PAPERHEAD unlockable characters & what we know (2026)

PAPERHEAD unlockable characters: Jeb The Scientist, Drone 0, Super Bandage Boy, Lost Soul, and Golden Buddy—Steam achievement names only, unlocks not confirmed.

10/10/2026 Last updated: 10/10/2026 3 min read

FAQ

How many unlockable characters does PAPERHEAD have?

Steam achievements reference five unlockable characters as of 2026-10-10: Jeb The Scientist, Drone 0, Super Bandage Boy, Lost Soul, and Golden Buddy.

How do you unlock Jeb The Scientist?

Not publicly confirmed. Steam only states Unlock Jeb The Scientist character on the achievement (4.2% global unlock as of 2026-10-10).

Can you replay all levels as alternate characters?

Steam lists Blood Runner (all levels as Jeb The Scientist) and HOTLINE (all levels as Super Bandage Boy). Unlocking those characters is still not publicly confirmed.

Do characters change stats or weapons?

Not verified. This page does not list damage, HP, or loadout differences—we have no confirmed comparison footage.

Where should I read achievement context?

See all 25 achievements with rates on our achievements page and campaign order on the chapter list.

How many unlockable characters are there?

Steam achievements name five unlockable runners as of 2026-10-10. Each has a dedicated Unlock … character trophy whose description does not include steps—only the unlock sentence quoted below. Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed for all five.

Nothing here covers stat spreads, passive perks, or weapon loadouts—we have no verified comparison footage.

Read all achievements for global rates and chapter list for where a full rerun would happen once conditions are known.

Frame from a full-game playthrough recording (8lCFpBuyIvU@01:00).

Who are the five named characters?

Jeb The Scientist

Steam achievement: Jeb The Scientist — Unlock Jeb The Scientist character (4.2% global unlock as of 2026-10-10)
Related run: Blood Runner — Finish all the levels as Jeb The Scientist (0.3%)
Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed
Visual clue (not unlock proof): auto-generated subtitles on a full-game recording include the phrase “Jeb speaking” (8lCFpBuyIvU@1:02:11)—dialogue attribution only, not an unlock trigger

Drone 0

Steam achievement: Drone 0 — Unlock Drone 0 character (4.0%)
Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed

Super Bandage Boy

Steam achievement: Super Bandage Boy — Unlock the Super Bandage Boy character (1.0%)
Related run: HOTLINE — Finish all the levels as Super Bandage Boy (0.1%)
Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed
Visual clue (not unlock proof): boss compilation HUD shows a bandaged boy portrait (qaYUo8TSwt4@00:05)—could reflect current runner art, not how to earn the character

Frame from a boss-fight compilation recording (RUSH PLAY / qaYUo8TSwt4@00:05)—clue only.

Lost Soul

Steam achievement: Lost Soul — Unlock the Lost Soul character (1.0%)
Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed

Golden Buddy

Steam achievement name: Golden Fre…Buddy
Steam achievement text: Unlock the Golden Buddy character (0.5%)
Unlock condition: not publicly confirmed

What does Steam prove about characters?

Achievements establish that alternate runners exist and that you can finish all levels as specific characters once unlocked (Blood Runner, HOTLINE). They do not publish how to unlock anyone, whether unlocks tie to secrets, lore, or shop clips, or whether EP.0 progress carries over—EP.0 guides are not used on this wiki for unlock steps.

According to DEVLOG 4 (published 2025-10-02, pre-release; the final build may differ), Golden clips feed an optional upgrade tree—we have not verified any link between that economy and character unlocks in full-game UI.

Source: official Steam store screenshot (facility combat—not a character select screen).

What we have not verified yet

Every unlock trigger for Jeb The Scientist, Drone 0, Super Bandage Boy, Lost Soul, and Golden Buddy
Whether the default runner has an official name on menus
Gameplay stat differences between runners
Whether unlocks require HARDCORE, PERFECT ranks, or specific lore completion

When Paperhead te4m or Steam store copy adds official steps—or we capture them in dated full-game footage—this page will update with citations. Until then, treat the achievement quotes as the only authoritative text.

For day-one movement and combat verified in Chapter 1, see the beginner guide and Chapter 1 walkthrough.