Stellaris: 21 Best Origins (2024)

One of the largest, most complex, and most demanding 4x games out there, Stellaris is a sci-fi gamer's dream. Granting players the ability to guide their own custom alien race's exploration of and expansion through the universe, the game puts an unparalleled amount of control in the player's hands.

Whether building a capitalist super-economy, using bloodless political manipulations to bring other empires to heel, forging a delicate network of peace treaties and trade agreements, or just obliterating everything in sight with huge fleets and orbital bombardments, Stellaris gives players many ways to play. One of the most important decisions a player can make occurs before anything really starts: selecting the best Origin in Stellaris for one's species.

Updated on August 19, 2024, by Ewan Selmes: Origins in Stellaris contribute massively to how a specific Empire plays out during its time in the game thanks to their unique bonuses or disadvantages. Some Origins offer unique advantages for combat or diplomacy, while others grant bonuses to tech or even uniquely sized homeworlds. But a strong part of the Origins are the stories they contain, an aspect which has been expanded in recent DLCs, story which often come with unique mechanics, events, and situations designed to provide even more richness and variety to a game of Stellaris.

21 Riftworld

A Rift To Another Dimension On The Doorstep

• Astral Rift exploration speed is 25% quicker
• Astral Rift fail probability is reduced by −50%
• Chance for Astral Rifts to appear in owned systems is increased by +100%
• Start with the Astral Harvesting technology already research
• Start with the Ruined Planet astral rift in the starting system

Astral rifts have been a very enriching addition to Stellaris thanks to its Astral Planes DLC, which also brings a host of powerful relics that can only be exclusively obtained from these astral rifts. The DLC also enables the Riftworld origin, which is quite powerful thanks to its focus on astral rifts.

The origin's bonuses towards astral rift exploration and appearance chances will enable a player to quickly obtain almost all the astral rifts in the game, provided that they expand sufficiently as well. Moreover, it also enables the player's space empire to start with an astral rift right in their starting system and the means to explore it thanks to the free Astral Harvesting technology acquired right at the start. Having a head start over the astral rifts can reward the player massively, as long as they also prioritize it over other matters of their empire.

20 Ocean Paradise

Start A Focus Towards Ocean Worlds

• Homeworld is set to a size 30 Ocean World
• Species must have the Aquatic trait
• Starting system is inside a nebula
• 4 Frozen worlds and 10 Ice Asteroids are available at the start
• All guaranteed habitable worlds are Frozen worlds
• Starting system cannot be changed

Aquatic species have been quite powerful thanks to the revamp towards Catalytic Processor civic, which enables all species to rapidly produce food to be used by alloys to create a sustainable economy to both host a powerful fleet and control the market. The Ocean Paradise origin takes it to the next level by guaranteeing a size 30 Ocean World in the starting home system, which can house a very powerful alloy capital production.

However, a downside to the origin would be the lock-in towards Ocean Worlds as a species, and others such as not having guaranteed habitable worlds. Fortunately, this can be circumvented easily by the empire's strong economy with the size 30 Ocean World, as long as the player can plan around playing a tall build strategy to focus on the capital planet first. Overall, it is definitely a tricky yet rewarding origin, especially for veteran players of Stellaris who are looking to start with a disadvantage to challenge themselves.

19 Prosperous Unification

Simple Origin With Huge Benefit

• Gain 4 additional pops on capital
• Gain 2 additional Districts already built
• Gain +15% Happiness, +25% Amenities, and +10% Resource from Jobs for 20 years

At first glance, Prosperous Unification will look simple enough as it only grants simple modifiers such as extra pops and bonus modifiers such as extra resources from Jobs and Happiness. However, those bonuses can be considered to be superior to others since Stellaris puts a heavy emphasis on pops and resources, and an early boost will always help.

The bonus pops and resources can catapult an empire's progress to dominate the galaxy rapidly. Moreover, the origin offers no drawbacks to facilitate a flexible strategy for the player to focus on.

18 Overtuned

High-Risk, High-Reward Strategy With Trait Focus

• Gain ability to have Overtuned traits on starting species
• Gain ability to enable Damn the Consequences edict
• Gene Tailoring technology is already researched

With the focus on pops as one of the most important resources in the game, having suitable traits to augment them further is always beneficial. This can be done by having the Overtuned origin as it allows the player to choose the powerful Overtuned traits that boost the species at the cost of Leaders dying quickly.

Although it can be detrimental, since leaders are now more important than ever, it also presents an opportunity for the player to try focusing on the pops instead. Moreover, the short leaders' lifespan can be solved in midgame after researching a plethora of technology and gaining powerful relics such as the Eternal Throne.

17 Progenitor Hive

Impressive Turtling Origin For Hive Minds

• Grant experience to Leaders each month
• Gain ability to construct unique Offspring Nest buildings
• Lead fleet with Offspring ships

The Progenitor Hive Origin is on the more complicated end of things, offering a mix of powerful bonuses as well as penalties, forcing the player to weigh their decision carefully. Offspring Leaders gain XP passively over time, and Offspring Nests take the place of Spawning Pools, improving the player’s drones and greatly strengthening their defensive capabilities.

The player also has the option to release Sectors as Subjects, something that a normal Hive Empire cannot do. The player’s ships suffer massive penalties to their Sublight Speed, Evasion, Fire Rate, and Accuracy, however, unless the player has a special ship in the fleet or special building within the system. If the player does, they receive bonuses to those same stats.

16 Imperial Fiefdom

Pave A Way To Usurp A Galactic Overlord

• Start as the subject of an empire
• Start with a border towards the Overlord
• Preserve for a period of time for a chance to usurp the Overlord

At first glance, choosing the Imperial Fiefdom Origin may seem like a strange decision, given that the player must begin the game subjugated by another, more powerful civilization. Beginning as the Vassal of an Advanced AI Empire. This Empire is not long for the world, however. In time, it will fall and the player will have the chance to become free.

If multiple civilizations have this Origin, they will all share the same Overlord, which is fun for roleplay purposes, even if it sometimes makes diplomacy messy. Having an Overlord allows the player to research, construct, and expand well into the mid-game without having to concern oneself too much with military matters since there’s a giant (admittedly possessive) Overlord empire that will be only too happy to jump in.

15 Teachers Of The Shroud

An Early Pathway Towards Psionic Ascension

• Gain Latent Psionic trait as a default
• Gain Psionic Theory as a permanent research option
• Locked into Psionic Ascension Path

Another Origin brought to players by the Overlord DLC, the Teachers of the Shroud Origin causes the player’s civilization to start with the Latent Psionics Trait. It also grants the ability to construct a Shroud Beacon on a Starbase, and it causes the player to start the game in contact with the Shroudwalker Enclave, adding more fascinating mechanics to an already great sci-fi game.

Taking Teachers of the Shroud counts as taking the Mind Over Matter Ascension Perk, but it doesn’t fill up an Ascension slot as it normally would. This locks the player out of any Ascension Path other than Psionic Ascension, but it allows the player to complete Transcendence Ascension sooner than they would otherwise be able to. Effectively granting the player an additional Ascension Perk is a massive boon unique to Teachers of the Shroud, more than earning this Origin its place amongst the greats.

14 Knights of the Toxic God

Strong Roleplay with Great Bonuses

• Branching, event and player choice-based storyline
• Starts with unique planetary features
• Starts with access to Habitats tech

The Knights of the Toxic God Origin has a strong focus on its own unique story which is played out through a unique situation and its events. Knights of the Toxic God is the most railroaded of the Stellaris Origins, featuring a complete story the unfolds in more or less the same way in every playthrough. But it offers some nice bonuses, and there are elements of player choice throughout, including how to end the event chain - and how the empire perceives it.

Knights of the Toxic God is the perfect Origin for players looking to roleplay religious space knights, as the entire Origin is themed around the so-called Toxic God. The bonuses gained throughout the Origin's quest are pretty nice and can be varied depending on player choices. Knights of the Toxic God is a fun, thematic Origin well-suited to players looking for a good bit of roleplay.

13 Necrophage

Rule Over The Galaxy As The Unique Necrophage

• The main species is Necrophage
• Gain the ability to construct a Chamber of Elevation

What makes an Origin the best is more than a matter of optimal numbers: lore, roleplaying, and the coolness factor merit consideration. The Necrophage Origin is great on all counts. Being able to pick and choose which species to absorb via the Necrophage purge type is an extremely valuable ability, bolstering the Founder species by allowing the player to keep those qualities that they find desirable while assimilating undesirable species into their alien master race.

The Necrophage Origin enables a unique playstyle that mixes the best of min-maxing, roleplay, and universal domination.

12 Fear of the Dark

The Night Is Dark and Full of Terrors

• Strong roleplay with an opportunity for a mid-game shift to Fanatic Purifier
• +10% Anomaly Discovery Change
• +20 Anomaly Discovery Speed
• Start with pre-FTL in same system

On the face of it, Fear of the Dark is an Origin with a lot of downsides. It comes with some permanent debuffs and optional debuffs, while the bonuses it offers aren't necessarily ones worth it. It does, however, grant a +30 Ship Build Speed and -15% Ship Build Cost modifier during the endgame crisis - both of which are pretty nice.

But this Origin is filled with flavor. Fear of the Dark starts players in a custom solar system with a pre-FTL civilization of the same species as the player occupying a small planet in the system. This pre-FTL species will provide the player with bonuses in exchange for negative modifiers over the course of the game - along with an extended event chain. During the mid-game, players can even opt to join with the pre-FTL species in becoming Fanatic Purifiers to unleash their fury upon an unsuspecting galaxy. This can be a good way of building up a Fanatic Purifier civ without the hassle and danger in the early years due to a lack of diplomacy options.

11 Here Be Dragons

Have A Leviathan Secure The Capital

• Capital is guarded by the Sky Dragon Leviathan
• Have a guaranteed Living Metal deposit near the capital

For players who live in fear of the early-game loss of their homeworld, love turtling strategies, or just want a whacky twist rather than a more traditional beginning to the game, the Here There Be Dragons Origin is hard to beat.

The player starts the game with a Leviathan guardian in their home system, and as long as that creature is kept fed and happy, it will defend the player's home system from attack. Early on, before the interstellar opposition has built shiny new missiles and railguns capable of wreaking serious havoc, having a giant, fleet-eating pet dragon is pretty much the best possible defense. It only makes the Origin more tantalizing that later the player can learn to talk to their sky-lizard friend.

10 Clone Army

Rapidly Take Over The Galaxy With Clones

• Able to construct Ancient Clove Vat buildings
• Able to build clones early in the game

The Clone Army Origin exists to facilitate one of the strongest meta strategies in Stellaris (and many 4x games, for that matter): the rush build. Sacrificing a higher pop cap for the benefit of having a massive boost to early pop growth, Clone Army lets the player gather and maintain incredible momentum in terms of societal development and expansion.

As a side bonus, this Origin also allows for some fun and interesting roleplaying opportunities when the time comes for the clones to decide whether to maintain the cloning vats that first birthed them or to become an independent species capable of reproducing in their own right. A strong starting point and interesting late-game make Clone Army an Origin to look out for.

9 Common Ground

Survive The Galaxy With A Federation

• Start the game with a Federation and as its leader
• The federation starts with two other members

Though it shares similarities with the Hegemon Origin, Common Ground is arguably a step worse for the simple reason that Galactic Unions are not as effective an asset. Despite that, the Common Ground Origin can be a safe and strong pick if the player is aiming for a friendlier game.

Starting the game with one's government squished right up against allies means some assistance close at hand, but unfortunately, it can also mean the player doesn't have many available systems to survey nearby, cramping expansion a bit. For some players, this trade-off is worth it because of the way it shakes up the somewhat restricted Hegemon playstyle, but for others, Hegemon will simply always be the more enticing offering.

8 Void Dwellers

Populate The Galaxy With Habitats

• Start the game with a Habitat and Major Orbitals
• Tradition Trees will have alternative bonuses to improve Habitats

Some Origins are flashier and more dramatic than others. Though the Void Dwellers Origin might not scream "interesting" compared to some of the others in Stellaris, it offers the player a significant advantage in the early phases of the game when harvesting resources and colonizing worlds are top priorities.

Boosting science and the production of alloys, Void Dwellers enables the player to quickly conquer new homeworlds as well as to secure migration treaties to normal empires. This combination of factors makes Void Dwellers one of the best Origins for a strong early game.

7 Cybernetic Creed

God Is Machine

• Powerful bonuses support techno-religious roleplay
• Access the Ritualistic Implants trait
• Can take Cybernetics Traditions without Ascension Points

Cybernetic Creed is a fantastic Origin just for its theme, but it also allows Spiritualist empires to fully embrace Cybernetics. Not only that, but it allows empires starting with this Origin to begin the game with a portion of their pops being a kind of primitive, ritualistic cyborg - a powerful advantage early on in the game.

This Origin blends Spiritualist ethics nicely with the Cybernetics Ascension path, giving players powerful bonuses in exchange for being locked into the Cybernetic Ascension. Players gain access to unique Empire factions, powerful jobs, and great bonuses including unique buildings. However, this Origin does lack the usual factions until the resolution of its unique situations and events.

6 Scion

Begin A Journey With A Powerful Fallen Backup

• Become a Scion of a Fallen Empire
• Gain a Wormhole leading to the Fallen Empire's capital
• Fallen Empire grants temporary fleet when the player's empire is losing a war against a Superior empire

Ideal for those players who want a bit of a helping hand in the early game, the Scion Origin provides a friendly Fallen Empire to lend some aid and cough up the occasional gift. The gift of periodic research bonuses, high-tech ships, and resources are enough to recommend Scion on its own, despite the RNG factor, but this Origin has more than that in its corner.

The Scion Origin presents some excellent roleplaying and lore-building opportunities, as the player must eventually make the decision whether to return the favor and reward the trust that the Fallen Empire placed in them, caring for the Empire once the player's own civilization has come into its power. Alternatively, the player can betray their intergalactic benefactor, reaping all the juicy fallout of the decision.

5 Broken Shackles

Play as the Invaded Pre-FTLs

• Strong roleplay, good bonuses, focused gameplay
• Starts with 3 - 22 pops of various species
• Challenging start lacking some key techs

Broken Shackles is a very difficult and challenging Origin thanks to its unique setup and theme. The background here is that this civilization is one which is the result of a conquering and slaving power, and of slaves who rebelled. A great story, but it leaves the rebellious civilization in a precarious position - Broken Shackles Origin players start without having researched key space-age technologies. But they also get powerful bonuses and an archaeological site on their homeworld, as well as up to 22 different species as part of their starting world.

Broken Shackles also creates a set, special MegaCorp empire somewhere in the galaxy - the empire from which the Broken Shackles Origin rebelled. This comes with event chains and modifiers designed to support - but not railroad - a revenge story type of gameplay. This is a fun and challenging Origin with a lot of its own flavor.

4 Shattered Ring

Reside In A Ring World To Begin Galactic Conquest

• Start with Shattered Ring World in the capital

Though the rarity and power of ring worlds are not what they once were, the Shattered Ring Origin still deserves serious consideration. Starting off on one of the titular, Saturn-style rings, the player is faced with the time-consuming and expensive task of clearing all eight Tile Blockers, saving up 10,000 Alloy, and researching Mega-Engineering.

If they are able to do so, however, the player will be able to repair the Ring World,granting them a homeworld with massive potential to match its massive size. Whether this undertaking is worth the investment is a matter of strategy and personal taste.

3 Under One Rule

The Enlightened Despot

• Play as a dictator with powerful bonuses
• Gain a unique situation and storyline

Under One Rule is a powerful Origin themed around a powerful starting Leader who can remain Leader for the duration of the game depending on the completion of the Origin's storyline. This ruler starts with the unique Luminary trait and can be enhanced over the course of the Origin's storyline, even becoming an immortal ruler.

The only problem is that this Origin's storyline revolves around the trials and tribulations of the Luminary itself, with resolutions ranging from continued control or a total coup. The bonuses offered by the Luminary are pretty good, and the storyline itself is a fun look at more internal politics which many fans feel are absent from Stellaris.

2 Hegemon

Lead A Federation Dedicated To The Player's Empire

• Start with a Hegemony Federation
• Members will share at least one ethic with the player

It can be hard to go it alone in the universe. A reliable alliance with a powerful ally is one of the greatest advantages in Stellaris. The Hegemon gives the player two of them. Using these allies to conquer enemy homeworlds early on can catapult the player's pop while minimizing the number of resources necessary to do the conquering. It's impossible to overstate just how useful it is to have such allies in the early game.

Hegemon is arguably the best Origin in Stellaris, providing players with an expansionist foundation so strong that no enemy will be able to catch up with it.