Marvel Rivals introduces over 30 unique heroes and villains, each with their own playstyle, abilities, and superpowers. From Iron Man to Venom, every character offers a fresh experience, allowing you to dive into thrilling battles and explore Marvel’s iconic roster.
If you’re new to the game, selecting beginner-friendly characters can make a big difference in your gameplay experience. Whether you’re drawn to the Vanguard (tank), Duelist (damage dealer), or Strategist (support) roles, this guide highlights the 10 best characters for beginners to help you hit the ground running. Let’s dive in and find the right hero or villain for your journey!
#10: Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange stands out as a solid choice for beginners despite his three-star difficulty rating. His straightforward tank playstyle is bolstered by a powerful barrier that can be held indefinitely—unless broken by enemy attacks—making him a reliable defensive option for your team.
While his base attack may not pack the strongest punch, every hit contributes to charging his Maelstrom of Madness ability, an area-of-effect attack that deals damage based on the charge level. Strange’s versatility shines through his ability to fly briefly and create portals, which can be used creatively to outmaneuver opponents or enable your team to execute coordinated flanks.
His ultimate ability is a game-changer, freezing nearby enemies, extracting their souls, and leaving them highly vulnerable. This move is perfect for initiating devastating team plays and turning the tide of battle in your favor. If you’re new to Marvel Rivals, Doctor Strange offers a fantastic mix of utility, crowd control, and team synergy.
#9: Groot
Groot is a beginner-friendly Vanguard with a simple kit and powerful abilities that make him a strong pick for new players. His ability to summon walls serves a dual purpose: damaging enemies while providing healing and fortifying his resilience. Groot’s attacks include devastating vines that deal damage to multiple enemies in close range, as well as a spore bomb that splits into smaller spores for widespread explosive damage.
He shines when paired with allies like Rocket or Jeff, who can ride on him for added synergy and enhanced strategies. Groot also boasts valuable passive abilities, such as awakening nearby walls for additional protection. His ultimate, a Vine Cluster, is a crowd control powerhouse that pulls multiple enemies into a single location and traps them, setting up your team for follow-up attacks.
While he may not be the most lethal tank, Groot’s durability and utility make him a reliable choice for players looking to withstand heavy damage while supporting their team.
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#8: Venom
Venom is a three-star difficulty Vanguard but quickly becomes manageable with a few matches under your belt. He’s a dynamic tank who thrives in close combat and offers a versatile playstyle. Venom can either stay with his team to protect and soak up damage or dive into enemy backlines to disrupt their formation, causing chaos before retreating safely. His primary attacks are deceptively effective, offering more range than they initially seem, and he has the ability to grant himself temporary health based on how low his HP is, making him an excellent choice for clutch moments.
Venom’s ultimate is a game-changer: he can burrow underground to regenerate health or even devour enemies above him, turning the tide of battle. As a tank, Venom’s primary focus is to engage enemies head-on, targeting high-priority damage dealers while absorbing incoming damage. If there’s another tank on your team, Venom can adapt to an off-tank role, disrupting enemies or guarding healers in the backline. His mix of power, survivability, and flexibility makes him an exciting and effective choice for beginners looking to dive into the Vanguard role.
#7: Jeff The Land Shark
Jeff the Land Shark stands out as one of the strongest healers in Marvel Rivals, combining effective support abilities with surprising offensive capabilities. His primary attack creates a wave of water that heals allies caught in its path, while his secondary ability fires water projectiles that deal respectable damage to enemies.
Jeff’s utility doesn’t stop there—he can place healing bubbles on the map, which provide a restorative boost to any ally who steps on them (including Jeff himself). His ultimate is a standout feature, allowing him to swallow all nearby characters, friend or foe. Enemies take damage while swallowed, and Jeff can tactically spit allies to safety or enemies off the map for an instant elimination.
The only drawback to Jeff’s kit is the lack of buffing abilities for teammates, but his sheer healing power and versatility more than make up for it. Whether you’re healing your team or causing chaos by launching foes into the abyss, Jeff is a playful yet powerful choice for new players in the Strategist role.
#6: Mantis
Mantis is an incredibly effective support character in Marvel Rivals, excelling at keeping her team alive and enhancing their damage output. Her abilities not only heal teammates effortlessly but also provide a damage boost, ensuring her allies hit harder during critical moments. Unlike some other supports, her healing abilities automatically target allies, eliminating the risk of missing your mark during hectic battles.
Her ultimate ability further solidifies her role as a top-tier Strategist by significantly boosting her teammates’ mobility, allowing them to reposition quickly or escape dangerous situations. This makes Mantis invaluable in both offensive pushes and defensive retreats.
Mantis is perfect for players who prefer a more passive and strategic role. By staying at a safe distance and deploying her Life Orbs to heal and support her team, she remains an easy-to-use yet highly impactful character. Her straightforward kit makes her an excellent choice for beginners looking to make a difference without diving headfirst into combat.
#5: Luna Snow
If you’re looking for a versatile support character who can heal allies while dealing significant damage, Luna Snow is an excellent choice in Marvel Rivals. Her Light and Dark Ice ability serves dual purposes, damaging enemies while simultaneously healing teammates, making her a fantastic all-around strategist. Additionally, her ultimate skill grants a powerful damage boost to her team, ensuring your squad can dominate key battles.
Luna Snow also excels in crowd control with her Absolute Zero ability, which freezes enemies in place and creates opportunities for follow-up attacks. Her balanced kit makes her ideal for beginners, as she provides strong utility while also contributing to offensive plays.
Luna Snow’s ability to both sustain her team and inflict damage makes her a highly dependable pick. Whether you’re controlling the battlefield or keeping your allies in the fight, she’s a powerful choice for players just starting their Marvel Rivals journey.
#4: Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch is a powerful and beginner-friendly choice in Marvel Rivals, offering a straightforward kit with high damage potential. Her primary attack, Chaos Control, not only deals damage but also replenishes chaos energy by draining the health of enemies. Her secondary ability, Chthonian Burst, unleashes this chaos energy as explosive projectiles, delivering devastating blows to opponents.
Scarlet Witch shines with her battlefield mobility and versatility. Her ultimate ability allows her to take flight, dealing massive area damage, though it comes with a slow charge time. This makes her particularly effective for turning the tide in larger fights or pressuring objectives. Additionally, her attacks can amplify the damage enemies take, making her an invaluable asset to any team composition.
Whether you’re dealing damage, controlling the flow of battle, or flanking opponents with her flight capability, Scarlet Witch offers a well-rounded and impactful playstyle that’s perfect for players eager to make their mark.
#3: Iron Man
Iron Man is a top-tier Duelist in Marvel Rivals, boasting excellent mobility and devastating area-of-effect (AOE) damage. If you’re a fan of high-damage playstyles with the ability to stay agile on the battlefield, Iron Man is a fantastic choice. His primary ability, Nano Pulse, delivers substantial damage, making it a reliable option for consistent output.
Iron Man’s Unibeam adds another layer of versatility, allowing him to deal focused damage to enemies, while his ultimate, Pulse Cannon, unleashes massive AOE destruction, capable of wiping out multiple opponents in one shot. Combined with his flight ability, Iron Man can easily reposition, engage, or disengage from fights, keeping him safe while maintaining pressure on the enemy team.
With the ability to eliminate threats from a distance and maintain superior mobility, Iron Man is an exceptional pick for players who want to dominate as a damage dealer while staying one step ahead of their foes.
#2: Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger offer a dynamic duo experience, combining healing and damage-dealing abilities into a single package. While slightly more complex to master than other characters, they are incredibly versatile and rewarding once you understand their kit. The two characters complement each other perfectly: Dagger specializes in healing, while Cloak focuses on damage output and utility.
Dagger’s abilities allow her to heal teammates from a distance using homing daggers, which can even target airborne allies or enemies. She can also create an AOE healing zone and launch a larger projectile that boosts the healing received by the affected teammate over time.
Cloak, on the other hand, brings high DPS potential. His primary attack is similar to Scarlet Witch’s, dealing solid damage with a projectile that makes enemies vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Additionally, he can grant nearby allies increased movement speed while turning invisible, making him a great asset for tactical engagements.
Switching between Cloak and Dagger is seamless with the press of a button, giving players the flexibility to adapt to their team’s needs in real time. This duo is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a more strategic, multitasking playstyle.
#1: The Punisher
The Punisher stands out as one of the most formidable Duelists in Marvel Rivals, thanks to his straightforward yet highly effective kit. He has the unique ability to switch between two distinct weapons: the Adjudication and the Deliverance.
With the Adjudication, an automatic rifle, Punisher can unleash a steady stream of bullets, making it perfect for sustained damage against multiple enemies. Meanwhile, the Deliverance shotgun delivers devastating single-hit damage, ideal for taking down enemies at close range. His versatility doesn’t end there; Punisher can deploy a turret that deals significant damage to enemies, though it temporarily locks him into position, requiring tactical placement.
Punisher’s ultimate is where he truly shines. He unleashes an arsenal that includes dual Gatling Guns and a Missile Launcher, enabling him to rain high AOE damage across a large area, shredding through groups of enemies with ease. While his low HP can make him vulnerable in prolonged fights, his ability to deal massive damage from a safe distance ensures he remains a top-tier pick for players who love taking out enemies with calculated precision.
Conclusion
In Marvel Rivals, choosing the right character as a beginner can significantly impact your experience and overall enjoyment of the game. Whether you’re drawn to the tanky resilience of Groot, the dual versatility of Cloak & Dagger, or the high-damage output of Punisher, there’s a hero or villain to suit every playstyle. The characters in this list offer straightforward kits, impactful abilities, and forgiving learning curves, making them perfect for those just starting out.
Experiment with these beginner-friendly options to find the one that resonates with your style, and don’t hesitate to try out new roles as you gain confidence. With time and practice, you’ll master your favorite characters and dominate the battlefield. Dive in, have fun, and unleash your inner Marvel hero!