Marvel Rivals tier list December 2024

Who are the best Marvel Rivals characters? Marvel and NetEase’s star-studded hero (and villain) shooter is filled with fan-favorite characters from across the multiverse. While each character brings their unique gameplay flair to the game, some are far mightier than others.

Our post-launch Marvel Rivals tier list divides the multiplayer game‘s 33-strong cast into multiple bands of viability, taking into account their innate power and presence in the meta. Once you’ve found a top-tier Marvel Rivals hero to climb the ranked ladder with, learn all about them in our Marvel Rivals characters guide.

Marvel Rivals tier list

The best Marvel Rivals characters in December 2024 are:

S-Tier

Venom

Standing tall with 800 base health, Venom is incredibly sturdy already, and Symbiotic Resilience takes this further when used in a tight spot, effectively giving him a second wind. His ultimate, Feast of the Abyss, may be easy to avoid, but it also generates bonus health. Paired with Venom Swing to quickly get in and out of 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 between damaged targets, he’s an absolute menace. Pair him with a strong close-range DPS hero like Magic and you’ll dominate the match with ease.

Iron Fist

Combining sky-high mobility with devastating combat proficiency, Iron Fist is the perfect dive comp component. If his fast and furious combos weren’t enough, he also has access to self-healing, which only aids his versatility in comps where there’s an absence of big healers.

To top it all off, Iron Fist’s team-up ability, Dragon’s Chill pairs him up with fellow S-tier incumbent Luna Snow to add crowd control and even more healing to the mix.

Magneto

Magneto may be slow and challenging to use, but he has everything a tank could want: defensive capabilities, crowd control, and damage. His primary attack fires slow projectiles with limited range, but they hit like a truck and can quickly take out DPS and supports.

His Bulwark abilities provide a shield to either himself or an ally, which protects from damage and generates rings that Magneto can use to increase Mag-Cannon’s damage. This further builds upon his strong burst-damage potential. However, Magneto does feel like he’s missing something when he doesn’t have access to Metallic Fusion, the team-up ability provided by Scarlet Witch. This almost feels like an ultimate ability, dealing heavy damage in a wider area than his primary attack.

Luna Snow

Luna Snow is the perfect support hero, able to dish out damage and quickly heal allies back to full health. Her primary attack offers on-demand healing when fired at allies, and great damage against enemies if you can land precision hits. This is improved during the Ice Arts stage, replacing her basic attack with an amped-up icicle while also healing herself while the buff is active.

Share the Stage lets Luna Snow heal two allies at once, making it easier to keep your team alive. It’s best to place this on a tank or aerial DPS so you don’t have to chase them to keep their health topped up. Absolute Zero freezes enemies for a short duration and heal her, which is great against advancing enemies and flankers alike. Her ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, is arguably the best in the game. With both a healing mode and a damage boost setting, Luna Snow can support the team, regardless of what the situation calls for.

Adam Warlock

Like Luna Snow, Adam Warlock is a versatile support hero. Soul Bond and Avatar Life Stream help keep allies fully stocked, while his basic attack and Cosmic Cluster dish out surprisingly strong damage.

However, Adam Warlock’s greatest strength is his ultimate and passive. His ultimate ability, Karmic Revival, can revive your entire team. He really can turn the tide of a fight with one press of a button. Likewise, his passive gives him a second life. Though it’s not necessary, his team-up with Mantis and Star-Lord also gives them a second life. What’s not to love about that?

Hela

Befitting her name as the Goddess of Death, Hela is a terrifying damage dealer, though her precision-based playstyle does make her tricky to use in close range.

Her primary attack, paired with Piercing Night, is capable of decimating enemy health bars, and you’re incentivized to aim for the head for massive damage. This is what results in her struggling in close range against the likes of Spider-Man and Iron Fist if you don’t have Astral Flock available to quickly reposition. Likewise, her ultimate can be disorienting to use at first, but it’s a great way to clear an objective and save your skin.

Mantis

Mantis is the support character with the biggest focus on healing, though this is largely healing over time rather than burst heals. This means you will want a strong healer like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow to who can quickly heal an ally. Nevertheless, this constant healing makes Mantis a pest for the enemy, so its lucky Mantis has self-healing.

Due to her focus on healing over time and lack of damage, Mantis is less versatile than her competition but makes the perfect second support. Plus, a stun ability and damage boost effect do help make up for her shortcomings.

Hawkeye

Marvel Rivals’ ranger character, Hawkeye has a ton 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 generated by it make it impossible to dodge his damage (unless the player piloting him needs a crash course in Aimlabs).

Unlike Black Widow, Hawkeye can one-shot squishy targets, though the devs have stopped him from being completely broken by introducing a very clever mechanic – focus. Hawkeye needs to charge his arrows by focusing on the target for a set amount of time, while letting them slip out of sight depletes it. Only the best of the best will be able to consistently tap 250 HP targets, but his damage is no joke regardless.

A-Tier

Psylocke

Invisibility can be one of the most frustrating mechanics to counter in competitive games, and Psylocke’s ability to tap into it with Psychic Stealth makes this already mobile character even harder to pin down. This is compounded by the invulnerability granted while using her ultimate, Dance of the Butterfly. Oh, and she does a ridiculous amount of damage, too.

As a five-star difficulty Duelist, getting the most out of Psylocke will be a challenge. But as players continue to develop proficiency with her we can easily see her moving into the apex tier of our list.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight may lack the complex combos of other characters on this tier list, but he’s still easily one of the most satisfying to play. He can deal big damage to multiple targets very quickly with his Crescent Dart and Moon Blade, which becomes even better when you throw an Ancient Ankh into the mix – a guaranteed, stationary target for you to bounce your basic attacks off of.

The Hand of Khonshu isn’t a huge site-wide nuking ult, but all it takes is one good Ankh pull and you’re suddenly killing the whole enemy team with your combo. Moon Knight is also sufficiently mobile thanks to his Night Glider and Moonlight Hook.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is an aggressive tank thanks to his team-wide teleport, making him perfect in coordinated teams. His large shield will also help you push an objective or hold your ground.

Although it feels like you’re constantly reloading, his basic attack is deadly in the right hands. Plus, dealing damage charges Dark Magic which is both a blessing and a curse. If you don’t release it before it fills up using Maelstrom of Madness for massive AoE damage, then you’ll enter an anti-heal state. As a tank, this can be a death sentence. Nevertheless, play Doctor Strange well and he can carry a team.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man isn’t just an amazing hero because he’s everyone’s favorite. No, this friendly neighborhood hero also brings the pain with incredible burst damage and mobility. Naturally, being a combo-driven character reliant on web-slinging around 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 blitz.

Web enemies to mark them with a Spider-Tracer then use Get Over Here! to close the gap before smacking them with the Amazing Combo uppercut. This is typically enough for standard health enemies, giving you enough time to run away before swinging into the backline once again.

Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, having defeated the likes of Thanos (off-panel) and Galactus (with the power of friendship). She also just so happens to be one of the best Marvel Rivals characters, combining big damage from her slingshot with a fantastic site-clearing ultimate in Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami.

Though she struggles against aerial threats, you’ll typically be running Squirrel Girl alongside someone who can deal with them. Squirrel Girl also has a surprising amount of crowd control in her kit, between the imprison on Squirrel Blockade and the powerful immobilization on Webbed Acorn – her team-up ability with Spider-Man.

Winter Soldier

The Winter Soldier is a Bucky of all trades, master of all. He’s got the damage, he’s got the crowd control, and he’s got the single-target lockdown. While Winter Soldier’s Roterstern only has a three-round mag, this is reloaded while his bionic arm’s in use – solid combo potential.

Because of his versatility, Winter Soldier can slot into pretty much any comp, though his Infinite Grit team-up ability with Rocket makes the wise-talking raccoon the perfect compadre.

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 neither the best diver nor the best at taking hits, Cap can do a bit of both, making him incredibly versatile and a slippery menace when piloted properly.

While early metas in competitive games are typically dominated by powerful characters with very easily defined roles, we’re confident that Cap stocks will only improve over time.

Jeff the Land Shark

While Jeff may be one of Rival’s most simple Strategists, the happy lil sharky has some big tools in his kit that make him a jawsome teammate. Offering solid healing to both the team and himself, bonus mobility with Hide and Seek, and one of the most impactful site-clearing ultimates in the game – It’s Jeff! – you can get a lot out of very little time invested into getting to know Jeff better.

As an extra sweetener, Jeff has not one but two team-up abilities: Frozen Spitball and New Friends. As such, you can get even more value out of Jeff in multiple comps.

Black Widow

While the inevitable Overwatch Widowmaker comparisons will be made, Black Widow has much more in her kit than a powerful rifle and the ability to access high ground. Though limited mostly to single-target combat, Black Widow’s Electro-Plasma Explosion provides a monstrous AoE slow that can set her team up for success.

As for said rifle, when she’s not beating up would-be assailants with her baton, Black Widow is picking players off for fun with her gun. While you won’t be one-tapping players with the Red Room rifle – it leaves squishies with a slither of health even with the 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.

Groot

A tree of very few words, Groot is a stalwart tank that stands out in certain team compositions and modes. With his playstyle being all about blockading the enemies and standing near these barriers to buff himself, Groot needs to be up close to succeed. This, paired with his large stature, makes Groot an easy target. However, if you can assemble an equally in-your-face team, like Venom, Star-Lord, and Magik, then Groot is key to overwhelming your enemy.

Cloak & Dagger

Sporting powerful utility unique to each character, Cloak & Dagger possess the means to change the tide of battle. Dagger can keep allies topped up on health while switching to Cloak unlocks access to vision-manipulating tools.

Similiarly to Mantis, we don’t feel Cloak & Dagger quite have the chops to cut it on their own, be it as a healer or damage dealer, but this Strategist pairing has the potential to move up the ranks over time.

The Punisher

As the Soldier 76, Call of Duty character stand-in, The Punisher is simple but effective. Equipped with an assault rifle for mid-range and a shotgun for when things get up close and personal, The Punisher can put just about anyone in their place. Iron Man picking you off from above? No problem. Spider-Man flanking you? Blast him with a shotgun.

His deployable turret and mech ultimate are great ways to rapidly increase your damage output, whether you’re pushing an objective or the enemy is getting into position to push you.

Star-Lord

Although Star-Lord feels like he’s missing an ability or two, his agile nature and high damage make him a strong DPS character in the right hands. Star Lord is at his most powerful when played aggressively. Dash in and dodge damage while bursting down weaker enemies, especially healers. His Blaster Barrage is great for softening up groups of enemies, just make sure you’ve got teammates with you, as you’re an easy target.

Magik

Magik is a melee DPS that’s difficult to master but can be powerful when played well, especially with allies like Venom or Magneto to soak up much of the damage. Able to teleport in and dish out various melee attacks, all of which grant her bonus health, Magik has survivability that other melee DPS heroes like Black Panther simply don’t have without sacrificing damage.

Loki

Living up to his pedigree as the god of trickery, Loki is a slippery support that excels when he’s on the move and healing allies. His decoys won’t fool anyone, but they are great at causing a temporary distraction. Likewise, his invisibility powers and deadly backstab make him lethal in the right hands, capable of assassinating players by weaving in and out of combat.

Since he’s not a dedicated healer, he’s best played alongside a hero like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow who can help keep enemies alive while he’s fooling the enemy.

B-Tier

Storm

Storm is a support-damage hybrid, giving her a unique, albeit limited role. Firstly, her basic attacks, Bolt Rush, and Goddess Boost deal good damage and let Storm strategically go on the offensive, particularly since she can fly. However, her main feature is her ability to switch between two different buffs using Weather Control. From buffing movement speed to increased damage, Storm works wonders in tight-knit teams that take advantage of these powerful effects. With random players, though, that’s sadly all too rare.

Thor

Thor is an interesting Vanguard in that he doesn’t really provide anything to the team outside of damage, damage, and more damage. His three-star difficulty is also a bit of a bait because to maximize your Thor value you need to manage your stacks of Thorforce carefully. Another limiting factor you’ll need to learn to play around is the two-second global cooldown his other abilities get put on each time he uses one.

However, if you do manage to get the art of Thor down then you’ll completely dominate the field, chortling heartily as you slam opponents with a thunderous crack.

Iron Man

Iron Man might not be as agile as you’d expect, but he’s a superb ranged, aerial, AoE DPS character. Being able to hover above the battlefield puts him out of reach of most of the roster, though The Punisher counters him easily, especially due to the lack of a dodge.

When you’re not being countered, though, Iron Man is a consistently strong damage dealer that can soften up groups of enemies. However, Iron Man’s lack of burst damage outside his amazing ultimate holds him back from the top of the pack.

Rocket Raccoon

While healing isn’t Rocket’s greatest strength, he’s a handy and versatile support character. Like Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon can also bring an ally back from the dead using Battle Rebirth Beacon, which will also periodically provide armor packs. Otherwise, Rocket is reliant on his repair mode secondary fire to heal allies, which isn’t as effective as the likes of Luna Snow or Adam Warlock when it comes to saving allies from near death.

His synergy with the popular Punisher also helps Rocket shine. Well, at least when The Punisher remembers to take advantage of your pylon, that is.

Scarlet Witch

While Scarlet Witch is dominating matches, her kit is rather limited and will no doubt see her effectiveness fall off as players improve. Scarlet Witch’s basic attack is annoying, no doubt about that, but its low, constant damage can be canceled with healing from the likes of Mantis, Adam Warlock, or Luna Snow. However, it’s more of a means to an end as it generates Chaos Energy used for Chthonian Blast, a much more deadly attack.

Scarlet Witch’s biggest strength is in her crowd control abilities. Dark Seal can repeatedly stun enemies caught in its blast. When placed in choke points or against tank characters, Scarlet Witch can shut teams down very effectively.

Wolverine

Wolverine is a 1v1 monster, and won’t lose against anyone he sinks his claws into – provided he isn’t kited. There’s nothing lowkey about Logan in Rivals, as his core gameplay loop effectively amounts to ‘get in and stay in until the target’s dead.’

Wolverine gains stacks of rage with each hit taken or dished out, making him progressively stronger and granting him more bonus health from his Regenerative Healing Factor – the sauce that makes him such an effective bruiser and tankbuster.

C-Tier

Bruce Banner/Hulk

Though Hulk has three forms, each with different abilities, he isn’t nearly as complex as it sounds at first. Most of your time will be spent as Hero Hulk, unfortunately, he simply isn’t that powerful. From heavy punches and gamma-ray blasts to an immobilizing effect, Hulk has a varied kit focused on damage, though these abilities lack impact. Plus, as a raging green beast, Hulk is an incredibly easy target to hit, and one that largely lacks defensive options.

Hulk is best played like Winston from Overwatch, diving in and out of the action while trying to cause as much chaos as possible. Killing enemies is secondary, so it’s best to only pick Hulk if you have another strong tank or damage dealers on your team.

Black Panther

Unfortunately, Black Panther can’t quite keep up with competition like Magik and Spider-Man. Boasting a similar, close-range, combo-based kit Black Panther needs to land his attacks in a specific order to deal optimal damage. Missing any of these attacks then leaves you in a very vulnerable position. Even when you nail the combo, Black Panther simply deals less damage than his rivals.

Peni Parker

The happy-go-lucky super-scientist spider-woman, Peni Parker is undeniably a fun hero, though her trap-based abilities make her cumbersome. These traps can deal great damage, but she’s easily countered traps are lurking whenever Peni is around. Moreover, she struggles to push objectives given this more defensive approach, though her webs do offer her added survivability across the board.

D-Tier

Namor

All alone at the bottom of the Marvel Rivals tier list is Namor. This half-human and half-Atlantean is a damage dealer in name only since he relies on turrets that can be easily destroyed, quickly nullifying his unique feature. While he’s better with Luna Snow thanks to the ice-imbued effect, it doesn’t make his turrets more durable.

And that’s the full Marvel Rivals tier list as it stands right now. Now you’re ready to dominate the opposition, make sure your Marvel Rivals settings are up to scratch so your PC performance matches your in-game performance. We also keep a regularly updated list of Marvel Rivals codes for free rewards.

Original guide by Rory Norris.