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Maxwell is an unlockable character in Don’t Starve that is also playable in Don’t Starve Together. He is the series’s main antagonist and is a former ruler of the Constant, which acts as the series’ hazardous setting. Maxwell also brings a unique gameplay style to the games that offer players an entirely new way to approach survival in the Constant and allows him to play a unique support role in teams of survivors. Maxwell can take a bit of time to use effectively, but this Maxwell Don’t Starve guide is all you’ll need if you’re interested in trying him out.
Key Info Up Front
- Name:Â Maxwell
- Title:Â The Puppet Master
- Health:Â 75
- Hunger:Â 150
- Sanity:Â 200
Maxwell Origins
Maxwell’s real name is William Carter, but in the Constant, he prefers to go by the stage name he selected for his aspirations of being a famous magician: The Amazing Maxwell. However, he never managed to find the fame he craved so much and instead lived most of his life as a destitute man in London.
That was until he found a book called the Codex Umbra that allowed him to perform a litany of dark magic rituals. With his grasp over the forces of dark magic, Maxwell rose to fame and wealth but found that he still wasn’t satisfied. This drove him to dive ever deeper into the Codex Umbra, trying to leach as much power from the dark magic within as he could.
Eventually, he went too far. During Maxwell’s last performance as a magician, he lost control of his magic, transporting him and his stage assistant Charlie into the Constant. Once he was there, he became trapped by the Nightmare Throne. This gave him control over the Constant and forced him to work tirelessly to trap more people.
With each new survivor he brings to the Constant, he hopes that they may save him. Still, he is eternally annoyed at possibly needing someone else’s help. Charlie stays with him and is an invincible force that attacks the player whenever they are trapped in complete darkness.
Maxwell in Don’t Starve
Maxwell has to be unlocked in Don’t Starve by completing the game’s optional Adventure Mode. He spawns into the world with a Dark Sword, Night Armor, Purple Gem, four Nightmare Fuel, and his unique item, the Codex Umbra. The Dark Sword and Night Armor help Maxwell overcome his fragile nature in combat at the start of the game, making it easier to get established as him early in the game. However, the Codex Umbra is where all of Maxwell’s functionality stems from. Maxwell can splinter his consciousness to create Shadow Puppets that do his bidding.
Each Shadow Puppet costs 15 Health, 2 Nightmare Fuel, and 55 Maximum Sanity. Making them very expensive to summon and meaning that only a maximum of three can be summoned at a time. However, each Shadow Puppet lasts for almost three in-game days and helps Maxwell gather resources and combat.
When a Shadow Puppet dissipates, Maxwell receives 55 Maximum Sanity back. The Sanity cost of using the Codex Umbra and Maxwell’s starting equipment is offset by Maxwell’s dapper nature, which sees him constantly regaining 20 Sanity each minute.
Maxwell only has two disadvantages that players should be aware of while playing him. First is his extremely low health. His maximum of 75 Health makes him extremely vulnerable in combat. If you plan on playing him, you’ll need to brush up on your kiting skills to avoid getting quickly killed by even some of the weaker creatures in Don’t Starve.
Secondly, his high Sanity regeneration can make it challenging to keep him insane to gather the state’s unique resources or pass through Obelisks. It is still possible to keep him insane when necessary, but it will take some extra effort to do so.
Want to know more about how Sanity works in Don’t Starve? Check out our complete Sanity Guide.
Maxwell in Don’t Starve Together
In Don’t Starve Together, Maxwell doesn’t have to be unlocked. Instead, players can pick him immediately, but it is wise to familiarize yourself with some of the other characters and the game’s mechanics overall before doing so. Maxwell also has some key differences in Don’t Starve Together compared to his single-player counterpart. Instead of starting with all of the useful equipment, Maxwell only starts with six Nightmare Fuel and his Codex Umbra. This makes him much more vulnerable early on in the game.
Maxwell’s Shadow Puppets also function slightly differently in that four classes can be created. There is a Digger, Logger, Miner, and Duelist. Each one costs two Nightmare Fuel and either a Shovel, Axe, Pickaxe, or Spear. The Digger, Logger, and Miner cost 20% of Maxwell’s maximum Sanity, while the Duelist takes 35%. Maxwell’s Sanity regeneration is also decreased in Don’t Starve Together to only 6.75 a minute. However, he does have a favorite food exclusively in the game, which is Wobster Dinner.
Maxwell’s Don’t Starve Together changes leave his low health pool still being his biggest weakness. His slower Sanity regeneration also can make him feel a bit weaker. Still, the lower cost of making Shadow Puppets does allow players to keep them out and about in the world much more frequently, as long as they can get a steady supply of Nightmare Fuel to do so. However, players will have to use them very smartly, especially in combat. Maxwell’s lack of good starting gear leaves him especially vulnerable unless he is paired with a character that excels at combat to make up for his deficiency.
This means that Maxwell works particularly well with characters like Wendy or Warly. Wendy is an excellent pairing as she can cover most of the combat requirements of the group while also gathering food as Maxwell deals with anything that requires Sanity or more of a support role. Warly is also good because players can take advantage of his ability to switch a player’s Health and Sanity, allowing maxwell to heal with his massive Sanity pool and then regain that Sanity right back.
However, Maxwell also pairs exceptionally well with Wickerbottom because of his high Sanity. The pairing can sometimes feel overpowered as Wickerbottom’s books are highly effective. Their only downside is the Sanity cost to use them. If you have a Maxwell to use them, this downside becomes completely moot, and you’ll be reading books and controlling the Constant as much as possible.
Maxwell Strategy
When playing Maxwell in Don’t Starve, you’ll want to make sure you keep your starting equipment for when you need it. They are both some of the most powerful items in the game, and it may be tempting to use them to kill anything you come across in the first couple of days. However, they play a critical role in building a stockpile of Nightmare Fuel early in the game.
This can be done in both games and is best accomplished by spawning a few Shadow Puppets to lower your maximum Sanity and then equipping the items that drain your Sanity. This will keep Maxwell insane by nullifying his constant Sanity regeneration. Then, you can attack Shadow Creatures during the day to get guaranteed Nightmare Fuel drops that you can stockpile to keep your Shadow Puppets up nearly all the time. The best part of this strategy is that you can unequip the items and regain your Sanity without any extra effort when you are done.
If you are playing with other players, you should also do any actions that decrease your Sanity rather than your teammates since you’ll have the easiest time regaining your Sanity. This means that you should eat any Sanity draining food if someone has to, do magic, interact with Ancient Items, and even pick Evil Flowers. You should also prioritize being on any exploration missions in the dark, such as in Ruins or Caves since Maxwell’s Sanity drain from their dark environments is negated.
With his natural Sanity regeneration, you can also ignore equipment normally used to regain Sanity and instead focus on wearing a Football Helmet or something else to boost your defense. You can also use the slot for other items depending on your situation, like using a Miner Hat when going into dark areas to keep your and your teammates hands free from using a Torch instead of a weapon.
While your Shadow Puppets will help you greatly in combat, you’ll also need to look out for them when going toe to toe with more dangerous foes. The Shadow Puppets have pretty low health, but there are some things you can do to help them out. The first is kiting. With enemies like Tallbirds that focus on one target, you can attack it first to make it follow and attack only you before ordering your Shadow Puppets to attack it while distracted.
Your Shadow Puppets also pairs exceptionally well with the Ice Staff. This will allow you to stun the target before they get a chance to attack your Shadow Puppets, allowing you to stay safe and keep them alive as well as they deliver the damage. If you can’t get an Ice Staff, a Fire Staff also works but runs the risk of starting a wildfire or burning the loot from the monster once it drops.
With Maxwell’s starting equipment in Don’t Starve, he can also create a Shadow Manipulator much earlier than other characters. You should make it as soon as you can make replacement Night Armor and Dark Swords once your starting ones run out of durability. Maxwell’s Sanity regeneration also does not have to worry about losing Sanity from Wetness or holding wet items. However, his low maximum health means that you should avoid using Meat Effigies to revive yourself.
Instead, try to get a Life-Giving Amulet that doesn’t lower your Maximum Health when you come back to life. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a paltry 45 Maximum health. Once you’re well established, you can also farm Nightmare Fuel by staying in Ruins during a Nightmare Cycle. This will spawn in many Shadow Creatures that you can eventually deal with quickly to get massive amounts of Nightmare Fuel.
Maxwell Quotes
“But is it fast enough to escape the judgemental stares?” – Inspecting Glossamer Saddle
“Oh that’s just demeaning.” – Inspecting Piggyback
“Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?” – Inspecting Waterballoon
“That’s some fly mail.” – Inspecting Scalemail
“Never strikes the same place twice, except when it does.” – Inspecting Electric Dart.
“It’s a tinderbox.” – Inspecting Hay Wall
“I told you so.” – Inspecting burnt Hay Wall
“For more subtler smashing jobs.” – Inspecting Ball Pein hammer
FAQs
Question: How do you unlock Maxwell in Don’t Starve?
Answer: Maxwell starts off unlocked in Don’t Starve Together, but in regular Don’t Starve, he is unlocked by completing Adventure Mode, which is begun by finding a large door in any regular game.
Question: Is Maxwell good in Don’t Starve?
Answer: Maxwell can be an extremely strong character if players know how to accommodate his low Maximum Health and keep a steady supply of Nightmare Fuel coming into the camp to take full advantage of his Shadow Puppets.
Question: How long do Maxwell’s Shadow Puppets last?
Answer: They last for 2.5 in-game days before disappearing. They also can be dispelled by players or will disappear if they take too much damage from any source.
Question: How do you unlock Maxwell in Don’t Starve?
Answer: Maxwell starts off unlocked in Don’t Starve Together, but in regular Don’t Starve, he is unlocked by completing Adventure Mode, which is begun by finding a large door in any regular game.
Question: Is Maxwell good in Don’t Starve?
Answer: Maxwell can be an extremely strong character if players know how to accommodate his low Maximum Health and keep a steady supply of Nightmare Fuel coming into the camp to take full advantage of his Shadow Puppets.
Question: How long do Maxwell’s Shadow Puppets last?
Answer: They last for 2.5 in-game days before disappearing. They also can be dispelled by players or will disappear if they take too much damage from any source.
Conclusion
Don’t Starve‘s characters are one of its strongest aspects. Each one brings a different personality, playstyle, and mechanics to the game, allowing players to find one that works best for them. They are also an excellent way for players to challenge themselves. Learning a new character is always a fun but challenging experience.
Maxwell, in particular, is a very interesting character that pushes players to see how long they can survive with a minimal pool of health while minimizing the impact that their Sanity has on their playthrough. Regardless, Maxwell is a fun character who can play an integral role when put into a group with other players or bring an entirely new flavor for players playing on their own.