Best Melee Heroes In Marvel Rivals, Ranked

It’s always a risk choosing a melee-focused character in a match of Marvel Rivals. After all, it’s very easy to rush in with the hopes of dishing out some serious damage, only to get obliterated by the enemy team when they all focus fire on the same target. Thankfully, many of the melee heroes and villains in this game possess other unique elements to their kits which make them much more effective than the rest.

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While there are currently no Strategists in the game who rely on melee attacks, there are a fair few Duelists, and even Vanguards, whose game plans revolve around roughing the enemy up with deadly punches and kicks. However, when looking at both their reliability and fun factor, here is how these specific Marvel Rivals heroes currently stack up to one another.

8

Black Panther

Black Panther’s Speed And Durability Make Him A Difficult Hero To Pin Down

• Role: Duelist
• Health: 300

Black Panther may not be very reliable when taking on multiple enemies at once, but he’s a true force to be reckoned with in one-on-one encounters. With that being said, the king of Wakanda largely relies on his Vibranium Marks to deal maximum damage, which can be attached to enemies by using his Spear Toss and Spinning Kick.

When Black Panther unleashes his Spirit Rend melee ability on an enemy who is marked, the ability will instantly refresh, turning him into a relentless killing machine who loves nothing more than getting up close and personal. His passive ability, which allows him to deal extra damage when at low health, can be difficult to balance, but any bonus damage is always going to be appreciated regardless.

7

Groot

Groot Can Block Off Enemies With His Walls Before Finishing Them Off With His Heavy Attacks

• Role: Vanguard
• Health: 850

Though Groot’s basic attack does have a lot more range than most melee heroes, it is still the humanoid tree himself who deals the damage, as he simply extends his arms to pummel anyone in range. Groot can deal a moderate amount of damage with his attacks, but what really makes him so special is his walls, which can block an enemy from escaping when they’re low on health, or from being healed by enemy Strategists.

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While Groot does need to get himself into the thick of the action to be effective, his Spore Bombs give him an easy way to catch the enemy off guard if they get a little too close for comfort. He might require some strategy and quick thinking, but Groot is still a very formidable hero who possesses a pretty powerful basic attack to go along with his abilities.

6

Captain America

Nobody Can Disrupt An Enemy Backline Quite As Easily As Captain America

• Role: Vanguard
• Health: 675

Captain America’s game plan revolves around leaping into the backlines, distracting the healers and Duelists for as long as possible, and maybe even picking up a few kills along the way, before escaping to safety. However, there’s a little more to him than just that. When Cap scores a second hit on an enemy, his melee attack will turn into a ranged one for the next few hits, allowing him to steadily retreat back to his healers while still throwing out damage.

Cap also has a plethora of escape abilities that make him one of the best melee heroes in the game when it comes to survivability. Liberty Rush and Leading Dash can be used to either enter or leave combat and while he can be a little vulnerable when these abilities aren’t up, he still has his trusty shield as a last resort to keep him safe.

5

Thor

The God Of Thunder Can Get In And Out Of Fights Easily Thanks To Mjolnir

• Role: Vanguard
• Health: 625

Mjolnir, the mighty hammer that Thor wields in-game, can be used for more than just whacking enemies. With the Storm Surge ability, Thor can get into a fight, deal as much damage as possible, and then get back out with the same ability, making him a real annoyance for the enemy team to deal with.

Another very useful ability is his Awakening Rune, which makes Thor even more durable in close quarters by buffing him up with bonus health while also enhancing the damage of his basic attack. Though there are heroes in the game who are still more mobile than Thor, considering how much health he possesses, paired with his melee damage output, it’s staggering just how easily this guy can get in and out of combat thanks to his abilities.

4

Magik

Using Magik’s Melee Abilities One After Another Can Easily Melt Health Bars

• Role: Duelist
• Health: 250

Admittedly, Magik’s basic attack is pretty slow and cumbersome, but it’s when using her abilities in tandem that this character really shines. If players use Magik’s Stepping Disc to teleport themselves over to the enemy, they will then have a split second to unleash the Eldritch Wall; a massive AOE melee attack that can shred the health bars of any nearby Strategists and Duelists.

She also possesses a dash in the form of Umbral Incursion, which allows Magik to close the gap on an enemy before launching them up in the air, which is useful for turning enemy healers into sitting ducks. Magik may not be dealing consistent damage throughout an entire match, but she can utterly obliterate foes in small bursts when her abilities are all off cooldown.

3

Iron Fist

A Tricky But Effective Hero Whose Kicks And Punches Can Send An Enemy Into A Daze

• Role: Duelist
• Health: 250

Iron Fist is far from an easy character to use, but with a little practice, players can turn this lethal warrior into an absolute monster, especially when making good use of his abilities. While most melee heroes can struggle to stay on-target due to how much the enemy will jump and move around the arena, Iron Fist has a little bit of auto-aim baked into his basic attack, along with a dash that automatically activates upon attacking.

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This isn’t even mentioning K’un-Lun Kick, which allows Iron Fist to perform a giant sweeping kick that can push the enemy team apart and force them to reorganize themselves in the middle of a fight. Iron Fist can feel a bit squishy, but his wall run and Harmony Recovery help to make up for this shortcoming.

2

Wolverine

Wolverine Is A Glass Cannon; Huge Damage Potential But Also Fairly Fragile

• Role: Duelist
• Health: 350

Wolverine is quickly becoming recognized as one of the hardest heroes in the game to play, let alone master, but when used in the right hands, this X-Men member can be the bane of a tank’s existence. Wolverine heavily relies on his Undying Animal ability to deal damage, since it drastically speeds up his attack speed and enables him to tear apart Vanguards easier than any other character in the game.

He also stands out due to his Berserker Rage passive ability, which grants Wolverine extra damage the more damage he takes, making him ideal for hit-and-run tactics. The only drawback to Wolverine is he usually needs to wait around for his abilities to come back, but when they’re up and running, this Duelist can feel more or less unstoppable on the battlefield.

1

Hulk

A Durable Vanguard With Some Of The Most Hard-Hitting Attacks In The Game

• Role: Vanguard
• Health: 800

Players may only be equipped with a small laser blaster when playing as Bruce Banner, but when turning into the Hulk, the scientist ditches the gun to instead focus on beating the enemy down with brute force. Hulk’s basic attacks deal a staggering amount of damage, so it’s surprising that he also possesses an incredibly fast leap that allows him to enter and flee combat instantly.

What’s more, Hulk’s Incredible Leap doesn’t have a cool down, meaning players can either jump onto the frontlines or launch themselves over to the backline to obliterate the team’s Strategists in an instant. Hulk’s Indestructible Guard also means the big guy can easily protect himself against incoming fire, making him a very reliable and effective melee-based hero who can cause plenty of chaos when jumping onto the battlefield.

Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Systems

OpenCritic

Top Critic Rating:
78/100


Critics Recommend:
82%

Released

December 6, 2024

Developer(s)

NetEase Games

OpenCritic Rating

Strong