Best Characters In Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals is one of the few competitive hero shooters that’s so versatile that any kind of player can pick it up and quickly dive into it. Whether you’re familiar with the complexities of an online PvP game, or a Marvel fan looking to play their favorite heroes, there’s a character best suited for your playstyle.

However, certain heroes performed better than others in the game. So, instead of swinging to the game or creating portals based on false ideas, a tier list can help you choose a character that’s an ideal mix between something you enjoy playing, and a set of useful moves you can pull when in-game.

What’s A Tier List?

Marvel Rivals includes a diverse range of heroes (and villains)—showing off a roster of 33 playable characters. While all these heroes perform well in their own right, some are simply a better pick than others.

Character Classes

You’ll notice a small icon next to each character’s name. This indicates the class they belong to, and there are primarily three kinds of heroes in the game. Moreover, a character’s team-up abilities can help them feel even more powerful.

Keep team-ups in mind when picking a character. Marvel Rivals’ character-selection screen tells you which heroes are most compatible with one another.

S-Tier

The Punisher (Duelist)

The Punisher has a gameplay loop that is both inviting and rewarding, especially for new players. Equipped with a high-damage rifle and a zipline, The Punisher has a flexible kit that can be used almost anywhere on the map.

His turret has high firepower, and his ultimate ability allows him to become a one-man army that can take out enemy players within seconds if they lack a strong line of defense. Additionally, his smoke grenade can get you out of tricky situations.

Rocket Raccoon (Strategist)

The raccoon with a mean mouth has an even meaner kit. Rocket can help allies revive quicker, stay healed up, and have their attacks powered up. Additionally, players can also find Rocket’s armor packs throughout the match.

His kit helps with some mobility, and players can quickly get used to his role as a support character in the team. His ultimate ability grants his team a massive attack boost.

Doctor Strange (Vanguard)

Doctor Strange is easily the most versatile hero in the game. Protection, teleportation, and attacks are all part of his key abilities. His portal’s impressive range allows anyone to teleport to almost all parts of the map, helping teammates reach the objective quickly.

His shield serves as a powerful line of defense, along with his power of levitation, which lets him have better control in the fight. His ultimate ability groups enemies, disabling their mobility for a short while so allies can inflict damage.

Setting a portal between the spawn point and the objective can help you and your teammates with mobility. Make sure to place one at the beginning of a match.

Venom (Vanguard)

Huge, mobile, and tanky, Venom is a jack of all trades when picking a hero. However, that can also be his weakness, as players may have a tough time choosing a particular playstyle for this character.

Venom can also swing across the map and grab onto enemies, making him seem unpredictable to foes. This, combined with his ability to inflict damage in short bursts, makes him easy to learn but tough to master.

Moon Knight (Duelist)

Fast, versatile, and strong — the avatar of the Egyptian God of Vengeance makes for a powerful pick. His projectiles can deflect incoming attacks, as well as be amplified with Ankhs that can be placed on the ground. This is also useful when going against a group of enemies.

Moreover, Moon Knight’s kit gives you fluid and fast movement, thanks to his gliding and grappling ability. Add to that double-jumping, and you have yourself a character that’s great for parkour. His ultimate calls Hands of Khonshu to strike down from the sky, inflicting area damage.

Jeff the Land Shark (Strategist)

The dangerously cute Jeff can sneak around enemies, hiding below the surface of the map and entrapping opponents as and when necessary. Jeff also has healing abilities, but isn’t the best when it comes to being a support character.

As part of his ultimate ability, the hero can trap enemies in a whirlpool, completely immobilizing them and taking them by surprise.

Hawkeye (Duelist)

If there’s an enemy Hawkeye in the game, there’s a chance you’ll have to be extra careful when moving around. His arrows can eliminate opponents one by one, even when he’s staying in the back battle area. He’s ideal for those who want to stay sneaky and still contribute to the damage output for the team.

His ultimate ability allows you to improve your aim and track enemies (Afterimages) as they move about, dealing much higher damage than usual. Hawkeye’s high DPS potential makes him a powerful sniper who’s an essential pick in the game.

Hela (Duelist)

For players who want to show off their aim, Hela is the ideal pick. Her attacks may feel a bit slow, but when dealt with precision, can kill opponents within a few shots. Additionally, she can also briefly teleport to a different location as and when she pleases.

Her ultimate ability lets her stay in the air for a short period, firing an array of shots that do area-of-effect damage, making her a threat to enemies.

When playing a precision-heavy sniper like Hela, keep moving behind cover to ensure you don’t stay in an enemy’s sight all the time.

A-Tier

Scarlet Witch (Duelist)

Scarlet Witch is the safest pick for those looking to get in and out of fights while also keeping a good sense of their vicinity. Without having to reload, she can drain an enemy’s health bar, making her an easy choice for players who aren’t too keen on aiming.

Her ultimate ability is the most powerful weapon she wields, doing incredible area-of-effect damage when triggered. This holds the potential to take out an entire enemy team if you time it right.

Storm (Duelist)

Storm’s mobility combined with her lightning and wind attacks make her one of the toughest heroes to fight against. She can swap between weathers to help her allies, switching between movement and damage boost.

By transforming into a hurricane, her ultimate ability can be tricky to counter, as it pulls enemies towards her and deals hefty damage.

Adam Warlock (Strategist)

Adam Warlock’s revival abilities can completely overhaul an ally’s comeback experience. After all, who doesn’t want to get back into the fight quickly? However, long cooldowns can often make him a careful pick rather than an obvious one.

His ultimate ability immediately revives a fallen teammate, giving them a brief period of invincibility as they find their footing in the match upon respawning.

Iron Man (Duelist)

The iconic Marvel character uses his charm and wit in battle, giving players an impressive kit. He’s always in the air, sometimes making it difficult for enemies to keep track of him.

Between rockets and laser beams that can hurt different kinds of enemies, Iron Man has the freedom to choose where and when he stands out as a formidable hero. However, his movement can make him difficult to master, even if you’re an experienced player.

Staying high up in the air is important for a hero like Iron Man. Thus, stay aware of healing points on the map, so you don’t have to rely on teammates all the time.

Groot (Vanguard)

On the more defensive side of things, Groot takes the throne when it comes to tanky support characters. With the ability to build different kinds of walls and do melee as well as area-wide damage, Groot is best for players who want to play it safe and take their time understanding the game.

Compared to other Vanguard heroes, Groot may feel a bit slower, but that’s where his uniqueness lies – steady and reliable.

Thor (Vanguard)

The almighty Thor is a representation of all things stylish, powerful, and full of energy. Thor’s primary attack can be addictive (and fun) enough to use over and over again, and Mjölnir is a trustworthy companion in battle that can help you traverse across the map.

However, his kit can feel a bit overwhelming, and compared to other Vanguard heroes, he cannot take as much damage.

Iron Fist (Duelist)

Iron Fist is the perfect blend of mobility and damage. The more he moves, the more versatile his attacks are. His punches and combos are best landed when you’re constantly cruising around the map, and parrying incoming attacking.

His ultimate boosts your attacks, giving you more strength and dexterity. When this is triggered, you can stay at the frontline and close the gap between you and your enemies.

Heroes like Iron Fist and Wolverine are most efficient when mobile. Keep moving and don’t stand still for too long!

Luna Snow (Strategist)

Appearing with grace and a cheery personality, Luna Snow is an easy-to-pick support character who can heal allies, as well as provide them with a damage boost. Moreover, she can freeze enemies for a few seconds, dealing considerable damage with her primary attacks.

While her default movement speed can feel like a breeze, making a big impact on your team’s ability to perform better may take more effort than you’d like. Simply put; there are better healers in the game.

Squirrel Girl (Duelist)

Squirrel Girl’s kit makes things look easy, but don’t let that fool you! Her high damage output (thanks to the slingshot) can deal with explosive attacks, pushing enemies to come out of hiding. You don’t have to think much about her kit, and that makes her playstyle quite easy to pick.

On top of that, her ultimate ability commands a scurry of squirrels to team up on enemies, distracting and overwhelming them when needed.

B-Tier

Loki (Strategist)

Marvel’s infamous bamboozler is here to cause a ruckus, but he may be a divisive pick as a support character. His weapon fires projectiles that can heal allies and damage enemies, allowing players to be a little flexible with their playstyle.

Rather than his abilities, think of Loki’s deceptive prowess as what makes him stand out. Tricking your opponents can take practice, but it’s well worth the effort.

Mantis (Strategist)

Thanks to her powerful intuition and empathetic prowess, Mantis can “inspire” allies, giving them a boost when damaging opponents. She can become the primary healer for the squad, while also having the ability to deal significant damage to opponents.

Her ultimate ability grants everyone around her a boost in health (along with over-health) and attack power. Additionally, she can also stun enemies for a few seconds, which can be useful to the entire team.

You can use Mantis as an “escape tool” hero. Try and put enemies to sleep in case you want to exit a fight.

Magneto (Vanguard)

Magneto’s remarkable sturdiness and short to medium-range attacks make him a great pick for someone who wants to try out a Vanguard hero who stays at the front line. Even though his Metallic Curtain doesn’t hold for too long, it can provide allies with some assistance.

His ultimate ability can deal a lot of damage to multiple opponents at once, but he needs good timing and the right angle when hovering midair.

Magik (Duelist)

While Magik’s abilities are simple to use and promising, her impact in a match will likely feel minimal. Her attacks can be quite slow, and her ultimate ability works best when you’re surrounded by multiple enemies.

Fortunately, she can quickly traverse between short distances, making her agile and distracting in the opponent’s eyes.

Star-Lord (Duelist)

Peter Quill’s charisma couldn’t save his kit in Marvel Rivals, and that’s okay. If you’re willing to put hours upon hours into practicing his fast-paced (and tricky) abilities, you can be a flanker the team adores.

Unfortunately, his damage output is minimal and so are his defensive abilities. But hey, he can be a fun hero if you’re not taking the game too seriously.

A hero like Star-Lord is best played as a flanker. These types of heroes excel when you have map awareness. Know your entry and exit points like the back of your hand.

Captain America (Vanguard)

Captain America’s shield takes the spotlight as one of the best defensive capabilities in the game. In addition to blocking incoming attacks, he can also throw it, allowing him to deal long-range damage.

Leaping into battle is a great tactic you can expect to use, thanks to his ultimate ability that improves healing and movement speed for the entire team.

Winter Soldier (Duelist)

Winter Soldier’s Roterstern is a weapon that deals heavy damage. What’s even better is how he’s able to pull enemies towards him—closing the necessary gap. Or, he can dash towards them, using his weapon without worrying about aiming too much.

His ultimate ability can be used in a lot of flanking scenarios, as it breaks up enemy teams and slams them into the ground. You’ll start feeling like a tank once you get used to his kit!

Wolverine (Duelist)

Focused on attacks that are up close and personal, Wolverine’s kit is best suited for players who love melee combat. His ability to consistently deal damage while healing up makes him a highly versatile damage-focused character.

As Wolverine, you can pick and choose who you wish to focus your attacks on by pinning them against a surface or flying them through the air. Nothing seems to be impossible for this one.

Use Wolverine’s ultimate ability to take out more than a few enemy heroes at once.

Black Widow (Duelist)

Black Widow is the best pick for players looking to master a sniper’s role in Marvel Rivals. She can charge up her shots for the best long-range attacks, as well as fight off enemies at close range.

You can eliminate most opponents with a single shot unless they’re at full health. Her Red Room Rifle’s Destruction mode wreaks havoc as she damages nearby enemies as well as slows some of them down.

C-Tier

Spider-Man (Duelist)

When you think “movement”, the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is an obvious choice. Unfortunately, his tiny hitbox and extreme agility can work against him, making him weak in fights.

But, once you get used to his movement and attacks, Spidey can be one of the most annoying heroes your enemies will fight, distracting them mid-game, and giving your allies a massive advantage. This one’s a true skirmisher.

Bruce Banner (Vanguard)

Brains and brawn make Bruce Banner (The Hulk) an easy pick if you’re looking for a hero who’s not afraid of being the center of attention. Easy to get into but tough to master, Hulk’s attacks can be ranged as well as melee. His ultimate ability buffs up his damage, making him one of the tankiest heroes in the game.

When not in his Hulk form, Bruce Banner still has a Gamma Ray Gun that helps him survive. However, he’s prone to being defeated easily this way.

When playing a tanky hero, get used to taking a lot of damage. When paired with a good healer (such Mantis and Luna Snow), you can be unstoppable!

Black Panther (Duelist)

On paper, Black Panther may seem like the ideal hero for those looking to master a character that’s hard-hitting and agile. Unfortunately, his abilities shuffle between moves that require some cooldown, often putting you at the risk of getting hurt mid-fight.

Unless you’re perfectly fine playing a hero with varying melee attacks, think twice before picking this one up.

Namor (Duelist)

Given how Namor can call allies from the ocean to help out, it’s ironic he’s not a Strategist. Ranged attacks and verticality may help you have some control during a fight, but you may need the assistance of fellow players.

Overall, his kit may feel a bit lacking as his attacks don’t have variety, and you’ll be relying on your friends from the sea more often than not.

Peni Parker (Vanguard)

Traps, webs, and mech-esque gimmicks may find their usefulness after a lot of practice. But, at its foundation, Peni Parker isn’t a powerful contributor to the team. Her mobility can be utilized for certain objectives.

Regardless, her kit is highly situational, often making her Spider-Drones useless since they can be countered so easily.

Cloak & Dagger (Strategist)

This powerful duo makes you feel like you’re playing two characters, as you can switch between them any time you like. While Cloak deals damage, Dagger serves the role of a supportive healer. Mastering this playstyle can be a bit tricky, but worth your time.

When their ultimate ability is activated, they perform three quick dashes that heal allies and damage enemies often at the same time. Synergizing between these two abilities is the key to victory.

Psylocke (Duelist)

One of the most challenging characters to master in the game, Psylocke comes with a toolkit that’s stealthy and deadly. She focuses on dashing through areas, often turning almost invisible to stay hidden from opponents.

Her attacks (when landed properly) can eliminate most enemies within a few shots. Ironically, her psionic katana (ultimate ability) makes things much easier as Psylocke dashes around within an area, dealing devastating damage to any opponent within range.