Marvel Rivals character tier list and meta

Our Marvel Rivals characters tier list for the Season 6.5 meta lays out which heroes are best right now and which ones aren't worth choosing. Whether you're sticking to quickplay or delving into ranked, it helps to know how each character is faring based on the current hero balancing patch, which seems to strongly favor "poke" damage and shield tanks who can take the hits with healers to back them up.

It's no surprise then that the likes of Doctor Strange, Magneto, and Invisible Woman are topping the meta, but here's how the entire roster of almost 50 Marvel Rivals characters stacks up in tier list form.

Marvel Rivals tier list and meta

With 47 unique Marvel Rivals characters to choose from, each with unique abilities and Marvel Rivals Team-Ups, knowing which ones are good and which ones aren’t quite so hot right now isn't easy. It’s complicated even further when you consider the meta differences between high and low Marvel Rivals ranks. With all that in mind, this tier list should be applicable for PC and console players in the most populous ranks, Silver to Diamond, though there will always be disagreements.

The current Marvel Rivals meta is dominated by long-range damage that chips away at the enemy (often called "poke") and sometimes triple Strategist compositions, which necessitates at least one shield-based Vanguard that can soak up a lot of damage and protect key players. With so much healing about, Duelists with potent ranged attacks or abilities that can be combined to deal massive amounts of damage very quickly are also great to have on your team.

As such, the following heroes are strong picks for your team in Season 6.5:

Best Marvel Rivals meta heroes (S-Tier)

These are supremely strong and versatile characters that can provide game-changing support and power to a team - simply having some of these heroes on your team won’t guarantee a win, a good player in control can be a huge boon:

• Daredevil: Matt Murdock has a lot of abilities to wrap your head around but using them together allows you to pull off some deadly melee combos and block a lot of damage, giving him a high level of survivability in battle.
• Doctor Strange: Strange remains one of the best Vanguards in the game thanks to his massive Shield of the Seraphim barrier. That makes him a solid punching bag, but he can also deal solid damage at shorter ranges, and his Pentagram of Farallah portal can be used for some creative team plays.
• Elsa Bloodstone: With a relatively large array of abilities that can be used for aggressive, high-damage, ranged or rushdown combos, Elsa is quite the menace at the moment.
• Gambit: With a diverse moveset that accommodates healing, buffing, mobility, and damage, Gambit is a versatile and effective Strategist who has been strong since he was introduced.
• Groot: Like Doctor Strange, Groot's ability to shield allies and block enemies with endless plant walls, and make use of ranged attacks, means he fits well into the current meta.
• Hela: The Goddess of Death has always been one of the best sharpshooter Duelists in the game and continues to shine in Season 6.5, with her high-damage and long-range abilities being perfect for eliminating key enemy Strategists and Duelists.
• Invisible Woman: Sue Storm has a lot going for her as a Strategist with a great healing output, an excellent Ultimate, useful crowd-control abilities, shielding for allies, and obviously her invisibility. That means she's capable of fitting into and supporting literally any team and we’ve got a Marvel Rivals Invisible Woman guide if you’re looking for tips!
• Loki: Loki thrives in ranged metas as he can sit back behind his team to heal and shoot at the enemy from afar. Add his invisibility, teleporting, and decoys on top and he's clearly one of the best Strategists in the game right now, but he's not the easiest to master.
• Magneto: Magneto's slow-firing iron projectiles make him one of the better-ranged Vanguard characters, keeping enemies at arm’s length. However, his Metallic Curtain shield and Bulwark bubbles are his main strength, providing almost unparalleled protection to his allies and himself.
• Rogue: Rogue's aggressive melee attack combos and overall survivability make her one of the best Vanguard heroes right now, capable of breaking enemy fronts and being a nuisance to deal with for poke damage-focused teams.

MARVEL RIVALS A-TIER CHARACTERS

Every hero in A-tier is great, being extremely capable in their role, but they lack the generalist power or ease-of-use of those in S-tier, sometimes requiring extra support for maximum effect.

• Captain America: Captain America is a very fast brawler Vanguard in Marvel Rivals who can be very tough to kill thanks to his shield and mobility. Like Rogue, he relies on getting in close to deal damage, which is dangerous in the current meta, but he's still a pretty good tank overall.
• Cloak & Dagger: Cloak & Dagger is a solid Strategist selection in most matches. The dual aspect of the character means there is always something you can be doing, especially when it comes to dishing out AOE and single-target healing. They're a bit of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none hero but can still be very supportive in the right hands.
• Emma Frost: Emma Frost’s kit has a nice mix of ranged damage, defense, and melee power, but as nerfs have stacked up, she's far from being one of the best Vanguards as she once was. She can still be strong in the right hands, but her poor mobility and diminished defensive power mean Strange and Magneto can be better choices for this meta. Our Marvel Rivals Emma Frost guide will help you master her playstyle.
• Hawkeye: Clint Barton is one of the strongest Duelists in the game, fitting well with the current poke meta. His kit isn't quite as straightforward as Hela's but it rewards accuracy even more – a great Hawkeye can be a huge problem from the enemy team.
• Jean Grey: Jean Grey with her long-range Phoenix abilities fits nicely into the current meta, able to deal massive amounts of damage without having to clash with the enemy up close. However, with accuracy and effective ability combinations being key for success when playing as Jean Grey, she's not the easiest Duelist to play as.
• Luna Snow: K-Pop sensation Luna Snow packs provides great healing, particularly with her Fate of Both Worlds ultimate, and can even self-heal for decent survivability.
• Mantis: Mantis certainly isn't the best Strategist but she makes for a good secondary or tertiary healer in this meta, able to stick to the backline to provide healing to Vanguards and damage boosts to Duelists, while also being capable of poking away at enemies with her long-range Life Energy Blasts too.
• Moon Knight: Moon Knight can shred the enemy team from a distance if you're able to combine his Crescent Darts and Moon Blades with Ankhs, but this is highly reliant on the enemy team ignoring your Ankhs. Even so, good use of Moon Knight's movement abilities also make him tricky to take down.
• Namor: Namor’s long-range precision attacks and Monstro Spawn turrets make him a solid choice right now, able to consistently pelt the enemy with damage to wear them down and hopefully get the odd elimination.
• Punisher: Packing a beginner-friendly rifleman kit with something for almost every situation, the Punisher is a good all-rounder Duelist who fits well into the current meta, able to deal plenty of ranged damage with his Culling Turret in particular.
• Rocket Raccoon: Rocket's sustained healing output is incredibly good, and the occasional revive from BRB and the health and damage boosts from CYA can clinch a fight. His relatively simple heal-spam playstyle might not be for everyone, but it’s undeniably effective.
• Thor: Wielding Mjolnir to batter foes at close-range, Thor is a good brawler tank with a nice variety of abilities that synergize well. Use them well and Thor can be massively disruptive, forcing enemies out of position and dealing a ton of ranged damage with Awakening Rune.
• Winter Soldier: Bucky Barnes remains one of the best Duelists in Marvel Rivals, thanks to his high-power abilities. They let him fight enemies of all types, letting him be a bit of a tank-buster and backline defender. He's also hard to master, relying heavily on combos, but a great Winter Soldier can make pivotal plays during a match.
• Wolverine: With the current meta featuring a lot of main tanks, Wolverine naturally fits in as a direct counter, with practically his entire moveset being built around diving on tanks and slicing them up. However, overextending can be hugely detrimental to your team's efforts, so co-ordination and support from allies is key.

MARVEL RIVALS B-TIER CHARACTERS

All the Marvel Rivals characters in B-tier are good and are all capable of turning the tide of battle when played well. However, they fall a little short either due to their more niche roles and playstyles, high skill ceilings that make them harder to master, or limited power compared to those in A and S-tier.

• Adam Warlock: Adam Warlock can finally fly, giving him some much-needed mobility. However, he remains one of the trickier Strategist heroes in Marvel Rivals, demanding pinpoint accuracy from his attacks to deal good damage and excellent timing when using his burst-healing abilities with longer cooldowns.
• Angela: As a flying Vanguard with melee abilities, Angela is tricky to master, but a competent player can do surprisingly well in this meta. Like Thor, she can be a disruptive threat, harassing priority enemies to get eliminations and create opportunities for teammates to press the advantage.
• Deadpool: Since Deadpool has Duelist, Strategist, and Vanguard forms, an in-game XP and upgrade system, and different ultimates depending on which of his weapons you have out, it's safe to say he's a very complicated character to learn. Across all three forms, he deals a good mix of ranged and melee damage with his dual pistols and katanas, but his abilities for his Duelist form are lackluster. Adding healing to them in his Strategist form makes him noticeably more useful, but Deadpool is at his best as a mobile Vanguard, capable of protecting teammates and charging into the fray like Angela and Thor.
• Iron Fist: As a durable melee Duelist, Iron Fist can somewhat hold his own in this meta, punishing those that overextend and putting pressure on those that can't fight well at close-range. He's not an easy character to play but can be effective in the right circumstances.
• Jeff the Land Shark: Jeff is a decent healer, particularly since his Joyful Splash can heal multiple allies at once, but he can be quite easily stopped by a lot of combo-based Duelist characters. That also means his Hide and Seek escape ability is nowhere near as useful and annoying as it once was.
• Magik: Magik has a very tricky playstyle to learn and master. She’s a melee flanker that relies heavily on perfect Soulsword combos, so mistakes can cost you dearly. However, flawless execution means you can run riot against practically any team as Magik, flanking to quickly eliminate key Strategists and chip away at the enemy team before teleporting away.
• Mister Fantastic: Reed Richards is probably the most durable of all the Duelists and can support his Vanguards on the frontline as an immovable object, but he isn’t spectacular at much else.
• Psylocke: Despite the meta not working completely in her favor, Psylocke players can still find success by getting behind enemy defenses and chipping away at opponents with her Psi-Blade Dash, Crossbow, and Shurikens, before retreating with Psychic Stealth. Combine all of these abilities to secure vital eliminations that can build momentum for your team.
• Star-Lord: Star-Lord’s entire kit focuses on movement tricks and his short-range Element Guns, making him one of the best hit-and-run characters in Marvel Rivals and a massive disruptive force. Surprisingly, he's not as ineffective as you might think in this meta as he can still be useful at medium ranges.
• Storm: Despite flying heroes not having a good time this Season, Storm can still be strong in the right hands, particularly with her Ultimate, and supports her team thanks to her Weather Control speed and damage buffs.
• Venom: Venom is perhaps the most robust Vanguard character in Marvel Rivals due to his Symbiotic Resilience ability, and he's also one of the most mobile too. Like Thor, he can be very disruptive, diving on the enemy, but that's not always a good choice in this meta.

MARVEL RIVALS C-TIER CHARACTERS

The Marvel Rivals heroes in C-tier are average overall. They're generally hindered by rigid abilities that require a very specific playstyle or are better fulfilled by a more powerful character, but a talented player can still do well.

• Blade: Blade's preference for close-range combat means he's not the best for this meta in Marvel Rivals. However, if you're able to get up close to the enemy with the rest of your team and build up momentum with Bloodline Awakening, Blade's attacks can shred opposing players.
• Hulk: With relatively long cooldowns, a damage output that isn't great, and abilities that suit a dive playstyle, the Hulk is far from being a top tank pick in Marvel Rivals. His exceptional mobility for a Vanguard isn't all that useful in this meta and he's not worth choosing for his Gamma Charge Team Up either.
• Human Torch: Flying heroes aren't doing especially well in this meta for Season 6.5, which means the Human Torch isn't a great pick. His damage output across his abilities is solid but he can be far too easily countered by the likes of Hela and Hawkeye, making him risky to play.
• Scarlet Witch: Wanda Maximoff's abilities aren't all that well-suited to the current poke damage meta but aren't completely useless. Her Dark Seal can be a nuisance when placed well and she pairs well with Doctor Strange but is outshone by many other Duelists.
• Spider-Man: Spider-Man's hyper-mobile playstyle rarely works in this long-range meta unless you are extremely well-versed in the webhead's abilities, able to easily get behind enemy lines and execute perfect combos against enemy Strategists to limit the enemy team's healing.
• Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Girl has one of the simplest kits in Marvel Rivals and is very easy to use, but she's clearly falling behind a lot of other Duelists. Her Burst Acorns are great for spamming choke areas and bouncing around corners, but she's easily countered by most other Duelists otherwise. Her limited kit also means her usefulness depends on the enemy team’s composition and even the map.
• The Thing: The Thing’s relatively simple, brawly Vanguard kit is great for pretty much any other meta other than this ranged poke damage one for Season 6.5. As it stands, he has few opportunities to really do anything that won't get him almost instantly killed.

MARVEL RIVALS D-TIER CHARACTERS

The characters in D-tier are very difficult to do consistently well with due to their limited strengths, many counters, or overall inconsistency. As a result, they’re rarely picked and are likely in need of some buffs.

• Black Panther: T'Challa is an acrobatic, melee-focused hero with exceptional mobility and damage, but little margin for error due to long cooldowns on his abilities. That means he's both unforgiving to play if you make a mistake during a combo and doesn't fit into the current meta at all.
• Black Widow: Black Widow has long been at the bottom tiers of this list due to her sniper playstyle not really fitting in with the game broadly – Hela and Hawkeye are much better picks overall.
• Iron Man: Like Human Torch, Iron Man struggles as a flying hero in this meta, but he also seems to have fallen behind quite a bit compared to other Duelists, meaning he is noticeably lacking in overall power.
• Peni Parker: Compared to the other Vanguards, Peni is lacking at the moment. She remains very durable but her defense-focused kit that uses Cyber-Webs and Arachno-Mines, isn't well suited to the current meta at all.
• Ultron: Ultron's mix of precision attacks that can be tricky to use, middling healing, and constant flight mean he really doesn't fit well into this meta at all and is broadly lacking compared to his fellow Strategists.

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