Twenty-one heroes (or villains) have found their way to Marvel Rivals, and as much as we don’t want to compare them directly (as the developers themselves have mentioned), it’s hard not to rank each character from best to worst.
It turns out a few in the Marvel roster do sit above their peers, while others are certainly lacking in their roles as the game continues to shape in its earliest days. Here’s our ranked tier list for Marvel Rivals, dividing the entire group of characters into our four-step list ranking from S-tier (powerful) to C-tier (needs a little help).
Marvel Rivals hero tier list
This tier list was last updated in late July 2024 just after the surprise addition of Thor and Jeff the Baby Shark.
S-Tier
Venom
Venom is the best hero in Marvel Rivals right now and some will say it isn’t even close. He is easily the most mobile of the Vanguard tanks thanks to his Venom Swing and Alien Biology wall crawl and can output quite a bit of damage after getting up in the enemies’ faces.
And just when you think you’ve got him on the ropes, Venom will pop his Symbiotic Resilience, gaining back an incredible amount of health as a disappearing shield. During this time his healers will no doubt be fixing his HP for the next engagement—he’s a tough one to put down!
Luna Snow
Luna Snow is our top pick for the Strategist role mostly in part due to her mobility as a support and her enhancement ability for an allied hero all while staying relatively safe at the back of a fight. Share the Stage, combined with her attacks, means a single hero can be kept alive in a one-versus-all engagement while attempting to kill her as she heals allies only makes her tankier.
Jumping her alone isn’t a good idea either thanks to her Absolute Zero insta-freeze ability, and her Lucio-like Fate of Both Worlds can single-handedly turn a teamfight.
The Punisher
Much like Overwatch‘s Soldier 76, there are very few situations where The Punisher isn’t a good pick. Switching between his Adjudication (rifle) and Deliverance (shotgun) means he can deal with anyone at any range, and can escape a bad situation with his Vantage Connection hookshot.
Paired with Rocket Raccoon’s Ammo Invention Team-Up ability and popping Culling Turret makes The Punisher a must-target on the battlefield, but he’s highly likely to take you out first without serious strategy.
Doctor Strange
The Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange has such a well-rounded kit from his giant Shield of the Seraphim to his Cloak of Leviation. Doctor Strange can fly, dish out damage, protect his allies, and even teleport his entire team around the map.
But it’s his ultimate that makes him a true monster of the battlefield: Eye of Agamotto stuns all enemies in a wide radius for a short duration, during which affected enemies can’t do anything at all. Used correctly, Doctor Strange can just about win a game on his own.
Mantis
Rounding out the S-tier is Mantis. Finding a balance between giving out her very effective healing orbs while dealing damage to regenerate her orbs isn’t as hard as it sounds and, unlike a few of the other Strategists, Mantis can keep an entire team going for longer.
Don’t think you’ll be able to pick her off, either: She lacks mobility but a good Mantis will simply put you to sleep with Spore Slumber, after which you’ll probably get collapsed upon by her team. That’s all before she uses her Soul Resurgence ultimate, granting a healing and movement speed boost to her team mid-battle.
A-Tier
- Peni Parker
- Hela
- Storm
- Rocket Raccoon
- Scarlet Witch
- Spider-Man
- Jeff the Land Shark
These six heroes are right on the cusp of the S-tier, in all honestly, and they all excel in their own ways. Expect to see one of these in each of your matches during the beta. Peni Parker falls in that high-skill ceiling group where a truly skilled Peni can take over the game on their own. Hela has had her power level brought back a touch from the closed alpha but those Nightsword Thorns still pack a punch when thrown accurately.
Storm is a great all-rounder, as is Rocket Raccoon whose small size is a major benefit, dodging, ducking, and weaving all attacks while reviving an ally and providing great healing. Scarlet Witch, with the right support like Mantis or Luna, can thrive in even the mid-range matchup, while Spider-Man’s pickoff potential is incredibly high. He’s a little different than his peers in how he approaches fights, but a great Spider-Man player can be a real menace.
Jeff the Land Shark arrived midway through the open beta and has already cemented himself as a memorable and effective Strategist. While he lacks damage, he’s one of the easiest heroes to play and can have a ton of impact, especially if he gets off his ultimate.
B-Tier
- Thor
- Iron Man
- Magneto
- Groot
- Magik
- Star-Lord
Don’t think a B-tier rank means these Marvel Rivals heroes are no good. On the contrary, in the right circumstances or when using their Team-Up abilities, they’re incredibly potent on the battlefield. Iron Man’s mobility in the air and ability to flank for damage is great but his low HP makes him vulnerable, and for some supports, he’s tough to heal. Star-Lord is quite similar and, despite having a very powerful ultimate ability, his small health pool leaves him vulnerable.
With proper shield management and Scarlet Witch’s Team-Up, Magneto is a force to be reckoned with, but otherwise heavily lacks that mobility factor and is easily flanked. Groot needs a mobile team willing to throw themselves at the frontline to benefit compared to other tanks available. Magik is a decent melee DPS, but takes a little time to get used to as you will often find yourself out of position in your early games with her.
Thor, added alongside Jeff the Land Shark during the beta, is falling a little between that tank and DPS role. His effective HP pool is incredibly high but his cooldown management can be a little tricky to master. Overall, he plays a little like Overwatch‘s Doomfist or Winston—get in and brawl, but watch those cooldowns.
C-Tier
- Adam Warlock
- Namor
- Bruce Banner / Hulk
- Loki
- Black Panther
We don’t think these heroes are awful, but compared to their peers, they need a little help and team composition to make work. Adam Warlock’s major benefit comes from his Mercy-like team resurrection, but is easily trapped and caught out since he lacks solid mobility. Namor hasn’t changed much since the alpha and is easy to master but doesn’t have that punch other Duelists currently possess.
Speaking of a lack of punch, Black Panther remains one of the worst DPS options in Marvel Rivals right now and perhaps needs a little more cooldown reduction on abilities to make that super-spammy Genji-like mobility DPS tactic work. Loki has quite the skill ceiling to manage his dodging through his illusions, while Hulk outside of his ultimate feels like a much worse Venom.
We’ll keep this Marvel Rivals tier list updated throughout the beta and into the game’s release!
