UnlockingThere are currently 17 characters and to unlock each of them you need to complete a specific task in the game. The unlock requirements are as follows:REGULAR CHARACTERSIsaac: None, unlocked by default;Magdalene: Have 7 or more Red Heart Containers at once;Cain: Hold 55 coins at once;Judas: Defeat Satan;???(Blue Baby): Defeat Mom’s Heart 10 times;Eve: Don’t get a Heart for 2 floors in a row;Samson: Complete 2 floors in a row without taking damage;Azazel: Make 3 deals with the devil in one run;Lazarus: Have 4 or more Soul Hearts at once;Eden: Complete Chapter 4;The Lost: Die in a Sacrifice Room while holding the Missing Poster (defeat The Lamb as Isaac)Lilith: Defeat Ultra Greed as Azazel;Keeper: In Greed mode, donate 1000 coins to the Greed Donation Machine after defeating the Final Boss.Apollyon: Defeat Mega Satan;The Forgotten:Unlocking The ForgottenThe Lamb must have been defeated previously before The Forgotten can be unlocked, and unlocking The Forgotten can be done in both Normal and Hard difficulty. Having The Negative unlocked is recommended.(in Repentance and Repentance+) Step 1 and Step 2 can be circumvented entirely if the player manages to use Spindown Dice on Mucormycosis, as it will reroll into the completed Shovel. In addition, the Myosotis trinket can be used to carry the Broken Shovel pickup across floors until Depths II as long as it is not picked up and there is not too many other pickups on the floor.First, start a new unseeded run as any character. Defeat the first floor’s boss within 1 minute. If done correctly, Mom will yell and the sound of running footsteps will play, then a large shadow of a shovel handle will loom over the floor of the starting room. Bombing anywhere in the starting room will spawn the Broken Shovel. Initially the shovel piece behaves like a pickup, laying on the floor, and turns into an active collectible only when touched for the first time.Holding the Broken Shovel will cause Mom to continually try to stomp Isaac. Using the Broken Shovel will stop the stomping for the current room, but will only stop the stomping for the current boss wave in the Boss Rush.The stomps won’t happen in the Mom fight.(except in Repentance and Repentance+) Stomps count as explosions, so Pyromaniac or Host Hat provide immunity to them.Stomps break rocks and damage enemies. If the player has Gnawed Leaf and a lot of patience, the stomps will eventually clear most rooms.Stomps will open secret rooms.On XL floors, only the last boss must be defeated. IV – The Emperor Card allows the first boss to be skipped.Once the Broken Shovel is picked up, it must not be replaced by another active item. If it is on an item pedestal when Isaac leaves the room, it will disappear.If Isaac has Schoolbag, another active item can still be carried safely.(in Repentance and Repentance+) Mom still stomps if the Broken Shovel is carried in either Schoolbag slot.The stomps can be prevented if Broken Shovel is carried inside Moving Box and then unpacked right before the Mom fight.If playing in Co-op, Mom will only target the player with the Broken Shovel. If this character dies, the stomps will still continue, targeting only the dead player. If Mom is defeated while the character holding the Broken Shovel is dead, the Boss Rush door will still open after resurrection and the womb entrance will be sealed. However the player holding the shovel cannot die during boss rush or else the second piece of the shovel will not spawn. If playing Co-op to unlock the forgotten and the player holding the shovel was resurrected it is recommended to have that player only focus on dodging, or better, if there is an active item in boss rush to replace the shovel (make sure to pick it up again before completing boss rush).(in Repentance and Repentance+) Mama Mega! can also be used to spawn the Broken Shovel.Next, clear Boss Rush. This will grant the second piece of the Broken Shovel, completing Mom’s Shovel.(in Repentance and Repentance+) The player should be careful if they are playing as Tainted Isaac, due to the fact that the 2nd piece of the broken shovel will be shifting between the shovel piece and a random item.The Broken Shovel must be held when the boss rush is beaten. Otherwise, only a normal boss rush completion item will drop.After defeating Mom, if it is unlocked, only The Negative will spawn, otherwise a standard boss item will spawn.If The Negative is not unlocked, the player must use a Sacrifice Room to proceed to Dark Room, this is not guaranteed to happen on every run.The normal 20-minute time limit to reach Boss Rush does not apply. The hole to Womb after Mom will be sealed until the Boss Rush is completed.After Mom’s Shovel is acquired, Mom’s feet will stop attempting to stomp Isaac.Finally, a single Grave Room with a Dirt Patch in its center will appear in the Dark Room. Using Mom’s Shovel while standing on the Dirt Patch unlocks The Forgotten.If the Grave Room is exited before the soul reaches the top of the screen, The Forgotten may not unlock.Holding Mom’s Shovel prevents the beam of light to the Cathedral from appearing, forcing Isaac into the trapdoor to Sheol.If stuck, confused, or frustrated, check the Broken Shovel page for tips and help.Bethany: Defeat Mom’s Heart/It Lives! on Hard Mode as Lazarus, without dying;Jacob and Esau: Defeat Mother;TAINTED CHARACTERSTainted versions are new skins for the characters that bring new items to be unlocked.To unlock the Tainted versions you must:1 – Defeat Mother on the “Corpse” Floor to unlock the “Home” Floor.2 – Open the Mom Chest on the “Home” Floor to unlock the Red Key.3 – With each character, use the Red Key to open the hidden closet on the “Home” Floor.
Characters main infos.
Isaac: None, unlocked by default;
Magdalene: Have 7 or more Red Heart Containers at once;
Cain: Hold 55 coins at once;
Judas: Defeat Satan;
???(Blue Baby): Defeat Mom’s Heart 10 times;
Eve: Don’t get a Heart for 2 floors in a row;
Samson: Complete 2 floors in a row without taking damage;
Azazel: Make 3 deals with the devil in one run;
Lazarus: Have 4 or more Soul Hearts at once;
Eden: Complete Chapter 4;
The Lost: Die in a Sacrifice Room while holding the Missing Poster (defeat The Lamb as Isaac to unlock)
Lilith: Defeat Ultra Greed as Azazel;
Keeper: In Greed mode, donate 1000 coins to the Greed Donation Machine after defeating the Final Boss.
Apollyon: Defeat Mega Satan;
The Forgotten:
Unlocking The Forgotten
The Lamb must have been defeated previously before The Forgotten can be unlocked, and unlocking The Forgotten can be done in both Normal and Hard difficulty. Having The Negative unlocked is recommended.
(in Repentance and Repentance+) Step 1 and Step 2 can be circumvented entirely if the player manages to use Spindown Dice on Mucormycosis, as it will reroll into the completed Shovel. In addition, the Myosotis trinket can be used to carry the Broken Shovel pickup across floors until Depths II as long as it is not picked up and there is not too many other pickups on the floor.
First, start a new unseeded run as any character. Defeat the first floor’s boss within 1 minute. If done correctly, Mom will yell and the sound of running footsteps will play, then a large shadow of a shovel handle will loom over the floor of the starting room. Bombing anywhere in the starting room will spawn the Broken Shovel. Initially the shovel piece behaves like a pickup, laying on the floor, and turns into an active collectible only when touched for the first time.
Holding the Broken Shovel will cause Mom to continually try to stomp Isaac. Using the Broken Shovel will stop the stomping for the current room, but will only stop the stomping for the current boss wave in the Boss Rush.
The stomps won’t happen in the Mom fight.
(except in Repentance and Repentance+) Stomps count as explosions, so Pyromaniac or Host Hat provide immunity to them.
Stomps break rocks and damage enemies. If the player has Gnawed Leaf and a lot of patience, the stomps will eventually clear most rooms.
Stomps will open secret rooms.
On XL floors, only the last boss must be defeated. IV – The Emperor Card allows the first boss to be skipped.
Once the Broken Shovel is picked up, it must not be replaced by another active item. If it is on an item pedestal when Isaac leaves the room, it will disappear.
If Isaac has Schoolbag, another active item can still be carried safely.
(in Repentance and Repentance+) Mom still stomps if the Broken Shovel is carried in either Schoolbag slot.
The stomps can be prevented if Broken Shovel is carried inside Moving Box and then unpacked right before the Mom fight.
If playing in Co-op, Mom will only target the player with the Broken Shovel. If this character dies, the stomps will still continue, targeting only the dead player. If Mom is defeated while the character holding the Broken Shovel is dead, the Boss Rush door will still open after resurrection and the womb entrance will be sealed. However the player holding the shovel cannot die during boss rush or else the second piece of the shovel will not spawn. If playing Co-op to unlock the forgotten and the player holding the shovel was resurrected it is recommended to have that player only focus on dodging, or better, if there is an active item in boss rush to replace the shovel (make sure to pick it up again before completing boss rush).
(in Repentance and Repentance+) Mama Mega! can also be used to spawn the Broken Shovel.
Next, clear Boss Rush. This will grant the second piece of the Broken Shovel, completing Mom’s Shovel.
(in Repentance and Repentance+) The player should be careful if they are playing as Tainted Isaac, due to the fact that the 2nd piece of the broken shovel will be shifting between the shovel piece and a random item.
The Broken Shovel must be held when the boss rush is beaten. Otherwise, only a normal boss rush completion item will drop.
After defeating Mom, if it is unlocked, only The Negative will spawn, otherwise a standard boss item will spawn.
If The Negative is not unlocked, the player must use a Sacrifice Room to proceed to Dark Room, this is not guaranteed to happen on every run.
The normal 20-minute time limit to reach Boss Rush does not apply. The hole to Womb after Mom will be sealed until the Boss Rush is completed.
After Mom’s Shovel is acquired, Mom’s feet will stop attempting to stomp Isaac.
Finally, a single Grave Room with a Dirt Patch in its center will appear in the Dark Room. Using Mom’s Shovel while standing on the Dirt Patch unlocks The Forgotten.
If the Grave Room is exited before the soul reaches the top of the screen, The Forgotten may not unlock.
Holding Mom’s Shovel prevents the beam of light to the Cathedral from appearing, forcing Isaac into the trapdoor to Sheol.
If stuck, confused, or frustrated, check the Broken Shovel page for tips and help.
Bethany: Defeat Mom’s Heart/It Lives! on Hard Mode as Lazarus, without dying;
Jacob and Esau: Defeat Mother;
Tainted versions are new skins for the characters that bring new items to be unlocked.
To unlock the Tainted versions you must:
1 – Defeat Mother on the “Corpse” Floor to unlock the “Home” Floor.
2 – Open the Mom Chest on the “Home” Floor to unlock the Red Key.
3 – With each character, use the Red Key to open the hidden closet on the “Home” Floor.
And that wraps up our share on The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth: HOW TO UNLOCK ALL CHARACTERS. If you have any additional insights or tips to contribute, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. For a more in-depth read, you can refer to the original article here by Jck Adx, who deserves all the credit. Happy gaming!