Dark Souls can be quite a daunting experience for new players and the character creation sequence doesn't help matters. Players are bombarded with various stats and items that they won't be familiar with, and a number of classes to choose from as a base. It can be confusing to lock down exactly what kind of playstyle the player might like to use, and they might overlook the incredibly versatile and flexible Thief class as a result.
The Thief begins at level 5, with an obvious preference for Dexterity to the detriment of their Vitality and Endurance. This means that while the Thief will do a lot of damage with Dexterity weapons, they will not be as physically resilient as classes such as the Knight or the Bandit. While this is something of a double-edged sword, the most successful Dark Souls players are those who learn to avoid damage while dealing as much damage as possible in return. Having great Dexterity also means that a Thief may use bows really well, as they require more Dexterity than Strength. This can be very useful for sniping dangerous targets from afar.
This class theme is augmented by the Thief's starting equipment. They begin with the Bandit's Knife and Target Shield. The former deals low damage normally but makes up for this by having incredible Critical Hit damage. Critical Hits are performed either during backstabs or during parries. The Target Shield is useful for parrying enemies and when paired with the Bandit's Knife, a Thief will learn quickly the value of strategically timed attacks.
Their armor is also useful for their playstyle. Thieves begin with the Black Leather set along with a Thief Mask. As this set is very light and allows the Thief to roll very quickly, it is great for getting behind enemies and performing backstabs. This will take out a huge chunk of their health if not killing them outright, but is not a fantastic strategy for some of the bigger bosses, so keep that in mind.
One of the best benefits that the Thief has is the Master Key. This item is so good that most other classes are recommended to choose it as their starting gift during character creation. This key lets the player access bonus areas and shortcuts that would otherwise be inaccessible, such as taking the elevator to the New Londo Ruins and getting to Blighttown early. As the Thief begins with this item, they can choose an entirely different starting gift (such as the Pendant or the Tiny Being's Ring) during character creation and still retain the key's usefulness.
One key aspect of the Thief class that players may overlook is their magical stats. While they do not start with any focuses, spells or miracles, they have very respectable starting stats at 11 Attunement, 12 Intelligence and 10 Faith. Overall, they only have one level less than the Pyromancer in their magic stats, showing that they can quite easily grow into a hybrid build that uses Dexterity weapons and spells. This flexibility is great even for Thieves who do not wish to become full casters, as they would still greatly benefit from Sorceries such as Hush and Fall Control, and Miracles such as Heal and Tranquil Walk of Peace.
Overall, the Thief class can be quite difficult to get to grips with but definitely offers myriad advantages that make it worth playing even for players new to the series. While they are unlikely to be able to wield the game's gigantic greatswords, there are still plenty of options for the player. Not only will players improve their tactical skills in battle, but they can easily pivot from the Thief's starting build to a more flexible hybrid build which is great fun to use and effective too.