Kenshi Factions
The 52 Kenshi factions — the 43 that control territory and the bands that roam without a town — their headquarters, the race that leads them, and who they're at war with. Click any faction to highlight its rivals, then jump to its territory on the map.
War graph · who attacks whom
Tap a faction name to spotlight who they're at war with. Tap 📍 to jump to their territory on the map. Red chips are other named factions — click any one to switch focus.
The United Cities (A.K.A. the "Empire" or the "Desert Empire") is an expansionist, feudal slaver society.
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The Holy Nation (sometimes also referred to as Holy Empire) is a very large theocratic Greenlander state ruled by a Phoenix whom they believe to be a reincarnation of their first ruler, and is rumored to be over 5000 years old. Their denizens are concentrated mostly in and around Okran's Pride but could be found on over a quarter of the entire continent.
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Tech Hunters are a tiny organization composed of adventurers dedicated to scouring the ancient ruins of the world in search of ancient technologies and artifacts.
A Hive faction living in a network of Hive Villages and Distant Hive Villages beside the Holy Nation. Most playable Hivers come from it.
The Slave Traders are a faction composed of the practitioners of Slavery, they typically engage in trading and capture of slaves as well as in working the slaves on farms and mines. They also have close ties to most factions that engage in its practice, including The Holy Nation and the United Cities.
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Tribal humanoids of the Cannibal Plains and Darkfinger, also called the Painted Tribe, who drag unconscious victims back to their camps and villages.
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Homeland of the Shek and headed by queen Esata "the Stone Golem", the Shek Kingdom is a very sparsely populated and tribalistic faction that resides almost entirely within the ranges of Stenn Desert, centered in their capital, Admag.
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A hostile Hive faction in the Royal Valley and Greyshelf, south of Flats Lagoon and Mourn, whose land is guarded by swarms of Droneguard around the Queen of the South.
The Swampers faction comprises the denizens of The Swamp, often not aligned to any one gang in particular. A collection of outcasts, outlaws, exiles, and criminals, their society has a very violent dog-eat-dog nature.
The Skeletons faction consists of Skeletons from the ancient times who have founded their own civilization of sorts. They have their own city in Deadlands, known as the Black Desert City.
The Flotsam Ninjas are a small rebel faction mostly made up of women and escapees who have defected from The Holy Nation, although their organization is also composed of a significant proportion of volunteers, likely originating from Deadcat.
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Reavers are a faction of bandits led by Valamon who believe that they deserve to be in charge instead of the United Cities. They have the same trade culture as the Swampers.
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Crab-worshipping Scorchlander bandits ruled by the Crab Queen from Crab Town in The Pits East, with further villages in Greenbeach and Stobe's Garden.
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Skeletons who hunt humans for their skin, based in Sonorous Dark and led by Savant. Their captives end up in a Peeler Machine.
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Nomads are a faction of Human wanderers and animal herders. Neutral and generally content to just tend to their animals.
Fogmen carrying a prisoner. The Fogmen (also known as the Deadhive) are a savage group of Hivers lurking within the Fog Islands.
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Fish-like creatures, also called Gurglers, who hold Fishman Island south of Catun. Their leader, King Gurgler, sits in the Island Lab.
Small gangs of criminals on the run from the Holy Nation, usually met wandering the wilds. The Hub and Rebel Base are nominally theirs.
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A Skeleton faction of Sonorous Dark and the Ashlands, thought to be what is left of the Second Empire's skeletal army.
The Anti-Slavers are a faction led by the legendary Tinfist in a fight against slavery. As a result, they gained many powerful enemies such as The Holy Nation, United Cities and Traders Guild who engage in these practices.
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The Hounds are the most powerful gang in The Swamp. They are the continent's primary growers of Hemp, which is the main ingredient of Hashish, a narcotic substance illegal in all three major nations.
The Stone Rats are one of the many gangs that reside in the Swamp. They can be found in the city Shark or their village called Stone Rat Village where their leader Big Al lives.
The United Heroes League is a faction of self-proclaimed "city heroes" that operate around United Cities territory. Made up of Greenlanders, they are hostile vigilantes of the United Cities, opposed to foreigners and nonhuman races (although not foreign humans).
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Rebel Farmers are composed of the poorest of rebelling peasants and farmers from the United Cities. They are spread out across several empire lands, attacking various travelers on the roads and then retreating back to their camps.
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Skeleton Bandits is a faction native to the southeast corner of the continent. They primarily consist of Greenlanders wearing Skeleton Masks.
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Manhunters are a Faction of people who hunt people who escaped Slavery for a living, similar to the Slave Hunters, albeit stronger, better-equipped, more frequent, and more numerous.
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Kral's Chosen are a large faction of Sheks with close ties to the Shek Kingdom comprised of loyalists to Flying Bull. Based mostly within New Kralia, they often randomly harrass and assault outsiders in the wilderness.
A group of ronin Hivers, the Blackshifters are one of the 5 gangs from The Swamp.
The Traders Guild is an allegedly neutral faction that deal primarily with commerce between towns. They're based in the United Cities and are integral to their economy.
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A camp of Empire Peasants. Note how many of them belong to the Hive race.
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Thrall Masters is a bandit faction composed of reprogrammed (enthralled) Skeletons found in Venge, and occasionally in Grey Desert and The Eye. Their HQ is located in the Tower of Abuse.
Dust Bandits are a hostile faction found around the Border Zone. Dust Bandits are better trained and equipped than some other bandit groups, like Starving Bandits.
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The Band of Bones is a violent Shek bandit group led by Tora composed of denizens from the Shek Kingdom.
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The Red Sabres are a bandit group from The Swamp led by their leader, Red Sabre Boss. The Red Sabres can be found roaming in The Swamp and the South Wetlands.
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The Grayflayers (also referred to as the Grayflayer Clan as seen in Letters From A Swamper V) are one of the five gangs within The Swamp.
The Swamp Ninjas are a bandit faction from The Swamp. They are the rivals of the Red Sabres and can often be found fighting them.
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Cannibal Hunters are a group of people who have dedicated themselves to culling the Cannibal threat, attempting to keep them contained in their own territory. It is presumed they do this for their own reasons, such as personal grudges and the like.
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Shek fighters who left the Shek Kingdom for a tribal life of challenge and combat. Many moved north; others stayed behind with their leader, Ghost.
Ninjas who built the town of Mongrel on an island in the Fog Islands, where the fog and the Fogmen living in it keep enemies away.
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Followers of The Preacher at Cult Village on the Stormgap Coast. They worship the moons, attack outsiders on sight and fight with Moon Cleavers.
Bandits led by Sand Ninja Oni from the Cactus Den, roaming Spine Canyon, The Great Desert and The Eye in search of travellers they judge weak.
Bandits of the south-east, led by Gutterhead, who attack anyone nearby and loot the unconscious and the dead.
A minor hostile faction of the south, based at The Old Prison, whose members fight unarmed as martial artists.
Hostile bandits found mainly in The Eye and the neighbouring Grey Desert and Spine Canyon.
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A small trading faction that runs the Farm Shops in United Cities towns and sends a single caravan between towns. It bans hemp and hemp goods in its territory.
Bandits around The Eye and the Stormgap Coast who fight anyone over turf, the United Cities most of all.
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The University of Machinists: scholars at World's End who study the world's history, recover lost technology and publish what they learn in books.
Hostile bandits of The Shrieking Forest, the Purple Sands and the north-west Cannibal Plains who communicate only in shrieks and gestures.
A weaker cousin of the Manhunters that makes money recapturing escaped slaves, and now and then seizes innocent travellers to sell.
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Hungry gangs, often large and always led, that roam the wilds and fringes of Holy Nation land looking for food.
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A small faction that owns and guards the bars in The Hub, Mourn and the Rebel Base.
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Career thieves, fences and smugglers who work out of bars and Thief watchtowers in many towns. New members join by paying a Thief Boss.
About this data
The list covers the 52 factions the Kenshi Wiki documents; location counts come from our map, and headquarters, the full hostility lists and banners from each faction's Kenshi Wiki (Fandom) page (official game data (Kenshi v1.0.68)). Facts are game data; descriptions are licensed CC BY-SA.