iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Mortal Shell II has eight playable Shells, but the available official descriptions do not provide a complete, current ability list for all of them. The best-supported roster names Tiel, Proxima, Eredrim, Gragu, Smert, Sester Genessa, Lazlo, and Sariel; Harros is described separately as a prologue Shell. Specific ability observations are available for only a few warriors, so the list below distinguishes reported mechanics from details that remain unverified.
What a Shell changes in Mortal Shell II
Shells are possessed warriors with innate strengths and abilities that help shape combat. They are one part of a character build, not the whole build: weapons and upgrades provide additional ways to customize how you fight. A launch-period independent review describes weapons and Shells as mixable, so a Shell’s identity should be considered separately from its weapon pairing.
The combat system has no stamina gauge. The official game description emphasizes breaking enemy posture and landing critical strikes, while PlayStation highlights agile combat and expanded execution options. That makes a Shell’s potential strengths—such as mobility, survivability, crowd control, or access to damage windows—useful comparison points. The sources available, however, do not establish a full, current comparison across all eight.
All eight permanent Shells: roster and known details
The official site confirms eight playable Shells, and the official gameplay reveal names Tiel the Acolyte, Eredrim the Venerable, and Proxima the Broodseeker. The complete set of eight names below comes from an independent guide, rather than a complete official roster page.
#1 Best Overall
- THEIR FLESH IS YOUR WEAPON: The corpses of exceptional warriors are scattered throughout Mortal Shell 2’s destroyed world. Once discovered, each warrior can be possessed, awakening their innate strengths and mastered abilities. Evolve your own style of combat by harnessing the unique abilities of each warrior and unlock their secrets through the discovery of lost memories.
- CLEANSE A RAVAGED WORLD: Mortal Shell 2’s compact open world connects over winding footpaths guarded by desperate and fanatical adversaries. Players who wander are rewarded with new warriors to possess, additional story elements, powerful and strange weaponry, upgrades, curiosities and more. Step through derelict temples of ancient deities, across forbidden forests and icy graves, into citadels carved out of bone. Scattered between these lost landmarks are more than 60 dungeons, each providing a challenging test of the talents and weaponry you have collected on your journey.
- DETHRONE FALSE GODS: You control the Harbinger, a being that must reclaim the Undermether’s stolen eggs that are now ruthlessly guarded by grotesque, dangerous creatures. Mortal Shell 2’s combat system is agile and expressive. Stamina gauges are removed, and execution options have been enhanced, delivering a kinetic and chaotic dark power fantasy. Precision meets intensity in high-stakes combat.
| Shell | What is documented | What is not established |
|---|---|---|
| Tiel the Acolyte | A launch-period review reports that a perfect dodge can turn Tiel invisible. | The full ability tree, ability names, and whether this effect works the same way in the current build are not established by the reviewed sources. |
| Proxima the Broodseeker | A launch-period review describes lightning attacks that can stagger or pull lighter enemies, launch Proxima toward larger targets, and have a chance to halve incoming damage. | These are review observations, not a complete ability description or a verified current-build guide to effects, odds, or upgrades. |
| Eredrim the Venerable | Named in the official gameplay reveal. | The official material reviewed does not describe his complete kit or establish a specific combat role. |
| Gragu the Insatiable | A launch-period review describes a Resonant Heart that charges through kills. | That observation does not establish his full healing or ability system, current effects, or upgrade path. |
| Smert the Apostate | Included in the independent guide’s eight-Shell roster. | Exact current abilities and a supported playstyle description are not established in the sources reviewed. |
| Sester Genessa the Wayward | Included in the independent guide’s roster. Official patch notes also refer to Genessa’s Shell-related systems and abilities. | The available descriptions do not provide a complete kit or a reliable role comparison. |
| Lazlo the Justiciar | Included in the independent guide’s roster. Official patch notes report a fix to a Lazlo perk glitch. | The fix confirms a perk existed, but the reviewed material does not establish his full current abilities or playstyle. |
| Sariel the Endless | Included in the independent guide’s roster. Official patch notes document changes to Sariel abilities. | The patch references do not supply a complete, current player-facing kit description or role comparison. |
Where Harros fits
The independent guide identifies Harros the Vassal as the prologue Shell, rather than one of the eight permanent Shells in its roster. Keep that distinction in mind when counting the full playable roster: Harros is a separate early-game case, not a ninth permanent Shell according to that guide.
How to choose a Shell without relying on an unsupported tier list
The available ability descriptions are too incomplete to rank all eight Shells or recommend a definitive best choice. For a meaningful comparison in your version of the game, inspect each Shell’s in-game abilities and upgrades, then consider how they affect the parts of combat you value:
- Survivability: Check whether the Shell’s abilities or passives help you withstand mistakes, and note any conditions or chance-based effects.
- Mobility and positioning: Look for abilities that help you evade, close distance, or reach an enemy; Tiel’s reported perfect-dodge effect is one specific launch-period example, not proof of his complete role.
- Stagger and crowd control: Check whether an ability disrupts enemy actions or moves enemies into a better position. The review’s Proxima observations are examples, but their current effects should be confirmed in-game.
- Damage windows: Assess how reliably the Shell helps you create openings for posture breaks, critical strikes, or executions.
- Resources and investment: Check ability costs, how resources are earned, and how much upgrading is needed to reach the abilities you want. The reported Gragu Resonant Heart clue alone is not enough to establish his resource economy.
- Weapon pairing: Consider the weapon separately from the Shell. A strong pairing depends on the actual ability effects and upgrade choices available in your build.
These criteria are more useful than a tier list based on partial launch observations. The same Shell can also feel different as you unlock upgrades and change weapons.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Version matters for ability and build claims
Mortal Shell II launched worldwide on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox on August 20, 2026. Cold Symmetry and Playstack’s Steam news records a week-one update that added a way to respec a Shell and changed progression economies, followed by later fixes and adjustments involving Shell abilities. The latest dated hotfix visible in the official Steam news archive reviewed here was September 24, 2026. Ability effects, costs, unlocks, and balance may therefore depend on the build; check the current in-game descriptions and official patch notes before following precise build advice.
Rank #3
- Arcade-Favorite Games: 3 Mortal Kombat arcade titles ship on this cabinet, Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II among them, so the ladder, the hidden fighters and the finishing moves live on the countertop
- Real-Feel Joystick and Buttons: Full-size arcade controls sit under your hand the way the original cabinets did, which is the point of buying an arcade machine instead of playing arcade games on a phone
- 7" Full-Color LCD: A 7 inch full-colour screen keeps the sprites sharp and the frame rate smooth, and the viewing angle suits a table top or a bar top where you stand over it rather than sit
- Portable with a Built-In Handle: A top-mounted carry handle and a countertop footprint mean it moves between a desk, a shelf and a game room unaided, far smaller than full size arcade machines
- Multiple Power Options: Run it on 4 AA batteries, not included, or plug in a Micro-USB cable, and it arrives fully assembled with nothing to build, among the easier gifts for a retro gaming household
Exploration also feeds character and equipment progression. PlayStation describes a compact open world linked by winding paths, where wandering can uncover new warriors, story elements, weapons, upgrades, and curiosities; its product page lists more than 80 dungeons. That makes exploration relevant to Shell selection: a preferred combat approach may depend on what you have found and unlocked, not only on your initial choice.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
