Class

A class is one part of a title assigned to a player of Sburb, the other part being aspect. There are twelve known normal classes and two "master" classes, making 14 known classes in total. Classes describe the intended role of a particular player in Sburb, and how they can use their aspect.

A few class mechanics have been explicitly explained, others only implied.

Passive and Active
The classes come in passive (+) and active (-) pairs, with each member of a particular pair performing a similar function but with differences in execution and outcome. It is a vague concept with some flexibility. Calliope has given two examples of this dichotomy with the Rogue/Thief HS 6414 (pairing) (both steal, with Rogues doing so to help their team mates and Thieves doing so for their own benefit) and the Bard/Prince HS 6464 (pairing) (both cause destruction, with Bards bringing destruction and Princes directly destroying). Various guidelines of the dichotomy have been revealed from a simplistic "active means offensive, passive means defensive"; to more complex ones with the active classes employing or affecting their aspect directly and for their own gain, and the passive classes being affected by their aspect, and sharing their actions with the team. One definition is they are able to do something using their aspect and do something to their aspect.

The passive/active system exists HS 6993 (on a scale) with classes being more passive or active than others. With the exception of the master classes, no class' position on the scale has been revealed, although some hints have been given. Hussie stated that the passiveness or activeness of a class is one of multiple factors related to whether a player is a Prospit or Derse dreamer.

Gendered Alignment
All the classes have different gender alignments, with some of the classes tending to be assigned to both males and females, with others being exclusive to a certain gender. While not all the gender alignments are known, Calliope HS 6414 (has stated) there to be equal numbers of male exclusive and female exclusive classes. So far three male exclusive classes (Bard, Prince and Lord) and a single female exclusive class (Muse) have been confirmed. Out of the remaining ten classes, five are known to be assigned to both genders (Knight, Rogue, Thief, Seer, and Mage) although some of them have a bias towards a certain gender, and the final five have only been shown assigned to a single gender but unconfirmed to be gender exclusive (Heir, Maid, Page, Sylph, and Witch). However given the unbalanced numbers, at least two of the remaining five must be female exclusive (presumably Witch and Maid because of their feminine connotation), with the remaining three (Heir, Sylph, and Page) all assigned to both genders or split between gender exclusive and gender biased. It should be noted that although this was stated in-comic, Hussie has confirmed that there can be female Princes; the classes are just biased on that front.

and
Thief and Rogue are a pair of classes, respectively active and passive. They are assigned typically, but not exclusively, to female players. They deal with the redistribution of an aspect. While the active Thief will steal, or take their aspect for themselves, the passive Rogue will generally distribute it to someone or something outside of themselves after taking it.

Vriska, the Thief of Light, is notable for stealing "luck" from her allies or enemies, and in doing so making outcomes fall in her favor. She also took what was arguably the most significant part of the battle against the Black King of her session, by landing the killing blow.

Roxy, the Rogue of Void, is said to have HS 6505 ("voidey blackout bullshit") follow her wherever she goes. She also somehow HS 7361 (obfuscated the view) of the HS 9165 (entire B2 session). These manifestations of her role seem to be largely passive and unintentional. Roxy also regularly ganked pumpkins, gourds noted as being mostly detached from reality, from Jake's island to help feed the Carapacians in her "neighborhood"; this fits with the "Robin Hood" comparison sometimes attributed to the Rogue class (stealing from one to give to another). Another ability Roxy shows is the act of HS 8363 (materializing objects out of thin air), by "robbing them of their nothingness".

Meenah, the Thief of Life, "stole" her friends' lives by killing them so they could continue to exist after the scratch in A1. As the Condesce, in A2, she was able to HS 5962 (lengthen the lifespans of others), possibly indefinitely, on a whim.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Rogue outfit has a HS 9526 (front pocket) akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Maid, Heir, and Page outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits.

Known Thieves are Vriska Serket, the Thief of Light; and Meenah Peixes, the Thief of Life. Known Rogues are Roxy Lalonde, the Rogue of Void; Nepeta Leijon, the Rogue of Heart; and Rufioh Nitram, the Rogue of Breath.

Heir
The exact powers of the Heir class are unknown and are up to reader interpretation. Whether the class is active or passive is also up in the air. The gender alignment for the class appears to prefer males, but whether or not the class is male exclusive is unknown.

John, the Heir of Breath, was saved by the Breeze twice before he learned to consciously use it, and Jack Noir, along with Jade Harley, were HS 5453 (unable to pick up the source of his scent), as if the Breeze was protecting him. He was also saved in a battle with Jack Noir by turning into HS 7247 (wisps of wind) and reforming behind him. He was seen summoning large, tornado-like structures on LOHAC and on Skaia as well. He used the Breeze to lift the Prospitian battleship containing WV and the Courtyard Droll. He created a windy shield in [S] Collide. He also influenced a very large part of the direction of his session, doing things like gifting Rose her signature needles and retconning the entire Game Over timeline.

Equius, the Heir of Void, was known to sit in the background and watch things happen from the shadows. Equius used his fists as his main weapon, which can be interpreted as him using nothing (Void) to fight and defend himself with. His blood was used to block out information in Rose's tome. His death can be seen as a pun on his title, as he was killed by being rendered "Void of Air".

Mituna, the Heir of Doom, was said to have lost his psychic powers (and possibly part of his sanity) while protecting his friends from an imminent disaster. Aranea said he had "strong prophetic insights" that told him of Doom to come, much like Sollux.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Heir outfit has a HS 9125 (front pocket) akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Maid, Rogue and Page outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits.

Known Heirs are John Egbert, the Heir of Breath; Equius Zahhak, the Heir of Void; and Mituna Captor, the Heir of Doom.

Speculation
A common speculation for this class is that it is "one who protects themselves with [aspect]," or "one who is protected by [aspect]". That said, they could be the active (-) counterpart of Maid.

Another definition of Heir may be "one who is consumed by [aspect]" "one who becomes [aspect]"or "one who is surrounded by [aspect]," since John was surrounded by the Windy Thing and eventually becomes the wind, which can be loosely assimilated to being consumed by breath. Equius was surrounded by a Void that protected him from 's omniscience, and Mituna was surrounded by the screams of the imminently deceased (doomed).

Also, it has been theorized that the class of Heir could possibly mean "one that manipulates [aspect]" or "one that changes [aspect]". It is said to be the passive (+) counterpart of Witch. This can be seen by how both John and Jade seemingly can change (with) their aspects, John by initially using the "Windy Thing" unintentionally and by the will of his aspect, and Jade by changing the form of objects by shrinking/enlarging them. John also changed others' direction quite often and passively, such as when he gave Rose her signature knitting needles and thus giving her a new hobby, and giving Dave his new shades that can be seen as the first step in him separating from his brother.

The title "Heir" could also have a more literal meaning, as "one who inherits/receives [aspect]". John, the Heir of Breath, receives a sort of freedom from the storyline when he is affected by 's "treasure", and Mituna receives a kind of doom when he loses part of his sanity. Equius, the Heir of Void, inherits the Furthest Ring as Lord English's stomping grounds.

Maid
The exact powers of a Maid are unknown. Aradia (the Maid of Time) was able to freeze Jack, while Jane (the Maid of Life) was able to heal herself after being stabbed, and is able to bring people back from the dead, although according to Jade, that ability is limited to one use per person. Likewise, its passive/active alignment is also unknown; it could be the passive or active counterpart to any of the classes Heir, Sylph, Witch, Knight, or Page. All seen Maids have been female, however whether the Maid class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Witch or Sylph classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive, the Maid class would be female exclusive.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Maid outfit has a HS 8622 (front pocket) akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Heir, Rogue, and Page outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits. So far Maids are the only class that have been seen with two colors (not counting different shades of the same color) on the shoes that are unique to the rest of the outfit. The Maid outfit also features bandages wrapped around the lower legs.

Known Maids are Jane Crocker, the Maid of Life; Aradia Megido, the Maid of Time; and Porrim Maryam, the Maid of Space.

Speculation
One theory is that the Maid class is a pun, and that Maids are HS 5382 ("made of (aspect)") or "provide themselves with [aspect]," which could make it the active (-) counterpart to the Page class, whose role is speculated to be "provides others with [aspect]". It is also possible that Maid is shorthand for "Handmaid" or "Shieldmaiden", fitting with its class's apparent focus on protecting/defending.

Maid could be the passive (+) counterpart of the Heir class; if Heir is "one who protects themselves with/is protected by [aspect]," then Maid could be "one who allows others to be protected by/one who protects [aspect]" - as in, literally one who serves their aspect. In this way, Aradia froze Jack to protect others and protected time by maintaining the timeline, and Jane can bring back the dead, protecting their lives. Later, in Collide, Aradia used her time powers to freeze Lord English, protecting the lives of Tavros and Meenah. Also, Maid could refer to "protecting/cleaning up/tidying [aspect]". Aradia, when talking to Sollux, mentioned that the reason she was accompanying Vriska on her mission to find 's treasure was because. And if Heir is "one who is surrounded by [aspect]," then Maid may be "one who surrounds others with [aspect]," as seen when Aradia surrounds Jack Noir in a field of stopped Time.

Maids may also be the active (-) counterpart to the Sylph class, being healers or repairers, as Sylph appears to be a healer class. Aradia used time travel to avert doomed timelines, in essence, "repairing the timeline," and Jane repaired her planet, herself, and Karkat's Life.

It is also possible that the Maid is "someone who protects themselves and/or others with [aspect]," since Jane could resurrect herself after being stabbed. Aradia could also use her time powers to freeze Jack in time, thus protecting herself with time. There is also a possible example of this later in the comic when Aradia says that she'd slow down Jack while Rose, Dave and the other trolls went ahead during the "race"; she might have used her time powers to do this.HS 6285 This could make it the passive (+) counterpart to the Knight class, Knights being speculated as those who fight (for themselves/for others) with [aspect] and Maids being those that protect themselves and others. This also could allude to Roxy's description of the active/passive classes being similar to the "attack/defend powers in an RPG".

Yet another interpretation is that a Maid is "one who gives [aspect]". Aradia gave the Trolls, Dave, and Rose time when she stalled Jack Noir and boosted the meteor towards its destination, and Jane is able to give life to others by reviving them once they die.

One historical reference for the term 'maid' is "unmarried lady of noble birth who attends a queen or princess," (think Maid Marian of Robin Hood fame) which could place this class among the highly-active royalty derived classes like Lord and Prince. This interpretation would also make sense with respect to Jane Crocker being the 'heiress' to Crocker Corp but not actual royalty, and Porrim Maryam being in the class that tends to the Mother Grub (similar to a queen of insect hives) and took part in this occupation (unlike Kanaya).

Page
The exact definition of the Page class is currently unknown, as is its passive/active alignment, though it is hinted that the class "provides others with [aspect]" or "creates [aspect]" as seen HS 6829 (here). The Page of Breath, Tavros Nitram, was shown exhaling with breath that resembled the Breath symbol when preparing to revive Vriska with a kiss.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Page outfit has a HS 9726 (front pocket) akin to a typical hoodie. It shares this quality with the Heir, Rogue and Maid outfits, although it's currently unclear whether the other classes have similarly equipped outfits.

Pages seem to have a tendency to begin their sessions with a personal deficit in their aspect. Tavros entered the Medium crippled with dreams of flying, and had to overcome this (using a rocket car and robotic legs) in order to make any significant impact on the session. Similarly, Horuss Zahhak, Page of Void starts out with a deficit of nothing, being a high ranking renaissance troll with many skills.

Dirk (albeit the splintered version of Dirk that exists only within Jake's subconscious) HS 6775 (reveals) that Pages have a lot of untapped potential and once they find this potential within them they are adept at using it. In Caliborn 's conversation with Jake, he reveals that if Jake realizes his powers as a Page of Hope, Jake might become powerful enough to defeat him, despite Caliborn being a Lord (one of the two master classes). This corroborates the idea that Pages are extremely powerful, once they realize their potential. This potential is also HS 4068 (hinted at) when Tavros and Aradia talk about how Tavros's Flarp class Boy-Skylark's HS 8476 (and here) when Aranea said

Known Pages are Jake English, the Page of Hope; Tavros Nitram, the Page of Breath; and Horuss Zahhak, the Page of Void.

Speculation
Due to the contextual relation in the name, Pages are speculated to be the passive (+) counterpart to a Knight. (In medieval times, a Page was a sort of apprentice to a Knight; this interpretation of the title's origin more closely aligns with the feudalistic naming scheme of the classes). Knights are thought to be warriors that exploit or equip themselves with their aspect as a weapon: one who wields one's aspect, while the Page may be the passive counterpart: one who equips others with one's aspect. This implies that Tavros, as the Page of Breath, is able to equip others with breath, explaining the Breath symbol that appeared when he prepared to revive Vriska with his kiss.

However, "Page" could also be taken as "a blank sheet of paper," which would point to the potential they have and possibly make the Page as actually something to do with exploiting potential rather than that just being a side effect of their powers.

Page may also refer to the middle age term for a young knight in training. This would directly enact the idea of a page being weak at first but having extreme potential.

Pages might be a male-exclusive class, as the real-life profession is that of a male servant. But it could be available for all genders since the speculated counterpart is the Knight which is an all-gender class (both Karkat Vantas, Dave Strider and Latula Pyrope are confirmed Knights).

Knight
The Knight is a class assigned to both male and female players. The exact powers of a Knight are unknown, but it has been HS 6254 (described by Aradia) as warriors that exploit their aspect as a weapon. It is unclear where they fall on the active/passive axis.

Known Knights are Dave Strider, the Knight of Time; Karkat Vantas, the Knight of Blood; and Latula Pyrope, the Knight of Mind.

Speculation
The Knight could be defined as "one who equips themselves with [aspect]" or "one who improves themselves with [aspect]," as supported by Aradia's statement, Dave's manipulation of the timeline for his own benefits, and Karkat's leadership efforts to make bonds to unify his team as well as his calls on his teammates against adversaries; this could make it the active counterpart to Page (see above).

The Knight is often secondarily tasked with breeding the Genesis Frog; in two sessions (A2 and B1) seen thus far, the Knight has assisted the Hero of Space in the breeding. The extent to which this is required in sessions with a Knight is unclear, as is the necessity of a Knight for a successful session.

All Knights seen thus far have made a point of concealing their innermost selves- in part because of a physical "imperfection"- where possible. Dave puts on the "aloof coolkid" mask, complete with shades that hide his emotions. Karkat has his "shouty angry leader" act, in part because of the aspirations he had to become a leader- aspirations that are speculated to be a means for him to deal with otherwise crippling self deprecation on account of his mutated blood. Latula's "rad girl gamer" act fits with this pattern as well, as it was noted by Aranea in Openbound 1 that the Knight had lost her sense of smell.

It may be significant that two Knights have been seen to have problems with other versions of themselves- Dave being creeped out by the "other hims" and Karkat always having arguments with his future and past selves. No example of this has been seen with Latula, however.

Knight is also sometimes speculated as a "protector", or one who uses their aspect to protect their teammates rather than to advance themselves, which could potentially make it counterpart to Heir or Maid instead. Dave has so far saved the lives of all the members of his team. Karkat tried to protect his team through his leadership; for example: Gamzee and Eridan in their rampages; and in pacifying Gamzee. On a more personal level, it may be interpreted as "one who protects/conceals their [aspect]," as Dave is responsible for maintaining the timelines, Karkat attempts to keep his mutant blood color a secret, and Porrim strongly suspects that Latula is hiding the true extent of her knowledge. Karkat, as the Knight of Blood, also has a unique leadership role, being outside the hemospectrum, and better suited to pacify a jumble of different-blooded trolls. This could qualify as using his blood to his advantage.

Knights might be protectors of their aspect as well, examples being Dave's conscious efforts to maintain the timeline and concerns over John's new timeline-altering powers, as well as Karkat's protection of his team/comrades (Blood) throughout their session and post-scratch.

Seer
The Seer is, assigned to both male and female players, that uses extensive knowledge to coordinate their team members. According to Aradia, they understand their aspect comprehensively (for example, Terezi knows all consequences of individual actions, and Rose knows the "most fortuitous path" and what happens in it). also states that Seers will keep their party from making grave mistakes, as if they had a strategy guide for Sburb imprinted deep in their mind. He also mentions that the knowledge of offshoot timeline outcomes are HS 5732 (fully within their domains). This is later seen to be definitely true as all known seers have been known to gain information from the experiences of their alternate selves. John speculated to himself that a Seer might be ,HS 9051 but he was likely talking about Seers of Mind specifically, not all Seers. The Sufferer (reincarnation of Kankri Vantas, the Seer of Blood) was able to recall his past incarnation.

Two of the Seers can hear the mental commands of the exiles HS 3424 (louder and clearer than the other players). One of the Mages apparently HS 4409 (experienced this as well.)

Known Seers are Rose Lalonde, the Seer of Light; Terezi Pyrope, the Seer of Mind; and Kankri Vantas, the Seer of Blood.

Speculation
The Seer is usually taken as "one who benefits others with their knowledge pertaining to [aspect]" or "one who leads and guides with knowledge pertaining to [aspect]". As stated below, a Mage/Seer class pairing is strongly implied.

Mage
The exact definition of the Mage class is unknown, as is its passive/active alignment. The Mage class is assigned to both males and females.

Known Mages are Sollux Captor, the Mage of Doom; and Meulin Leijon, the Mage of Heart.

Speculation
The Mage class is most commonly thought to be the active (-) counterpart to Seer, someone that "benefits themselves with knowledge pertaining to [aspect]" and "guides by setting an example using knowledge pertaining to [aspect]," like how Sollux actively led the surviving trolls away from their doom. The pairing is further alluded to by the fact that, in the post-scratch Troll session, only the Seer and Mage are blind, and Sollux says that HS 3982 In the pre-scratch session, however, the Mage was the only one of the pair to lose one of their senses--Meulin's hearing. The fact that Latula, the Knight of Mind, lost her sense of smell calls the pairing into question. Alternatively, a Mage may display the absence of their aspect. Despite being known to be a miracle worker when it comes to match making, Meulin's own romantic history ironically is riddled with trouble and heartbreak. Sollux is known to evade absolute death, even becoming only half-dead. Therefore, a Mage may "forfeit [aspect] to gain knowledge pertaining [aspect]". In addition, Mages, like Seers, seem to be HS 4406 (more directly cognizant of their exiles' commands.) Sollux also is able to sense impending doom through the voices of the dead. Because of this, some speculate that Mages relate to knowledge and are similar to Seers. However, Mituna also saw a great doom ahead of time and promptly stopped it despite being the Heir of Doom rather than a Mage of Doom, leading to a possibility that those with the Doom aspect generally have some ability to foresee doom and calamity no matter which class they are assigned to.

Mages could also be speculated as "one who receives knowledge from [aspect]" as opposed to the Seer's "one who gains knowledge through [aspect]". Sollux heard the voices of the imminently dead (the doomed), and Meulin, despite being deaf, is able to communicate with her ex-matesprit; in essence, she could hear his soul (which could be taken literally, given his use of telepathy, she hears his self).

Another definition is that a Mage is "one who creates [aspect]". Sollux created the mobius double reacharound virus, which supposedly works like a curse that resulted in the death of the trolls lusii, although it actually prevented a far more sinister timeline in which Gamzee kills everyone. Sollux's creation of Sgrub, as well as the creation of the virus, could also be seen as evidence that Mages are in fact "ones who create [aspect]," although whether this makes the class active or passive is debatable. Meulin's reputed skills as a masterful matchmaker, even bringing together unlikely pairings, also supports this view.

Mage class could also be the passive (+) counterpart to the Witch class and can mean "one who manipulates with or through the use of [aspect]" or "one who is manipulated by [aspect]". This can be shown by how Meulin is being manipulated through Kurloz, her former matesprit (which is the quadrant represented by a heart), and how Sollux was manipulated by the voices of the imminently deceased or the doomed, as well as ghostly Aradia.

Yet another speculation is that Mage is synonymous to being "given protection from [aspect]'s ill effects". Sollux had two dream selves, was able to exit the dream bubble he was in, and only half died, while Meulin seems to have been spared heartbreak despite her romantic troubles.

Alternately, a Mage could be "one who uses [aspect] to the benefit of others, but to the detriment of themselves". This would explain the fact that Sollux's abilities benefit the team overall, but cause him a great deal of personal distress. It would also account for the fact that Meulin has such terrible luck in her romantic life, despite her outstanding ability to bring other couples together.

Sylph
The Sylph is a magic-based class that is thought to specialize in healing. As a Sylph of Light, Aranea healed primarily by helping people to see things, both figuratively and literally. In the figurative sense, she focused on helping people to heal from psychological wounds. In the literal sense, she restores Terezi's eyesight for her, as well as Jake's mind. Its placement on the passive/active scale is unknown, although most speculate it to be passive (+). All seen Sylphs have been female, however whether the Sylph class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Witch or Maid classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive, then the Sylph class would be female exclusive. As of the gigapause, there is a 91.6% chance that Sylphs are female exclusive.

Known Sylphs are Kanaya Maryam, the Sylph of Space; and Aranea Serket, the Sylph of Light.

Speculation
Kanaya HS 5205 (states) that a Sylph is, meaning that it is possible that the Witch class could be its active (-) counterpart; it could be that Sylphs benefit others in an abstract or psychological sense of their aspect while Witches manipulate it more practically, in a physical sense, which would be supported by the actions of Jade and Aranea, the two main examples of Sylphs and Witches. However she later HS 8181 (states), casting that into doubt.

Sylphs and Witches could have something to do with secrets as well. The traditional connotations of sylphs and witches are generally mysterious and secretive. All of the known Sylphs and Witches are friendly, even-tempered or perhaps inconsequential on the surface (Feferi, Jade, Aranea, Kanaya, Damara before she was corrupted), but they were actually all surprisingly powerful in some way, and could get really fiery if you pushed them to their limits. Additionally, the known Witches and Sylphs seem to have entered their sessions quite late, and according to Jade's comments it was quite a long path realizing herself as a witch, as she was the last to enter, the last to find her powers, and the last to god tier. This would be supported by Aranea's unlocking light for others, and Jade's unlocking space by her teleporting, expanding/shrinking, and moving powers.

Maids are also speculated to be Sylphs' active (-) counterpart as one who heals or restores. Aradia, as the Maid of Time, used time travel to avert doomed timelines, thus "repairing" the timeline, and Jane, as the Maid of Life, healed herself using her powers, which is similar to Aranea's use of light to heal people. Jane and Kanaya also had similar transformations into absurd creatures who avenged themselves on insensitive characters, with several directly parallel panels.

Witch
The Witch is. The exact definition of the Witch class is unknown. Jade Harley (the Witch of Space) is able to change the size, velocity, and position of things in space, and an alternate-timeline Feferi (the Witch of Life) was shown healing WV in a dream bubble. All seen Witches have been female, however, whether the Witch class is exclusively female is unknown. Should either the Maid or Sylph classes be revealed to not be female exclusive, or either the Page or Heir classes be revealed to be male exclusive, than the Witch class would be female exclusive. As of the gigapause, there is a 91.6% chance that Witches are female exclusive.

Known Witches are Jade Harley, the Witch of Space; Feferi Peixes, the Witch of Life; and Damara Megido, the Witch of Time.

Speculation
The most common definition of a Witch is "one who manipulates [aspect]," although that seems a little vague. Witches are most possibly the active (-) counterpart to Sylph, which is explored in the Sylph section, as either "one who physically or literally manipulates [aspect] to benefit themselves" (as opposed to "one who abstractly or psychologically manipulates [aspect] to benefit others") or else "one who unlocks [aspect]" (as opposed to "one who unlocks [aspect] for others".)

Another speculation is that Witch is related to "breaking the rules" of their aspect. Feferi was able to establish an afterlife through dream bubbles, therefore breaking the rules of Life. Jade displays powers that completely go against the laws of physics. This could make Witches the active (-) counterpart to Mages, if they are also related to the rules in some fashion as is sometimes speculated, whether it be the Mage enforcing/enacting the rules due to being manipulated by said rules or the Mage having the power to manipulate the rules.

While Witches manipulate their aspect, Heirs appear to be manipulated by their aspect and passively control their aspect. This could make Heirs the passive (+) counterpart to Witches.

Witch could also be a pun. Witches might choose "which" portion of their aspect they want, such as Jade choosing which Space to occupy, including traveling to another session, and Feferi choosing which Life to lead.

and

 * Bard redirects here. For the protagonist of Bard Quest, see the Bard.

Bard and Prince are a pair of classes, respectively passive (+) and active (-), that are exclusively male and deal with destruction. The Prince, as the active, is literally simplified to "destroyer of [aspect]" or "one who destroys via [aspect]". Bards are somewhat stranger, in that they "allow destruction of [aspect]" or "invite destruction through [aspect]". The Bard is also quite the wildcard, unpredictable by nature and thus equally likely to help or hinder his party, often to great effect. In extreme cases they are single-handedly responsible for their party's massive downfall, their improbable victory, or sometimes even both.

The Prince's powers seem to include, (aside from their obvious abilities to channel their aspect to destroy, or simply destroy their aspect outright) phenomenal offensive abilities: If the pre-scratch version of Dave's bro is any indication, Dirk is also an incredibly strong fighter. Princes, it seems, are devoid of their aspect. Due to their nature as the destroyer class, it stands to reason that they destroy their aspect in themselves; Dirk describes himself as heartless and Eridan says that there is no hope left when he wants to join Jack, making him hopeless. Additionally, Kurloz, the Prince of Rage, is always seen as being completely calm in all situations, meaning he completely lacks rage.

Gamzee, as the Bard of Rage, could enter some sort of berserk mode, causing deep fear in everyone around and becoming exceptionally strong. When he did, he was surrounded by a strange purple lightning, which turned red later, and may have been Rage itself considering the purple colours of his god tier robes. This suggests that Bards can use their aspect to improve their own abilities and possibly others. Throughout most of his life and most of the game, he allowed his rage (his calling as grand highblood) to be destroyed by consuming his Sopor slime which left him docile and harmless. Later on he allows his Rage to be destroyed by Karkat and sets a trap for Terezi that, by inspiring Rage against Vriska, invites her to commit destruction. During his stay on the meteor, his uncanny ability to inspire Rage in Terezi results in him becoming her kismesis, which proves to be a very negative (or self-destructive, as it were) relationship for her. He has been seen in god tier clothing while in possession of Aradia's music box time machines. Cronus destroyed his own "hope" or fantasy of being a wizard.

Speculation
Alternative to the previous views on a pure-destructive class, the Prince class may also be one that destroys in order to make new opportunities for creation, for rebuilding and improvement on their aspect. The prime example of this is Dirk as the Prince of Heart: 1) He breaks the heart of Roxy and her obsession with him so that she might develop stronger relationships with others over the course of their game. 2) Dirk destroys Jake's fake confidence and fantasies of adventure so that he might develop the real confidence necessary to pursue his true power as a Page of Hope. 3) Dirk destroys Jane's romantic chances with Jake, forcing her to come to terms with her timid and go-with-the-flow personality so that she can become a stronger and more decisive person in the future. 4) Dave's bro and B1 iteration of Dirk destroys Dave's emotional development as a child, only to have B2 Dirk become someone cathartic and healing to his lingering emotional issues. 5) Dirk even breaks himself down into 'splinters' in attempts to improve and better understand himself, but winds up forced to confront the most negative aspects of his personality and how to overcome them.

Eridan can also be viewed in this way, as he forcefully destroyed Hope in his destruction of the Matriorb and killing members of the troll group, but in so doing forced them out of the lingering depression and inertia caused by their failures in creating the B1 universe and the unleashed dog-Jack killing their dream-selves. Eridan's actions become important for building new relationships and creating a new hope for the future of trolls as they join the humans in the B2 session.

Bards can be seen as the opposite of the Prince pattern. They would build up the aspect in themselves and others before using it to bring destruction physically or destroy their aspect in others. Gamzee destroyed his own innate rage with the sopor slime before entering their game, only to go off of it and becoming highly destructive as a result. Before their falling out, he can calm Karkat (a rage-aholic) when no one else can and destroying his rage directly. Gamzee in the pre-retcon timeline has a relationship with Terezi which destroys her fighting spirit and confidence. Inspiring rage in the other trolls to prevent them from fighting effectively is part of what ultimately led to all of their destruction in the Game Over timeline. Most importantly to the story, Gamzee helps Caliborn control his rage and destructive impulses so that he can more effectively bring destruction to others.

The god tier outfit for Princes seems to consist of pantaloons and a tiara, much like an ordinary prince, despite the class's non-literal nature. Interestingly, the tiara appears to be HS 8853 (attached) to the hood. Dirk later confirms that the hood does indeed have "" It should be noted that, in a somewhat related circumstance, the god tier outfit of the Bard class comes standard with a clown-like form better suiting a jester and massive codpiece, which is a highly likely reference to Bard Quest's Hull of the Flagship codpiece.

Prince may have been made a "destroyer class" as a reference to the King's Quest series of computer games, in which destroying things is considered "the nature of princes".

Known Bards are Gamzee Makara, the Bard of Rage; and Cronus Ampora, the Bard of Hope. Known Princes are Dirk Strider, the Prince of Heart; Eridan Ampora, the Prince of Hope; and Kurloz Makara, the Prince of Rage.

and
Calliope has stated that these two classes (the so-called master classes) are significantly more powerful than the others, and that these are the classes she and Caliborn have. Her class, Muse, is female-exclusive and the most passive (+) of all classes, while Caliborn's class, Lord, is male-exclusive and the most active (-). Presumably, these classes are paired.

It could be speculated that these classes deal with interference in a cosmic level, with destroying the dream bubbles and being the leader of  (who are notorious for interfering with time -- although this theoretically may just be due to the fact that the aspect of their player, who is Caliborn, is time; eg, a hero of light might have luck/fortune based leprechauns, or a hero of breath might have wind based leprechauns) and Calliope inserting herself, or at least, her trollsona, into real events.

It could also be speculated that the muse class is based on the traditional role of a Muse, to inspire. The tale of Calliope's tragedy has inspired hundreds of souls to seek her soul out, or, at the very least, to seek a way to kill Caliborn. This also ties in with the Muse being the most passive class of all, as all Calliope has done to fulfil her role is die at her brother's hands.

If Caliborn's HS 7571 (rant) is anything to go by, progressing as a Lord involves excruciating effort and a large amount of suffering. Also, in place of other players, Caliborn, as the Lord of Time, has several underlings with time-themed powers and apparently must learn to command them in order to make any progress in his session.

In fact, taking all of the above points together, it may be suggested that the two master classes are at least partially codified by the ability of the player to influence events indirectly: the Muse inspires others' actions despite not being in a position to do anything directly by herself, while the Lord instructs his minions' actions HS 5970 (in the places he cannot reach.)

It is possible that these classes are "master classes" in the sense that they are "master copies," or guidelines for what defines active and passive classes. Alternatively, it could also be presumed that the lord holds the combined roles of the active (-) classes, while the muse has the roles of the passive (+).

Aranea, in Act 6 Intermission 5, describes the two options Yaldabaoth offers Caliborn in The Choice. The options may delineate the roles of the two master classes. Caliborn, of course, as an active player, chooses the more active choice: to prove himself through a series of trials before receiving unconditional immortality and a limitless supply of power, "to destroy anything he wanted, for as long as he wanted". The other option, which could correspond to Calliope's role as a Muse, is for the player to give up all ambition and accept her own death in exchange for the promise that her sacrifice will benefit all who ever lived by ending "a force of unfathoma8le evil and destruction" - in other words, the player who chose the first option.

Caliborn's Lord outfit is composed of a HS 8789 (cloak longer than the Heir hood) which drapes over his shoulders, HS 8797 (apparently double pronged) at the end, but otherwise seems to match his previous outfit, complete with green suspenders and pants which leave his robotic leg uncovered, along with a lime green bowtie, identical to his text color. It's not clear whether this is Caliborn's original default Lord of Time outfit or a modified version like Meenah's outfit in Ministrife, but modifications very likely took place. The suspenders are identical to the green suspenders from his previous outfit which he previously pledged to never stop wearing, and is a good tailor.HS 7965 In addition, it appears the right pant leg, along with probably the leg itself, was torn off so that Caliborn could replace it with a gold robotic prosthetic.

Trivia

 * On  during Act 6, before the existence of the Muse and Lord classes were revealed, Hussie hinted that more classes may exist. One of these hints includes a reference to the often joked about 48 player squiddle session with a suggestion against the idea of classes being doubled up in sessions, this would imply that at least 48 separate classes exist.
 * Hussie also stated that each class only has one syllable in its name.
 * In Namco High, the Cousin is pseudo-canonically an Heir. While the gender alignment of the Heir class is currently unrevealed, in canon it has only been assigned to male characters, however as, if Namco High is accurate this would mean that the Heir class is not male exclusive, unless exceptions are made for gender-neutral individuals.
 * It wasn't until HS 9987 that the Mage's outfit sprites were revealed, during the battle against Lord English.
 * There is evidence which seems to indicate that Calliope's theories about class gender restrictions may be incorrect.
 * Calliope's theories HS 7009 (aren't always accurate).
 * Calliope's understanding of gender may be based on the concept of her own species' duality, so what she may understand as gendered traits may be according to personality traits contrasting her and Caliborn.
 * When asked about the possibility of a female character with the Prince class, Andrew Hussie wouldn't rule it out. It's unclear whether this means Calliope was canonically wrong about gender bias, or if Hussie was simply lifting the restrictions for fan content.
 * A forum page to discuss theories regarding class can be found here.