Welcome to the most comprehensive Marvel Rivals tier list for September 2025! As the meta continues to evolve with Season 3.5, I've analyzed data from top players, competitive matches, and community feedback to bring you the definitive ranking of all 41 characters. Whether you're climbing the ranked ladder or just want to know who's dominating the current meta, this guide has everything you need.
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This tier list is designed to help you make informed decisions about which characters to play, main, or avoid in the current Marvel Rivals meta. The rankings are based on multiple factors including win rates, pick rates in competitive play, synergy with other characters, and overall effectiveness across different skill levels. Remember that while tier rankings provide valuable guidance, your personal skill and comfort with a character often matter more than tier placement for climbing the ranked ladder.
| Character | Tier | Role | Key Strength | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Frost | S+ | Vanguard | Diamond Form versatility | Telepathic Pulse |
| Rocket Raccoon | S+ | Strategist | Battle Rebirth Beacon | Repair Mode healing |
| Luna Snow | S+ | Strategist | Dual healing/damage | Fate of Both Worlds |
| Magneto | S+ | Vanguard | Metal Bulwark shields | Metallic Fusion |
| Hela | S+ | Duelist | Precision burst damage | Piercing Night |
| Cloak & Dagger | S+ | Strategist | Ultimate versatility | Dagger Storm |
| Loki | S+ | Strategist | Decoy distraction | Mystical Missile |
| Wolverine | S+ | Duelist | Rage stacking | Feral Leap |
| Character | Tier | Role | Key Strength | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | A | Duelist | Self-sustain | Cosmic Fire |
| Psylocke | A | Duelist | Stealth burst | Psychic Stealth |
| Storm | A | Duelist | Area control | Weather Control |
| Iron Man | A | Duelist | Aerial dominance | Invincible Pulse Cannon |
| Doctor Strange | A | Vanguard | Shield support | Shield of the Seraphim |
| Groot | A | Vanguard | Environmental control | Ironwood Wall |
| Invisible Woman | A | Strategist | Barrier support | Psionic Vortex |
| Mantis | A | Strategist | Team-up synergy | Vibrant Vitality |
| Winter Soldier | A | Duelist | Ranged pressure | Tactical Rifle |
| The Punisher | A | Duelist | Turret deployment | Final Judgement |
| Namor | A | Duelist | Aquatic mobility | Trident Strike |
| Hulk | A | Vanguard | High health pool | Gamma Charge |
| Peni Parker | A | Strategist | Robot support | Spider-Drone |
| Ultron | A | Duelist | Tech abilities | Tech Virus |
| Adam Warlock | A | Strategist | Team revive | Quantum Resurrection |
| Character | Tier | Role | Key Strength | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain America | B | Vanguard | Shield blocking | Shield Bash |
| Spider-Man | B | Duelist | Web mobility | Web-Swing |
| Human Torch | B | Duelist | Fire control | Nova Flame |
| Iron Fist | B | Duelist | Melee combo | Chi Focus |
| Mister Fantastic | B | Duelist | Elastic attacks | Elastic Smash |
| Moon Knight | B | Duelist | Crescent strikes | Moon Blade |
| Star-Lord | B | Duelist | Elemental guns | Element Guns |
| Hawkeye | B | Duelist | Precision archery | Blast Arrows |
| Squirrel Girl | B | Duelist | Summon spam | Squirrel Army |
| Magik | B | Duelist | Portal mobility | Limbo Portal |
| The Thing | B | Vanguard | Rock hard defense | Rock Slide |
| Venom | B | Vanguard | Symbiote attacks | Symbiote Strike |
| Thor | B | Vanguard | Lightning control | Mjolnir Strike |
| Jeff the Land Shark | B | Strategist | Healing bubbles | Joyful Bubble |
| Character | Tier | Role | Key Strength | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Witch | C | Duelist | Chaos magic | Hex Bolts |
| Black Panther | C | Duelist | Vibranium weapons | Panther Strike |
| Blade | C | Duelist | Vampire abilities | Bloodlust |
| Character | Tier | Role | Key Strength | Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Widow | D | Duelist | Precision shots | Widow's Kiss |
| Moon Knight | D | Duelist | Crescent strikes | Moon Blade |
Emma Frost stands as the most dominant Vanguard in Season 3.5, thanks to her incredible versatility between regular and Diamond Form. Her Telepathic Pulse deals massive damage while providing crowd control, making her deadly in both ranged and melee combat. In Diamond Form, she becomes CC immune with enhanced durability, allowing her to win most Vanguard duels. While her mobility is limited, her raw power and team fight impact make her essential in the current meta.
Rocket has evolved from an overlooked pick to one of the best Strategists, primarily due to his Battle Rebirth Beacon that can revive fallen teammates. His Repair Mode healing, while requiring accuracy, provides consistent sustain, and his ability to contribute damage makes him more than just a passive healer. With a 54.51% win rate in Season 3.5, Rocket's versatility and team fight utility make him a must-pick for any composition.
Luna Snow represents the perfect balance between healing and damage output. Her primary attack heals allies while damaging enemies, and her Ice Arts stage enhances both capabilities. Share the Stage allows her to heal multiple allies simultaneously, while her ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, can switch between healing and damage amplification based on team needs. Recent buffs to her damage, healing, and survivability have solidified her position as a top-tier Strategist.
Magneto combines defensive capabilities with surprising burst damage potential. His Metal Bulwark shields protect allies while generating rings that amplify his Mag-Cannon damage. Recent buffs to his ring charging speed (from 4 to 3 seconds per stack) have significantly improved his damage output. While slow and challenging to use, Magneto's ability to control space and protect teammates makes him invaluable in organized team compositions.
As the Goddess of Death, Hela lives up to her name with incredible precision-based damage output. Her primary attack combined with Piercing Night can shred enemy health bars, especially with headshots. While struggling in close-range situations, her Astral Flock provides repositioning options, and her ultimate can single-handedly win team fights. Recent buffs to her charge capacity have made her even more lethal in the hands of skilled players.
This unique Strategist pairing offers unparalleled versatility. Dagger provides consistent healing while Cloak offers vision manipulation and defensive utility. Their ultimate ability can change the tide of battle, providing massive team-wide healing or defensive bonuses. While neither excels individually, their combined utility and team fight impact make them a top-tier pick in the current meta.
Loki's trickster nature makes him perfect for the current dive-heavy meta. His decoy ability creates distractions and forces enemies to waste abilities, while his healing capabilities keep teammates alive during aggressive pushes. Loki excels when played alongside dedicated healers, allowing him to focus on disruption and utility. His effectiveness in high-level play has only increased with recent balance changes.
Wolverine remains a 1v1 monster, capable of winning almost any direct confrontation. His rage stacking mechanic makes him increasingly dangerous as fights progress, and his Feral Leap provides excellent engage potential. While vulnerable to kiting, Wolverine's ability to dive backlines and eliminate key targets makes him essential in compositions that prioritize aggressive plays.
Phoenix brings incredible versatility to any team with her mix of self-sustain, splash damage, and defensive capabilities. Her ultimate serves as both an initiation tool and a defensive measure, able to shield allies or apply bonus health. While not quite S-tier due to some consistency issues, Phoenix's ability to adapt to various situations makes her a strong pick in most compositions.
Psylocke's Psychic Stealth ability makes her incredibly difficult to lock down, allowing her to slip past defenses and eliminate key targets. Her Crossbow provides burst damage while her Psi-Blade Dash offers mobility and escape options. While her stealth duration was nerfed, Psylocke remains a threat to backlines and can single-handedly win games when piloted by skilled players.
Storm blurs the line between support and damage dealer with her area-wide Weather Control buffs. Her ability to ascend to high ground gives her excellent positioning options, and recent buffs to her Omega Hurricane damage have increased her lethality. Storm excels at controlling space and providing team-wide utility, making her valuable in compositions that need area denial.
Iron Man's aerial dominance makes him difficult to deal with for ground-based teams. His Invincible Pulse Cannon ultimate can team-wipe if positioned correctly, and his general mobility allows him to reposition as needed. While vulnerable to certain counters, Iron Man's ability to apply pressure from unexpected angles makes him a solid pick in most compositions.
Doctor Strange brings unique utility with his Shield of the Seraphim, the largest shield in the game, and his portal ability enables incredible playmaking potential. His recent buffs to Levitation uptime have improved his viability, and while not quite S-tier due to the dominance of other Vanguards, Doctor Strange remains a strong pick for teams that need defensive utility.
Groot's environmental control through Ironwood Wall creates unique strategic opportunities, allowing him to cut off choke points and isolate enemies. His ultimate, Strangling Prison, enables devastating team combos, and his synergy with healers like Mantis makes him particularly effective. While recent cooldown increases have toned down his dominance, Groot remains a strong Vanguard pick.
Invisible Woman offers a perfect mix of support and utility with her piercing basic attack that provides both healing and poke damage. Her barrier abilities protect teammates while her ultimate can turn team fights. While not quite S-tier due to the dominance of other Strategists, Invisible Woman remains a solid pick for teams that need defensive utility.
Mantis shines in compositions that benefit from her Vibrant Vitality team-up with Groot and Loki. Her healing capabilities are consistent, and her ability to contribute damage makes her more than just a passive healer. While not S-tier as a standalone healer, Mantis becomes much more valuable in specific team compositions.
Winter Soldier provides consistent ranged pressure with his Tactical Rifle, making him effective at poking enemies from a distance. His versatility allows him to adapt to various situations, and while not quite S-tier due to the dominance of other Duelists, he remains a solid pick for teams that need consistent damage output.
The Punisher brings simple but effective damage output with his assault rifle and shotgun combination. His deployable turret and mech ultimate provide additional damage potential, making him effective at both holding positions and pushing objectives. While straightforward, The Punisher's consistency makes him a reliable pick in most compositions.
Namor's aquatic mobility gives him unique positioning options, and his Trident Strike provides solid damage output. His synergy with Hulk in the Gamma team-up makes him particularly effective, though this becomes less potent at higher ranks where counter-picking is more common. Namor remains a solid pick for teams that need mobile damage dealers.
Hulk's massive health pool makes him incredibly durable, and his ability to stun enemies provides valuable crowd control. While challenging to play effectively due to his large hitbox, Hulk can be devastating in the right hands. Recent buffs have improved his viability, though he remains vulnerable to specific counters like Emma Frost and Wolverine.
Peni Parker brings unique utility with her Spider-Drone, providing both healing and damage potential. Her synergy with Rocket Raccoon in the Rocket Network team-up makes her particularly effective. While not quite S-tier, Peni Parker's versatility makes her a solid pick for teams that need additional support options.
Ultron's tech abilities provide unique utility and damage potential. His Tech Virus can disrupt enemy formations, and his general versatility allows him to adapt to various situations. While not quite S-tier due to consistency issues, Ultron remains a solid pick for teams that need tech-based damage dealers.
Adam Warlock's Quantum Resurrection ultimate provides incredible team fight utility, potentially reviving multiple teammates. His healing capabilities are consistent, and while not quite S-tier due to the dominance of other Strategists, he remains a valuable pick for teams that need resurrection utility.
Captain America brings solid defensive utility with his shield blocking and deflecting abilities. His gameplay loop centers around chasing down enemies and keeping them in melee range. While his recent rework toned down his survivability, he remains effective at time-stalling and rushing down backlines, making him a solid situational pick.
Spider-Man's web-swinging mobility gives him incredible positioning options, allowing him to flank enemies and escape dangerous situations. While recent changes have reduced his overall effectiveness, skilled players can still make him work as a disruptive flanker. He remains a solid pick for players who excel at mobile, hit-and-run playstyles.
Human Torch brings solid area control with his fire abilities, and his Nova Flame provides good burst damage potential. While not quite top-tier, he can be effective in the right hands, particularly against teams that lack mobility. His effectiveness increases significantly when paired with appropriate team compositions.
Iron Fist excels at close-range combat with his melee combo abilities. His Chi Focus provides enhanced damage potential, making him deadly in 1v1 situations. While vulnerable to kiting and crowd control, Iron Fist can be devastating in the right hands, particularly against teams that lack proper peel for their backline.
Mister Fantastic's elastic attacks provide unique utility and crowd control potential. His Elastic Smash can disrupt enemy formations, and his general versatility allows him to adapt to various situations. While not top-tier, he can be effective in specific compositions that benefit from his unique toolkit.
Moon Knight brings solid damage output with his Crescent strikes, and his Moon Blade provides good burst potential. While not quite top-tier, he can be effective in the right hands, particularly against teams that lack proper healing. His effectiveness varies significantly based on player skill and team composition.
Star-Lord's elemental guns provide versatile damage output, allowing him to adapt to various situations. His Element Guns offer good burst potential, and his general mobility makes him difficult to pin down. While not top-tier, Star-Lord remains a solid pick for players who enjoy mobile, versatile damage dealers.
Hawkeye's precision archery provides incredible burst damage potential, particularly with headshots. His Blast Arrows offer area damage, making him effective at poking enemies from a distance. While vulnerable to flankers, Hawkeye can be devastating in the right hands, particularly against teams that lack proper dive protection.
Squirrel Girl's summon spam provides unique utility and area control. Her Squirrel Army can overwhelm enemies and provide vision control. While not top-tier, she can be effective in specific compositions that benefit from her unique toolkit, particularly against teams that lack area damage.
Magik's portal mobility provides incredible positioning options, allowing her to engage and disengage at will. Her Limbo Portal can disrupt enemy formations, and her general versatility makes her adaptable to various situations. While not top-tier, Magik remains a solid pick for players who excel at mobile, hit-and-run playstyles.
The Thing brings solid defensive utility with his rock-hard defense abilities. His Rock Slide provides good crowd control, and his general durability makes him difficult to kill. While not top-tier, The Thing remains a solid pick for teams that need additional frontline presence.
Venom's symbiote attacks provide unique utility and damage potential. His Symbiote Strike can disrupt enemy formations, and his general durability makes him difficult to kill. While not top-tier, Venom remains a solid pick for teams that need mobile frontline presence.
Thor's lightning control provides good area damage and crowd control potential. His Mjolnir Strike offers solid burst damage, and his general durability makes him difficult to kill. While not top-tier despite recent buffs, Thor remains a solid pick for players who enjoy high-impact frontline play.
Jeff's healing bubbles provide consistent sustain for teammates, and his Joyful Bubble can disrupt enemy formations. While not top-tier due to his lack of impactful ultimate, Jeff remains a solid pick for teams that need additional healing support.
Scarlet Witch's chaos magic provides unique utility and damage potential. Her Hex Bolts can disrupt enemy formations, and her general versatility makes her adaptable to various situations. While not top-tier, recent buffs have improved her viability, making her a situational pick against certain compositions.
Black Panther's vibranium weapons provide solid damage output, and his Panther Strike offers good burst potential. While not top-tier, he can be effective in specific matchups, particularly against teams that lack proper peel for their backline.
Blade's vampire abilities provide unique sustain and damage potential. His Bloodlust enhances his combat effectiveness, making him deadly in prolonged fights. While not top-tier, Blade can be effective in specific compositions that benefit from his unique toolkit.
Black Widow's precision shots provide good burst damage potential, but she struggles to compete with other snipers like Hawkeye and Hela. Her Widow's Kiss offers solid damage output, but her overall kit lacks the utility and impact of higher-tier Duelists.
Moon Knight's crescent strikes provide decent damage output, but he struggles to find a place in the current meta. His Moon Blade offers some burst potential, but his overall impact is limited compared to higher-tier Duelists.
Season 3.5 has brought significant shifts to the Marvel Rivals meta, with several key changes defining the current landscape. The most notable trend is the dominance of versatile characters who can fulfill multiple roles effectively. Emma Frost leads the Vanguard class with her ability to switch between damage dealing and tanking, while Strategists like Rocket Raccoon and Luna Snow provide both healing and damage output.
The meta has also shifted away from pure dive compositions following nerfs to mobile characters, placing more value on strategic positioning and area control. This has elevated characters like Storm and Magneto who excel at controlling space. Additionally, team-up abilities have become increasingly important, with combinations like Vibrant Vitality (Groot, Loki, Mantis) and Gamma Charge (Hulk, Namor) defining top-tier team compositions.
Vanguards serve as the frontline of your team, providing space control, protection for damage dealers, and engaging enemies. In the current meta, versatile Vanguards like Emma Frost and Magneto dominate due to their ability to both deal damage and protect teammates. Traditional tanks like Captain America have fallen slightly out of favor unless played by specialists who can maximize their defensive utility.
Duelists are your primary damage dealers, responsible for eliminating key targets and applying pressure. Precision-based characters like Hela and Psylocke excel in the current meta, while area damage dealers like Storm provide valuable team fight utility. Mobile Duelists like Wolverine remain strong for their ability to dive backlines, though they've become slightly less dominant following recent balance changes.
Strategists provide healing, utility, and team fight advantages. The current meta favors versatile Strategists like Rocket Raccoon and Luna Snow who can contribute damage while keeping teammates alive. Dedicated healers like Mantis remain valuable but are most effective when paired with damage-dealing Strategists to create balanced team compositions.
The Vibrant Vitality composition centers around Groot, Loki, and Mantis, who gain enhanced abilities when played together. This setup provides excellent area control, healing, and disruption capabilities. To complete this team, add a consistent damage dealer like Hela and a versatile Vanguard like Emma Frost for a well-rounded composition that excels at both defensive and offensive play.
The Gamma team focuses on Hulk and Namor, who gain enhanced abilities through their Gamma Charge team-up. This composition excels at aggressive pushes and diving enemy backlines. Pair them with a dedicated healer like Luna Snow, a defensive Vanguard like Magneto, and a consistent damage dealer like Winter Soldier for a composition that can quickly overwhelm opponents.
For a more traditional approach, a balanced composition includes one Vanguard, two Duelists, and two Strategists. Start with a versatile Vanguard like Emma Frost or Magneto, add a consistent damage dealer like Hela and a mobile Duelist like Wolverine, then round out with a primary healer like Luna Snow and a utility-focused Strategist like Loki. This composition provides a good mix of damage, healing, and utility that can adapt to various situations.
Characters with high win rates across all skill levels naturally rank higher in our tier list. However, we also consider pick rate in competitive play, as characters that are frequently chosen by top players often have higher strategic value. This balance ensures our rankings reflect both statistical performance and competitive relevance.
Characters who can perform well in multiple situations and against various team compositions receive higher rankings. This includes characters who can fill multiple roles, adapt to different map types, and remain effective despite enemy counter-picks. Versatility is particularly valuable in the current meta where team compositions can vary significantly.
With the increasing importance of team-up abilities in Season 3.5, characters who enable or benefit from powerful team-ups receive higher rankings. This includes characters like Groot, Loki, and Mantis whose Vibrant Vitality team-up has become a defining feature of the current meta.
We consider both the skill floor (how effective a character is for new players) and skill ceiling (their maximum potential in expert hands). Characters with a good balance of accessibility and high potential, like Luna Snow and Rocket Raccoon, typically rank higher than those that are either too simple or too complex.
This comprehensive Marvel Rivals tier list for September 2025 should give you everything you need to understand the current meta and make informed character selections. Remember that while tier rankings provide valuable guidance, your personal skill and comfort with a character often matter more than tier placement for climbing the ranked ladder.
The Season 3.5 meta favors versatile characters who can fulfill multiple roles effectively, with team-up abilities playing an increasingly important role in team composition. Whether you prefer the frontline dominance of Emma Frost, the precision damage of Hela, or the supportive utility of Rocket Raccoon, there's a character that suits your playstyle in the current meta.
Keep experimenting with different characters and team compositions to find what works best for you, and don't be afraid to defy tier rankings if you've found success with a lower-tier character. After all, the best character is the one you can play most effectively. Good luck on the battlefield!
S-Tier characters in Marvel Rivals are those that significantly impact the meta through their versatility, consistency, and team fight utility. These characters typically excel in multiple areas, have few hard counters, and can fit into almost any team composition effectively.
The Marvel Rivals tier list can shift significantly with each major patch or season update, typically every 2-3 months. Balance changes, new character releases, and evolving meta strategies all contribute to tier list fluctuations.
While S-Tier characters generally offer the highest win potential, personal skill and comfort with a character often matter more than tier placement. It's better to master a few B-Tier characters you enjoy than to poorly play S-Tier characters you're unfamiliar with.
All three roles (Vanguard, Duelist, Strategist) are crucial for team success. However, Strategists often have the most impact on team fights through healing and utility, while Vanguards control space and enable plays for Duelists to secure eliminations.
Team-up abilities can significantly boost a character's viability, sometimes elevating them by an entire tier. Characters like Groot, Loki, and Mantis become much stronger when played together due to their Vibrant Vitality team-up.
The most effective team compositions typically include 1 Vanguard, 2 Duelists, and 2 Strategists with good synergy. Popular comps include the Vibrant Vitality setup (Groot, Loki, Mantis) and the Gamma team (Hulk, Namor with appropriate support).
Most S-Tier characters have specific counters - for example, Magneto struggles against mobile Duelists, while Emma Frost can be countered by long-range poke. Learning these matchups and adapting your playstyle is key to overcoming dominant meta picks.
Yes, new character releases often significantly impact the meta, especially when they introduce unique mechanics or fill missing roles in team compositions. The upcoming Fantastic Four addition is expected to create new team-building possibilities.
While aim is crucial for precision-based characters like Hela and Hawkeye, many top-tier characters (Luna Snow, Rocket Raccoon, Loki) rely more on game sense, positioning, and ability timing than pure aim skill.
Low-rank tier lists often favor easier-to-play characters with consistent damage, while high-rank lists prioritize characters with higher skill ceilings and better synergy potential. Characters like Rocket Raccoon and The Punisher perform better at lower ranks, while complex characters like Loki and Emma Frost shine at higher levels of play.