Marvel Rivals is currently in its anticipated closed beta test. The game offers players diverse rosters of 23 characters, each with unique abilities that will influence the evolving meta.
This guide will rank every character based on their power levels to help you choose the best team. Whether you're battling as a Vanguard, Duelist, Strategist, Damage, or Support role, you may want to know which heroes and villains stand out.
Our Marvel Rivals character tier list will help you pick the top contenders, from iconic Avengers and X-Men to fan-favorite oddities, ensuring you dominate the battlefield in Marvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivals Character and Hero Classes
Playing Marvel Rivals requires a thorough understanding of character and hero class to build a winning team. Each character is equipped with a primary attack and several powerful abilities that can be combined strategically for massive damage.
Each character is divided into three distinct roles, which play a significant part in your team's dynamics. Here are the three roles with their unique strengths and playstyles:
- Vanguard: These are the frontline heroes or tank roles in other games. Vanguards can damage enemies directly and protect their teammates. They possess high health and defensive abilities, perfect for leading the charge into battle and holding enemies' forces. They are essential for controlling the battlefield and providing stability in the team.
- Duelist: Damage dealers who excel in one-on-one combat and can quickly take down opponents with powerful attacks. They are agile and have abilities to deal massive damage in short bursts. Duelists don't have the durability of Vanguards, but their offensive capabilities make them crucial for eliminating enemy targets.
- Strategists: Strategists are the support heroes who assist their allies through buffs, debuffs, crowd control, and healing. They don't deal damage like Duelists and Vanguards but can influence the battle flow through their tactical skills. Strategists can enhance the effectiveness of their team and turn the tide of battle with well-timed interventions.
Marvel Rivals Characters Tier List
Here is our Marvel Rivals character tier list that ranks every character based on community feedback in testing them through several matches:
Marvel Rivals Characters Tier List
S
A
B
C
How our tier list works:
Understanding the Marvel Rivals tier system can make a big difference in your game approach. Here's how our tiers work according to each category:
S Tier: These are the top-tier characters. They're the most effective in every scenario; even beginners can use them successfully.
A Tier: These characters are still powerful but require more skill and practice to become usable. Once mastered, they can be just as effective as S-tier characters.
B Tier: These characters do not always stand out, but there are specific situations where they can perform well. They can be a solid pick in the right circumstances.
C Tier: You might want to avoid these characters unless you like them. They require significant effort to make work and might not be worth the investment for most players.
Marvel Rivals Best Duelists
Choosing the right Duelist is crucial to dominate in Marvel Rivals. Duelists are the damage dealers of the game, excelling in one-on-one combat and capable of turning the tide with powerful attacks.
Here are our top picks of the strongest duelist characters that might help your team gain victory:
1. The Punisher
The Punisher is the top Duelist in Marvel Rivals because of his tactical versatility and formidable arsenal. His weapon combination of Adjudication in his Automatic Rifle and Deliverance through his Shotgun enables him to adapt to various combat scenarios. His ability to deploy a Culling Turret provides massive damage output while grounding him, making him a tremendous stationary force on the battlefield.
The Punisher's Vantage Connection skill also allows rapid repositioning, giving him an edge in offense and defense. His Scourge Grenade disrupts enemy vision, allowing him to outmaneuver opponents. At the same time, his Final Judgement unleashes devastating gatling guns and missiles, overwhelming enemies with sheer firepower.
His great team-up ability with Rocket Raccoon further enhances his lethality, granting him Infinite Ammo and Faster Firing.
2. Hela
Hela is a good choice due to her high damage and versatile abilities. Her Nightsword Thorn attack can deal heavy long-range damage, making her lethal from afar. The Astral Flock enhances her mobility as she can transform into a flock of crows, while Soul Drainer provides crowd control with an explosive stun effect.
Her Piercing Night attack fires multiple thorns that detonate after a delay, and her ultimate, Goddess of Death, unleashes a devastating barrage of Nastrond Crows, giving her added utility in battle. Passive abilities like Nastrond Crowstorm and Hel'sPunisher's Descent give her additional damage and mobility. Also, Queen of Hel's team-up ability can resurrect Loki or grant him blue armor, making her a key asset to any team.
3. Iron Man
Iron Man is our third-best Duelist in Marvel Rivals due to his powerful and versatile arsenal. His Repulsor Blast and Unibeam are strong ranged attacks, while his Invincible Pulse Cannon delivers devastating damage to targeted areas.
His Hyper-Velocity allows him rapid forward movement, which enhances his mobility, and the Armor Overdrive boosts his primary attack damage. His Micro-Missile Barrage adds extra offensive capability when combined with his Hyper-Velocity or Armor Overdrive states.
Iron Man's Team-Up Ability, Gamma Overdrive, synergizes with Hulk and Doctor Strange, further improving his combat effectiveness. This combination of high damage output, mobility, and versatile abilities makes Iron Man a top choice for players looking to dominate as a Duelist.
4. Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a great pick for players thanks to his agility and versatile move set. His Spider-Power allows him to deliver powerful strikes enhanced by Spider-Tracers, while Web-Swing provides excellent mobility across the battlefield.
Get Over Here! enables him to reel in enemies or pull himself to them if they're tagged, making it a strategic tool for closing gaps or repositioning. Amazing Combo can boost his damage output by launching enemies upwards, and the Web-Cluster deals damage and marks enemies with Spider-Tracers.
Spider-Man's Team-Up Ability, Touch of Klyntar, enhances his synergy with Venom and Peni Parker, allowing them to unleash explosive symbiote attacks.
5. Star-Lord
Star-Lord has dynamic combat abilities and exceptional mobility. His dual Element Guns deliver consistent damage, while Rocket Propulsion lets him boost and soar, maintaining distance or repositioning as needed.
The Blaster Barrage unleashes rapid shots, dealing substantial damage within a wide range, and Stellar Shift offers a quick dodge and reload, making him hard to hit. His Ultimate Galactic Legend lets him fly freely and lock onto enemies, ensuring precise strikes from above.
Star-Lord's Team-Up Ability, Soul Perseverance, provides a valuable revival boost from Adam Warlock, enhancing his survivability and that of Mantis. His high damage output, mobility, and strategic utility make him a standout Duelist, ideal for aggressive plays and evasive maneuvers.
That's all for our Marvel rivals characters tier list and best duelist guide. You can bookmark this page, as we will update this guide regularly as the game progresses. You can also check our guides on How to Sign Up and Get Marvel Rivals Alpha Codes or Apex Legends tier list and Overwatch 2 tier list if you like playing other team-based games.