Heroes are a huge part of Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis, and you have plenty of options to choose from depending on how you like to play. There are 12 heroes in total, ranging from melee fighters and ranged attackers to flying heroes and powerful magic users.
In this post, I’ll explain all 12 heroes, how you can unlock them, their starting levels, attack types, and how the hero XP and upgrade systems work. I’ll also cover how much XP you need for every hero level and how the different game modes affect the XP your heroes earn.
Whether you are just starting with Gerald or working your way toward the later heroes like Drakkan and Ashbite, this guide will help you understand the entire hero progression system.
Kingdom Rush 6 Genesis Heroes Guide – Unlock, Level
Kingdom Rush 6 Genesis has 12 heroes.
Gerald is available from the start. On Steam, the remaining heroes are unlocked by collecting stars, starting with Zefira at 1 star and going all the way to Ashbite at 84 stars.
On iOS and Android, several heroes are instead available as in-app purchases.
Here are all 12 heroes:
| Hero | Class | Starting Level | Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald | Time Saviour | 1 | Melee, physical |
| Zefira | Battlemage | 1 | Melee and ranged, physical and magic |
| Bolin | Sharpshooter | 2 | Melee and ranged, physical |
| Connor | Templar Champion | 3 | Melee, physical |
| Malik | Unchained | 4 | Melee, physical |
| Rhodes | Earth Bastion | 4 | Melee, physical |
| Gemina | Arcane Illusionist | 4 | Melee and ranged, physical and magic |
| Ignus | Flame Prodigy | 5 | Melee, true |
| Illiana | Dragon Tamer | 5 | Melee and ranged, physical |
| Oni | Vengeful Hunter | 5 | Melee, physical |
| Drakkan | Arcane Guardian | 5 | Ranged, flying, magic |
| Ashbite | Red Dragon | 5 | Ranged, flying, physical |
Hero Unlock Order
If you are playing on Steam, heroes are unlocked by reaching specific star milestones.
| Hero | Steam Unlock | iOS & Android | Starting Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald | From the start | From the start | 1 |
| Zefira | 1 star | 1 star | 1 |
| Bolin | 11 stars | 11 stars | 2 |
| Connor | 20 stars | 20 stars | 3 |
| Malik | 28 stars | In-app purchase | 4 |
| Rhodes | 40 stars | In-app purchase | 4 |
| Gemina | 54 stars | In-app purchase | 4 |
| Ignus | 58 stars | In-app purchase | 5 |
| Illiana | 66 stars | In-app purchase | 5 |
| Oni | 70 stars | In-app purchase | 5 |
| Drakkan | 80 stars | In-app purchase | 5 |
| Ashbite | 84 stars | In-app purchase | 5 |
So, if you are playing on Steam, Ashbite is the final hero you unlock and requires 84 stars.
On mobile, Malik, Rhodes, Gemina, Ignus, Illiana, Oni, Drakkan, and Ashbite are available through in-app purchases instead.
Joining Above Level 1
One useful thing about the hero system is that not every hero joins you at level 1.
Each hero has a specific starting level, and when you unlock that hero, they join at that level with the corresponding XP and upgrade points already available.
This means later heroes do not have to start from scratch.
For example, Bolin joins at level 2, Connor starts at level 3, and several of the later heroes start at level 5.
Hero Party and Classic Rush
The number of heroes you can use also depends on the game mode.
In Hero Party, you can take 4 heroes into battle.
In Classic Rush, you can use only 1 hero.
Spell Rush is played without heroes.
So if you are switching between game modes, keep in mind that your available hero slots can change.
Hero Levels
Heroes can be leveled from level 1 to level 10.
A hero needs a total of 120,000 XP to reach level 10.
Every level after level 1 gives 4 upgrade points.
That means a level 10 hero has 36 upgrade points in total.
This is enough to fill an entire skill tree with one talent.
Hero XP and Upgrade Points
Here is the complete hero level progression:
| Level | Total XP | XP From Previous Level | Upgrade Points | Gems From Previous Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — |
| 2 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 4 | 20 |
| 3 | 4,500 | 3,500 | 8 | 70 |
| 4 | 10,500 | 6,000 | 12 | 120 |
| 5 | 19,000 | 8,500 | 16 | 170 |
| 6 | 30,000 | 11,000 | 20 | 220 |
| 7 | 45,000 | 15,000 | 24 | 300 |
| 8 | 64,000 | 19,000 | 28 | 380 |
| 9 | 88,000 | 24,000 | 32 | 480 |
| 10 | 120,000 | 32,000 | 36 | 640 |
The biggest jump comes when moving from level 9 to level 10, which requires another 32,000 XP.
How Heroes Earn XP
Heroes earn XP in two main ways during battles.
They gain XP from:
- Damage dealt by their attacks
- Using their skills
Each hero has different skills, and the XP earned from using a skill depends on that particular skill.
This means you want to keep your hero active during a battle instead of simply leaving them in one location. The more useful actions your hero performs, the more XP they can earn.
Buying Hero Levels With Gems
If you do not want to wait for a hero to earn all of their XP naturally, you can purchase levels with gems.
The level-up button in the Heroes room allows you to buy one or more levels at once.
The cost is:
1 gem for every 50 missing XP
The final amount is rounded to the nearest 10 gems.
For example, taking a hero from level 1 with zero XP all the way to level 10 costs 2,400 gems.
If your hero has already earned some XP, you only need to pay for the XP they are missing.
Hero XP Multipliers
The amount of XP your hero earns during a battle can be affected by several different factors.
These include:
- Game mode
- Difficulty
- How far the hero is from the expected level based on your campaign progress
The game mode multipliers are:
| Game Mode | Hero XP Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Campaign | ×1 |
| Iron Challenge | ×1 |
| Hero Party | ×1.25 |
| Blitz Challenge | ×1.25 |
| Classic Rush | ×1.5 |
Spell Rush does not use heroes.
This means Classic Rush gives the highest listed hero XP multiplier at ×1.5, while Hero Party and Blitz Challenge give ×1.25.
Difficulty XP Multiplier
Difficulty also affects the amount of XP your hero receives.
| Difficulty | Hero XP |
|---|---|
| Casual | ×1 |
| Normal | ×1 |
| Veteran | ×1 |
| Impossible | ×1.5 |
So, if you are playing on Impossible, your hero receives 1.5x XP compared with the other difficulties.
Expected Hero Level
Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis also checks how far you have progressed through the campaign and determines an expected hero level.
Your hero can receive a large XP bonus or penalty depending on how far their level is from this expected level.
A hero who is 2 or more levels below the expected level receives 2x XP.
A hero who is 2 or more levels above the expected level receives only 0.5x XP.
If your hero is only one level above or below the expected level, there is no change.
Expected Hero Level by Campaign Progress
Here is how the expected hero level changes as you unlock campaign stages:
| Highest Campaign Stage Unlocked | Expected Hero Level |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | 1 |
| 3–4 | 2 |
| 5–7 | 3 |
| 8–9 | 4 |
| 10–11 | 5 |
| 12–13 | 6 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 15–16 | 8 |
| 17–18 | 9 |
This system is useful because it helps lower-level heroes catch up with your campaign progress.
For example, if your campaign progression expects your hero to be level 6 but your hero is only level 4, that hero is at least two levels behind and receives 2x XP.
Starting Levels of Every Hero
Each hero joins at a specific starting level, along with the XP and upgrade points belonging to that level.
Gerald
Gerald is the hero you get from the beginning.
- Starting Level: 1
- XP: 0
- Upgrade Points: 0
- Unlock: Available from the start
Gerald is a melee hero who deals physical damage.
Zefira
Zefira is the first hero you unlock through stars.
- Starting Level: 1
- XP: 0
- Upgrade Points: 0
- Unlock: 1 star
Zefira can attack both at melee and ranged distances. Her melee attacks deal physical damage, while her ranged attacks deal magic damage.
Bolin
Bolin joins at level 2, giving him a useful head start.
- Starting Level: 2
- XP: 1,000
- Upgrade Points: 4
- Unlock: 11 stars
Bolin is a sharpshooter who can use both melee and ranged attacks, dealing physical damage.
Connor
Connor starts at level 3.
- Starting Level: 3
- XP: 4,500
- Upgrade Points: 8
- Unlock: 20 stars
Connor is a melee hero who deals physical damage.
Malik
Malik starts at level 4.
- Starting Level: 4
- XP: 10,500
- Upgrade Points: 12
- Unlock: 28 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Malik is a melee hero who deals physical damage.
Rhodes
Rhodes also joins at level 4.
- Starting Level: 4
- XP: 10,500
- Upgrade Points: 12
- Unlock: 40 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Rhodes is a melee hero who deals physical damage.
Gemina
Gemina starts at level 4 with 12 upgrade points already available.
- Starting Level: 4
- XP: 10,500
- Upgrade Points: 12
- Unlock: 54 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Gemina can attack at melee and ranged distances. Her melee attacks deal physical damage, while her ranged attacks deal magic damage.
Ignus
Ignus joins at level 5, giving him a significant head start.
- Starting Level: 5
- XP: 19,000
- Upgrade Points: 16
- Unlock: 58 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Ignus is a melee hero who deals true damage.
Illiana
Illiana also starts at level 5.
- Starting Level: 5
- XP: 19,000
- Upgrade Points: 16
- Unlock: 66 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Illiana can attack both in melee and at range and deals physical damage.
Oni
Oni joins at level 5.
- Starting Level: 5
- XP: 19,000
- Upgrade Points: 16
- Unlock: 70 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Oni is a melee hero who deals physical damage.
Drakkan
Drakkan is a flying ranged hero who uses magic damage.
- Starting Level: 5
- XP: 19,000
- Upgrade Points: 16
- Unlock: 80 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Drakkan is one of the heroes who starts at level 5.
Ashbite
Ashbite is the final hero in the unlock progression.
- Starting Level: 5
- XP: 19,000
- Upgrade Points: 16
- Unlock: 84 stars on Steam
- Mobile: In-app purchase
Ashbite is a flying ranged hero who deals physical damage.
The hero system in Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis gives you plenty of options, and the biggest thing to understand is that heroes do not all start at the same level. Gerald and Zefira begin at level 1, while later heroes can join as high as level 5 with XP and upgrade points already unlocked.
Hero XP also depends on more than just how much damage your hero deals. The game mode, difficulty, campaign progression, and your hero’s level compared with the expected level can all change the amount of XP you receive.
I would also keep an eye on the XP multiplier when leveling a lower-level hero. If your hero is two or more levels below the expected level, the 2x XP bonus can help them catch up much faster.
Once you understand the unlock requirements, starting levels, XP system, and upgrade points, managing your heroes becomes much easier. Whether you are building up Gerald from the beginning or working toward Ashbite at 84 stars, there is a clear progression path for every hero in Kingdom Rush 6: Genesis.