10 best Starfield backgrounds

Starfield offers an exhilarating space adventure filled with innovative gameplay features. Players have the freedom to shape their space journey by utilizing various elements. While Starfield faithful can engage in activities as they see fit, they can also choose from various abilities in addition to enhanced weapons, gear, and spacesuits.

One notable feature is the inclusion of 21 distinct Backgrounds, each of which grants unique abilities and proficiencies to enhance your character's combat and survival capabilities.

In the character creation phase, you can choose a Background that provides your character with three unique abilities, catering to your preferred style of play. Each Background is thoughtfully designed to align with your gameplay preferences. Whether you favor stealth or prioritize health, there's an option that suits your needs.

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Gangster, File Not Found, and more of the best Starfield backgrounds

1) Gangster

Abilities:

• Shotgun Certification
• Boxing
• Theft

Gangster background in Starfield (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

While there are numerous missions centered on planetary exploration and NPC interactions, formidable adversaries also exist within the game. Therefore, it's essential to possess combat-oriented skills, and Gangster is an ideal option for those who cherish action-packed gameplay.

With this background, your character will acquire expertise in Shotgun handling, resulting in a 10% boost in damage dealt to foes.

If you tend to rely on Shotguns for dispatching hordes of enemies, the Gangster background in Starfield is a fitting selection. Additionally, this background imbues your character with abilities in Theft and close-quarters combat, specifically Boxing. When employing hand-to-hand combat, your attacks gain a 25% damage boost. As for the Theft skill, it enhances your character's aptitude in lockpicking and various theft-related activities.

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2) Beast Hunter

Abilities:

• Fitness
• Ballistics
• Gastronomy

The Beast Hunter background proves to be an optimal choice (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

Considering the interstellar journey of Starfield, your character will be traversing various planets, and in such instances, oxygen becomes crucial. Opting for the Beast Hunter background proves to be an optimal choice, as it grants a 10% increase in accessible oxygen through its Fitness ability.

Additionally, this background endows your character with expertise in handling Ballistic weapons, which are firearms that discharge tangible projectiles. Moreover, Ballistic weapons will inflict 10% more damage when wielded by your character.

Notably, the most advantageous attribute of the Beast Hunter background is its Gastronomy skill, which equips your character with proficiency in crafting and researching unique food and beverages capable of rejuvenating their health.

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3) Diplomat

Abilities:

• Persuasion
• Commerce
• Wellness

Starfield offers a distinctive RPG experience where interaction and the selection of appropriate dialog options play a vital role. You will encounter scenarios where your character interacts with other figures or adversaries, and in such tense situations, the Persuasion skill becomes invaluable. This skill significantly enhances your ability to influence others, increasing the likelihood of success by 10%.

Additionally, the Commerce skill proves advantageous when buying and selling transactions with vendors. It grants you a 5% discount on purchases and a 10% premium when selling items. Furthermore, the Wellness ability boosts your character's maximum health by 10%.

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4) File Not Found

Abilities:

• Wellness
• Ballistics
• Piloting

File Not Found background in Starfield (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

In Starfield, there's another distinctive background known as File Not Found. This background provides capabilities that strike a harmonious balance between survival and combat efficiency.

The Wellness ability boosts your character's health by 10%, while the previously mentioned Ballistics ability enhances your proficiency with Ballistic weapons, allowing you to deal 10% more damage. Additionally, the Pilot ability grants your character expert control over spaceships.

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5) Xenobiologist

Abilities:

• Lasers
• Surveying
• Fitness

Consider the Xenobiologist background for your character in Starfield, as it offers a versatile combination of skills encompassing combat prowess, survival capabilities, and survey expertise.

With the Lasers proficiency granted by this background, your character will excel in handling Laser Weapons, inflicting an additional 10% damage. The Fitness attribute will enhance your endurance, providing an extra 10% oxygen capacity.

One compelling reason to choose the Xenobiologist background is the Surveying ability, which is invaluable for most missions. Surveying various planets is a common requirement, and this ability provides a significant advantage. It enhances your hand scanner with an optional zoom feature and extends the scan distance by up to 20 meters, ensuring you can gather vital information effectively.

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6) Soldier

Abilities:

• Fitness
• Ballistics
• Boost Pack Training

In Starfield, there's another Background option geared towards combat known as the Soldier. This background places a strong emphasis on enhancing your character's health and combat capabilities.

Among its notable features, the Fitness ability grants your character an additional 10% oxygen capacity, while the Ballistics skill enables proficiency with Ballistic weapons, augmenting damage dealt to foes by 10%. However, what truly sets the Soldier apart is its distinct ability: Boost Pack Training, which allows you to wield a jetpack.

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7) Sculptor

Abilities:

• Medicine
• Geology
• Persuasion

When considering intelligence and survival skills, the Sculptor background in Starfield is an excellent choice. The Medicine skill allows your character to efficiently use health packs, restoring health 10% faster.

With Geology proficiency, your character becomes adept at gathering unique resources from surface objects. Finally, the Persuasion skill will aid you in interacting with others, making social exchanges smoother and more effective.

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8) Ronin

Abilities:

• Dueling
• Stealth
• Scavenging

If you enjoy gameplay that emphasizes action with a touch of stealth, the Ronin background serves as an excellent choice. The Dueling ability grants your character expertise in handling melee weapons and bestows two unique advantages. When wielding any melee weapon, your character will deal +25% more damage while incurring 10% less damage.

The Stealth ability introduces a Stealth meter for sneaking activities, making it 25% more challenging for enemies to detect you. Furthermore, during sneaking activities, your character will deal 5% extra damage with suppressed weapons. Another valuable skill is Scavenging, which enhances your chances of discovering additional credits when searching areas randomly.

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9) Cyberneticist

Abilities:

• Medicine
• Security
• Lasers

The Cyberneticist background in Starfield imbues your character with proficiency in device hacking. With the Security skill, your character gains the ability to hack advanced locks and receives a +2 bonus to automatic hacking attempts. Furthermore, the Laser skill increases damage output by 10% when using laser weapons, while the Medicine skill accelerates overall health restoration by 10%, ensuring your character recovers more rapidly.

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10) Space Scoundrel

Abilities:

• Pistol Certification
• Piloting
• Persuasion

Space Scoundrel background in Starfield (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

The last entry on this list is the Space Scoundrel background, offering three distinct abilities. First, Pistol Certification ensures character expertise in wielding pistols, resulting in a 10% damage boost when using these weapons. Second, the Piloting skill allows your character to navigate spaceships proficiently. Finally, the Persuasion skill allows you to effortlessly navigate intricate social interactions.