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Priest: Priestess with braided hair in white and gold armorDeath Knight: Hooded death knight with a glowing blue eye and dark plate armor

Priest vs. Death Knight

First class

Priest

Second class

Death Knight

Key differences

  • Only the Priest can heal.
  • Only the Death Knight can tank.
  • The Priest fights at range.
  • The Death Knight fights in melee.
  • The Priest wears cloth, the Death Knight plate.
  • The Death Knight is more beginner friendly.
  • The Death Knight does better solo.
  • More races can play the Priest (26 instead of 23).

At a glance

At a glancePriestDeath Knight
RolesHealer, DPSTank, DPS
ArmorClothPlate
Combat styleRangedMelee
Playable races2623
SpecializationsDiscipline (Healer), Holy (Healer), Shadow (DPS)Blood (Tank), Frost (DPS), Unholy (DPS)
Beginner friendly3/54/5
Solo play2/55/5

These ratings help you pick a class. They are not a DPS ranking, and balance shifts with every patch. How we rate ›

The classes in short

Priest

The Priest is the classic healing class with two healing specs (Discipline, Holy) and Shadow as a ranged damage spec. In cloth it is strong in groups but vulnerable solo.

Learn more about the Priest ›

Death Knight

The Death Knight is a plate fighter with dark magic, one of the most forgiving tanks as Blood and a melee damage dealer as Frost or Unholy. Strong self-healing makes it very sturdy solo.

Learn more about the Death Knight ›
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Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Priest or Death Knight?

Neither class is better in general. The Death Knight is more beginner friendly. The Death Knight does better solo. In the end, what matters is which playstyle you enjoy more.

What is the difference between Priest and Death Knight?

Only the Priest can heal. Only the Death Knight can tank. The Priest fights at range. The Death Knight fights in melee. The Priest wears cloth, the Death Knight plate.

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