With Marvel Rivals now live globally, we finally have answers to the burning question: Who are the best characters in the game? In this guide, week will break down our tier list for every character. You can't fairly compare characters to each other from different classes, so in this tier list, we are focusing on the Duelist class. If you want see more characters, check out our Vanguard Meta Tier List and Strategist Meta Tier List!
For any tier list to make sense in this style of game, you need to understand the kind of players this list is designed for. Pro players and casual players will play characters very differently, so their rankings can vastly differ. In these tier lists, we are ranking for the average player. This means not brand new to the game, but not a high ranking player either.
Any low tier ratings for characters doesn't mean the character is outright bad. You can play any character in this game, practice them a bunch, and perform well in a match despite a low ranking.
S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
C Tier
C Tier
The characters in this tier are Black Panther, Namor, Psylocke, and Spider-Man. These are all characters that struggle to make a meaningful impact in your typical casual setting. Their damage output and flexibility aren't up to par with the rest of the Duelists.
Black Panther has struggled to be a strong character since the beta. Even after receiving a buff, he can't output the same amount of damage as other brawler characters. His ultimate ability is also very tricky to properly use, making it often a complete dud for most casual players.
Namor falls in a similar category of too difficult to effectively use for most players. His turrets could arguably raise him up a tier, but since they became less of an issue the longer the beta went on, I suspect the same will play out now. His ultimate is also fairly easy for opponents to dodge, making it less reliable than other duelists.
Psylocke simply doesn't have enough punch to warrant playing. Her DPS is too low and her range of abilities are very limited. With the Duelist class having so many characters to pick from, she just simply doesn't make the cut.
Spider-Man is tough to rank. On a competitive level, he is extremely good. He can swing in quickly and bounce around, making him hard to hit. For the average player though, you will be more of a nuisance than a real threat. He is one of the most difficult characters to use, and requires a significant amount of practice to make work. For the average player, you don't have the time for that kind of mastery. For that reason, Spider-Man ranks in our lowest tier.
B Tier
For this tier, we have Black Widow, Winter Soldier, Magik, Star-Lord, and Wolverine. All of these characters still fall short from the bulk of this class, but they definitely are higher than the C-Tier.
Magik is a brawler style character that doesn't damage by getting super close. In the right hands she can be formidable, but managing her cooldowns makes her a bit tricky. To use her effectively, you have to teleport in to combat and properly choose to attack or spawn a demon. She does gain health on every successful hit, but melee characters that are slower have a hard time surviving. Her ultimate is also a bit lacking, as it basically just improves your existing move set.
Wolverine is yet another brawler character that moves a bit too slow. He can work well if you know the flanking routes and can utilize your vault well, but the average player will often find themselves slowly trotting forward into fire. His health regeneration and rage mode make him a bit easier to play though since it is all passive.
Winter Soldier is like a hybrid between brawler and sniper. His gun fires high damage single shot rounds, and his abilities focus on melee. He is a great character for players wanting to have more flexibility in their playstyle, but he doesn't excel in either category.
Star-Lord can be a strong attacker, but you have to be accurate with his shots. He requires a lot of movement, which can be a bit complex to get right. He does have a great ultimate that gives you auto aim to quickly melt through the enemy team. His biggest weakness is his difficulty keeping up with moving targets. Since his individual bullets do so little damage, you have to land a lot of shots to make a real impact.
Black Widow follows the similar issue as Spider-Man: her ranking varies by skill level. Her character is very simple and not very flashy. You shoot enemies with a sniper. If you are good at aiming, she could be a top tier character. If you are are bad at aiming, she's a bottom tier. For most players though, she likely falls into the high B to low A tier.
A Tier
Moving up to the A-Tier brings the largest amount of characters: Iron Fist, Storm, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, and Squirrel Girl. These are all solid characters for your average player, offering a good balance of strong abilities and great DPS.
Iron Fist is the only brawler character to be ranked this high. This is specifically because of his self healing and fast speed. He can remain very mobile, making him harder to hit. His self healing let's you survive longer on your own, as well as his damage deflector. He has good potential for S-Tier at the higher ranks, but A-Tier is a safe rating for your average player.
Storm and Iron Man share similar playstyles. They are flying characters that can add a great amount of pressure to the enemy team from a unique angle. If they are shooting at you, they are looking away from the battlefield, making you a great distraction. They both also have great ultimate abilities that are very easy to use.
Squirrel Girl is a surprisingly strong character. Her primary fire is fast and does a lot of damage, and also has a good amount of spread on impact. Her leap ability can let you fire down onto enemies and reach strategic vantage points. Her stun throwable can be a great way to lock enemies down while you finish them off with your slingshot. Her ultimate can be devastating to the enemy team on certain locations, as the squirrels will bounce back and forward in narrow corridors.
Scarlet Witch is a go-to character for a large number of players. Her ability to auto aim with her primary attack makes her incredibly powerful, especially in tight corridors. Her ultimate has ridiculous range, letting you sneak in and take out several enemies. She's a force to be reckoned with in every match.
S Tier
Capping out at the top of our tier list, we have Hawkeye, Hela, The Punisher, and Moon Knight.
Hawkeye ranks higher than Black Widow since he aims in 3rd person and has a higher fire rate. This means you can recover from a bad shot much faster. He also has a neat passive that increases his damage the longer the opponent is in your crosshair. He doesn't have to reload, he has an alternate explosive arrow, and he has an incredible ultimate.
Hela has been strong since the beta, and she continues to be. Her primary attack is good at both long range and short. Her dagger barrage can threaten larger targets very well. Her ultimate is one of the best in the game, as it teleports you into the air and gives you a perfect view of the enemy team. You then can rain hellfire down to them, and quickly teleport out once the ultimate is over. It's extremely safe and very effective.
Moon Knight has been the most surprisingly strong character. His ability to leap and glide let's him easily reposition himself and flank the enemy team. The grapple helps to jump into and out of battle quickly. His primary fire rate is very strong, especially if you land your heads hots. His Ultimate is also very effective, it just has a smaller radius than many area based ultimates.
Finally, we have the Punisher, who has been one of the top characters for obvious reasons. A simple character that's easy to learn, easy to play, and packs an enormous punch. His turret mount can single handedly hold down locations, turning him into a borderline stationary tank. His ultimate ability has so much firepower, you can easily team wipe, especially if you have a good Vanguard supporting you.
Wrap Up
That's it for our Duelist Tier list! As new characters are added and balance changes are made, we will release updated tier lists for these characters. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our tier lists for Vanguards and Strategists!
