Who stands atop the Marvel Rivals Season 4 character rankings? This action-packed hero shooter, featuring an incredible roster of Marvel’s most iconic heroes and villains, offers a diverse array of combat styles. While every character brings something unique to the battle, some are undoubtedly more impactful than others in the current meta.
Our ultimate Marvel Rivals tier list for Season 4 dissects the strengths and weaknesses of all 42 characters, categorizing them by their overall effectiveness and how they fit into the evolving game landscape. Whether you’re aiming to climb the ranked ladder or simply seeking to master a powerful new champion, this guide will help you identify the top-tier Marvel Rivals characters.
| Rank | Character |
| S | Emma Frost, Cloak & Dagger, Luna Snow, Rocket Raccoon, The Punisher, Doctor Strange, Magneto, Hela, Loki, Magik |
| A | Angela, Phoenix, Wolverine, Invisible Woman, Ultron, Storm, Iron Man, Psylocke, Hawkeye, Hulk, Winter Soldier, Star-Lord, Adam Warlock, Mantis, Peni Parker |
| B | Human Torch, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Captain America, Thor, Jeff the Land Shark, Groot, Squirrel Girl, The Thing |
| C | Blade, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Venom |
| D | Black Widow, Moon Knight |
- S-Tier
- A-Tier
- B-Tier
- C-Tier
- D-Tier
S-Tier
Emma Frost
Making a powerful debut in Season 2, Emma Frost has quickly cemented her position as a dominant force thanks to her incredibly versatile abilities. She offers impressive damage reduction in her diamond form, effective crowd control, and frankly, devastating damage output. Master her core combos, and you can easily take down even the toughest tanks.
However, Emma isn’t without her weaknesses. Her diamond form has a lengthy cooldown, and in her base form, she’s more of a short-ranged brawler than a true tank, making her vulnerable to focused attacks. We advise against deploying her as a solo Vanguard. Furthermore, her Telepathic Pulse requires constant engagement to maintain its full damage potential, as it’s significantly weaker without charge.
Despite these considerations, Emma effortlessly claims a top spot on our Marvel Rivals tier list. Her weaknesses are challenging to exploit when she’s in skilled hands and supported by a complementary team composition. Recent updates in Season 2.5 saw her Telepathic Pulse range extended, balanced by a slight reduction in defensive power and diamond form damage potency.
Cloak & Dagger
With unique and powerful utility for both characters, Cloak & Dagger possess the tools to dramatically shift the flow of battle. Dagger can consistently heal allies, while switching to Cloak grants access to abilities that manipulate enemy vision. While we believe Cloak & Dagger might not excel as solo healers or damage dealers, their unparalleled versatility as a Strategist pairing more than earns them a top ranking on our Marvel Rivals tier list.
In Season 1, Cloak & Dagger received buffs to Dagger Storm’s cooldown, their ultimate’s healing, and the number of dashes during their ultimate. Season 1.5 saw further ultimate healing boosts, but also significant nerfs: it no longer stacks, and its energy cost increased. Tyrone’s Terror Cape Vulnerability, however, was buffed. Season 2 brought a tweak to their ultimate’s logic, ensuring all four healing zones now end simultaneously, which is a net buff.
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket is a versatile and valuable support character. Similar to Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon can revive a fallen ally with his Battle Rebirth Beacon, which also delivers periodic armor packs. Otherwise, Rocket relies on his repair mode secondary fire to mend allies, though this isn’t as potent as Luna Snow or Adam Warlock when it comes to saving teammates from imminent defeat.
Season 1 buffed Rocket’s Repair Mode, a change that had a surprisingly large impact in-game. In Season 2, Rocket was rebalanced to prioritize team survivability, resulting in a nerf to his ultimate’s damage amplification and an increased cooldown for Jetpack Dash, which also saw its dash distance reduced. Season 2.5 further lowered Repair Mode’s direct hit healing from 55 to 50.
Luna Snow
Luna Snow stands as an exemplary support hero, capable of both dishing out damage and rapidly restoring allies’ health. Her primary attack offers instant healing when aimed at teammates and significant damage against foes, especially with precision hits. This is amplified during her Ice Arts stage, which replaces her basic attack with a powerful icicle and grants her self-healing.
Her Share the Stage ability allows Luna Snow to heal two allies simultaneously, significantly enhancing her team’s survivability. It’s often best placed on a tank or aerial DPS to ensure their health remains consistently high. Absolute Zero briefly freezes enemies and heals Luna, proving effective against both advancing threats and flankers. Her ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, is arguably one of the game’s best, offering both a potent healing mode and a damage boost setting, allowing Luna Snow to adapt to any battlefield scenario.
In Season 1, the interval for Luna’s ultimate to switch between healing and damage modes was increased. Season 1.5 saw an increased ultimate cost. Season 2.5 brought overall increases to Luna’s damage, healing, and survivability, though this came at the expense of an increased energy cost for Fate of Both Worlds.
The Punisher
Serving as the reliable Soldier 76/Call of Duty-style character, The Punisher is straightforward yet incredibly effective. Armed with an assault rifle for mid-range engagements and a shotgun for close-quarters combat, The Punisher can handle nearly any threat. Is Iron Man harassing you from above? No problem. Spider-Man attempting a flank? A shotgun blast will put him in his place.
His deployable turret and mech ultimate are excellent tools for dramatically increasing your damage output, whether you’re pushing an objective or preparing for an enemy assault.
Season 1 reduced the spread of Deliverance and Adjudication. In Season 2.5, Final Judgement’s movement speed reduction was lessened, while Adjudication received buffs to its magazine size, single hit damage, and firing spread.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange functions as an aggressive tank, perfectly suited for coordinated teams thanks to his team-wide teleportation. His substantial shield is invaluable for pushing objectives or holding ground.
Despite feeling like you’re constantly reloading, his basic attack is lethal in the right hands. Furthermore, dealing damage charges his Dark Magic, which is both a boon and a bane. If you don’t unleash it via Maelstrom of Madness for massive AoE damage before it’s full, you’ll enter an anti-heal state – a potential death sentence for a tank. In Season 1, damage drop-off was applied to Maelstrom of Madness and Gamma Maelstrom, while his defensive window was increased. Season 1.5 reduced Strange’s base health by 50. Season 2 saw Strange’s damage output nerfed, finally moving him out of the S-tier. Season 2.5 adjusted the damage ranges for Daggers of Denak, completely removing the range on Maelstrom of Madness.
Magneto
Magneto may be slow and challenging to master, but he embodies everything a tank needs: robust defensive capabilities, powerful crowd control, and significant damage. His primary attack fires slow, limited-range projectiles, but they hit with incredible force, capable of quickly eliminating DPS and support characters.
His Bulwark abilities provide a shield to either himself or an ally, which protects from incoming damage and generates rings that Magneto can use to amplify Mag-Cannon’s damage, further boosting his strong burst potential. However, Magneto sometimes feels incomplete without access to Metallic Fusion, his devastating team-up ability with Scarlet Witch, which almost feels like a secondary ultimate.
In Season 1.5, Magneto’s survivability was nerfed in exchange for increased damage on his Iron Volley. Season 2 increased his ultimate ability’s energy cost by 300. In Season 2.5, Magneto’s ring charging speed was accelerated from four seconds per stack to three seconds per stack.
Hela
Living up to her title as the Goddess of Death, Hela is a terrifying damage dealer, though her precision-focused playstyle makes her challenging in close-quarters combat.
Her primary attack, especially when combined with Piercing Night, can decimate enemy health bars, and aiming for headshots is heavily rewarded with massive damage. This precision requirement explains her struggles in close range against characters like Spider-Man and Iron Fist if Astral Flock isn’t available for quick repositioning. Similarly, her ultimate can initially be disorienting to use, but it’s a powerful tool for clearing objectives and escaping perilous situations.
In Season 1, Hela’s base health was reduced by 25, and her season buff was also toned down, much to the community’s approval. Season 1.5 further nerfed Hela by adjusting the damage falloff on Nightsword Thorn at 30 meters from 70% to 80%. Season 2 reduced Hela’s mobility slightly but compensated her with increased offensive power; Astral Flock’s cooldown was increased, while Piercing Night’s spell field damage increased, and Soul Drainer’s cooldown decreased. In Season 2.5, Nightsword Thorn’s charge capacity was boosted from eight to ten.
Loki
True to his reputation as the god of trickery, Loki is an elusive support who shines when mobile and healing allies. While his decoys may not fool experienced players, they excel at creating temporary distractions, making him ideal for heavy dive metas where self-peel is crucial for a Strategist. Since he isn’t a dedicated healer, Loki performs best when paired with heroes like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow, who can provide more direct healing while he manipulates the enemy team.
In Season 1.5, Loki’s ultimate energy cost increased, and his Mystical Missile charges were also boosted. Season 2 increased Loki’s Regeneration Domain cooldown from 25 to 30 seconds.
Magik
Magik is a challenging melee DPS to master, but in the right hands, she can be devastating, especially when supported by allies like Venom or Magneto to absorb incoming damage. Capable of teleporting into combat and unleashing various melee attacks that grant her bonus health, Magik possesses a level of survivability that other melee DPS heroes like Black Panther often lack without sacrificing damage.
In Season 1, Magik’s Umbral Incursion damage in Darkchild form received a decent buff, though it didn’t drastically alter her standing. Season 1.5 saw a nerf to Magik’s Demon’s Rage damage, but a reduction in Darkchild’s energy cost.
A-Tier
Angela
Season 4’s new addition, Angela, looked incredibly powerful on paper. A flying Vanguard capable of dealing damage, locking down teams with her ultimate, and forcefully displacing enemies with her spear charge, she seemed destined for an immediate S-tier spot. Fortunately, Angela arrived in a well-balanced state, though her current meta prominence keeps her as close to the top tier as possible.
Phoenix
Season 3 inductee Phoenix made a blazing start, quickly establishing herself as one of the game’s premier Duelists. Her kit offers everything a DPS character could desire: self-sustain, splash damage, and a crucial escape or two. Her ultimate is an incredible teamfight tool, perfect for initiating engagements, countering summon-reliant teams, or applying shields and bonus health to allies.
Wolverine
Wolverine is a formidable 1v1 combatant, rarely losing against any opponent he targets—provided he isn’t easily kited. There’s nothing subtle about Logan in Rivals; his core gameplay loop revolves around aggressively engaging and staying in the fight until his target is eliminated. Wolverine accumulates rage stacks with every hit he takes or deals, making him progressively stronger and boosting the bonus health from his Regenerative Healing Factor—the key to his effectiveness as a bruiser and tankbuster.
In Season 1, Wolverine received an adjustment: his base health increased from 300 to 350, though this came at the cost of a 10% reduction in Undying Animal damage reduction. Logan’s health buff, combined with his team-up with The Thing, helps him survive longer, making him even more consistent at neutralizing enemy tanks. He’s often a permaban if you want to avoid losing ranked points. In Season 2, Wolverine’s rage acquisition tools were rebalanced, and the knockdown duration on his ultimate ability was reduced.
Invisible Woman
Sue has certainly caused quite a buzz in the community since her initial reveal, and her in-game performance has fully lived up to the anticipation. While she won’t be out-healing Luna anytime soon, her piercing main attack still contributes significantly to keeping teammates alive while delivering respectable damage. Arguably, Invisible Woman’s greatest asset is her survivability. Sue has access to shields, invisibility, and the ability to push enemies away, making her incredibly difficult to pin down. In Season 1.5, Invisible Woman’s ultimate cost was increased. In Season 2, Sue’s Guardian Shield durability was decreased from 300 to 250.
Ultron
The final Infinity Stone needed to usher in a full-blown flier meta, Ultron made a grand entrance to our tier list in Season 2.5. Capable of safely dishing out damage and healing allies concurrently, Ultron is a formidable foe. While we don’t believe he’s a sufficient enough healer to push him into the S-tier, he is a quintessential “harmacist” who consistently delivers damage he has no right to.
Storm
Storm is a unique support-damage hybrid, offering a specialized, albeit limited, role. Her basic attacks, Bolt Rush, and Goddess Boost deal good damage and allow her to strategically take the offensive, especially given her flight capabilities. However, her primary feature is the ability to toggle between two powerful buffs using Weather Control. From increasing movement speed to boosting damage, Storm performs exceptionally well in cohesive teams that leverage these potent effects.
In Season 1, Storm received a series of buffs, with the Wind Blade projectile speed increase proving game-changing. Season 1.5 saw Storm’s Wind Blade damage falloff increased. Her self-buffs were nerfed, though her ally buffs were improved in return. This resulted in a net nerf, but the introduction of Human Torch helped maintain her damage output. In Season 2.5, Storm’s Omega Hurricane damage increased from 150 to 160 per second.
Iron Man
Iron Man may not be as agile as one might expect, but he is a superb ranged, aerial, and AoE DPS character. His ability to hover above the battlefield places him out of reach for most of the roster, though The Punisher easily counters him, especially due to Iron Man’s lack of a dedicated dodge. When not countered, Iron Man is a consistently strong damage dealer capable of softening up groups of enemies. However, his lack of burst damage outside of his impressive ultimate prevents him from reaching the absolute top tier.
In Season 1.5, Iron Man’s Unibeam damage was increased. Season 2 reduced Tony’s hitbox size and granted him 100 temporary bonus health for a short duration after activating Armor Overdrive or Gamma Overdrive. In Season 2.5, both Tony’s damage and survivability were nerfed.
Psylocke
Invisibility is one of the most frustrating mechanics to counter in competitive games, and Psylocke’s Psychic Stealth makes this already mobile character even more elusive. This is further amplified by the invulnerability she gains during her ultimate, Dance of the Butterfly. Oh, and she also deals a ridiculous amount of damage.
As a five-star difficulty Duelist, maximizing Psylocke’s potential will be a significant challenge. However, as players continue to improve their proficiency with her, we can easily see her rising into the apex tier of our list. In Season 1, Dance of the Butterfly was modified to target barriers directly, rather than bypassing them for other targets. While still an A-tier pick, Psylocke now faces better counterplay from characters like Magneto and Hulk. In Season 2.5, Psychic Stealth’s invisibility duration was reduced by one second, and the retrieval damage of Wing Shurikens was cut from 14 to 12 per hit.
Hawkeye
Marvel Rivals’ premier ranger, Hawkeye possesses a wealth of damage and utility in his kit, including slows, knocks, and launches. His ultimate ability, Hunter’s Sight, is one of the best in the game, as the afterimages it generates make his damage impossible to dodge (unless the player piloting him needs a crash course in Aimlabs). Unlike Black Widow, Hawkeye can one-shot squishy targets, though the developers cleverly balanced him by introducing a focus mechanic. Hawkeye needs to charge his arrows by focusing on a target for a set amount of time; losing sight of them depletes the charge. Only the most skilled players will consistently hit 250 HP targets, but his damage is formidable regardless.
In Season 1, Hawkeye’s medium-to-long-range capabilities were nerfed, slightly reducing his effectiveness. Season 1.5 decreased Hawkeye’s base health by 25, though his close-quarter tools and ultimate potency were buffed. Season 2 saw the slow while charging Hawkeye’s bow reduced, and Hypersonic Arrow’s two damage instances received minor buffs. Additionally, his ultimate energy cost was reduced, and its bow draw speed increased. In Season 2.5, Clint received further minor buffs to his projectile charging speed and damage.
Bruce Banner/Hulk
While Hulk features three distinct forms with different abilities, his gameplay isn’t as complex as it first appears. Most of your time will unfortunately be spent as Hero Hulk, who lacks significant power. With heavy punches, gamma-ray blasts, and an immobilizing effect, Hulk has a varied kit focused on damage, though these abilities often lack impactful execution. Furthermore, as a raging green behemoth, Hulk is an incredibly easy target to hit and largely lacks defensive options.
Hulk is best played akin to Winston from Overwatch, diving in and out of the action to cause as much disruption as possible. Eliminating enemies is secondary, so it’s advisable to pick Hulk only if your team has another strong tank or potent damage dealers. In Season 1, Hulk was nerfed, with his Indestructible Guard shield reduced by 20%. Season 2 increased Hulk’s base movement speed, while the cooldown for Indestructible Guard and the minimum charge time for Incredible Leap were both reduced.
Winter Soldier
The Winter Soldier is a master of many trades. He possesses formidable damage, excellent crowd control, and strong single-target lockdown capabilities. While Winter Soldier’s Roterstern only holds a three-round magazine, it reloads while his bionic arm is in use, offering solid combo potential. Due to his versatility, Winter Soldier can fit into almost any team composition, though his Ammo Overload team-up ability with Rocket Raccoon makes the wise-cracking hero his ideal companion.
In Season 1, Bucky’s long-range combat strength was nerfed, though this was offset by an increase in medium-to-close-range survivability. Season 2 increased Bionic Hook’s cooldown by 50%, and his ultimate damage was nerfed.
Star-Lord
Although Star-Lord might feel like he’s missing an ability or two, his agile nature and high damage output make him a strong DPS character in the right hands. Star-Lord is most effective when played aggressively. Dash in, dodge incoming damage, and burst down weaker enemies, especially healers. His Blaster Barrage is excellent for softening up groups of enemies, but ensure you have teammates nearby, as you can be an easy target yourself. In Season 1.5, Star-Lord’s Rocket Propulsion energy cap was increased from 1,200 to 1,800, boosting his mobility. Season 2 saw Peter’s Blaster Barrage damage nerfed, and a damage falloff mechanic was implemented for it. In Season 2.5, Galactic Legend’s cost increased, but so did its maximum target range, and its damage drop-off was reduced.
Adam Warlock
Like Luna Snow, Adam Warlock is a highly versatile support hero. Soul Bond and Avatar Life Stream effectively keep allies’ health topped up, while his basic attack and Cosmic Cluster deal surprisingly strong damage. However, Adam Warlock’s greatest strengths lie in his ultimate and passive. His ultimate ability, Karmic Revival, can revive your entire team, truly turning the tide of a fight with a single button press. Likewise, his passive grants him a second life. Though not essential, his team-up with Mantis and Star-Lord also extends this second life to them. What’s not to love about that? In Season 1.5, Adam Warlock’s damage and Soul Bond healing were both buffed. Season 2 saw Soul Bond’s cooldown nerfed from 30 to 40 seconds. Conversely, his ultimate is now considerably more effective for high-health allies as it was changed to heal 30% of maximum health, up from a flat 100 HP.
Mantis
Mantis is the support character with the strongest focus on healing, though this is primarily healing over time rather than burst heals. This means you’ll ideally want to pair her with a strong burst healer like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow to quickly restore ally health. Nevertheless, her constant healing makes Mantis a nuisance for enemies, and she also benefits from self-healing. Due to her emphasis on sustained healing and lack of direct damage, Mantis is less versatile than her competition, but she makes for a perfect secondary support. Additionally, her stun ability and damage boost effect help compensate for her shortcomings. In Season 1, Mantis’s passive movement speed boost was reduced from 2.5m/s to 1.5m/s, making her much easier to pin down. In Season 2, Mantis’ base health was lowered from 275 to 250, while the ability to stack the effects of Healing Flower and Allied Inspiration was added.
Peni Parker
The cheerful super-scientist spider-woman, Peni Parker is a dream pick for mech enthusiasts and players who enjoy trapping and tormenting their opponents. While she has a reputation as a low-ELO stomper, Peni is effectively played at even the highest tiers with great proficiency. As one of the best anti-dive Vanguards in the game, Peni offers traps and other utility that protect her backline while baiting Duelists to overextend into her nest. She’s best played alongside a dedicated tank, and we recommend switching off Peni if you find yourself solo in the role. Although Peni is a challenging character to rank precisely, her consistently high pick and win rates, even in Grandmaster and above, make it impossible to ignore her strong position in the current meta. In Season 2, Cyber-Web Cluster gained crit chance, and the movement speed penalty while firing it was reduced from 40% to 20%. Additionally, her base health was increased by 100.
B-Tier
Human Torch
Human Torch is a versatile Duelist who delivers fiery mid-range firepower and potent utility. His permanent flight makes him somewhat tricky to pin down, though his lack of a dedicated mobility tool means he’s generally easier to deal with than characters like Star-Lord. Johnny’s power largely stems from his Pyro-Prison, which damages enemies caught within it, setting them up for his Flaming Meteor dive and the flaming tornadoes from his ultimate, Supernova. In Season 2, Johnny received a quality-of-life tweak to Fire Cluster’s attack interval, along with a survivability buff to Flaming Meteor. While the ability’s cooldown increased slightly, it now grants 75 bonus health that decays three seconds after casting. This much-needed durability dramatically boosted Johnny’s standing, moving him to S-tier. However, in Season 2.5, Johnny was overly nerfed, sending him plummeting to the D-tier.
Iron Fist
Combining incredible mobility with devastating combat proficiency, Iron Fist is the quintessential dive composition component. If his fast and furious combos weren’t enough, he also has access to self-healing, which further enhances his versatility in teams lacking robust healers. To top it all off, Iron Fist’s team-up ability, Dragon’s Chill, pairs him with Luna Snow to add crowd control and even more healing to the mix. In Season 1.5, Iron Fist received numerous changes, including buffs to his base health (+50), Yat Jee Chung Kuen, and the bonus health conversion from Dragon’s Defense. Season 2 continued the trend towards tank-busting, buffing the max health damage on Yat Jee Chung Kuen strikes (added in 1.5) from 1.7% to 2.1%. K’un-Lun Kick’s cooldown was reduced, while Harmony Recovery’s bonus max health was lowered. Although the latter is a significant nerf to survivability, the rate at which the health decays was, at least, reduced. In Season 2.5, both Iron Fist’s damage and survivability were nerfed.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man isn’t just an amazing hero to play because he’s everyone’s favorite. This friendly neighborhood hero also brings the pain with incredible mobility. Naturally, as a combo-driven character reliant on web-slinging to stay alive, Spider-Man is difficult to master. However, once you do, he can easily take out healers and other DPS characters in a swift blitz. Web enemies to mark them with a Spider-Tracer, then use Get Over Here! to close the gap before striking them with the Amazing Combo uppercut. This is typically sufficient for standard health enemies, giving you enough time to disengage before swinging back into the enemy’s backline. In Season 1.5, Spider-Man’s Web-Cluster cooldown was reduced.
Mister Fantastic
Reed Richards made an awkward entry into the Marvel Rivals tier list, with Season 1’s somewhat underwhelming addition failing to make a significant impact. Functioning more as an off-tank than a pure Duelist, Mister Fantastic’s relatively low damage numbers are balanced by his fantastic utility. In Season 1.5, Mister Fantastic received changes to both Flexible Elongation and Brainiac Bounce, resulting in a net buff. Season 2 saw Reed receive a slew of buffs to his base health, Stretch Punch damage, and more. We believe these changes have been impactful enough to move him up and out of the C-tier.
Namor
Once a D-tier resident, Namor’s standing has risen substantially. This half-human, half-Atlantean not only deals decent damage with his trident, but his deployable turrets can melt anything they target. In Season 1, the throwing mechanics of Monstro and Frozen Spawn were optimized, making them easier to launch with accuracy. In Season 2.5, Namor’s turret damage drop-off was reduced, though this came at the cost of an increased cooldown for Blessing of the Deep.
Captain America
Always leading by example, Captain America is an incredibly mobile off-tank who excels at disrupting enemy lines while inspiring and protecting his teammates. While he’s neither the best diver nor the most resilient at taking hits, Cap can do a bit of both, making him remarkably versatile and an elusive menace when expertly piloted. In Season 1, Cap received much-needed buffs to his ability cooldowns and resources. Season 1.5 saw Cap gain extra survivability and a buff to his ultimate energy cost. Season 2, however, saw Cap nerfed, with reductions to his base health and Living Legend shield decreasing his survivability. Cap’s base health, shield recovery after unleashing Living Legend, and ultimate cost were all nerfed again in Season 2.5.
Thor
Thor is an intriguing Vanguard in that he doesn’t truly provide much to the team beyond damage, damage, and more damage. His three-star difficulty rating is somewhat misleading, as maximizing Thor’s value requires careful management of his Thorforce stacks. Another limiting factor you’ll need to learn to play around is the two-second global cooldown applied to his other abilities each time he uses one. However, if you can master the art of Thor, you’ll completely dominate the battlefield, heartily chortling as you strike opponents with a thunderous crack. In Season 1, Thor’s base health was increased, and immunity to crowd control was added to his ultimate—a major buff that helped him settle into the A-tier. Season 1.5 removed the shared cooldown time after Awakening Rune’s ending. Season 2 increased Thor’s base health to 600 from 525, while his base movement speed also ticked up from 600 to 650. In Season 2.5, Hammer Throw lost its Thorforce cost, though at the expense of a slight hit to his survivability.
Jeff the Land Shark
While Jeff may be one of Rivals’ most straightforward Strategists, this happy little shark possesses significant tools in his kit that make him an awesome teammate. Offering solid healing for both himself and the team, enhanced mobility with Hide and Seek, and one of the most impactful site-clearing ultimates in the game — It’s Jeff! — you can gain a lot from minimal investment in learning to play him. As an added bonus, Jeff features not one, but two team-up abilities: Frozen Spitball and New Friends. This allows you to extract even more value from Jeff in various team compositions. The problem is, he just isn’t very good right now. In Season 1, Jeff’s ultimate shape was adjusted to better match its warning marker. Additionally, his Joyful Splash healing was increased. In Season 2.5, Jeff was reworked to provide more support and combat capability, though at the cost of some survivability.
Groot
A being of very few words, Groot is a steadfast tank who excels in specific team compositions and game modes. His playstyle revolves around blockading enemies and positioning himself near these barriers to gain buffs, meaning Groot must operate in close quarters to succeed. This, coupled with his large stature, makes Groot an easy target. However, if you can assemble an equally aggressive team, featuring characters like Venom, Star-Lord, and Magik, then Groot becomes crucial for overwhelming your opponents. In Season 1.5, Groot’s Thornlash Wall placement range was slightly buffed, increasing it to 18 meters from 15. In Season 2.5, Groot’s basic attack damage and Ironwood Wall cooldown were both nerfed.
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, having famously defeated Thanos (off-panel) and Galactus (with the power of friendship). She’s also one of the stronger Marvel Rivals characters, combining significant damage from her slingshot with a fantastic site-clearing ultimate, Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami. While she struggles against aerial threats, you’ll typically pair Squirrel Girl with someone who can handle them. Squirrel Girl also possesses a surprising amount of crowd control in her kit, from the imprisonment of Squirrel Blockade to the potent immobilization of Webbed Acorn – her team-up ability with Spider-Man. In Season 1, Squirrel Girl’s Squirrel Tsunami was altered so her squirrels would now stampede towards the nearest enemy after bouncing off terrain. However, the tsunami’s health was halved. Nuts! In Season 2.5, Burst Acorn’s capacity increased from ten to 12, while Mammal Bond’s cooldown dropped from 12 seconds to ten.
The Thing
Rock-solid Vanguard The Thing quickly established himself as a top-tier pick in the early 1.5 meta, offering substantial damage, impressive tankiness, and the ability to completely nullify mobility abilities thanks to his Yancy Street Charge. Ben also greatly benefits from his team-up with Invisible Woman, which grants bonus health for a short duration. As we all know, bonus survivability means more clobberin’ time. In Season 2, Ben’s Embattled Leap damage reduction was decreased from 30% to 25%. Slightly less clobberin’ time.
C-Tier
Blade
Despite being a recent addition in August 2025, Blade unfortunately hasn’t quite measured up, struggling to compete with some of the stronger heroes. Even after a patch that buffed his Daywalker Dash, he remains in the C-tier. That said, Cloak and Dagger are among the best, and Blade makes an excellent partner for this dynamic duo thanks to their Team Up ability. Using Blade carefully with Cloak and Dagger renders him invisible for a brief period, healing him and allowing him to attack stealthily, so you might still see Blade appearing in some strong team compositions.
Scarlet Witch
While Scarlet Witch is capable of making game-changing plays, her kit is somewhat limited, and her effectiveness has waned as players have improved. Scarlet Witch’s basic attack is undoubtedly annoying, but its low, consistent damage can be easily negated by healing from characters like Mantis, Adam Warlock, or Luna Snow. However, it primarily serves as a means to an end, generating Chaos Energy for her far deadlier Chthonian Blast. Scarlet Witch’s greatest strength lies in her crowd control abilities. Dark Seal can repeatedly stun enemies caught in its blast. When strategically placed in choke points or against tank characters, Scarlet Witch can effectively shut down entire enemy teams.
In Season 1, Wanda’s damage ratios were tweaked to make her more effective against Duelists and Strategists, at the cost of her Vanguard damage. Season 1.5 granted Wanda bonus survivability when activating Reality Erasure, making it safer to unleash her ultimate. In Season 2, Wanda’s survivability took a hit, though she became even more dangerous against squishy targets thanks to a flat damage buff to Chaos Control (however, the ability’s percentage health damage was removed). She also received optimizations to her ultimate ability’s release experience.
Black Panther
Boasting a similar close-range, combo-based kit to characters like Magik and Spider-Man, Black Panther requires precise execution of his attacks in a specific order to achieve optimal damage. Missing any of these attacks leaves him in a very vulnerable position. However, as player proficiency has rapidly increased, so too has the Wakandan king’s potential. In Season 1, T’Challa’s survivability was substantially nerfed, causing him to drop a peg in our rankings.
Venom
Standing tall with 800 base health, Venom is already incredibly sturdy, and Symbiotic Resilience further enhances this when used in a tight spot, effectively granting him a second wind. His ultimate, Feast of the Abyss, though potentially easy to avoid, also generates bonus health. Paired with Venom Swing to swiftly engage and disengage from fights, he’s remarkably difficult to kill. Venom also deals heavy damage with his tentacles, making him lethal up close. When combined with Cellular Corrosion to slow down enemies and Frenzied Arrival to close the gap on damaged targets, he becomes an absolute menace. Pair him with a strong close-range DPS hero like Magik, and you’ll dominate the match. In Season 1, Venom’s Symbiotic Resilience ratio was increased, as was the base damage of his ultimate. In Season 1.5, Venom’s Frenzied Arrival was tweaked from a vertical knockback to an inward one, improving his crowd control. Additionally, his ultimate energy cost was reduced, which collectively bolstered him into the B-tier.
D-Tier
Black Widow
While inevitable comparisons to Overwatch’s Widowmaker will be made, Black Widow’s kit offers much more than just a powerful rifle and high-ground access. Though primarily focused on single-target combat, Black Widow’s Electro-Plasma Explosion provides a monstrous AoE slow that can set her team up for success. As for her rifle, when she’s not engaging would-be assailants with her baton, Black Widow enjoys picking off players with her gun. While you won’t be one-tapping players with the Red Room rifle – it leaves squishier targets with a sliver of health even with a scoped headshot – it’s still incredibly potent. Paired with the self-peel from Edge Dancer, locking down Black Widow is far easier said than done. In Season 1, Black Widow’s Edge Dancer range was increased, while the time required for Fleet Foot to recover from zero stamina and her ultimate to reach full power was substantially reduced. Season 1.5 effectively doubled her Red Room Rifle’s magazine capacity. Furthermore, the slow on her ultimate was increased, and it now applies a Vulnerability effect for several seconds. In Season 2, a new effect was added, allowing Black Widow to shoot immediately after releasing the second kick of Edge Dancer, as well as after using her ultimate. Unfortunately, these changes have done little to elevate her from the D-tier for now.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight may not boast the complex combos of other characters on this tier list, but he remains one of the most satisfying to play. He can deal significant damage to multiple targets very quickly with his Crescent Dart and Moon Blade, which becomes even more effective when you introduce an Ancient Ankh into the mix – a guaranteed, stationary target for bouncing his basic attacks. The Hand of Khonshu isn’t a massive site-wide nuking ultimate, but all it takes is one well-placed Ankh pull, and you can suddenly wipe out an entire enemy team with your combo. Moon Knight is also sufficiently mobile thanks to his Night Glider and Moonlight Hook. In Season 1, Moon Knight’s ultimate, Hand of Khonshu, received a substantial buff as both the number of talons generated and their explosion radius were increased. Season 1.5 saw talon falling speed reduced, while talon hit damage was increased. In Season 2, Moon Knight received a series of changes, resulting in net buffs to his basic attack, survivability, mobility, and ultimate ability. We haven’t adjusted his ranking just yet, but Marc is a character we’re likely to move up as the season progresses, should these buffs prove substantial enough.
And that wraps up our comprehensive Marvel Rivals tier list as it stands right now. Now that you’re equipped to dominate the opposition, ensure your PC settings are perfectly optimized to match your in-game performance. We also maintain a regularly updated list of Marvel Rivals codes for free in-game rewards.