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The strongest hero in Marvel Rivals right now is Mantis, sitting on the highest win rate in the game at around 57%. She headlines a Strategist-heavy meta alongside Rocket Raccoon and Ultron, while Magik leads the Duelists and Peni Parker anchors the Vanguards. If you want to climb, a top Strategist is the single highest-impact pick you can lock in.
Below is the Season 9.5 hero tier list, ranked S to B by win rate and overall impact, grouped so you can see the best pick in each role. Marvel Rivals is balanced every season, so win rates shift — this is the current-season snapshot as of 2026.
The Marvel Rivals hero tier list
Ranked for Season 9.5 as of 2026. Roles: Vanguard (tank), Duelist (damage), Strategist (support). Win rates are the current-season figures where available.
| Tier | Hero | Role | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Mantis | Strategist | ~57.0% win rate — highest in the game |
| S | Magik | Duelist | ~56.0% — top Duelist |
| S | Peni Parker | Vanguard | ~55.6% — top Vanguard |
| S | Storm | Duelist | ~55.0% win rate |
| S | Ultron | Strategist | ~53.9% win rate |
| S | Rocket Raccoon | Strategist | ~53.7% win rate |
| A | The Hood | Duelist | ~53.3% win rate |
| A | Hela | Duelist | Elite long-range burst damage |
| A | Mister Fantastic | Duelist | Flexible, strong duel potential |
| A | Black Panther | Duelist | High-skill dive assassin |
| A | Blade | Duelist | New DPS with strong close pressure |
| A | Iron Fist | Duelist | Aggressive brawler, punishes squishies |
| A | Daredevil | Duelist | New pick with high mobility |
| A | The Thing | Vanguard | Durable frontline disruptor |
| A | Bruce Banner (Hulk) | Vanguard | Massive HP dive tank |
| B | Doctor Strange | Vanguard | Reliable shield tank, team-dependent |
| B | Luna Snow | Strategist | Strong healing, off the S-tier pace |
| B | Hawkeye | Duelist | High ceiling, punishing to master |
| B | Punisher | Duelist | Straightforward damage, easy to counter |
What the win rates show
The chart makes the season’s story clear: Strategists are the highest-win-rate role, with Mantis out in front and Rocket and Ultron close behind. That is why coordinated teams prioritise a strong support before anything else — a Mantis or Rocket raises a whole team’s floor more than a single carry Duelist does.
The best heroes explained
Three heroes define the current meta, one from each role.
S-tier
S-tier
S-tier
S-tier
If you play other hero shooters, the role-first climbing logic will feel familiar from our best Valorant agents tier list. Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play live shooter, so it sits alongside the picks on our best free PC games in 2026 list.
Best hero by role
Locking a role? These are the current best-in-slot picks.
| Role | Best pick |
|---|---|
| Strategist (support) | Mantis (then Rocket Raccoon) |
| Duelist (damage) | Magik (then Storm) |
| Vanguard (tank) | Peni Parker (then The Thing) |
| Best for solo-queue climbing | Mantis — carries even a passive team |
| Highest skill ceiling | Black Panther / Hawkeye |
Season balance patches reshuffle these ranks regularly, so re-check the win-rate charts at the start of each new season. For another live tier list we keep current, see our best Genshin Impact characters ranking.
