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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo delete a Valheim character, open the game, go to the character-selection screen, highlight the correct character, choose the delete control, and confirm. If the character has a Steam Cloud copy, delete it through Manage Saves in the Characters tab; otherwise, Steam Cloud may restore the save when Valheim starts again.
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Back up the character first if its skills, equipment, or inventory might be needed later. Character saves and world saves are separate, so deleting one character does not remove your worlds or other characters.
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What deleting a Valheim character actually does
A Valheim character is a separate save from a world. The character save contains that character’s progression, skills, equipment, and inventory. Deleting it removes that character data, but it does not delete the world in which the character played and does not affect other characters.
This separation also applies to Valheim’s newer save format. Notes for the 2026 public test describe a chunked format for world saves while stating that “character saves remain the same.” In practical terms, the character-deletion process remains the character-management process rather than a world-management operation.
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- Explore a bright Norse realm: discover dungeons, slay legendary beasts, and build anywhere as you explore formidable, procedurally-generated lands on your quest to take on Ragnarok.
- Face colossal game-changers: protect the speed of Yggdrasil from a nightly invasion of helthings, and work together with your tribe to withstand the ever-looming threat of the jotnar.
- Forge your Viking Legend: choose your class and take the battle into the wilds as you seek resources to craft epic armor and mighty weaponry. Then, unleash powerful abilities and prepare clever village defenses to give your enemies some nasty surprises.
- Rally the tribe: when the giants arrive, it takes a village to bring them down! Adventure through midgard solo, or form a tribe of up to 10 players in online pve co-op.
- Keep up the fight: throughout the year, limited time seasonal events bring bigger challenges and even mightier treasures to the endgame of midgard, including new ways to progress and unlockable rewards for use across every game.
Deletion is normally reversible only while a suitable backup still exists. The game’s save manager can expose older backups, and a manual copy can preserve a local file, but confirming deletion without a backup should be treated as permanent for normal play.
Before you delete: identify the right character and make a backup
Verify the character name and storage type
At the character-selection screen, read the highlighted name carefully before opening the delete command. Similar names, alternate characters, or a controller’s selection focus can make it easy to choose the wrong save. If the character list distinguishes local and cloud entries, note which one you are about to remove.
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Copy the local save folders on Windows
Exit to the menu or close Valheim before copying files so that the game is not writing to the save at the same time. On Windows, the documented Valheim save root is:
%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim
Character data is documented in these two locations:
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimcharacters%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimcharacters_local
Copy the relevant folder, or the individual character files inside it, to a separate location such as another drive. Keep the copy unchanged while you test deletion or restoration. The two folder names reflect the local character locations documented by Steam Community guidance; the exact files present depend on how that installation stores its characters.
Why the backup matters more for cloud saves
Steam Cloud can synchronize a deletion or restore an older copy, depending on which save state Steam considers current. A manual backup gives you an independent recovery point. Do not assume that turning Steam Cloud off after deletion will recreate a character; it can only prevent or change synchronization and cannot manufacture missing data.
Delete a local character from Valheim
For a character stored locally, the safest normal method is the in-game delete command:
- Launch Valheim and choose Start Game.
- Wait for the character-selection screen.
- Highlight the character you intend to remove. Check the name a second time.
- Use the on-screen delete control. The exact key or button prompt can differ between keyboard, controller, and platform.
- Read the warning and confirm only when the selected name and deletion action are correct.
A Steam Community support answer from 2023 describes the location as “Delete it from within the game under manage saves its right after you click start game.” The wording refers to the save-management controls that appear after starting the game, while the character list itself is where you select the character to remove.
After confirmation, return to the character list and check that the intended entry is gone. Do not immediately erase your manual backup; it is your simplest way to recover if the selection was wrong.
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Delete a Valheim character stored in Steam Cloud
Cloud characters need an extra step because a file removed from the PC can be downloaded again. Use Valheim’s save manager so the cloud record is changed deliberately.
- Open Valheim and choose Start Game to reach the character and save controls.
- Open Manage Saves.
- Choose the Characters tab.
- Find the intended cloud entry. Use the cloud icon, the character name, and any displayed backup information to distinguish it from a local copy.
- Select the character and choose the delete command.
- Confirm the prompt, then allow the game to finish its save operation before exiting.
Using Manage Saves is important when Steam Cloud is enabled. Iron Gate’s 0.210.6 patch notes include the statement, “Local and legacy characters will now be deleted properly if Steam Cloud is enabled.” That change supports using the game’s save manager for cloud characters instead of deleting arbitrary files while synchronization is active.
If you need file-level control
Move the save to Local first in Manage Saves, then close or restart Valheim and handle the local copy. This separates the file you are working on from the cloud entry. After the local deletion, restart the game so the intended cloud state can synchronize. Keep the copied backup outside the Valheim save folders until you are certain that the cloud and local lists show the desired result.
If a deleted character reappears after restarting, stop deleting files repeatedly. Reopen Manage Saves, check whether a cloud entry still exists, and perform the deletion there. Repeated manual deletion while Steam Cloud is active can create a cycle in which the cloud copy simply returns.
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These approaches differ in reversibility, storage location, scope, and the controls available to you.
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- Explore a bright Norse realm: discover dungeons, slay legendary beasts, and build anywhere as you explore formidable, procedurally-generated lands on your quest to take on Ragnarok.
- Face colossal game-changers: protect the speed of Yggdrasil from a nightly invasion of helthings, and work together with your tribe to withstand the ever-looming threat of the jotnar.
- Forge your Viking Legend: choose your class and take the battle into the wilds as you seek resources to craft epic armor and mighty weaponry. Then, unleash powerful abilities and prepare clever village defenses to give your enemies some nasty surprises.
- Rally the tribe: when the giants arrive, it takes a village to bring them down! Adventure through midgard solo, or form a tribe of up to 10 players in online pve co-op.
- Keep up the fight: throughout the year, limited time seasonal events bring bigger challenges and even mightier treasures to the endgame of midgard, including new ways to progress and unlockable rewards for use across every game.
| Approach | Storage mode | Reversibility | Scope | Platform details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delete from the character list | Local character | Recoverable only if a game or manual backup remains | One selected character | Uses the on-screen keyboard, controller, or platform prompt |
| Delete in Manage Saves | Steam Cloud character | Older entries may be restorable through the save manager | One selected cloud character | Cloud and local entries are identified in the game interface |
| Copy files before deletion | Local backup of character data | Most controllable because the untouched copy can be restored | Whatever character folder or files you copied | Windows paths are documented; console file paths are not stated |
| Delete arbitrary files while Cloud is active | Mixed or uncertain | Unpredictable if Steam Cloud retains another copy | Can affect more files than intended | Not the recommended method for a cloud character |
The table’s “one character” scope assumes you select only that entry. Deleting or moving an entire folder is a different operation and can affect multiple saves, so use the in-game selection whenever possible.
What happens to worlds, equipment, and inventory
Your world remains
World saves are stored and managed separately from character saves. Removing a character does not remove the world, its map, buildings, bosses, or other world data. You can create or select another character and continue using that world, subject to the normal permissions and save state of the world.
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Equipment and inventory belong to the deleted character save. They are not automatically moved to another character when you confirm deletion. If those items matter, recover the character from a backup rather than deleting first and hoping the inventory appears elsewhere.
Other characters are unaffected
Selecting one character for deletion does not delete the other entries in the character list. The risk to other characters comes from manually removing or replacing the wrong files, which is another reason to use the character-specific in-game command and retain a separate backup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restore a character deleted by accident
If you confirmed the wrong deletion, stop and preserve every remaining copy before trying repairs. Do not overwrite the manual backup you made before deletion.
- Open Valheim and go to Manage Saves.
- Open the Characters tab.
- Find the deleted character’s entry or expandable backup record.
- Expand the entry and identify the most recent backup that predates the mistake.
- Choose the restore command for that backup and confirm the destination carefully.
- Return to the character list and verify the restored name before loading into a world.
The save manager can expose older character backups for restoration. “Most recent” is not automatically “correct”: choose a point from before the deletion or before any unwanted changes. If the manager offers both local and cloud versions, keep the independent copied file untouched until you have confirmed which version is usable.
Restoring from a Windows copy
If the in-game backup is unavailable, close Valheim and use the copy made from the documented characters or characters_local folder. Restore only the intended character data to the matching save location, then launch the game and inspect the character list. Because file names and save formats can differ between versions, avoid replacing the whole Valheim root when only one character needs recovery.
When Steam Cloud is enabled, a restored local file can be replaced by the cloud state. Use Manage Saves to keep the recovered character local or to synchronize the recovered state deliberately, and restart Valheim after the change so the displayed list reflects the final state.
Troubleshooting common deletion problems
The character comes back after deletion
This usually indicates that a cloud copy still exists or that the local and cloud states were not synchronized. Open Manage Saves, select Characters, identify the cloud entry, and delete it there. If you need to preserve the character, restore or move it to Local instead of deleting it, then restart and verify the icons and list.
The delete command is missing or does nothing
Make sure a character is highlighted rather than the list being unfocused, and follow the current on-screen prompt for the active input device. Keyboard and controller prompts can use different buttons. If the prompt remains unavailable, leave the screen, return through Start Game, and open Manage Saves to work from the character entry.
The wrong character was selected
Do not create a replacement with the same name and assume it is the original. Check Manage Saves for an expandable older backup and restore the entry from before the mistake. If you made a manual copy, use that copy only after closing Valheim and preserving the current files.
A character is missing after moving between Local and Cloud
Check both storage categories in Manage Saves. A move can change which icon and list the character appears under without changing the character’s name. Avoid deleting either category until you have identified which copy contains the skills and inventory you need.
File recovery appears to have no effect
Close Valheim before replacing files, restore to the matching character folder, and launch the game again. If Steam Cloud is active, the cloud version may overwrite the restored local state; use the save manager to select the desired storage mode and allow a restart for synchronization.
Windows save locations at a glance
| Purpose | Documented path | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Valheim Windows save root | %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim |
Root location for Valheim save data identified in Iron Gate’s dedicated-server guide (2024) |
| Character saves | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimcharacters |
Character folder documented in Steam Community guidance (2024) |
| Local character saves | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowIronGateValheimcharacters_local |
Second local character location documented in the same guidance |
These paths are Windows locations. The available evidence does not establish equivalent file paths or file-management steps for console editions, so console players should use the platform’s in-game character and save-management controls rather than applying the Windows instructions.
Quick Recap
A safe deletion checklist
- Confirm the exact character name and whether it is Local or Steam Cloud.
- Exit to the menu or close Valheim before making a manual copy.
- Back up the relevant
charactersorcharacters_localdata if the character matters. - Use the character-selection delete control for a local character.
- Use Manage Saves and the Characters tab for a Steam Cloud character.
- Confirm the prompt only after checking the highlighted entry.
- Keep the backup until the character list and cloud status are correct.
- If you regret the deletion, use an older entry in Manage Saves before experimenting with files.
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