Best Starfield Background: Every Background Ranked Worst to Best

Starfield is finally here, and like many Bethesda games, you can easily spend hours on the game’s character creation screen. However, it turns out that picking your character’s Background is actually the most important part of the entire creation process. For as important as that process is, though, the game doesn’t necessarily do a great job of explaining what your Background choices actually mean and which ones are the best for you.

Basically, Backgrounds in Starfield will determine which three Skills you unlock at the start of the game. If you want to just “role-play” your way through this part of the process and pick whatever sounds coolest…well, that’s a viable option. You’ll have the chance to pick up all the other Skills (and more) later in the game.

If, however, you’re looking for a little more information on what those Skills actually do, which are the most useful early on, and which are best for certain playstyles…well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s my ranking over every Background choice in Starfield from worst to best:

21. Chef

Gastronomy – You can craft specialty food and drinks and research additional recipes at a Research Lab.

Dueling – Melee weapons do 25% more damage. Take 10% less damage while wielding a melee weapon.

Scavenging – There’s a chance you’ll find extra credits when searching containers.

If Chef isn’t the absolute worst background option in Starfield, it is certainly in the bottom tier.

First off, melee weapons are rarely your best option in Starfield. You can make them work, but guns (and ammo) are plentiful, much safer, and often a lot more fun. Committing to building a melee character means investing heavily in specific Skills and eventually acquiring specific weapons and gear. It’s possible, but you’ve really got to want it, and melee won’t do you much good in the early part of the game. 

Similarly, Gastronomy is fun but it’s not that useful early on due to a relative lack of resources. By the time you acquire said resources, you’ll likely have other, equally viable healing options available to you (as well as a steady supply of acquired food). Again, Gastronomy can pay off in the long run, but it’s not a necessity by any means. 

Scavenging is the best perk in this package, and it is something most players should eventually consider grabbing. However, it’s also a skill that you need to upgrade to get the most out of, and it’s available in other, better backgrounds if you really want it. 

20. Pilgrim

Scavenging – There’s a chance you’ll find extra credits when searching containers.

Surveying – Adds an optional zoom to the hand scanner and scan distance is increased to 20 meters.

Gastronomy – You can craft specialty food and drinks and research additional recipes at a Research Lab.

Pilgrims are surprisingly similar to Chefs, with the notable exception of the Surveying skill replacing Dueling. 

While Surveying is one of the weaker overall Skills in the game (even when upgraded), it does add a useful basic functionality to your toolkit that is certainly nicer to have than it is to be without. This is still a weak overall starting Background package, but it at least lets you start the game with a slightly more useful overall ability. 

19. Explorer

Lasers – Laser weapons do 10% more damage.

Astrodynamics – Increase Grav jump range of jump drives by 15%.

Surveying – Adds an optional zoom to the hand scanner and scan distance is increased to 20 meters.

Though seemingly thematically appropriate for those who wish to ignore the main narrative parts of Starfield and see as much as possible, the Explorer package isn’t even the best Background option for those kinds of players. 

Lasers is definitely a weird addition to this Skill package. Laser weapons are nice, but they’re comparatively rare in the early parts of the game and not so much better than other options that you need to seek them out. I’m surprised Explorers didn’t get a more valuable Tech skill instead given the theme of the background.

Furthermore, Astrodynamics might be my least favorite starting Skill in the game. You will not notice the benefits of this ability early on, and it’s honestly pretty easy to work around Grav Jump restrictions/requirements even into the later parts of the game. 

18. Gangster

Shotgun Certification – Shotguns do 10% more damage.

Boxing – Unarmed attacks do 25% more damage. 25% less O2 used when using a power attack.

Theft – Unlock the ability to pickpocket targets.

I love the theme of the Gangster background, but these starting Skills are still on the weaker side. 

Shotguns are actually fairly powerful and somewhat plentiful in Starfield, but you’ll have a hard time relying on them early on due to their limited range and small magazine sizes. At the very least, the small boost you’ll get to their effectiveness by choosing this skill won’t really make a big difference at any point in the game, and it is certainly not your best starting Combat option. 

Boxing is honestly a meme-tier Skill. Unless you’re really into the idea of punching your way through Starfield’s gunfights and choosing to play on “hard mode” for much of the game as a result of that preference, you can safely ignore this Skill. If you are into that, there is a much better Background option available to you.

Theft is the biggest prize of this package. Pickpocketing is a fun and useful Skill that is generally worth the points you need to invest in it. It’s just a shame you don’t get the accompanying Stealth Skill with this Background. You really need Stealth to get anything out of Theft, so choosing this Background kind of leaves you a Skill Point in the hole.

17. Professor

Astrodynamics – Increase Grav jump range of jump drives by 15%.

Geology – Get more common and uncommon inorganic resources from surface objects.

Research Methods – Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%.

Professor is another one of those backgrounds that features a few too many late-game/specialist skills that will really only appeal to specific kinds of players. 

For instance, a 10% resource reduction while crafting and researching is nice, but anyone who doesn’t focus on that specific area of the game as soon as possible won’t get much out of it until much later. Even then, taking research-related paths early on requires you to forgo or delay acquiring some universally beneficial abilities. 

Similarly, Geology will occasionally help you acquire rare resources early on, but you may not even be able to properly use those resources until you’ve invested in other, late-game research abilities. It’s just incredibly difficult to focus on that side of the game at the cost of picking up a few invaluable early-game skills. 

As noted above, Astrodynamics is a relatively weak overall skill, and Surveying is closer to being nice than necessary. It definitely drags down the value other two options.

16. Xenobiologist

Lasers – Laser weapons do 10% more damage.

Surveying – Adds an optional zoom to the hand scanner, and scan distance is increased to 20 meters.

Fitness – You have 10% more oxygen available.

This is another one of those bottom-tier Backgrounds that features one very useful Skill that is flanked by two significantly weaker abilities.

Fitness will be valuable to every player regardless of their playstyle preferences. Oxygen is basically Starfield‘s equivalent of Stamina, and having a little extra Oxygen is never a bad thing. Even then, Fitness is also not the must-have perk that some other Skills are. This is a decent enough combination of abilities for those looking to scour planets for resources early on, but it’s generally a tough sell given your other options.

15. Bouncer

Boxing – Unarmed attacks do 25% more damage. 25% less O2 used when using a power attack.

Security – You can attempt to hack Advanced locks, and 2 auto attempts can be banked.

Fitness – You have 10% more oxygen available

Boxing is still going to be kind of a dead ability here for a lot of players, but the rest of this Background package is actually quite good. 

Security is honestly a must-have Skill for the vast majority of players. You will constantly encounter locks in this game, and you will want to be able to open as many of them as possible. It’s not a bad idea to start with it (even if other Backgrounds that include that Skill offer a better overall package). 

Fitness is also useful for the entire game, especially if you are really committed to trying to make unarmed combat work. Honestly, this Background is probably the best starting choice for anyone looking to make an unarmed combat build work, which has to count for something. 

14. Homesteader

Geology – Get more common and uncommon inorganic resources from surface objects.

Surveying – Adds an optional zoom to the hand scanner and scan distance is increased to 20 meters.

Weight Lifting – Increase total carrying capacity by 10 kilograms.

Weight Lifting is actually a very valuable Skill that is only available in one other Background choice. That alone makes Homesteader worth considering, though the other Background option that features that ability is generally much better. 

Regardless, Geology and Surveying remain somewhat weaker starting skills that will only appeal to those who are looking to start building settlements and researching projects as quickly as possible at the cost of universally beneficial abilities and better overall starting Skills.

13. Ronin

Dueling – Melee weapons do 25% more damage. Take 10% less damage while wielding a melee weapon.

Stealth – Adds a Stealth Meter. You are 25% more difficult to detect when sneaking. Suppressed weapons do an additional 5% sneak attack damage.

Scavenging – There’s a chance you’ll find extra credits when searching containers.

As one of the only two Background options that let you start the game with Stealth enabled, Ronin is worth considering for any players who intend on being as sneaky as possible. I think the other Stealth-focused background option is significantly better for that style of play, but Stealth is certainly a nice starting skill. 

Scavenging is also a natural addition to Stealth-focused thief builds, but Dueling is a much tougher sell. You can make a stealthy, melee-focused assassin build work in this game, but you’d better be prepared to pick up quite a few support skills to make that playstyle worth your while early on. Even still, this is the best starting path for anyone who wants to pursue that path.

12. Sculptor

Medicine – Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 10% additional Health 10% faster.

Geology – Get more common and uncommon inorganic resources from surface objects.

Persuasion – 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone.

This is a weird combination of Skills for this theme, but I do like the overall package. 

Medicine and Persuasion will be useful for the entire game regardless of how you choose to play or what you choose to eventually focus on. You can justify picking them up at any point, so starting the game with them is certainly a viable option. As we’ll see throughout this list, Persuasion, in particular, is a powerful ability that can help solve a lot of problems you’ll encounter.

Though Geology is still a somewhat weaker overall starting Skill, anyone who wants to get a start on crafting while still gaining some advantages in conversations and combat could certainly do a lot worse than starting as a Sculptor.

11. Beast Hunter

Fitness – You have 10% more oxygen available.

Ballistics – Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.

Gastronomy – You can craft specialty food and drinks, and research additional recipes at a Research Lab.

Ballistics is an incredible starting Skill that instantly makes Beast Hunter worth considering. Most of the best weapons in Starfield fall into the Ballistics category, and adding a little extra damage to those weapons is always going to be welcome. Similarly, Fitness will be utilized by every kind of character at every stage of the game. 

Gastronomy is the biggest drag on this overall package. I just never found it to be all that useful, and it’s a particularly tough sell in the early parts of the game. This is the best Gastronomy Background choice for anyone who wants to explore that specific aspect of the game as soon as possible, but it’s a niche option for everyone else. 

10. Combat Medic

Pistol Certification – Pistols do 10% more damage.

Medicine – Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 10% additional Health 10% faster.

Wellness – Increase your maximum health by 10%.

It’s hard to go wrong with Medicine and Wellness as starting abilities. They will save your life multiple times while you try to properly equip your characters, and you’re never going to hate having their bonuses regardless of which stage of the game you’re at. They offer a top-tier starting package. 

Pistol Certification is…there. It’s nice enough, but it’s a low-tier starting Skill in the grand scheme of things. Overall, I think this is a fantastic Background for anyone worried about staying alive in the early parts of the game, but other players will find better options. 

9. Cyberneticist

Medicine – Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 10% additional Health 10% faster.

Security – You can attempt to hack Advanced locks, and 2 auto attempts can be banked.

Lasers – Laser weapons do 10% more damage.

If Lasers was something else (perhaps Ballistics or something from the Tech tree), then I’d consider this to be one of the best overall starting Skill packages in the game. Security is going to be essential for most Starfield players, and I can’t tell you how often I needed to use Medpacks and other healing items during this game. It’s a nice, nearly universally beneficial combo. 

This is a good option for those who don’t know how they want to play the game quite yet but want to keep their build possibilities open. Even then, I think there are slightly better choices in that category. 

8. Long Hauler

Weight Lifting – Increase total carrying capacity by 10 kilograms.

Piloting – You can now utilize ship thrusters.

Ballistic Weapon Systems – Ballistic ship weapons have 10% increased damage and cost 20% less to use in Targeting Mode.

This is another one of those Backgrounds with a weaker starting Skill flanked by two exceptional Skills. In this case, Ballistic Weapon System is a decent enough Skill that doesn’t have a huge impact on the early game and becomes a little less valuable as you upgrade your ship and its arsenal. Honestly, you can build a viable combat ship that doesn’t even use Ballistic weapons. 

Weight Lifting and Piloting are incredible abilities, though. Piloting should honestly be a default feature in the game, and Weight Lifting will certainly help you get past those annoying early stages of the experience when it feels like you’re constantly becoming over-encumbered. 

7. Space Scoundrel

Pistol Certification – Pistols do 10% more damage.

Piloting – You can now utilize ship thrusters.

Persuasion – 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone.

Again, Pistol Certification is just a weaker overall starting Skill. You won’t need to rely on pistols for long, and the more powerful ones you’ll eventually find don’t need much help. You won’t hate having it, but you’ll rarely be glad you picked it over other options.

Piloting and Persuasion are two of the more essential starting Skills in the game, though. Persuasion will get you out of a lot of tough situations (and open up new possibilities), and Piloting is quite literally a must-have for anyone who expects to spend pretty much any time manually controlling their ship. This is a nice overall package perfect for those who eventually intend to focus more on conversations and flying. 

6. Industrialist

Persuasion – 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone.

Security – You can attempt to hack Advanced locks, and 2 auto attempts can be banked.

Research Methods – Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%.

This is the first Background in the game where I can safely recommend all of these starting Skills to the majority of players. 

While Research Methods is obviously best for those who eventually intend to dive deeper into the crafting and settlement-building elements of the game, investing a point into it is never going to be a bad thing. Meanwhile, Persuasion and Security are must-have Skills for anyone who doesn’t intend to play the game as the bluntest combat instrument they can possibly build. If you’re interested in any amount of subterfuge and science, this is a top-tier option. 

5. Soldier

Fitness – You have 10% more oxygen available.

Ballistics – Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.

Boost Pack Training – You can now utilize boost packs.

Although this is another Background with three incredible starting Skills, it’s that combination of Boost Pack Training and Ballistics that makes this Background so incredible. Boost Pack Training is one of the best Skills in the game that you may otherwise be tempted to overlook before you realize how much you need it. Ballistics, meanwhile, is the one Combat Skill that everyone should pick up unless they intend to avoid combat almost entirely. 

Fitness may not be the most exciting option, but again, you will be using oxygen throughout the game for a variety of purposes. This is one of the best general Backgrounds for those who aren’t quite sure how they want to play, but it’s certainly a must-have for combat-focused players. 

4. Diplomat

Wellness – Increase your maximum health by 10%.

Persuasion – 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone.

Commerce – Buy for 5% less and sell for 10% more.

Wellness is kind of a weird choice for this background, but a universal buff to your maximum health is pretty much impossible to argue against. You’re probably going to want to put at least a point in that Skill somewhere along the way, so starting the game with it is a fantastic option. 

Meanwhile, Persuasion and Commerce form a tough-to-beat starting Skill package for anyone looking to slowly build a more charismatic character. Even if that’s not your thing, having at least a point in both of those Skills will get you out of quite a few jams in the long run.

3. Cyber Runner

Stealth – Adds a Stealth Meter. You are 25% more difficult to detect when sneaking. Suppressed weapons do an additional 5% sneak attack damage.

Theft – Unlock the ability to pickpocket targets.

Security – You can attempt to hack Advanced locks, and 2 auto attempts can be banked.

Yes, this is the best Background in the game for Stealth-focused players, but it’s honestly so much better than that. 

See, unless you pick up Stealth and Pickpocketing, you can’t actually sneak or steal from others in Starfield. I don’t mean that you won’t be that good at those things; I mean that you literally won’t have access to those core gameplay options. Again, unless you are playing as a pure scavenger or combat specialist (which are both viable build options), you will want to occasionally be able to access those features. Security, meanwhile, will be useful to every kind of Starfield player, so grabbing it with those other “core” Skills is highly recommended.

2. Bounty Hunter

Piloting – You can now utilize ship thrusters.

Targeting Control Systems – Unlocks ship targeting functionality.

Boost Pack Training – You can now utilize boost packs.

I begrudgingly consider this to be one of the best Backgrounds in Starfield. Why begrudgingly? Well, it’s one of the only Backgrounds in the game that focuses entirely on one skill tree (the Tech tree) which should make it one of the more niche options. However, that’s simply not the case. 

It’s very difficult to imagine playing through Starfield and not picking up Boost Pack Training and Piloting at some point. Both of those Skills add functions that frankly should have been in the game to start with. Regardless, you will likely begrudgingly need to spend a Skill point in both at some point, so getting them early is a pretty great way to go. 

While Targeting Control isn’t quite as valuable, I can’t tell you the number of times I suddenly found myself in a ship-to-ship fight against my will and was grateful to have it. This is a must-have Background for prospective pilots and a Background that everyone else should at least consider. 

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Wellness – Increase your maximum health by 10%.

Ballistics – Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.

Piloting – You can now utilize ship thrusters.

The ultimate blank-slate Background in Starfield is also the one Background that every player in the game can safely pick regardless of preferences. 

If these aren’t the three most useful starting Skills in Starfield, they are certainly in the top five. Even those who eventually intend to focus more on piloting, scavenging, stealth, and conversations will get a lot of mileage out of at least two of these Skills for the entire game. For the majority of players who will ultimately utilize a variety of tactics, though, you will be glad you have all of these Skills from the moment you start the game to the moment you finish. Maybe there are better options for specific preferences, but it’s impossible to go wrong with this excellent Background option.