Best Apex Legends picks in Season 19

On the hunt for the best characters to use in Apex Legends? Look no further than our Apex Legends tier list for Respawn Entertainment's infamous battle royale. Season 19: Ignite is about to land with some major changes, as well as new support legend, Conduit. The game contains a wealth of characters to choose from, with each Legend possessing a unique set of abilities to give you the upper hand over the course of a match.

With the new season now underway, the latest dose of Legend buffs and nerfs are already making an impact on the existing meta, as is TSM winning the ALGS Championship back in September.

But before we take a closer look at our Apex Legends tier list, take a look at our Apex Legends weapon tier list showcasing the very best weaponry to use right now. We'll be adding Conduit to the roster once we've got a feel for the new season, so be sure to check back with us regularly.

Apex Legends Season 19 tier list

You'll want to consider some of the higher ranking characters on this tier list if you're planning on climbing the Apex Legends ranked ladder - but nothing is stopping you from dropping in with your favourite, whether they're Rampart or Mad Maggie.

For a more detailed breakdown of each legend's pros and cons, be sure to read on. And just remember that your favourite maybe being in a lower tier shouldn't affect how you play unless you're looking for nothing but wins. If you enjoy one character more than another, then play them. This Apex Legends tier list goes by the current meta, which is an ever-changing beast!

S Tier - The best legends in Apex Legends

Loba

Abilities:

• Eye for Quality - Nearby Epic and Legendary loot can be seen and pinged through walls. The range is the same as Black Market Boutique.
• Burglar's Best Friend - Teleport to hard-to-reach places or escape trouble quickly by throwing your jump drive bracelet.
• Black Market Boutique - Place a device that allows you to access nearby loot and pull it into your inventory. Each friendly or enemy Legend can take up to two items, as well as unlimited ammunition.

Loba has been a staple during the Apex Legends Global Series Championship, proving incredibly useful for teams to grab shield swaps or pocket a bunch of grenades ahead of a big push. As well as having one of the most useful ults in the game, her jump drive bracelet affords her the added bonus of movement and escape, which can aid aggressive pushes.

Loba's ultimate quite literally contains a wealth of opportunity, and in a tight end-game circle, it can help turn the tide in your team's favour. Running out of ammo? Need a quick shield swap but don't want to sacrifice your cover? Want that red-tier care package weapon? Loba's got you covered.

She's a perfect team player, so it comes as no surprise that she tops our Apex Legends tier list right now.

Newcastle

Abilities:

Retrieve the Wounded - Drag allies as you revive and protect them with your own Knockdown Shield.

Mobile Shield - Throw a controllable drone that creates a moving energy shield.

Castle Wall - Leap to a target area of an ally, slam down, and create a fortified stronghold.

Bangalore

Abilities:

• Double Time - Taking fire while sprinting makes you move faster for a brief time.
• Smoke Launcher - Fire a high-velocity smoke canister that explodes into a smoke wall on impact.
• Rolling Thunder - Call in an artillery strike that slowly creeps across the landscape, injuring and stunning foes.

Although there are better options than Bangalore, her Smoke Launcher is excellent for escaping heavy pressure from enemies. On top of that, her Ultimate is useful if you can gather a bunch of enemies in a close space or if you want to leave some space between you and them to escape.

However, the Rolling Thunder does a fraction of the damage that Gibraltar's Defensive Bombardment does, and gives enemies plenty of time to clear the area - a decreased cooldown in Season 6 doesn't help it out a lot either, and the reduced fuse time in Season 7 was not enough for her, unfortunately.

Make sure you're kitted out with Digital Threats so you can see through your own smoke, or keep a Bloodhound on your team to scan opponents after you've smoked them.

Bangalore is a useful starting Legend, but once you've got the ropes, it's probably best to move on.

Horizon

Abilities:

• Spacewalk - Reduces her fall impacts
• Gravity Lift - Lift players up vertically, and give them a boost when they exit upwards
• Black Hole - Draw nearby legends into one spot

Horizon's abilities have proven to be solid on the battlefield, making her a top choice among Apex Legends players. However, a serious nerf reduced her powerful Tactical ability to just a movement boost, rather than a portable sniper tower.

It's worth grabbing a bunch of grenades to throw after your Black Hole Ultimate ability, as opponents will struggle to avoid the blasts. Horizon was a staple character rivalling Wraith at her height, but nowadays is a niche pick with limited usefulness.

A Tier - Good options

Catalyst

Abilities:

• Piercing Spikes - Throw out a patch of ferrofluid which transforms into spikes when enemies are near. Catalyst remains immune to any enemy spikes.
• Barricade - Reinforces doors by strengthening and locking them to enemies. Spaces that used to feature doors can be reinforced too
• Dark Veil - Raises a permeable wall of ferrofluid that slows and partially blinds enemies that walk through it.

Catalyst is the latest Legend to arrive in the Apex Legends universe. Armed with some pretty handy offensive and defensive abilities, there are plenty of ways to utilise the Legend to your advantage during a match.

The Dark Veil Ultimate is great for blocking a sightline in addition to Piercing Spikes that guarantee an elimination if anyone decides to walk into the ferrofluid.

Octane

Abilities:

• Swift Mend - While not taking damage, Octane restores health over time.
• Stim - Move 30% faster for 6 seconds. Costs 10 Health to use. Reduction to slows while active.
• Launch Pad - Deployable jump pad that catapults users through the air.

Since we're talking about movement, let's introduce the fastest character in the game.

Octane is an incredibly popular character at the moment, favoured by those who love rushing into fights and tackling opponents head-on. Unfortunately, this can also lead to Octane mains getting a bad name, being viewed more as solo players rather than in a team.

His Stim ability has received some nerfs in previous updates but that only serves to make him an even more high-risk/high-reward character. He's very difficult to hit when running so fast, and his Passive Swift Mend goes some way to rejuvenating him after one too many stims.

His Launch Pad is also great for making rotations or exciting pushes. The pads are extremely useful when you combine them with a Revenant totem for incredibly tactical but awesome plays. Octane's ultimate is a great one to combine with any of the offensive characters.

Wraith

Abilities:

• Voices from the Void - You hear a voice when danger approaches. As far as you can tell, it's on your side.
• Into the Void - Reposition quickly through the safety of "void" space, avoiding all damage.
• Dimensional Rift - Link two locations with portals for 60 seconds.

Wraith sometimes gets a bad rep from other players, but for the many toxic Wraiths you'll run into, you'll also meet some incredibly skilled teammates. She's best used as a forward scout, due to her Tactical Ability, Into The Void, which allows her to disappear and reappear nearby.

Wraith gets a bad name, due to many Wraith mains being notorious for going off on their own and quitting out of the game rather than waiting to get respawned when they are inevitably downed. However, that doesn't stop her from being a useful member of a team - with the right player at the keyboard of course.

Her Dimensional Rift portals are also incredibly handy for swift repositions and unexpected flanks, or getting out of a sticky situation. Many Wraiths are brilliant at getting downed teammates to safety using her portal.

Even with Wraith's hitbox getting some tweaks to make her a bit easier to hit, Wraith is still a formidable opponent on the battlefield.

Gibraltar

Abilities:

• Gun Shield - Aiming down sights deploys a gun shield that blocks incoming fire.
• Dome of Protection - Throw down a dome shield that blocks (allies and enemies) attacks for 12 seconds. Healing items are used 25% faster within the dome.
• Defensive Bombardment - Call in a concentrated mortar strike on a position you mark with smoke

Although you might not see many pick this legend in public lobbies, Gibraltar continues to prove popular in the Apex Legends Global Series, for good reason. Despite his massive hitbox, and the fact that it feels like he runs through treacle when you move (even though he runs at the same speed as everyone else, bar Octane), his abilities are invaluable for a successful squad

Gibby mains can get a lot of slack initially but once they prove their worth they can be any absolute lifesaver with so many defensive abilities. His Gun Shield Passive ability adds a bit extra to his shields (on top of his damage-reducing Fortified boost), and his Dome of Protection Tactical ability is one of the best Tacticals in the game.

Want to make a risky rotation? Want to push an enemy squad but you don't have cover? Want to resurrect a teammate? Want to scan a Survey Beacon without getting sniped? Gibraltar's bubble is perfect for all those situations. Placing one down can lead to a bubble fight which entails players shuffling in and out of the area. Shotguns are best for these fights, so check out our Apex Legends best guns tier list to find the best choices.

And that's before we come to his Ultimate ability, which can put a stop to an opponent's push or force enemies into cover. Gibraltar really has great kit, but you might need to practice with him for a bit to get the hang of his hitbox and movement.

Seer

Abilities:

• Focus of Attention - Seer summons his micro-drones to emit a delayed blast that goes through walls interrupting and revealing enemies.
• Heart Seeker - Hear and visualize the heartbeats of nearby enemies when aiming down sights.
• Exhibit - Create a sphere of micro-drones that reveal the location of enemies moving quickly or firing their weapons within.

The Dressed to Kill event saw Respawn Entertainment introduce a significant nerf to Seer, resulting in him landing in C tier. A decrease in range combined with the removal of revive cancelling means there are better options available.

Pathfinder

Abilities:

• Insider Knowledge - Scan a survey beacon to reveal the ring's next location. Scanning a beacon also decreases his Ultimate ability cooldown.
• Grappling Hook - Grapple to get to out-of-reach places quickly.
• Zipline Gun - Create a zipline for everyone to use.

Originally, Pathfinder was a common pick in competitive Apex Legends play during the first few months, but subsequent nerfs have adversely impacted his usability. However, his movement is still really useful if you spend enough time learning how to make the most of his little tricks. In a game where movement matters more than a lot of other skills, Pathfinder can and does still perform quite well.

Also, his ultimate can be used to get a team out of a sticky situation or to ambush another team. You should never underestimate the power of having a zipline appear at the perfect time.

He's got an adorable backstory, a beautiful son, and a really weird hitbox. But most of all, we love his cheery voice lines and the encouragement he gives to the team. That's got to be worth something, right?

• Read more: Best Monitor For Apex Legends: Top Picks To Give You The Edge

B Tier - Fun Choices, But Situational

Vantage

Abilities:

• Echo Relocation - Position Echo then launch towards him for fast movement around the map.
• Spotter's Lens - Aim down sights to scout with your eyepiece and use a bullet drop indicator to see where your shots will land.
• Sniper's Mark - Use a custom sniper rifle to mark enemy targets which provides a damage bonus for you and your team. Also gives intel on pinged enemies.

Vantage had already perfected the third weapon ultimate long before Ballistic showed up, and she does it well. There's no denying that a sniper can come in handy in Apex Legends, but sometimes you need guns that are better suited to short and mid-range fights. Playing Vantage grants you the ability to choose your loadout to whatever style fits you best, and still have a long-range weapon in your arsenal to fall back on.

Her sniper is incredibly powerful, gives you and your team a wealth of useful information, and affords a damage boost when connecting a hit. She's a great anchor legend thanks to her ultimate, but her movement is also a bonus thanks to her bat buddy, Echo.

This makes Vantage a really strong all-rounder, with a decent movement ability, great damage output, and her ability to provide her team with crucial information.

Mirage

Abilities:

• Now You See Me... - In addition to cloaking when downed, Mirage also cloaks while using a respawn beacon and reviving a teammate (the teammate is also cloaked until they draw a weapon or use abilities).
• Psyche Out - Sends out a decoy. Pressing the character utility action button allows Mirage to gain control of his decoy. When controlling the decoy, it will mimic Mirage’s every move. Decoys now last for 60 seconds, and if shot at, notify the team of the enemy's whereabouts.
• Life of the Party - Mirage deploys a team of decoys that mimic his every move (think “Emergency Dance Party" from DUMMIEs Big Day). Cooldown 60 seconds.

With Mirage's revive buffs, he's now a very strong Support Legend. His ability to cloak while reviving, a boon that is then passed onto the revived teammate, makes him far more viable than the likes of Lifeline for survivability. The invisibility offers a quick rotation or escape, and is great for resetting a fight.

Like all Support Legends now, he can also craft fallen teammates' banners, but his decoys also act as a recon ability. If his decoys are shot at, then the enemy's location is pinged for all three teammates to see. He's a good all-rounder, and actually really fun to play. And although he's creeping up the meta in our Apex Legends tier list, there are other picks that are still more beneficial to the game at the moment.

Ash

Abilities

• Marked for Death - Reveals the location of recent deathboxes. Interact with a deathbox to mark any survivors.
• Arc Snare - Throw a snare damaging enemies and tethering them for a limited duration.
• Phase Breach - Creates a one-way portal to a new location.

Since Ash received a considerable buff in Season 16, she's become a far more viable pick in an Apex Legends tier list. Her tactical Arc Snare now travels at a far greater speed, making it difficult for enemies to evade it in mid-range fights. Combined with a well-aimed thermite grenade or a flanking teammate, it can swing the tide of battle in your favour within the blink of an eye.

Her ultimate Phase Breach is also a great tool for repositioning your team or escaping a fight altogether, however, it travels an incredibly short distance in comparison to other portal abilities, like Wraith's ultimate. It's still pretty useful, but be warned: Enemies can follow you through the void.

When looking at the current meta, Ash entered the scene in the middle and has remained there since, even with the buffs she's received. She's not bad, but she's not particularly good, either.

Mad Maggie

Abilities:

Warlord's Ire - Any enemies that Maggie deals damage to are highlighted for a short time. She also moves faster with unholstered Shotguns.

Riot Drill - A projectile that attaches to an obstacle and burns enemies on the other side.

Wrecking Ball - Unleash a wrecking ball that leaves speed boosts in its wake, and stuns and injures enemies hit. Also destroys most enemy's static abilities.

Mad Maggie is a fragger's dream. Arguably one of the most offensive characters in our Apex Legends tier list, Salvo's Mad Maggie is perfect for disrupting a team, hard-countering anchors, and resetting a fight.

If you're a passive player, then Maggie isn't going to be the pick for you. But if you enjoy running and gunning, she's a powerful Assault class with a kit that isn't too hard to master. Her Warlord's Ire is a great mini-counter to a Bangalore smoke grenade since you get a brief highlight on your enemy after damaging them, her Riot Drill is perfect to uproot an anchoring Wattson generator or a Sheila-wielding Rampart, and her Wrecking Ball can tear through doors, Gibraltar bubbles, Horizon's Black Hole, amongst almost every other static ability.

There are other Legends that provide a slightly more rounded kit to help your team out as a whole, but if you're just looking to mow people down, then Mad Maggie is the rebel warlord for you.

Fuse

Abilities:

• Grenadier - Stack an extra grenade per inventory slot. Fire grenades farther, faster, and more accurately.
• Knuckle Cluster - Launch a cluster bomb that sticks to targets and continuously expels airburst explosives on impact.
• The Motherlode - Launch a bombardment that encircles a target in a wall of flame.

Fuse is another fantastic fragger. He possesses the lethal ability to deal a devastating amount of damage in a short space of time, and he holds the potential to absolutely decimate teams.

Fuse is a great pick to open fights, thanks to his knuckle cluster tactical that provides the extra bonus of being a strong area control ability, and his Motherlode ultimate literally traps non-mobile legends either in the open field or inside a building.

He doesn't have a high skill ceiling and he's pretty easy to master, but it's learning when to use his abilities properly that makes a great Fuse player. It's no use spamming all your grenades, attempting the Motherlode (and then subsequently missing), and firing out both knuckle clusters in quick succession because then you're left with just your wits and your weapons.

Use Fuse tactically and he's a really fun pick.

C Tier - Needs improvement

Caustic

Abilities:

• Nox Vision - You gain threat vision on enemies moving through your gas, and you also can't be injured by an enemy Caustic's gas.
• Nox Gas Trap - Place up to 6 canisters that release deadly Nox gas when shot or triggered by enemies.
• Nox Gas Grenade - Blankets a large area in Nox gas.

Caustic is a great defence character, particularly in buildings, but unlike other Control legends like Wattson or Rampart, he has pretty good attack methods too thanks to his Nox Gas Grenade ultimate. All of his abilities are pretty versatile and can be used both offensively and defensively, but that means he can be a little difficult to understand.

The average player might not really know how to use his kit effectively, and if you catch a Caustic out in the open, he has zero opportunity to escape.

Crypto

Abilities: 

• Neurolink - Squadmates can see what the Aerial Drone detects within a 30-meter radius.
• Surveillance Drone - Deploys a surveillance drone that can be used to detect enemies and hack objects. Can be thrown out static, or Crypto can enter the drone to pilot it, leaving him 'afk'.
• Weapon Drone EMP - Charge up an EMP blast from your drone that deals shield damage, slows enemies, and disables all traps.

Ever since Crypto's introduction to the Apex Games way back in Season 3, he's been pretty difficult to master, and this might be the reason for his famously low pick rate. He has the potential to be incredibly high up in the meta thanks to his kit, but he has such a huge learning curve that it automatically puts him in lower ranks.

His Surveillance Drone is great for providing team knowledge and team awareness, and it's a really nuanced version of the current scan meta. However, knowing when to use his drone and where to place it so that it doesn't get destroyed, is something that the casual player might not grasp immediately. It's the same with his EMP ultimate. If he uses it too late on a third party, then the enemy's shields are likely already cracked.

His punishingly steep learning curve is one of the only things holding him back from becoming more popular, and despite his continued reworks, he still remains on the lower end of the meta.

Lifeline

Abilities: 

• Combat Medic - Revive knocked down teammates faster using D.O.C. Healing items are used 25% faster.
• D.O.C. Heal Drone - The Drone of Compassion will automatically heal those near it over time.
• Care Package - Call in a drop pod full of high-quality defensive gear and medical supplies.

Since losing her revive shield back in Season 9, fans of Lifeline have been crying out for a buff. Her D.O.C. can resurrect teammates simultaneously and automatically now, leaving her free to carry on fighting, and the handy little drone also aids both her and her teammates when she uses her Tactical ability.

Lifeline's Care Package also got a rework a few seasons ago, too, so it should provide items that are more useful to your squad based on what you're already carrying. But there are certainly stronger and far more viable Support legends to choose from.

Revenant

Abilities:

• Assassin's Instinct - Highlight nearby enemies that are low on health. Increased wall climbing speed and faster crouch movement speed.
• Shadow Pounce - Ability to leap forward great distances. Hold down to jump even further.
• Forged Shadows - Creates shadows that blocks any incoming damage and regenerates once broken. Tactical refreshes when a knock is scored.

Revenant is arguably one of the strongest legends to third-party with, and anyone who's played Apex Legends for more than twenty minutes knows that thirding a fight is almost always the only way you're getting into one. His drawback, however, is that he needs a movement character on his team to be utilised correctly. There's a reason the Rev-tane meta was so strong, and pushing a fight whilst in Death Totem with an Octane pad or a Horizon lift is still formidable to go against.

But without that extra mobility, he's a lone wolf. Which you could say suits his character perfectly, but Apex Legends will always be a team-based game. His climb passive is super fun to use while flanking or escaping, but it's a solo mission, and he doesn't really have much in his kit that helps out the rest of the team like other Legends do.

Bloodhound

Abilities:

• Tracker - Finds clues left behind by foes to help track their movements.
• Eye of the Allfather - Briefly reveal enemies, traps, and clues throughout all structures in front of Bloodhound. Scanning a white raven will reset your tactical, and the raven will fly in the direction of the closest enemy.
• Beast of the Hunt - Transform into the ultimate hunter. Enhances Bloodhound's senses, allowing them to move faster and see highlighted enemies.

Bloodhound has been a player favourite for a long time, and they're part of the original six Legends. But unfortunately, they've become a relic of the past for seasoned players. The technological tracker is still a perfect pick for anyone just starting out on Apex Legends, but their place in the current meta is always going to be low on a roster of far superior characters.

Bloodhound's scan ability kick-started the wall-hack meta right from the beginning, and it can still be incredibly useful. But not many people know how to use this ability effectively, and so more times than not, an Eye Of The Allfather can be misplaced, or give away your position to a far-off enemy team.

The nerfs to their ultimate are still being felt, and Bloodhound continues to feel weaker and weaker to play as more exciting Legends are released. However, they will always have a place in the battle field as one of the originals.

Valkyrie

Abilities:

• VTOL Jets - Press the jump key while in the air to engage her jetpack. You can switch between hold and toggle mode in the options menu.
• Missile Swarm - Fire a swarm of mini-rockets that damage and stun the enemy.
• Skyward Dive - Press once to prepare for launch. Teammates can interact with Valkyrie to join the launch. Press again to launch into the air and reposition or rotate.

There was once a time when almost every single team in the Outlands ran with a Valkyrie, whether in pubs, ranked, and particularly in the professional comp scene. So it came as no surprise when she received one of the biggest nerfs in recent Apex seasons.

Her passive took one of the harder hits, and it's now incredibly easy even for casual players to one-mag her out of the air. She's very exposed when using her jetpack, and the fuel runs out quickly, which then leaves her stranded with no movement ability. Her missiles have always been clunky and easy to predict, and since the introduction of Evac Towers in Season 17, her ultimate is now something every team can achieve. If you're playing Valk for her rotational opportunities, you're better off using a far stronger character and grabbing every Evac Tower you can find.

Ballistic

Abilities

• Sling - Store a third weapon in the sling. Access via inventory or Character Utility Action. The sling weapon cannot take attachments.
• Whistler - Shoots a projectile that heats up an enemy gun as they shoot. Overheating causes damage. Hold the Tactical to lock onto a target.
• Tempest - When activated, nearby teammates get faster reloads, faster unarmed movement speed, and infinite ammo. Ballistic's sling weapon will be equipped and upgraded to a fully-kitted gold status.

Ballistic has insane potential, but he's finding it difficult to settle into place in the current meta. He's not particularly balanced in the sense that he provides absolutely no defensive opportunities, but considering his status as an Assault character, we're not going to hold it against him too much.

His offensive kit makes him a great fragger, and the Tempest ultimate can provide a huge boost for not just himself, but his entire team. However, it runs out of steam pretty fast, and considering his sling weapon is only really useful whilst in ult, that negates his passive, too. His Whistler tactical doesn't feel intuitive and is sometimes best used as an area control ability, rather than actually locking onto a target.

D-Tier: Needs some work

Wattson

Abilities:

• Spark of Genius - Ultimate Accelerants fully charge Wattson's abilities, and she can also carry 2 in a single slot. Standing near Interception Pylons boosts Wattson's Tactical ability recharge rate.
• Perimeter Security - Create electrified fences by connecting nodes. Fences damage and stun enemies.
• Interception Pylon - Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields as long as it stands.

Wattson has seemed as though she's been on a decline as of late, with her pick rates dropping and her kit feeling unbalanced. She offers nothing as far as offence goes, as her entire pack of abilities is strictly defensive. When comparing Wattson's area control abilities to those of Caustic or Gibraltar, her fences come off as weak in comparison to a gas barrel or bubble.

Her fences do not feel as effective as they once did, and it's counterintuitive to have a Control legend's abilities break down the doors of a room you want to secure. It's no wonder Wattson mains are hoping for a buff sometime soon.

Unfortunately, Respawn did her dirty with a recent "buff" to one of her emotes, allowing her to place more Nessies on the battlefield. Which is adorable, but it hardly helps in battle.

Rampart

Abilities:

• Modded Loader - Increased magazine capacity and faster reloads when using LMGs and the Minigun.
• Amped Cover - Build a crouch-cover wall, which deploys a full-cover amped wall that blocks incoming shots and amps outgoing shots.
• Emplaced Minigun "Sheila" - Place a mounted machine gun that anyone can use. High ammo capacity, long reload time.

Rampart got a huge buff in her Town Takeover event which allows her to carry Sheila around. This makes her a walking sentry turret, and she can beam whole squads with ease. The drawback to this is that she can't reload Sheila when carrying it, rendering it a single-use weapon. The giant red laser that Sheila emits is also a huge giveaway to Rampart's location and her line of sight, which actually works against her in the field of battle.

Her amped walls are very easily broken by one quick mag of almost any gun, making it easy to storm a building that Rampart is trying to hold, not to mention making it difficult for her teammates to make a quick getaway if grenades start to fly.

Rampart, as she's always done, just feels too clunky in such a movement-focused game.

So, there's our Apex Legends tier list! If you're hoping to unlock any of the above legends then check out how to get your hands on some Legend Tokens. If you don't want to spend your hard-earned cash to unlock new Legends, then these tokens are your best bet - if you've collected enough. Once you're done there, check out our guide on the best landing spots.

Originally written by Rob "Devar-TTY" Kalajian with upkeep by Libbi Marie Pritchard, Jonno Nicholson and Jake Green, and a structural redesign by Josh Brown.