Class

A Sburb player's assigned title consists of 2 parts - the aspect, and the class, the latter indicating the intended role of the player, and how they may use their aspect. There are 14 known classes, consisting of 12 "normal" classes and two "master" classes.

While several class mechanics are explicitly explained throughout Homestuck, others are only implied.

Passive and Active
Classes can be paired based on the similarity of their role's function; within these pairs, one class serves as passive (+), the other active (-), with each member of a particular pair executing their roles differently. Simplistically, active means offensive, passive means defensive, where active classes employ or affect their aspect directly and for their own gain, and passive classes are affected by their aspect, and work to benefit their team. It is a vague concept with some flexibility, however Calliope gives two examples of this pairing dichotomy: In the case of a Rogue/Thief HS 4514 (pairing), both classes 'steal', however Rogues do so to help their teammates, and Thieves do so for their own benefit. Alternatively, in the Bard/Prince HS 4564 (pairing), both classes cause destruction, with Bards bringing about/catalysing the destruction, and Princes directly destroying.

The passive/active system exists HS 5093 (on a scale), with some classes being more passive or active than others. Excluding the master classes, no class's position on the scale has been revealed, although some hints have been given. Hussie has stated that the passiveness or activeness of a class is determined by multiple factors, and is related to whether the player is a Prospit or Derse dreamer.

The 12 classes and their passive/active alignment are believed to be connected with Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung's mythic Archetypes.

Gendered Alignment
Classes also have gender alignments, with some being exclusive to a certain gender, and others being assigned to both males and females. While not all alignments are known, Calliope HS 4514 (has stated) there to be equal numbers of male-exclusive and female-exclusive classes. Three male-exclusive classes are known (Bard, Prince and Lord), and a single female-exclusive class (Muse). Of the remaining 10 classes, 5 are known to have been assigned to multiple genders (Knight, Rogue, Thief, Seer, and Mage) - though some appear more commonly amongst a certain gender - the remaining 5 having been only assigned to a single gender in canon, but unconfirmed as being gender-exclusive (Heir, Maid, Page, Sylph, and Witch). At least 2 of the remaining classes must therefore be female-exclusive, in order to balance the number of known male-exclusive classes (presumably Witch and Maid, given their feminine connotations).

and
The Thief and Rogue class paring is typically - though not exclusively - assigned to female players, being respectively active (-) and passive (+). 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. Essentially, the Thief is one who steals their aspect or steals using their aspect, and the Rogue is one who steals their aspect, or steals from their aspect for the betterment of others.

Vriska, the Thief of Light, is notable for stealing "luck" from her allies or enemies, and in doing so makes outcomes fall into her favour. 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 4605 ("voidey blackout bullshit") follow her wherever she goes, and consequently HS 5461 (obfuscated the view) of the HS 7265 (entire B2 session), though these manifestations of her aspect seem to be largely unintentional. Roxy also regularly ganked pumpkins from Jake's island (gourds noted as being mostly detached from reality) to help feed the Carapacians in her neighbourhood, in-keeping with the "Robin Hood" comparison sometimes attributed to the Rogue class. She is also able to materialise HS 6463 (objects out of thin air) by stealing HS 6293 (the essence of nothingness from an idea.)

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 4062 (lengthen the lifespans of others), possibly indefinitely, on a whim.

Not immediately apparent in most renditions, the Rogue outfit has a HS 7626 (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
John, the Heir of Breath, was saved by the Breeze twice before he learned to consciously use it. Jack Noir, along with Jade Harley, were HS 3553 (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 5347 (wisps of wind) and reforming behind him. He was seen summoning HS 3498 (large), HS 4109 (tornado-like structures) on LOHAC and on Skaia as well. He HS 3684 (used the Breeze to lift the Prospitian battleship) containing WV and the Courtyard Droll, created a windy shield in Collide and was an important influenced in his session's direction, for example, HS 1091 (gifting Rose her signature knitting 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. His blood was used to HS 5110 (block out information) in Rose's tome, and his death can be seen as a pun on his title, as he was HS 3448 (killed) by being rendered "Void of Air".

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

The Heir outfit has a HS 7225 (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
It is speculated that heirs invite change in [aspect], or are ones who invites change through their [aspect]; they are apparently drawn to their aspect, subconsciously seeking it. They may also be defined as one who is consumed by their [aspect], one who becomes their [aspect], or one who is surrounded by their [aspect], as seen when John, surrounded by the Windy Thing, eventually became the wind, when Equius was surrounded by a Void that protected him from ​​​'s omniscience, and when Mituna had the failure of his psiioniics envelop his mind.

The Heir class could also mean one that manipulates their [aspect] or one that changes their [aspect]. It is assumed to be the passive (+) counterpart of the Witch, as both John and Jade can seemingly 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.

The title "Heir" could also have the more literal meaning one who inherits/receives [aspect]. John, the Heir of Breath, receives a sort of freedom from the storyline and a disconnection from reality 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 irrelevance when he is killed by Gamzee, as he goes completely unmentioned and forgotten thereafter, and his blood is even used to block out information in Rose's tome.

Maid
The exact powers of Maids 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 - an ability, according to Jade, that is limited to one use per person. Likewise, its passive/active and gender alignments are unknown; all known Maids have been female, however whether the class is not confirmed as being exclusively female (should the Witch or Sylph classes be revealed as non-exclusive, or the Page or Heir classes be revealed as male-exclusive, the Maid class could then be confirmed as female-exclusive).

The Maid outfit has a HS 6722 (front pocket) akin to a typical hoodie, similar to the Heir, Rogue, and Page outfits, and features bandages wrapped around the lower legs. Maids are the only class seen with two colours (not including multiple shades of the same colour) on the shoes that are unique to the rest of the outfit.

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

Speculation
One speculation for the class is "one who creates [aspect]" or "one who creates through [aspect]" for the betterment of others.

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. 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 to the new session; she might have used her time powers to do so. Later, in Collide, Aradia used her time powers to freeze, protecting the lives of Tavros and Meenah. 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.

However, maid could be a possible counterpart to page, due to a page boy being a form of male servant.

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 4929 (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 7826 (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 4875 (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 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 2168 (hinted at) when Tavros and Aradia talk about how Tavros's Flarp class Boy-Skylark's HS 6576 (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 (Karkat Vantas, Dave Strider, and Latula Pyrope are all confirmed Knights).

A definition of page would be one who serves [aspect] or one who serves through [aspect] for themselves.

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 4354 (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 serves [aspect] or one who serves through [aspect] for the betterment of others." They also serve what there is little of in their session; for example, Karkat, the Knight of Blood (Blood being about bonds) tried to get everyone to work together but was unsuccessful. Dave represented their lack of time. he went back in time to save his friends and their whole session. Knights are not necessarily the ones who help the space player breed the Genesis Frog. It is unconfirmed whether Latula assisted Porrim with frog breeding in the A1 session. Karkat helped Kanaya breed their frog less out of necessity and more out of wanting to lead his team to victory. Curiously, the only session to succeed in breeding a healthy Genesis Frog involved the Time and Space players working together.

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 3832 (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 7151 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 1524 (louder and clearer than the other players). One of the Mages apparently HS 2509 (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
A possible speculation into Seer powers would be one who understands [aspect] or one who understands through [aspect] for others, with their active counterpart being the Mage class.

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
A definition of a Mage is one who knows about [aspect] or one who knows about [aspect] for themselves. They suffer through their aspect either having too much of it or too little of it, for example Sollux being able to see his deaths and Meulin suffering because of her relationship with Kurloz. 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 2082 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 2506 (more directly cognizant of their exiles' commands.) Sollux also is able to sense impending doom through the voices of the dead. Because of this, somespeculate 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).

A different definition may be that a Mage is "one who arms themselves with knowledge about [aspect]" which can be seen by Sollux Captor creating the HS 2086 (Mobius Double Reacharound Virus, which dooms the Trolls' Lusi, and blows up Karkat's computer.) Sollux also programs Sgrub, which causes the doom of Alternia. Both of those instances Sollux causes Doom by programming, an activity that he is very knowledgeable about. This can also be seen by how Meulin, the Mage of Heart, is very good at finding romantic pairings that will last. (However, because this can also be seen by looking at Nepeta and possibly The Disciple, so this may be part of the Heart aspect, but Dirk is seemingly unable to do this.)

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
A definition of sylph is one who heals [Aspect] or one who heals through [aspect] for others Kanaya HS 3305 (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 6281 (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 Heir, which both seem to deal with changing or manipulating their aspects. John throughout the story was referred to as a wizard, and had connections with the mythic archetype of a Magician like the Witch; such as, familiars.

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.

Witches are also likely to be a Sylph's counterpart due to the similarities between the two classes, explored in the Sylph's section.

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 6953 (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.

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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 5671 (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 4070 (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 6889 (cloak longer than the Heir hood) which drapes over his shoulders, HS 6897 (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 6065 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
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 * 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 Collide that the Mage's outfit sprites were revealed, during the battle against Lord English.
 * Also in Collide, a dead Kanaya is shown in a god tier outfit - but the pattern doesn't match Aranea, the other Sylph. This may have been unintentional, as some Kanayas are later seen with the previous sylph clothing.
 * There is evidence which seems to indicate that Calliope's theories about class gender restrictions may be incorrect.
 * Calliope's theories HS 5109 (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.
 * Andrew Hussie has jokingly stated that that Fedorafreak's class was Gent, Nicolas Cage's was Nick, and his was Waste.