Choosing the Best Background in Starfield: A Helpful Guide

When it comes to selecting the best background in Starfield, the decision can be a bit confusing. However, your choice ultimately shapes your character’s journey in the game. While Starfield doesn’t have traditional classes, backgrounds serve a similar purpose. Each background comes with three starting skills and unique dialogue options that other non-playable characters (NPCs) will respond to. Choosing a background preset means starting your character with an origin story from scratch. Keep in mind that you can acquire all skills regardless of the chosen background; it’s all about personalizing your first character. To help you out, we’ve compiled a tier list of the best backgrounds ranked from top to bottom.

Best Backgrounds in Starfield

In Starfield, there are a total of 21 backgrounds to choose from during character creation. Depending on the skills and playstyle you desire, you can select any of these backgrounds. According to our recommendations, the top backgrounds are [File Not Found], Diplomat, and Cyber Runner. Upon choosing a background, your character will begin with three unlocked starting skills at level 1. As you progress, you can use skill points to upgrade them.

[File Not Found]

If you prefer starting your character with a clean slate, [File Not Found] is the best background in Starfield for you. Unlike other backgrounds where NPCs reference your skills or job, there is no information available about your past life. The twist is that only the silent protagonist knows the truth.

Unlocked starting skills of the [File Not Found] background:

• Wellness: Increases maximum health.
• Ballistics: Boosts damage dealt by ballistic weapons.
• Piloting: Allows the use of Space Thrusters.

Diplomat

If your goal is to persuade NPCs and get better deals from merchants, Diplomat is the ideal background. With this background, you can buy items at reduced prices and sell them for higher profits.

Unlocked starting skills of the Diplomat background:

• Wellness: Increases maximum health.
• Persuasion: Enhances the chances of success when persuading others.
• Commerce: Offers discounts when buying items and higher prices when selling them.

Cyber Runner

The Cyber Runner background is perfect for stealth-oriented players. It allows you to sneak around enemies, deal damage, and pickpocket. While you can acquire stealth and hacking skills through gameplay, choosing this background grants you a head start.

Unlocked starting skills of the Cyber Runner background:

• Stealth: Adds a Stealth Meter, making you harder to detect while sneaking. Suppressed weapons also deal additional sneak attack damage.
• Theft: Unlocks the ability to pickpocket targets.
• Security: Enables attempted hacking of advanced locks and bank auto attempts.

If none of the above backgrounds suit your playstyle, don’t fret. There are other options available for you to explore. Here is the complete list of backgrounds ranked from best to worst based on our recommendations:

Starfield Backgrounds Tier List