10 Best Marvel Rivals Characters Available At Launch, Ranked

Marvel Rivals already featured plenty of characters from the Marvel universe in the beta test, but the final launch lineup was only filled out in the last days before release. While fan favorites like Spider-Man and Iron Man were already set to appear in the Marvel shooter game, late roster additions include Black Widow, Iron Fist, Squirrel Girl, Wolverine, and Cloak and Dagger.

Now, there are more than 30 characters to choose from. The selection caters to a large group who may favor some characters over others and who have different play styles. The more than 30 characters each fall into one of three categories: Strategists or healers, Duelists or damage dealers, and Vanguard or tanks. While each character has unique abilities and advantages, some are bound to be more favored than others.

10 Spider-Man Crawls On Walls And Shoots Webs

Reel In Enemies With Get Over Here!

Spider-Man takes on the role of a Duelist in Marvel Rivals. When teaming up, he does well with Peni Parker and Venom. He’s already a favorite thanks to his abilities and his new character design.

Spider-Man’s primary attack is Spider-Power. Casting Spider-Power allows Spider-Man to attack enemies with punches and kicks. His secondary attack is Web-Cluster, which unleashes a web that deals damage and attaches Spider-Tracer to the enemy. Spider-Man has three passive abilities: Spider-Sense, Wall-Crawl, and Thwip and Flip. Spider-Sense detects enemies, Wall-Crawl allows Spider-Man to crawl and run on walls, and Thwip and Flip launch Spider-Man into a double jump.

While fighting in
Marvel Rivals
is fun, always focus on the objective of the game if you want to win.

Other abilities include Get Over Here!, which reels in enemies with his webs; Amazing Combo, which throws enemies upward; and Web Swing, which shoots a string of webs from which Spider-Man can swing. Finally, his Ultimate, Spectacular Spin, launches web clusters that damage and stun enemies.

For players who love to stay quick on their feet, Spider-Man is the perfect choice and stands above the rest.

9 Rocket Raccoon Supports With Heals And Boosts

Team Up With Groot And Punisher To Boost Your Allies

In Marvel Rivals, Rocket Raccoon is a Strategist, meaning he is a supportive character. He’s the perfect hero for beginners new to the strategist role, as his abilities are easy enough to understand and use. He has great mobility and is best when playing with a team. For optimal results, he does well with heroes like Groot and Punisher.

As far as his abilities are concerned, they center mostly on healing and boosting allied heroes, though he does have a few that also deal damage and boost his movement speed. His first attack, Bombard Mode, unleashes energy projectiles to deal damage to enemies. His passive abilities, Wild Crawl and Flying Ace, allow Rocket Raccoon to run on walls and fall slowly. Another mobility move, Jetpack Dash, makes Rocket Raccoon dash forward.

When it comes to healing, Rocket Raccoon can use Repair Mode to heal allies or revive them with Battle Rebirth Beacon. To boost his allies, he has Cosmic Yarn Amplifier, which boosts allies’ damage. His final two abilities are ally-specific. Old Friends allows Rocket Raccoon to ride on Groot’s shoulders and provides them with damage reduction, while Ammo Invention buffs Punisher’s ammo and firing.

Rocket Raccoon is the perfect hero when playing with friends who choose Groot or Punisher. Even without those two allies, Rocket Raccoon is great for players who like being healers and in supportive roles.

8 Psylocke Is The Ultimate Assassin With Her Blades

Enter Stealth Mode And Hunt Down Enemies

If you’re looking to play as a fan favorite from X-Men, look no further than Psylocke. As a Duelist, her abilities focus on doing damage, and she does well when paired up with Magik and Black Panther. Players who enjoy assassin and heavy-damage dealer roles should find Psylocke’s abilities rewarding.

What makes Psylocke truly unique is her ability to enter stealth mode and go invisible when using her Psychic Stealth attack. Psychic Stealth also provides Psylocke with a movement boost, allowing her to close in on enemies quickly. Paired with her damage-heavy attacks, Psylocke becomes a deadly force. Attacks like Psionic Crossbow and Dance of the Butterfly allow her to damage enemies with her crossbow and katana. Psi-Blade Dash and Wing Shurikens attack with blades and shurikens.

7 Iron Man Is A Versatile Choice For Damage And Mobility

Fire Nano Pulse Canons And A Unibeam At Enemies

For those who enjoy harassing enemies and taking control of the battlefield as a Duelist, Iron Man might be the hero for you. He brings a fun dynamic to the battlefield and is fairly easy to use and understand, making him easily accessible to beginners. Despite his ease of use, Iron Man packs a powerful punch with his abilities.

For example, his primary attack, Repulsor Blast, fires nano pulse cannons. His secondary attack, Unibeam, shoots out a unibeam. He has a team-up ability that works with the Hulk and charges Iron Man with gamma radiation. His Ultimate is Invincible Pulse Cannon, which fires a devastating and damaging pulse canon at a target.

His versatility in Marvel Rivals makes him a solid choice for players who enjoy dealing out consistent damage and maintaining good mobility.

6 Black Widow Excels At Ranged Attacks

The Sniper Rifle Takes Down Enemies From A Distance

Black Widow is one of the newer heroes announced to be playable at the Marvel Rivals launch, and since her announcement, fans have been both excited about playing her and worried about going against her. That is because of her mastery of the sniper rifle, which gives her an advantage in long-range combat. However, her control of the sniper rifle is exactly why she’s one of the best heroes to play at launch, especially for those who prefer ranged combat.

Black Widow will take some time to get used to, but practice makes perfect. Keep practicing with her until you’re able to master her abilities.

Black Widow’s most impressive abilities include Rapid Fire, Straight Shooter, and Infra-Detector, all of which use her rifle. When using Edge Dancer, Black Widow will dash and propel upward when she hits an enemy or a wall. Pairing this attack with an attack like Rapid Fire would allow Black Widow to maintain a distance while dealing burst damage to her target. For her Team-Up Ability, she pairs with Hawkeye to receive Hunter’s Sight.

While she might be a tricky Duelist to play, her precision and mobility make her incredibly rewarding for skilled players.

5 Doctor Strange Initiates Battles And Protects Allies

Regain Control By Traveling Through Portals

Doctor Strange is a Vanguard, so he’s exceptional at initiating battle and protecting his allies. He’s a bit difficult to master, but when you do, you’ll get to take full advantage of his powerful abilities and strategic control. He excels at poking and keeping long-range duelists from closing in with his Shield of the Seraphim.

His primary ability in Marvel Rivals, Daggers of Denak, does decent damage when used correctly. Another one of his damaging abilities is the Eye of Agamotto, which separates enemies’ souls from their bodies. Not only does it transfer damage the souls receive to the physical body, but it also cancels out Ultimate abilities.

Doctor Strange also has an ability that lets him and his allies travel between portals, which can be used in sneak attacks and to regain control of points. He’s a great hero to play thanks to his ability to both damage opponents and protect his team.

4 Adam Warlock Boosts Mantis And Star-Lord

Poke Enemies And Support Allies During Battle

Adam Warlock does well in teams with Mantis and Star-Lord, thanks to his Team-Up Ability, Soul Perseverance. Soul Perseverance boosts the rebirth power of both these heroes. While he is a Strategist, he can also do well as a Duelist. He’s also not too difficult to play, so most will be able to enjoy using him at launch.

His abilities include a mix of healing, damage control, and utility. Quantum Magic and Cosmic Cluster allow Adam Warlock to poke from a distance, while Soul Bond offers strong support by linking allies, slowly healing allies, and sharing damage. Avatar Life Stream provides quick healing, and Karmic Revival revives fallen allies.

At launch, Adam is sure to be a favorite due to his abilities to heal, protect, and revive teammates, along with his damage-dealing capabilities.

3 Luna Snow Is The Ultimate Healer Hero

Freeze Enemies For Crowd Control While Healing Allies

Luna Snow is another Strategist in Marvel Rivals who excels at both dealing damage and providing crucial healing to her teammates. What makes her a great pick is her ability to heal without relying on a resource meter, allowing her to support her allies throughout the match consistently. Share the Stage allows Luna to attach Idol Aura to an ally, restoring health to that ally when Luna is healing others. Her passive, Cryo Heart, restores health automatically when she uses Ice Arts and Absolute Zero.

Speaking of Absolute Zero, this attack freezes enemies and restores health. Her Ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, causes Luna to choose between two dancing performances: one that heals allies or one that grants allies a damage boost. Since her abilities focus on healing, crowd control, and boosting her team, Luna Snow is a popular choice in any team composition, but especially when Namor is involved, as her Team-Up Ability can power Namor’s abilities.

2 Magneto Is A Safe Choice For Beginner Vanguards

Protect Allies With A Metal Shield

Magneto is yet another Vanguard-class hero and is a perfect introductory Vanguard for beginners, as his abilities are simple and easy to master. Since he’s a Vanguard, his role is to take damage for his allies and to create space for them to control the battle. His abilities give him the means to do just that.

As a Vanguard, make sure you’re playing the front line and doing your best to protect your allies.

Magneto works well with Scarlet Witch, thanks to his Team-Up Ability, Metallic Fusion. When used, Scarlet Witch infuses magneto with Chaos Energy, charging his Greatsword to deal more damage. His other abilities include Iron Volley, which fires a volley of magnetic orbs at his target, and Meteor M, which forms a massive damage-dealing meteor. As for defensive abilities, he has Metallic Curtain and Metallic Bulwark, the first which forms a magnetic field around Magneto and the second a metal shield around an ally.

Magneto is the perfect choice for players who want a reliable Vanguard with a mix of offense and defense.

1 Venom Is The Best Vanguard And Hero To Play

Lead The Charge, Tanking Damage And Diving Into Enemy Lines

Venom is one of the best heroes to play in Marvel Rivals due to his exceptional mobility, massive health pool, and disruptive abilities that allow him to control the battlefield, protect teammates, and deal significant damage in close combat. As a Vanguard, he’s the perfect tank to lead the charge and dive into enemy lines. His team-up and passive ability, Touch of Klyntar, works well with Spider-Man and Peni Parker.

His other abilities, such as Dark Predation and Frenzied Arrival, make Venom a relentless force to be reckoned with. Dark Predation creates tentacles that lash forward at enemies, while Frenzied Arrival makes it so Venom can dash to a target, damaging enemies and knocking them back. He also has crowd control with his Cellular Corrosion ability, which slows and damages enemies. Then, of course, there’s his Ultimate, Feast of the Abyss, which burrows Venom underground and then unleashes him on enemies, where he devours them and gains bonus health.

All the heroes in Marvel Rivals bring something unique to the table, but these 10 are some of the best ones to play at launch for their unique abilities, versatile playstyles, and strong synergies with teammates. No matter which you choose, you’re sure to find a hero that matches your preferred playstyle and helps you dominate the battlefield. If you enjoy tanking, dealing damage, or supporting allies, Marvel Rivals offers diversity in its roster that will support every player’s strategy.