If you’ve ever gone up against an opponent with a Mighty Miner or Golden Knight that completely dismantles your entire deck in 30 seconds, you know exactly how game-changing Clash Royale heroes are. Most new and returning players spend weeks searching for how to get heroes in Clash Royale, especially if they play free-to-play and don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on random chests. I’ve been playing Clash Royale on and off for 6 years as a mostly F2P player, and I’ve unlocked every hero currently available without using any hacks or exploits. Every method I cover in this guide is tested, legit, and works for players at every trophy level, from Arena 7 all the way up to Ultimate Champion.
How to Get Heroes in Clash Royale: Free-to-Play Friendly Methods First
If you're not looking to spend any real money on the game, you don't have to settle for a limited hero roster. I unlocked 80% of my heroes using only free methods, and I never had to grind 10 hours a day to do it. If you're still wondering how to get heroes in Clash Royale fast without spending money, combining these three methods is the fastest possible way. You can stack season pass XP, Path of Legends points, and event rewards to unlock two or even three heroes a year without spending a dime. These are the three most reliable free methods to get heroes consistently:
- Path of Legends progression rewards: Almost every season, you can earn hero tokens or direct hero unlocks by climbing even the lower tiers of Path of Legends. You don't need to hit Ultimate Champion to get these, either – most seasons give a free hero chest at Gold III or higher, which guarantees at least one random hero if you don't have them all already. Even if you lose more matches than you win, you'll still earn enough points to hit those lower tiers before the season ends.
- Free season pass track rewards: Even if you never buy the paid Gold Pass, the free track of every season pass includes at least one hero token, and often a guaranteed hero unlock at tier 30 or 35 for new players. You only need to earn season pass XP from daily and weekly quests to hit these tiers, so even if you only play 2 or 3 matches a day, you'll reach the hero reward before the season wraps up.
- Limited-time event challenge rewards: Special events like Draft Challenges, 2v2 Showdowns, and hero-themed events often give hero chests or random hero drops as prizes for winning 3 to 5 matches. These challenges are usually low-stakes, with no entry cost for your first run, so there's zero risk to trying even if you're still learning the meta. I got my Archer Queen from a 2v2 event last year, and I only had to win 4 matches to get the chest.
One thing to keep in mind with free methods is that they do require consistency. You won't unlock three heroes in a week, but if you log in for 10 minutes a day to complete your quests, you'll get a new hero every 4 to 6 weeks on average. That's way faster than most new players expect, and you won't have to spend a dime to do it.
Paid Methods That Are Actually Worth Your Money
Some players don't mind spending a little money to speed up their progression, and that's totally fine, but most paid offers in the Clash Royale shop are a complete waste of cash. If you have a small budget set aside for mobile games and want to speed up how to get heroes in Clash Royale, these are the only paid options I ever recommend to my friends who play the game. If you're looking for how to get heroes in Clash Royale in half the time it takes free players, the Gold Pass is the only purchase that delivers that kind of value without wasting your money.
First, the paid Gold Pass is easily the best value for your money. For $5 a season, you get multiple hero tokens, at least one guaranteed hero unlock, hundreds of thousands of gold, and dozens of chests that would cost you 10x as much if you bought them with gems directly. I bought the Gold Pass once two years ago, and I got three new heroes that season alone, which saved me almost 6 months of grinding.
The other option worth considering is limited-time new player hero bundles that pop up in the shop when you first unlock the Hero Hall at Arena 7. These bundles are usually 70% cheaper than buying heroes individually with gems, and they come with a guaranteed hero, gold, and hero tokens to upgrade it immediately. Skip all other paid offers, especially random chests, because the drop rate for heroes in regular chests is less than 1% – you'll probably spend $100 and not get a single hero.
Common Mistakes That Slow Down Hero Unlocks
Even if you're following all the right methods, small mistakes can add weeks or even months to your hero unlock timeline. Many players who are new to figuring out how to get heroes in Clash Royale make these mistakes without even realizing it, so avoiding them will help you unlock heroes way faster. If you're serious about learning how to get heroes in Clash Royale as fast as possible, you'll want to avoid these mistakes at all costs.
The biggest mistake I see is players wasting their hero tokens on upgrading heroes they don't even use, instead of saving them to unlock new ones. Always prioritize unlocking new heroes before upgrading existing ones unless you have a main ranked deck that you use for every competitive match. New heroes give you way more deck flexibility and let you experiment with more playstyles than a level 14 vs level 15 of a hero you only play once a month.
Another common mistake is wasting gems on cosmetic items like emotes or tower skins instead of saving them for guaranteed hero chests that pop up in the shop for 500 gems every few weeks. I made this mistake early on, spent 2000 gems on a set of king emotes, and then missed out on a limited time Skeleton King chest that was only 1800 gems. I had to wait another 2 months to unlock him, and I still regret wasting those gems.
You also want to avoid skipping daily quests even if you don't feel like playing that day. Most daily quests only take 5 minutes to complete, and the season pass XP adds up fast enough to get you to the free hero tier a week or two earlier than if you only play on weekends.
What to Do After You Unlock a New Hero
Once you've learned how to get heroes in Clash Royale and start unlocking new ones, the first thing you want to avoid is throwing them straight into your ranked ladder deck. Most heroes have unique abilities that take time to learn, and you'll end up dropping a ton of trophies if you don't know how to use their abilities properly.
Take 10 to 15 practice matches with any new hero in friendly battles or 2v2 unranked matches first, so you can learn their timing, ability cooldown, and which cards they pair best with. For example, the Mighty Miner works best with swarm cards that can distract enemy towers while he digs to the other side of the arena, but he's almost useless if you pair him with only heavy hitters that cost a lot of elixir.
You can also check popular community build guides to find meta decks that use your new hero, but don't be afraid to experiment with your own combinations. Some of the strongest decks I've ever used were ones I made myself by pairing a new hero with cards I already used regularly in my main deck. If you get a duplicate hero, don't be disappointed – you'll get hero tokens that you can use to either upgrade that hero or save for the next new hero release, so duplicates are never a waste.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to get heroes in Clash Royale doesn't have to be complicated, and you definitely don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a full roster. Stick to the free methods first, stay consistent with your daily quests, and only spend money if you find a limited bundle or Gold Pass that gives you guaranteed value. I've unlocked every hero in the game over 6 years without spending more than $15 total, so it's entirely possible if you're patient. Stay away from fake hacks that promise free unlimited heroes, they'll just get your account banned, and stick to the legit methods we covered, and you'll have your dream deck built in no time.
