a possible example of this later in the comic when Aradia says that she'd slow down Jack while Rose, Dave and the other trolls went ahead during the "race"; she might have used her time powers to do this.
  This could make it the counterpart to the Knight class; Knights being one who fights (for themselves/for others) with [aspect] and Maids being those that protect themselves and others. This also could allude to Roxy's description of the active/passive classes being similar to the the "attack/defend powers in an RPG"

Yet another interpretation is that a Maid is "One who gives X," with X being the aspect. Aradia gave the Trolls, Dave, and Rose time when she stalled Jack Noir and boosted the meteor towards its destination, and Jane is shown to be able to give life to others by reviving them once they die.

Page

 (The lower body is currently imitating canon but not taken from the comic itself.)

The exact definition of the Page class is currently unknown, as is its passive/active alignment though it is hinted that the class "provides others with (aspect)" or "creates (aspect)" as seen here. The Page of Breath, Tavros Nitram, was shown exhaling with breath that resembled the Breath symbol when preparing to wake Vriska with a kiss. However, Pages seem to have a tendency to begin their sessions with a personal deficit in their aspect, which means we haven't seen a great display of powers from them yet. Tavros entered the Medium crippled with dreams of flying, and must overcome this (using a rocket car and robotic legs) in order to become a significant player in the session. Jake begins his session with his dream self dead, making it harder for him to ascend to god tier, and Horuss describes learning more about himself by turning to the void, rebuilding his personality and perceptions of reality from it.

Dirk (albeit the splintered version of Dirk that exists only within Jake's subconscious) reveals that Pages have a lot of untapped potential and once they find this potential within them they are adept at using it. In Caliborn 's conversation with Jake, he reveals that if Jake realizes his powers as a Page of Hope, Jake might become powerful enough to defeat him, despite Caliborn being a Lord (one of the two master classes). This corroborates the idea that Pages are extremely powerful, once they realize their potential. This potential is also hinted at when Tavros and Aradia talk about how Tavros's Flarp class Boy-Skylark's “useful c0mbat abilities [d0n't] c0me int0 play until y0u reach a very high level” and here when Aranea said “You see, in every hero of hope there dwells a gr8 hidden power, unrivaled 8y that of any other aspect and for a page, the journey to reach his full potential is longer than it is for any other class 8ut once that journey is over, how fearsome he 8ecomes!”

Known Pages are Jake English, the Page of Hope; Tavros Nitram, the Page of Breath; and Horuss Zahhak, the Page of Void.

Speculation

Due to the contextual relation in the name, Pages are speculated to be the passive counterpart to a Knight. Knights are thought to be warriors that exploit or equip themselves with their aspect as a weapon: one who wields one's aspect, while the Page may be the passive counterpart: one who equips others with one's aspect. This implies that Tavros, as the Page of Breath, is able to equip others with breath, explaining the Breath symbol that appeared when he prepared to revive Vriska with his kiss.

However, 'Page' could also be taken as 'a blank sheet of paper', which would point to the potential they have and possibly make the Page as actually something to do with exploiting potential rather than that just being a side effect of their powers.

Pages might be a male-exclusive class, as the real-life profession is that of a male servant.

Knight

The Knight is a class assigned to both male and female players. The exact powers of a knight are unknown, but it has been described by Aradia as warriors that exploit their aspect as a weapon. It is unclear where they fall on the active/passive axis.

Known Knights are Dave Strider, the Knight of Time; Karkat Vantas, the Knight of Blood; and Latula Pyrope, the Knight of Mind.

Speculation

The Knight could be defined as 'one who equips themselves with [aspect]' or 'one who improves themselves with [aspect]', as supported by Aradia's statement, Dave's manipulation of the timeline for his own benefits and Karkat's leadership efforts to make bonds to unify his team and his calls on his teammates against adversaries, which could make it the active counterpart to Page.

Knight is also sometimes speculated as a 'protector' or one who uses their aspect to protect their teammates rather than to advance themselves, which could mean it was the counterpart to Heir or Maid instead; Dave has so far saved the lives of all the members of his team, and Karkat tries to protect his team in his leadership, for example from Gamzee and Eridan in their rampages, and in pacifying Gamzee. In a more personal level, it may be interpreted as 'one who protects/conceals their [aspect]', as Dave is responsible for maintaining the timelines; Karkat attempts to keep his mutant blood color a secret; and Porrim strongly suspects that Latula is hiding the true extent of her knowledge. Karkat, as the Knight of Blood, also has a unique leadership role, being outside the hemospectrum, and better suited to pacify a jumble of different-blooded trolls. This could qualify as using his blood to his advantage.

The Knight may have something to do with breeding the Genesis Frog, since in two of the sessions so far, the Knight has assisted the Hero of Space in the breeding. While it may not appear to be a necessary part of the game, both sessions seen thus far that lack a Knight have been doomed to failure from the outset; it is unclear whether this is meaningful, however.

All Knights we know have been hiding their emotions behind an "act". Dave puts on the aloof coolkid mask, whereas Karkat tries to seem angry and tough. Both are, in a way, shown to be different from this facade they put on, though. Dave being seen to be emotionally attached to his companions, and Karkat being known as the most sympathetic of the post-scratch trolls, even having risked his life to protect others, shoosh-papping the rage out of a sober Gamzee. Latula's rad game girl act fits with this pattern as well. It could be viewed as a metaphorical armor to be protected against emotional pain, just like knights wore real armors to protect them against physical pain.

Worth noting as interesting trivia is the connection between the aspect of a session's Knight and a deficit of said aspect among the team. In the beta kids' session, Dave uses his abilities as a Hero of Time to make up for the fact that they had an early reckoning, and in the post-scratch troll session Karkat attempts to rally his co-players together despite an enormous lack of unity (something which could conceivably be related to the Blood aspect). Meenah describes her co-players as stupid throughout her stories of their session, possibly pertaining to Latula's aspect, Mind.

It may also be of significance that both major Knights have been seen to have problems with 'splintering' similar to that which Dirk experiences - Dave at first being creeped out by the 'other hims' (as well as his dual control of both himself and his dream self), and Karkat always having arguments with his future self.

Seer

The Seer is a passive (+) class, assigned to both male and female players, that uses extensive knowledge to coordinate their team members. According to Aradia, they understand their aspect comprehensively (e.g. Terezi knows all consequences of individual actions, and Rose knows the "most fortuitous path", and what happens in it). Doc Scratch also states that Seers will keep their party from making grave mistakes, as if they had a strategy guide for Sburb imprinted deep in their mind.

Two of the Seers can hear the mental commands of the exiles louder and clearer than the other players. One of the Mages apparently experienced this as well.

Known Seers are Rose Lalonde, the Seer of Light; Terezi Pyrope, the Seer of Mind; and Kankri Vantas, the Seer of Blood.

Speculation

The Seer is usually taken as 'one who benefits others with their knowledge pertaining to their aspect' or 'one who leads and guides with knowledge pertaining to [aspect]'. As stated below, a Mage/Seer class pairing is strongly implied.

Mage

The "semi-canon (The general design is canon, but there is flexibility for Hussie to potentially alter fine details that are not discernible in a pixel sprite)" Mage design

The exact definition of the Mage class is unknown, as is its passive/active alignment. The Mage class is assigned to both males and females.

Known Mages are Sollux Captor, the Mage of Doom; and Meulin Leijon, the Mage of Heart.

Speculation

The Mage class is most commonly thought to be the active counterpart to Seer, someone that 'benefits themselves with knowledge pertaining to [aspect]' and 'guides by setting an example using knowledge pertaining to [aspect]', like how Sollux actively led the surviving trolls away from their doom. The pairing is further alluded to by the fact that, in the Troll session, only the Seer and Mage are blind, and Sollux says that “iit2 kiind of liike how a prophet earn2 hii2 2triipe2, by beiing bliind, liike how an angel earn2 iit2 wiing2.” In addition, Mages, like Seers, seem to be more directly cognizant of their exiles' commands. However, Mituna also saw a great doom ahead of time and promptly stopped it despite being the Heir of Doom rather than a Mage of Doom, leading to a possibility that those with the Doom aspect generally have some ability to foresee doom and calamity no matter which class they are assigned to.

Mages could also be speculated as 'one who receives knowledge from [aspect]' as opposed to the Seer's 'one who gains knowledge through [aspect]'. Sollux heard the voices of the imminently dead (THE DOOMED), and Meulin Leijon, despite being deaf, is able to communicate with her ex-matesprit; in essence, she could hear his soul (which could be taken literally, given his use of telepathy, she hears his self).

Another definition is that a Mage is 'one who creates [aspect]'. Sollux created the mobius double reacharound virus, which supposedly works like a curse that resulted in the death of the trolls lusii, although it actually prevented a far more sinister timeline in which Gamzee kills everyone. Sollux's creation of Sgrub, as well as the creation of the virus, could also be seen as evidence that Mages are in fact 'ones who create their aspect' although whether this makes the class active or passive is debatable. Meulin's reputed skills as a masterful matchmaker even bringing together unlikely pairings also supports this view.

Mage class could also be the passive (+) counterpart to the Witch class and can mean "one who manipulates with or through the use of [aspect]", or "one who is manipulated by [aspect]". This can be shown by how Meulin is being manipulated through Kurloz, her former matesprit (which is a quadrant represented by a heart) and how Sollux was manipulated by the voices of the imminently deceased or the doomed, as well as ghostly Aradia.

Yet another speculation is that Mage is synonymous to being "given protection from their aspect's ill effects". Sollux had two dream selves, was able to exit the dream bubble he was in, and only half died, while Meulin seems to have been spared heartbreak despite her romantic troubles.

Alternately, a Mage could be one who uses their aspect to the benefit of others, but to the detriment of themselves. This would explain the fact that Sollux's abilities benefit the team overall, but cause him a great deal of personal distress. It would also account for the fact that Meulin has such terrible luck in her romantic life, despite her outstanding ability to bring other couples together.

Sylph

The Sylph is a magic based class that is thought to specialize in healing. As a Sylph of Light, Aranea healed primarily by helping people to see things, both figuratively and literally. In the figurative sense, she focused on helping people to heal from psychological wounds. In the literal sense, she restores Terezi's eyesight for her, as well as Jake's mind. Its placement on the passive/active scale is unknown, although most speculate it to be passive. All seen Sylphs have been female, however whether the Sylph class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Witch or Maid classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive than the Sylph class would be female exclusive, as of the gigapause there is a 91.6% chance that Sylphs are female exclusive.

Known Sylphs are Kanaya Maryam, the Sylph of Space; and Aranea Serket, the Sylph of Light.

Speculation

Kanaya states that a Sylph is “Sort Of Like A Witch But More Magical”, meaning that it is possible that the Witch class could be its active (-) counterpart; it could be that Sylphs benefit others in an abstract or psychological sense of their aspect while Witches manipulate it more practically, in a physical sense, which would be supported by the actions of Jade and Aranea, the two main examples in Sylphs and Witches. However she later states “I Am On Record As Once Having Facetiously Likened It To A Magical Witch”, casting that into doubt.

Sylphs and Witches could have something to do with secrets as well. The traditional connotations of sylphs and witches are generally mysterious and secretive. All of the known Sylphs and Witches are friendly, even-tempered or perhaps inconsequential on the surface (Feferi, Jade, Aranea, Kanaya, Damara before she was corrupted) but they were actually all surprisingly powerful in some way, and they could get really fiery if you pushed them to their limits. Additionally, the known Witches and Sylphs seem to have entered their sessions quite late, and according to Jade's comments it was quite a long path realizing herself as a witch, as she was the last to enter, the last to find her powers and the last to god tier. This would be supported by Aranea's unlocking light for others, and Jade's unlocking space by her teleporting, expanding/shrinking and moving powers.

Maids are also speculated to be Sylphs' active (-) counterpart as one who heals or restores. Aradia, as the Maid of Time, used time travel to avert doomed timelines, thus "repairing" the timeline, and Jane, as the Maid of Life, healed herself using her powers, which is similar to Aranea's use of light to heal people. Jane and Kanaya also had similar transformations into absurd creatures who avenged themselves on insensitive characters, with several directly parallel panels.

Witch

The Witch is an active (-) class. The exact definition of the Witch class is unknown. Jade Harley (the Witch of Space) is able to change the size, velocity and position of things in space, and an alternate-timeline Feferi (the Witch of Life), was shown healing WV in a dream bubble. All seen Witches have been female, however whether the Witch class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Maid or Sylph classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive than the Witch class would be female exclusive, as of the gigapause there is a 91.6% chance that Witches are female exclusive.

Known Witches are Jade Harley, the Witch of Space; Feferi Peixes, the Witch of Life; and Damara Megido, the Witch of Time.

Speculation

The most common definition of a Witch is 'one who manipulates [aspect]', although that seems a little vague. Witches are most possibly the active counterpart to Sylph, which is explored in the Sylph section, as either 'one who physically or literally manipulates [aspect] to benefit themselves' (as opposed to 'one who abstractly or psychologically manipulates [aspect] to benefit others') or else 'one who unlocks [aspect]' (as opposed to 'one who unlocks [aspect] for others').

Another speculation is that Witch is related to "breaking the rules" of their aspect. Feferi was able to establish an afterlife through dream bubbles, therefore breaking the rules of Life. Jade displays powers that completely go against the laws of physics. This could make Witches the active (-) counterpart to Mages, if they are also related to the rules in some fashion as is sometimes speculated, whether it be the Mage enforcing/enacting the rules due to being manipulated by said rules or the Mage having the power to manipulate the rules.

While Witches manipulate their aspect, Heirs appear to be manipulated by their aspect and passively control their aspect. This could make Heirs the passive (+) counterpart to Witches.

Witch could also be a pun. Witches might choose "which" of a portion of their aspect they want, such as Jade choosing which Space to occupy, including traveling to another session, and Feferi choosing which Life to lead.

Bard and Prince

Bard redirects here. For the protagonist of Bard Quest, see the Bard.

Bard and Prince are a pair of classes, respectively passive and active, that are exclusively male and deal with destruction. The Prince, as the active, is literally simplified to "destroyer of [aspect]" or "one who destroys via [aspect]". Bards are somewhat stranger, in that they "allow destruction of [aspect]" or "invite destruction through [aspect]". The Bard is also quite the wildcard; unpredictable by nature and thus equally likely to help or hinder his party, often to great effect. In extreme cases they are either single-handedly responsible for their party's massive downfall, their improbable victory, or sometimes even both.

The Prince's powers seem to include phenomenal offensive abilities, using their aspect to completely overwhelm other aspects or players. Eridan, as the Prince of Hope, killed or knocked out a lot of his teammates, including Sollux, who up to that point was one of the most powerful fighters in his session (second only to Gamzee, Vriska, and, possibly, Equius). He also destroyed the Matriorb, the trolls' hope for the survival of their race. While unconfirmed, evidence seems to indicate that the "white science" powers he used were actually his aspect, Hope, being used as an attack. If this is the case, then Princes may be able to channel their aspect into its physical form for destructive purposes. Dirk, the Prince of Heart, literally 'destroyed heart' as he killed the Hegemonic Brute (Hearts Boxcars). Later on, he also literally began ripping out the soul of Aranea Serket. If the pre-scratch version of Dave's bro is any indication, Dirk is also an incredibly strong fighter. Princes also tend to lack their aspect; Dirk describes himself as heartless, Eridan says that there is no hope left when he wants to join Jack, and Kurloz, the Prince of Rage, is completely calm in all situations in which he's seen. 

Gamzee, as the Bard of Rage, could enter some sort of berserk mode, causing deep fear in everyone around, and becoming exceptionally strong. When he did he was surrounded by a strange purple lightning which turned red later, and may have been Rage itself considering the purple colours of his god tier robes. This suggests that Bards can use their aspect to improve their own abilities and possibly others. Later on he allows his Rage to be destroyed by Karkat, and sets a trap for Terezi that, by inspiring Rage against Vriska, invites her to commit destruction. During his stay on the meteor, his uncanny ability to inspire Rage in Terezi results in him becoming her kismesis, which proves to be a very negative (or self-destructive, as it were) relationship for her. He has been seen in god tier clothing while in possession of Aradia's music box time machines, suggesting that like the jokerkind strife specibus can use other weapons, Bards can use their aspect to 'mimic' the powers of other aspects. This would be in keeping with the idea that Bards and Princes are an opposite pairing: the Prince overwhelms other aspects entirely, while the Bard exploits other aspects to strengthen their own aspect.

The god tier outfit for Princes seems to consist of pantaloons and a crown, much like an ordinary prince, despite the class's non-literal nature. It should be noted that, in a somewhat related circumstance, the god tier outfit of the Bard class comes standard with a clown-like form better suiting a jester and MASSIVE codpiece, which is a highly likely reference to Bard Quest's Hull of the Flagship codpiece.

Prince may have been made a "destroyer class" as a reference to the King's Quest series of computer games, in which destroying things is considered "the nature of princes."

Known Bards are Gamzee Makara, the Bard of Rage; and Cronus Ampora, the Bard of Hope. Known Princes are Dirk Strider, the Prince of Heart; Eridan Ampora, the Prince of Hope; and Kurloz Makara, the Prince of Rage.

Muse and Lord

Calliope has stated that these two classes (the so-called master classes) are significantly more powerful than the others, and that these are the classes she and Caliborn have. Her class, Muse, is female-exclusive and the most passive of all classes, while Caliborn's class, Lord, is male-exclusive and the most active. Presumably, these classes are paired.

It could be speculated that these classes deal with interference in a cosmic level, with Lord English (who is Caliborn) destroying the dream bubbles and being the leader of the Felt (who are notorious for interfering with time -- although this theoretically may just be due to the fact that the aspect of their player ,who is Caliborn, is time; eg, a hero of light might have luck/fortune based leprechauns, or a hero of breath might have wind based leprechauns) and Calliope inserting herself, or at least, her trollsona, into real events.

It could also be speculated that the muse class is based on the traditional role of a Muse, to inspire. The tale of Calliope's tragedy has inspired hundreds of souls to seek her soul out, or, at the very least, to seek a way to kill Caliborn. This also ties in with the Muse being the most passive class of all, as all Calliope has done to fulfil her role is die at her brother's hands.

If Caliborn's rant is anything to go by, progressing as a Lord involves excruciating effort and a large amount of suffering. Also, in place of other players, Caliborn, as the Lord of Time, has several underlings with time-themed powers and apparently must learn to command them in order to make any progress in his session.

In fact, taking all of the above points together, it may be suggested that the two master classes are at least partially codified by the ability of the player to influence events indirectly: the Muse inspires others' actions despite not being in a position to do anything directly by herself, while the Lord instructs his minions' actions in the places he cannot reach.

It is possible that these classes are "master classes" in the sense that they are "master copies", or guidelines for what defines active and passive classes.

Aranea, in Act 6 Intermission 5, describes the two options Yaldabaoth offers Caliborn in The Choice. The options may delineate the roles two master classes. Caliborn, of course, as an active player, chooses the more active choice: to prove himself through a series of trials before receiving unconditional immortality and a limitless supply of power, "to destroy anything he wanted, for as long as he wanted." The other option, which could correspond to Calliope's role as a Muse, is for the player to give up all ambition and accept her own death in exchange for the promise that her sacrifice will benefit all who ever lived by ending "a force of unfathoma8le evil and desctuction"- in other words, the player who chose the first option.

So far, Caliborn's Lord of Time outfit has only been seen in Scribble Mode, and in Hero Mode in a few panels in which he is mostly off-screen, including some illustrations on the A6A6 game catridge. It has a long cloak which covers his shoulders, and has the Time colours and symbol, but otherwise seems to match his previous outfit, complete with green suspenders and pants which leave his robotic leg uncovered. It's not clear whether this is Caliborn's original default Lord of Time outfit or a modified version like Meenah's outfit in Ministrife. The suspenders are identical to the green suspenders from his previous outfit which he previously pledged to never stop wearing, and Stitch is a good tailor.

Hero Mode templates

Thief

Rogue

Heir

Maid

Alternate Maid template

Page

Knight

Seer

Witch

Prince

Bard

Trivia

• On two occasions during Act 6, before the existence of the Muse and Lord classes were revealed, Hussie hinted that more classes may exist. One of these hints includes a reference to the often joked about 48 player squiddle session with a suggestion against the idea of classes being doubled up in sessions, this would imply that at least 48 separate classes exist.
• Hussie also stated that each class only has only one syllable in its name.
• In Namco High, the Cousin is pseudo-canonically an Heir. While the gender alignment of the Heir class is currently unrevealed, in canon it has only been assigned to male characters, however as the Cousin is gender-neutral, if Namco High is accurate this would mean that the Heir class is not male exclusive, unless exceptions are made for gender-neutral individuals.
• There is evidence which seems to indicate that Calliope's theories about class gender restrictions may be incorrect.
  • Calliope's theories aren't always accurate.
  • When asked about the possibility of a female character with the Prince class, Andrew Hussie wouldn't rule it out. It's unclear whether this means Calliope was canonically wrong about gender bias, or if Hussie was simply lifting the restrictions for fan content.
• When Dirk pulls his Prince hood down, the tiara seems to disappear. It's possible that it is attached to the hood, however.

Notes

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