Some will help you, some will try to kill you. But hey, it’s all part of the fun when it comes to Fortnite’s characters…

And, just to be clear, we’re not talking about skins.

If you want to take full advantage of the edge these characters can give you, you’ll need a resource like this on your side. How else do you expect to find the right character to support you in your next Battle Royale?
 

What are characters in Fortnite?

Fortnite introduced characters (aka NPCs) back in Chapter 2, Season 5. Like your typical NPC (that’s non-player character, for the ultra-newbies out there!), Fortnite’s characters are powered by AI, and designed to flesh out the gaming experience.

These characters aren’t like the average bot though…

They’re more in line with the kind of NPC you’d encounter in an RPG like Skyrim than that. Meaning you can interact with them during your Battle Royale matches, with each character offering a different experience and reaction.

Talk to any character to add them to your Character Collection Book. But get there fast – if another player hires or eliminates a character, you won’t be able to.

Keep an eye out for the speech bubble icon, you’ll spot it on your mini map and above a character’s head (even through walls). That’s what identifies you’re getting close to a character.
 

Character types

Each of the AI characters in Fortnite falls within a different type:

• Neutral
• Hostile
• Healer

Neutral characters are the ones you’ll see most often. Chat to them to receive a free gift – anything from a stack of bandages to a Legendary weapon. They’ll also trade you stuff for Bars… or fight you if you provoke them, so be wary how you act!

Hostile characters will bake you a cream cake and offer you a cosy bed for the night… Nah, just kidding. They’ll attack you on sight, but they’re worth tracking down since these characters tend to drop pretty epic loot.

Healer characters will chuck out periodic Chug Splash consumables you can use to heal 20 HP, but only after you’ve first repeated the emote they’re doing.

Non character “characters”

While technically not characters, two extra types of AI fall under the same umbrella when you consider the game mechanics. They are…

• Static
• Phones

Static “characters” are actually machines where you can trade Bars for stuff – places like Vending Machines, Upgrade Benches, and Bounty Boards.

Phones are similar, but instead of buying stuff from them, you can get quests from them. They’re the only place you can get these quests from.
 

What can Fortnite’s characters do?

Here are some of the functions you can expect to encounter for each character type (beside general conversation)…