Overview
This guide will explain the requirements for unlocking every single character and their B (alternate) skins in Nuclear Throne.
Unlocking the Characters
Here, you will find how to unlock each character, including the hidden characters. I am not including images so that I do not spoil the character designs for you, especially for the hidden characters.
Fish is already unlocked. You should be able to play as him from the start.
Crystal is already unlocked. You should be able to play as her from the start.
Eyes is unlocked by visiting 2-1 (The Sewers). This can be done by beating the Big Bandit boss of 1-3 (The Desert Stage 3) and advancing to the next level through the portal.
Melting is unlocked by dying. You will probably do this a lot in the game. You can die by taking enough damage (Yung Venuz doesn’t die, he just goes back to his mansion because he gets bored, #verifyvenuz).
Plant is unlocked by visiting 3-1 (The Scrapyards). This can be done by finishing 2-1 (The Sewers) and advancing to the next level through the portal.
May contain spoilers about secret areas.
Yung Venuz is unlocked by visiting 3-??? (Yung Venuz’s Mansion). In order to get there, you have to get a screwdriver. Then, at 3-1 (The Scrapyards), hit the car with the golden outline with the screwdriver and press “E” to get in.
Steroids is unlocked by visiting 6-1 (The Labs). This can be done by beating the Lil’ Hunter boss of 5-3 (The Frozen City Stage 3) and advancing to the next level through the portal.
Robot is unlocked by visiting 5-1 (The Frozen City). This can be done by finishing 4-1 (The Crystal Caves) and advancing to the next level through the portal.
May contain spoilers about secret areas.
Chicken is unlocked by visiting 5-??? (The Jungle). In order to get there, you have to get the Last Wish mutation. Then, at 5-1 (The Frozen City), there should be a large flower somewhere. Press “E” to feed the flower four times (taking away four health) and you will open a portal to The Jungle.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses and game mechanics.
Rebel is unlocked by defeating The Throne boss at 7-3 (The Palace Stage 3) and looping. To do this, you must first destroy the four generators along the walls during The Throne fight. Then, destroy The Throne and go through the huge portal that opens.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses.
Horror is unlocked by defeating Horror (Hostile). Horror (Hostile) is encountered by skipping two consecutive Radiation Canisters. Then, you will have to fight Horror (Hostile) on the next stage. After killing it, Horror is unlocked.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses.
Rogue is unlocked by defeating The Throne boss at 7-3 (The Palace Stage 3) and sitting on The Throne. To do this, simply destroy The Throne and walk onto its defeated corpse.
Secret Characters
May contain spoilers about secret bosses, areas, and game mechanics.
Skeleton is unlocked by dying as Melting in 6-1 (The Labs) and being resurrected by a Necromancer, one of the gentlemen in white hoods. He is only available for that run and is not unlocked as a starting character.
Frog is unlocked by shooting Mom with a Golden Weapon and picking up the Frog Pistol she drops on death, then storing that Frog Pistol in a Proto Chest and picking it up as a different character. Golden Weapons can be found in 3-??? (Yung Venuz’s Mansion) or after looping. Mom is encountered after looping and going to the Sewers, or 2-1 L1. The Proto Chest is encountered on to a Crown Vault with a Crown, unlocked by breaking a Proto Statue, giving it enough XP by killing enemies, and then breaking it again. After taking the Frog Pistol out of the Proto Chest, it will turn into a Golden Frog Pistol.
Unlocking the B Skins
May contain spoilers about a secret game mechanic.
Fish’s B skin is unlocked by looping with all characters. This can be done by destroying all of the generators during the Throne fight at 7-3 (The Palace Stage 3) and then killing the Throne, then entering the large portal with every single stinkin’ character.
May contain spoilers about a secret area.
Crystal’s B skin is unlocked by getting to 4-??? (Cursed Crystal Caves) as Crystal. This can be done by entering the Crown Vault by breaking open the Crown Portal, feeding the Crown Portal enough XP from enemies, breaking the Crown Portal, and choosing a crown. Then, one has to find a cursed chest (a purple chest) and bring the cursed weapon into what would normally be 4-1 (Crystal Caves).
May contain spoilers about a secret area.
Eyes’ B skin is unlocked by getting to 2-??? (Pizza Sewers) as Eyes. This can be done by exploding the small circular grate in 2-1 (The Sewers) with any explosive weapon or explosion and entering the portal.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses.
Melting’s B skin is unlocked by reaching 7-3 and defeating the Nuclear Throne without picking up the Rhino Skin or Strong Spirit mutations.
May contain spoilers about secret areas and bosses.
Plant’s B skin is unlocked by reaching 7-3 and defeating the Nuclear Throne within 10 minutes. Psst…. the Oasis is your friend. Try opening all of the chests in the Desert and then killing Big Bandit as fast as you can. It’s a shortcut to 3-3.
Yung Venuz’s B skin is unlocked by getting a golden weapon for ever character. Golden weapons are found at 3-??? (Yung Venuz’s Mansion) (get a screwdriver and whack the golden car at 3-1 (Scrapyards) with it and press “E” to get in) and also after loops. You do not need to unlock a Golden Weapon for Yung Venuz, though.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses and game mechanics.
Steroids’ B skin is unlocked by killing the Technomancer with Steroids. Try looping and getting to 6-1 (Labs).
Robot’s B skin is unlocked by eating a Hyper Rifle, Hyper Slugger, or Hyper Launcher as Robot.
May contain spoilers about secret game mechanics.
Chicken’s B skin is unlocked by reaching the Sewers on Hard Mode. Loop twice in one run in order to get this frustrating mode.
May contain spoilers about secret bosses and game mechanics.
Rebel’s B skin is unlocked by killing Mom as Rebel. Mom is enountered during loops (destroying all generators during the Throne fight and killing the Throne, then getting in dat portal) in 2-1 (The Sewers)
May contain spoilers about secret bosses and game mechanics.
Horror’s B skin is unlocked by killing Hyper Crystal as Horror. Hyper Crystal is encountered during loops (destroying all generators during the Throne fight and killing the Throne, then getting in dat portal) in 4-1 (Crystal Caves).
May contain spoilers about secret bosses and game mechanics.
Rogue’s B skin is unlocked by killing the IDPD Captain with Rogue. Try looping and pressing “E” righ tnext to an IDPD Police Car.