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With Season 0, Rise of Doom, drawing to a close, we look back at the past month or so since the game’s official launch to decide who the best characters in Marvel Rivals are right now.
All 33 Marvel Rivals characters are a blast to play, but there are definitely some noteworthy mentions that are a cut above the rest that you should be aware of.
If you’re looking to rank up this season, or the next, then selecting our S-tier characters could make all the difference between victory and defeat.
Techopedia presents our Marvel Rivals tier list in 2025 for Season 0 – Rise of Doom.
Key Takeaways
- Marvel Rivals is a team-based third-person hero shooter set in the Marvel universe.
- This list is divided into five categories, S being the best and D being the worst.
- Characters such as Hela, Mantis, and Dr Strange are the best characters to play.
- There are no inherently ‘weak’ picks, but Black Widow and Storm are considered the worst to play.
- This list is made with season 0 in mind, which may be subject to change come next season.
Marvel Rivals Tier List in 2025
Our article seeks to rank Marvel Rivals’ roster based on their effectiveness in combat and team contributions. Please note that this list is entirely subjective and may differ from other sources.
Here is how we will rank each tier in this list.
- S tier: The best of the best. They are either powerful, versatile, or impactful. They dominate the competition and are often seen as essential picks in their respective roles.
- A tier: Top-performing characters that lack the dominance of S tier picks. These are highly effective and consistent heroes. Usually strong in most scenarios.
- B tier: Average characters that will take some extra work to get the job done. As Marvel Rivals heroes, they are well-rounded and are still strong in their own right.
- C tier: Mediocre options that are outclassed by higher-tier characters. They can still be useful but require significant skill, strategy, or favorable conditions to be effective.
- D tier: Below-average characters that struggle to compete with others. They are typically chosen for fun or thematic reasons rather than effectiveness.
Marvel Rivals Characters Ranked at a Glance
There are plenty of strong Marvel Rivals characters to choose from, no matter what role you choose to fulfill. Ranging from duelists with high damage and vanguards who can effectively control space to strategists who can change the tide of battle with a well-placed ultimate attack.
| Rank | Characters |
|---|---|
| S | Hela, Mantis, Dr Strange, Magneto, Luna Snow |
| A | Loki, Rocket Raccoon, Namor, Psylocke, Winter Soldier, Adam Warlock, Groot, Hawkeye, Punisher |
| B | Thor, Cloak & Dagger, Wolverine, Iron Man, Black Panther, Peni Parker, Magik, Star-Lord, Venom |
| C | Captain America, Hulk, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, Jeff, Squirrel Girl, Iron Fist, Moon Knight |
| D | Black Widow, Storm |
S Tier Marvel Rivals Heroes
Hela
Hela has earned the top spot in many Marvel Rivals duelist tier lists, so much so that she is regularly banned in games above platinum. This is mostly due to her seasonal team-up ability, which not only revives Thor and Loki on kills but also grants her a 20% damage boost.
Mantis
Mantis is the complete package when it comes to a strong strategist in Marvel Rivals. Spore Slumber allows her to cancel certain ultimates, combined with her ability to regularly boost her team’s outgoing damage, making her a force to be reckoned with.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange has consistently been one of the best Marvel Rivals characters, dating all the way back to early betas. His shield is incredibly versatile, readily available to block massive amounts of damage, and his Eye of Agamoto ultimate has great set-up potential for team wipes.
Magneto
Magneto is an omega-level mutant, and it shows in his well-rounded gameplay. Regularly alternating between his Metallic Curtain and Iron Bulwark ensures he stays in the fight. His team-up ability with Scarlet Witch also allows him to dish out high amounts of damage.
Luna Snow
Luna Snow is one of the few strategists who can give Mantis a run for her money because she has similar strengths. Absolute Zero can cancel certain ultimates by freezing them in place, and Fate Of Both Worlds can ensure your team stays in the fight longer.
A Tier Marvel Rivals Heroes
Loki
Loki is a very underrated character that doesn’t often rank high in most Marvel Rivals healer tier lists. But when both doppelgangers are out, you are left with one of the best defensive healers in the game. His God of Mischief ability can let you steal any ultimate, allowing you to respond to a variety of situations.
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon can keep his team in the fight with heals and revives while boosting their outgoing damage. His team-up ability with both Punisher and Winter Soldier grants infinite ammo and an increased fire rate, allowing for high amounts of outgoing damage.
Namor
Initially, Namor didn’t start out with the biggest splash. But as players started implementing hero bans, he has been making waves as the go-to duelist to play. His trident deals 70 damage with a moderate fire rate and no fall-off, and he leverages off his Monstro Spawn to consistently control the battlefield.
Psylocke
When learning how to play Marvel Rivals, the five-star difficulty characters may be daunting but are worth undertaking. Psylocke’s great mobility and high amounts of burst damage mean that she is one of the best flanking heroes to pick in the game.
Winter Soldier
The Winter Soldier’s Bionic Hook ability lets you separate key targets from their group and cancel certain ultimates, making it a great disruption tool. At lower ranks, his Kraken Impact ultimate is a game-changer that can be used again and again.
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock can be the deciding factor that turns a near defeat into victory. His team-up ability shares his self-resurrection passive with both Mantis and Star-Lord, which is just as powerful as it sounds. Combined with his Karmic Revival ultimate, you have a team with a lot of staying power when it comes to Marvel Rivals gameplay.
Groot
When it comes to Marvel Rivals vanguard tier lists, Groot is unquestionably the best tank hero for controlling space. Especially in domination game modes, Groot’s walls are able to block off certain sight lines, reduce flanking options, and separate enemies that over-reach from their team.
Hawkeye
Who would’ve thought that in a game full of gods, sorcerers, and aliens, a guy with a bow is one of the best Marvel Rivals duelists? Hawkeye is the only character in the game capable of one-shotting duelists and strategists without an ultimate, and with how big the hit-boxes are, you’ll be hitting shots more often than you think.
Punisher
When it comes to Marvel Rivals duelist tier lists, Punisher is often a top contender. His shotgun makes him one of the best characters at close range. His assault rifle, when combined with Rocket Raccoon’s team-up, sees a 67% increase in fire rate. Final Judgment deals a whopping 260 damage per second with the Gatling guns alone.
B Tier Marvel Rivals Heroes
Thor
Thor was fairly lackluster when he was initially launched in the Marvel Rivals beta. In the full release, he brings the hammer down in a big way. Thanks to his Awakened state, his bonus health and piercing damage can make him an incredibly powerful off-tank.
Cloak & Dagger
Dagger herself can provide lots of healing, and Cloak’s invincibility can negate ultimates when properly timed. But their team-up with Moon-Knight is arguably the worst in the game, restricting the character to a small area for invisibility and a 15% healing boost.
Wolverine
When the game first launched, Wolverine was considered the worst hero in most Marvel Rivals character lists. Until players learned his damage scales up depending on maximum health, making him great at shredding tanks. Despite only being good at one thing, he’s the best there is at what he does.
Iron Man
The MCU poster boy doesn’t really hold up on his own due to his low damage output. But that quickly changes once he is teamed up with Hulk, receiving a 22% damage increase once gamma overdrive is activated. The Iron Man, Hulk, and Doctor Strange combo has quickly become one of the most popular team-ups in competitive play.
Black Panther
Black Panther has dominated a lot of lobbies across Marvel Rivals platforms. His combo strings can deal a large amount of damage to a group of enemies, but that is also influenced by his passive – which increases his damage based on missing health. As such, he is a high-risk, high-reward character that won’t always pay off as you rank up.
Peni Parker
Peni Parker is one of the most unique Marvel Rivals vanguards, more focused on controlling space than negating damage. Her cyber-web snare is a useful ability readily available to stun targets. However, she is dependent on her Bionic Spider-Nest to reach her full potential, which she will rarely achieve if the enemy team knows to destroy it as soon as possible.
Magik
Magik has a fairly unique playstyle as a fully oriented melee character but is one that is often used in high levels of play. By charging up her Magik Slash and quickly following up with her dash and normal attack, you can deal 240 damage in a near instant and gain a ton of bonus health as a result.
Star-Lord
Among Marvel Rivals characters, Star-lord has become a popular pick, especially in quick matches. He has incredible mobility thanks to his Rocket propulsion ability, and his team up with Adam Warlock is a nice bonus to stay in the fight.
Venom
Venom may have an underpowered ultimate, but he is still one of the most fun characters to play. His swing gives him great mobility, and the rest of his abilities play into his aggressive playstyle. As of Season 0, dive characters aren’t exactly the meta and are less likely to see success than other team compositions.
C Tier Marvel Rivals Heroes
Captain America
When it comes to Marvel Rival’s classes, Captain America fits the dive tank role perfectly. His sprint, Liberty rush, and Super-Soldier Slam give plenty of mobility options to charge in and retreat from fights. However, his outgoing damage is simply far too low in comparison to other vanguards.
Hulk
Hulk’s main gameplay doesn’t really live up to his mantra as ‘the strongest there is’. His main shining factor lies in his team-up with both Doctor Strange and Iron Man. In his Monster Hulk state, the World Breaker will rarely ever land a kill if an enemy strategist is nearby to heal them.
Spider-Man
When learning how to play Marvel Rivals, Spider-Man will quickly be one of the most popular choices but is also the most difficult to learn. As a five-star difficulty, Spider-Man simply demands way too much for returns that pale in comparison to other flanking melee characters in the roster.
Scarlet Witch
There are very few heroes who can outsurvive her ultimate, but her reduced mobility in the air and loud audio que make her an open target. Mystic Projection can be a great escape tool, but her shortcomings lie with her overall damage output with both Chaos Control and Chythonian Burst.
Jeff The Land Shark
Among the Marvel Rival characters, Jeff The Land Shark has quickly become a fan favorite or public enemy number one, depending on who you ask. His Hide And Seek ability offers great mobility for escape and potential flanks. While his ultimate attack terrorized players early launch, people are quickly uncovering more ways to avoid it.
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl may be ridiculously overpowered in the Marvel comics, but she doesn’t fare as well in our Marvel Rivals duelist tier lists. Squirrel Blockade can be a great disruption tool, and her primary fire can help take out enemies from an off angle. However, her ultimate is incredibly weak.
Iron Fist
From early doors, Iron Fist made a huge impact on lower ranks. He has fast movement tech with his triple jump, wall running, and K’un-Lun kick. But where he falls short in comparison to other melee characters is his lack of burst damage and low combo potential, even with his enhanced primary attack.
Moon Knight
Moon-Knight is one of the few heroes that will rack up a lot of damage, but not necessarily get a lot of kills. His Ankh placement is crucial, which is entirely situational depending on the map. His ultimate can be a great dispersing tool, but he will rarely get any kills. His team-up skill with Cloak & Dagger is also one of the worst in the game.
D Tier Marvel Rivals Heroes
Black Widow
When Marvel Rivals gameplay was first showcased, Black Widow’s reveal trailer had everyone worried she would ruin the game. However, her impact was greatly exaggerated. She does not one-shot characters with critical hits, and her Electro-Plasma Explosion ultimate only deals 170 damage on impact.
Storm
Storm ranks among the lowest in terms of performance and impact in the Marvel Rivals roster. As an airborne character, she lacks any sense of mobility to avoid being an easy target. Despite having a speed boost with her Weather Control, the effect is negligible to be effective. It is not impossible to succeed with Storm, though, as she has a solid ultimate that deals 150 damage per second.
All Marvel Rivals Heroes
These are all Marvel Rivals characters as of season 0 – Rise of Doom. More characters will be added as the game moves from season to season. We will be sure to keep this updated when they are added.
The Bottom Line
Our Marvel Rivals tier list goes over the best and worst characters to play in the third person shooter. While there are no inherently bad characters per se, there are a select few characters that shake up matches more than others.
While we have tried to base this list based on competitive play and experience, this list was ultimately structured based on personal opinion, and may be subject to change in future patches.
