Best NPCs in Old School RuneScape: The Ultimate Ranking

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The world of OSRS is vast, with dozens of cities and thousands of NPCs.

The NPCs of this game really help create the world, and make it exciting and full of adventure! Many of them will assist you in your travels, give you quests, or even just make your life a little bit easier.

So which NPCs have captured our collective hearts the most?

After all, some are just too useful or so memorable that they’ve earned a place above the rest!

These are my picks for some of the most iconic NPC characters in all of Old School RuneScape.

 

15. Skill Cape Masters

Mac NPC Max Cape Render from OSRS

Starting off our list are the masters of the various skills.

They’ve mastered their arts, and are one of the few NPCs who might be better at a skill than you!

Earn their respect by getting a level 99, and they might just part ways with their very useful capes – which provide a host of abilities.

There are 23 skill cape masters in the game, with Mac being the one above them all. He possess the might Max Cape, and doesn’t have time to speak with you unless you’re on his level!

After all, who has time for EXP waste?

 

14. Party Pete

Party Pete NPC Render in OSRS

Party Pete is the man to see if you’re down for a party.

He’s the owner of the Falador Party room, where many players host drop parties and clan events.

He’s quite an iconic character, and has been in the game since early 2004

He has been in various events in OSRS too, from birthdays to holidays, and is beloved by the community as a whole.

Plus he’s also involved in some clue scroll stuff…

This guy has a bunch of fun dialogue options that I recommend you go through, too. They’re quite entertaining.

 

13. Hans

Hans NPC Render from OSRS

Hans is a very old NPC, and was added to the base game in 2001.

Officially he’s actually the oldest NPC in the entire game, giving him a special space on this list.

He roams around the Lumbridge castle if you’re looking for him.

And if you speak to him you can see the age of your account, and the amount of time you’ve played overall.

Hans also has quite a bit of dialogue that’s fun to read through as well. He even plays a role in a few quests, as well as a clue scroll anagram.

 

12. Drunken Dwarf

Drunken Dwarf NPC Render in OSRS

The Drunken Dwarf is a random event who’s both endearing and annoying.

He’ll randomly spawn once a certain amount of experience or activities have been completed, and try to “force” his beer and kebabs on you.

If you ignore him, he’ll follow you around pestering you until you speak to him – eventually choosing to leave if you don’t respond.

Be grateful this is as far as he goes nowadays, because he previously would throw rocks at you until you spoke with him!

Definitely a memorable character.

Everyone who’s played for a while knows of this loveable random event!

 

11. Bob

Bob NPC from Bob's Brilliant Axes in OSRS

Bob of Bob’s Brilliant Axes is a shopkeeper in Lumbridge who many players will buy their first axe from.

He can also repair barrows armour, and is one of only a few characters who will do this – for a fee, of course.

He has also taken part in many OSRS events, including the latest OSRS Birthday Event where he was attacked by a monkey.

He’s one of the first shopkeepers you’ll encounter, and is also involved in quite a few quests. So next time you’re in Lumbridge maybe stop by Bob’s Brilliant Axes for a chat or a look at his wares.

 

10. Evil Dave

Evil Dave NPC Render in OSRS

The self-proclaimed Evil Dave is quite the character living in his mom’s basement… like the typical OSRS player (kidding!)

He’s a fairly harmless individual, going through a bit of a phase.

But he is really funny to speak with, as he’s a really well written character.

Evil Dave is primarily involved in the quest “Shadow of the Storm”, and is also part of the quest “Recipe for Disaster”. So he gets around.

His basement is really useful for obtaining spices, too, which can be used for temporary skill boosts.

These spices must be caught from the hell-rats occupying his basement – which your cat can assist you with.

 

9. Zahur

Zahur NPC render in OSRS

Zahur is located in Nardah, and is the town herbalist.

She’s especially useful because she can decant potions for free.

And she’s also unique in that she’s the only NPC in the game that will clean noted or unnoted herbs, for a fee of 200gp each.

This is very useful for ironmen who want to not clean thousands of herbs.

But to do that, you’ll need the desert hard diary completed before she’ll offer this service.

Zahur can also make unfinished potions for you at a cost of 200 coins each – saving you the effort and time of making them yourself.

All of the above makes her a very useful quality of life NPC that everyone loves dearly!

 

8. Dark Mage

Dark Mage sitting render in OSRS

The Dark Mage is a mysterious mage found in the center of the Abyss.

He’s most commonly contacted so that he can repair your Runecrafting pouches.

This guy is tasked with keeping the Abyss stable, and often tells players that if he’s distracted, heads might explode or universes could end.

Scary stuff.

You’ll need to complete the quest “Into the Abyss” to properly speak with him.

And one last point: you may need to talk with the Dark Mage regarding a hard clue scroll step… the answer to the riddle he gives is “13”, just in case you were wondering!

 

7. Vannaka

Vannaka NPC from OSRS

Vannaka is your combat instructor on Tutorial Island.

He provides you with your very first instruction into melee combat, so almost everyone would recognize him.

He’s so strong that he wields a 2h sword in a single hand, and a shield in the other.

And he’s one of only three NPCs who are able to do this.

Vannaka claims to be the finest swordsman alive – and with a combat level of 146, he very well may be.

You’ll later discover him in Edgeville Dungeon where he’s a low-mid level slayer master, and can give you a variety of different tasks to accomplish.

You must be at least level 40 in combat to receive his tasks, though.

 

6. Tool Leprechauns

Tool Leprechaun NPC Render in OSRS

Scattered throughout OSRS are the very useful leprechauns, who will be your farming assistants!

They can hold your farming tools for you, such as spades and rakes, as well as your buckets or buckets of compost.

This is useful in reducing the amount of items you need to bring with you for each run.

These leprechauns also have the ability to note your harvested items for you.

This is great for herbs, and your allotment items such as snape grass and watermelons.

These useful little guys are at every farming patch, and will make your life a lot easier.

Make sure to utilize them wherever and whenever you can!

 

5. Demon Butler

Demon Butler NPC Render in OSRS

Once you reach level 50 construction, you can pay the Servants’ Guild in East Ardougne to hire a servant for your home.

And in this guild you can hire the most loyal of butlers: the Demon Butler.

He’s a loyal servant, a fantastic cook, and more importantly, he’ll haul planks up and down from the bank for you.

This butler has served various demons across OSRS, such as Derlith.

And as a result, he’s learned a lot – and has become the best butler available to you in OSRS.

You can have some very… interesting conversations with this demon, as he’ll share his experiences of being a butler in the Demon dimension.

Treat him well and he’ll get you to level 99 construction in no time.

 

4. Bankers

Female Banker render in OSRS

Where would we be without the bankers running their windows?

They seem to always keep track of every single item you own, and have no issue accepting odd items into your account – like a scythe covered in the blood of your enemies, or 87,000 red spider eggs.

No questions asked, and customer satisfaction is guaranteed!

These are the most spoken to NPCs in the game. Because accessing your items in the bank is a crucial part of playing OSRS, unless of course you’re an Ultimate Ironman.

There are human bankers, gnome bankers, dwarf bankers, goblin bankers, and errm… even ghost bankers. No rest for the dead in Port Phasmatys after all!

If you wish to learn more about banking and how to keep your items safe, the Lumbridge bank is home to the bank tutor. They can teach you all you need to know.

 

3. The Wise Old Man

Wise Old Man NPC Render in OSRS

The Wise Old Man is the most accomplished adventurer in OSRS.

He has slain mighty monsters, been on countless quests, and… robbed the bank directly opposite his home.

No one’s perfect.

He’ll assist you on multiple quests including Dragon Slayer II, in which he’ll help you save the world from an evil threat.

His dialogue is witty, and his house has some odd treasures within if you dig around.

You can have lengthy conversations with him on a ton of topics. And he’s more than happy to share stories of the old days with anyone willing to listen.

He also sells the Quest Cape once you’ve completed every single quest in OSRS.

This man truly is a treasure of a character, and a great addition to the NPC roster in the game.

 

2. Advisor Ghrim

Advisor Ghrim NPC render from OSRS

Advisor Ghrim is King Vagras’s advisor on the island of Miscellanea.

And once you complete the quest “Throne of Miscellanea” he’ll act as your advisor in the Kingdom Management minigame on Miscellanea.

He’s located on the 2nd floor of the castle, right next to the king, and will never leave his side as a loyal advisor.

Talk about dedication.

With his guidance, you can distribute how the workers of the kingdom spread their efforts, from farming to fishing to even woodcutting.

But you’ll first need to deposit money into his coffer so that he can properly fund the workforce. Hiring help isn’t cheap.

 

1. Juna

Juna snake NPC render in OSRS

Juna is a massive serpent located in the Lumbridge Swamp Caves, and is a Guardian of Guthix, the god of balance.

She guards the fabled Tears of Guthix, which is a minigame you can play weekly for some very nice experience.

She has guarded this area for well over a thousand years, and has become a little bit bored over that time.

So she’s happy to let you into the Tears of Guthix, provided you share stories of your adventurers with her!

Plus she’ll comment on almost every quest you mention to her, as she has a wealth of knowledge on most races and subjects in OSRS.

Juna often has something interesting to say no matter when you see her.

This makes her a wonderful NPC to interact with – and also great in terms of game lore too.

Just note that you must have at least 1 quest point, or must have gained 100k experience in a week, to gain access to the cave.

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