Marvel Rivals: Duelist hero tier list (December 2024)

Relied on for their damage output, the Duelists are often the kill leaders on the Marvel Rivals‘ leaderboards. If you’re looking to be the MVP in every match, then you should look forward to mastering one of the 18 Duelists.

This Duelist tier list for Marvel Rivals season 0 has been created with damage output, abilities, and overall impact in mind. While Duelists are equally important as Vanguards and strategists, a bad Duelist will likely be the reason you keep losing the objective. So, it’s imperative you understand your hero’s kit to help your team win the match.

Let’s dive into our Marvel Rivals Duelist tier list for season 0.

Marvel Rivals: Duelist tier list (season 0)

Tier	Hero
SS	Hela, Spider-Man, Storm
S	Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Psylocke
A	Star-Lord, Squirrel Girl
B	Iron Man, Magik, Iron Fist, Black Widow, The Punisher
C	Winter Soldier, Wolverine, Black Panther, Namor

SS tier

Hela

The best Helas are impossible to spot during a match. Dealing damage from afar and often getting kill leader, Hela is rarely seen near the objective, but that doesn’t mean that she’s playing solo.

Hela’s strength lies in her positioning. Her kit focuses on mid- to long-range fighting, and (if spotted) she cannot defend herself if found in an isolated position. But Hela doesn’t play alongside the team. Instead, she has a supportive role similar to Iron Man. But unlike him, you’ll never know where Hela is when she attacks. Constantly peppering the enemy lines, Hela can drain their life source or pester them with projectiles. Hard to counter if caught directly underneath her ultimate, Hela will make the match a living hell if you don’t spot her before she disappearing as a crow.

Pros

• Hela’s whereabouts are incredibly hard to keep track of. You may often forget that you’re facing her as she’s flying around, picking off distracted enemies.
• She’s capable of dealing out high damage incredibly fast with her projectiles.
• Hela punishes teams that play together with her Nastrond Crow ability, which damages enemies close to their fallen teammate.
• Has a wide range of abilities that make her a force to be reckoned with.
• Incredibly hard to find during her Goddess of Death ultimate.

Cons

• Requires good reflexes and accuracy.
• Difficult to master.

Spider-Man

If there’s one hero to panic about when you’re facing him, it’s Spider-Man. Ridiculously hard to counter, Spider-Man has the perfect DPS and movement kit. Featuring highly fluid gameplay when played properly, Spider-Man can fly around the map, launch webs at your head, and hit you with high damage uppercuts and backflips. If mastered, Spider-Man can win entire matches for his team. Taking down multiple lines of defense or distracting the opposition enough to make you forget about his teammates, Spider-Man has the highest potential in Marvel Rivals. But are you patient enough to learn his Spidey ways?

Pros

• Balanced hero that has excellent damage across all ranges.
• A proper nuisance, Spider-Man can sway the fight in his favor just by jumping around the map and initiating fights with multiple enemies at once.
• Highly versatile kit that lets Spider-Man retreat or ambush enemies, depending on his Spider-Tracer placement.
• High damage ultimate that quickly depletes Duelist and Strategist’s health pools.

Cons

• Hardest hero to master.
• His abilities are wasted if you have no idea how to use them.

Storm

Similar to Hela, Storm plays from the backline without trying to attract attention. It isn’t until her ultimate rings through your ears that you realize you’ve been up against a Storm all along. Helping the team with good damage and buffs, Storm is the perfect DPS-healer hybrid that strengthens Vanguards and movement Strategists. She’s often the last line of defense on a team, being a hero you might never see until it’s too late. Her hurricane chips away at your health, all while moving you around the map, closer to her teammates or far away from the objective.

Pros

• Excellent mobility that makes her hard to kill. Storm can hover around the objective, shooting at oblivious enemies that are focused on your team’s Vanguard.
• Great supportive hero who can buff teammate damage while dishing out good damage from her projectiles.
• Her Omega Hurricane can ambush enemies who aren’t used to hearing her ultimate voice line.

Cons

• As you’re playing in the open more than other Duelists, you may find that you’re picked off faster due to the limited amount of cover.

S tier

Moon Knight

Moon Knight deals a similar amount of damage as Iron Fist and Spider-Man, but without the intricate movement to learn. He has a wide range of abilities that can be difficult to get your head around, but he can punish anyone who falls in his line of sight once you get the hang of him. Working around his team, Moon Knight assists his teammates in grabbing as many kills as possible. His Ankhs can distract enemies or deal ticking damage while they are busy trying to shoot you down. Moon Knight needs to keep moving to stay safe, all while dealing damage at every opportunity he can get his hands on.

Pros

• One of the best Duelists for damage alone, Moon Knight can continuously hit multiple enemies at once with his Ankhs and Crescent Darts.
• Great mobility.
• Excellent at all ranges.
• Can easily defeat any Strategist or Duelist in an isolated one-versus-one.

Cons

• Surprisingly difficult to master due to the range of abilities.

Scarlet Witch

Out of all the heroes in Marvel Rivals, Scarlet Witch is the easiest to learn. You don’t even need to aim with her, just point and shoot. Whoever appears in her line of sight is bound to get hurt. Dealing constant damage, Scarlet Witch can easily take down any hero—regardless of how big or small they are. She chases down all competitors, moving around the map inside her invisibility phase that lets her get the jump on her enemies. So long as she shoots first, enemies will have trouble taking her down in time. Best played for isolated fights, Scarlet Witch picks off enemies one by one and waits until the perfect moment to self-destruct. She’s surprisingly hard to kill, even in her ultimate that feels like an infinity passes before she successfully gets it off.

Pros

• Scarlet Witch is unexpectedly hard to kill because of her Mystic Projection, making her one of the best Duelists in Marvel Rivals.
• Good range of abilities that are easy to master across all ranges as she can effectively deal damage to anyone in her line of sight.
• Her ultimate can kill multiple enemies at once (similar to Overwatch D.Va’s Self Destruct).

Cons

• You can hear her coming a mile away when her ultimate activates. She has the loudest ultimate voice line in the game.

Hawkeye

A classic DPS character that plays from the back, Hawkeyes should always be aiming down sights in hopes that prey appears. He has high kill potential with excellent headshot damage that will two-shot Strategists and Duelists alike.

He’s awful at movement, being an easy target for Iron Fist, Black Panther, and Spider-Man. However, if playing with a team that supports him as much as he does them, Hawkeye can thrive. A high damage outputter—but not always kill leader—Hawkeye helps his team by picking off the weak and weakening the strong.

Pros

• High headshot damage.
• Consistently effective from afar (if you’re accurate).
• One-shot potential against Duelist and Strategists.
• Pressures enemies with high-damage shots, forcing them to retreat or panic.
• Effective against heroes with flying abilities (Iron Man and Star-Lord).

Cons

• While you can release arrows quickly by repeatedly pressing the shoot button/key or use his blade to knockback enemies, Hawkeye cannot protect himself from movement Duelists who use close-range, brawler-style attacks (Iron Fist, Wolverine, or Black Panther). This means you should always stick with the team or at least have one Strategist near you if enemy Duelists attempt to isolate a fight with you.
• Requires precision. You cannot afford to miss many shots as Hawkeye, or you and your team will be severely punished.
• Limited movement and slow firing rate.

Psylocke

Psylocke is one of the hardest Duelists to use due to her invisibility perk. She has a close-range kit, forcing her to play near the opposition at all times. This puts her in a vulnerable position though, so she needs to be strategic with when to peek and when to turn invisible. When played well, Psylocke picks off Strategists and Duelists that are unaware of her. She is the ultimate flanker, putting pressure on a team and picking up multiple kills in the process. The goal is to survive for as long as she can, dealing damage to anyone she can get the jump on, before retreating so that her team can finish the job.

Pros

• Psylocke is the best flanker in Marvel Rivals because of her invisibility. This means she doesn’t need to rely on a Strategist to keep her alive, as she can safely move to a health pack without bringing attention to herself.
• High damage ultimate that’s incredibly easy to use as it automatically locks onto targets within its attack radius.
• Can damage multiple opponents at once, making her a difficult Duelist to track and fend off if she’s ambushing you.

Cons

• High skill ceiling, making her quite difficult to master compared to other Duelists.
• Requires patience and careful planning so you’re not caught out waiting out your Psychic Stealth cooldown.

A tier

Star-Lord

The ego-challing Star-Lord isn’t afraid to die. He keeps going into the objective even if it gets him killed. Pummeling shots at his enemies, Star-Lord’s goal is to deal as much damage as possible as his team follow his lead. Moving around the map with ease, Star-Lord adds verticality to his fighting style, making him an annoying foe to face up against. He’s not strong enough to kill Vanguards by himself, but if he works with a team, he can be a huge part of why your team won the match. Not afraid to get his hands dirty, Star-Lord has an adaptable kit that can play both on the front or backlines.

Pros

• Excellent mobility that strengthens his close- to mid-range damage potential.
• Best used fighting in the air, ambushing Duelists and Strategists, and darting around to reload.
• Capable of ambushing critically low enemies that are clustered together for heals with his Blaster Barrage that’s hard to counter due to its momentum (resembles Overwatch Reaper’s ultimate).
• Fast-firing-rate weapons that let you make errors without getting severely punished for them. Accuracy isn’t necessary to effectively play Star-Lord.

Cons

• Miniscule damage against Vanguards.
• He’s easy to kill if you’re not correctly utilizing his kit.
• Forced to play close-range, putting yourself into a position that could quickly get you killed.

Squirrel Girl

Aiming isn’t necessarily important when playing Squirrel Girl, but if accuracy is on your side, then she’s incredibly strong against Duelists. Capable of holding her own while having decent mobility to avoid incoming fire, Squirrel Girl is a fun hero to play as, and great at both offensive or defensive plays. Playing similarly to Scarlet Witch and Magik, Squirrel Girl can finish off critically low enemies, or help aid her Vanguard by acting as an explosive weapon that destroys her tank’s target. Her Squirrel army distracts enemies while simultaneously dealing damage, much like Moon Knight’s Ankhs.

Pros

• Grants a ton of room for error as her Slingshot bounces off walls to hit unsuspecting enemies.
• Can follow critically low enemies easily, regardless of their high mobility.
• Easy to use and master.

Cons

• Although she can jump, she doesn’t have good enough mobility to avoid incoming fire. This means that if targeted, Squirrel Girl will fall far quicker than other Duelists.

B tier

Iron Man

Iron Man is one of the best movement heroes in Marvel Rivals. His kit is incredibly fun to use and has little downside. Iron Man is frustratingly difficult to shoot down out of the sky, especially if he strafes and hides behind cover while peppering the enemy lines on the ground. Not many heroes can counter him, but because of his lower damage output than other DPS heroes, Iron Man isn’t as strong as he could be. His ultimate is incredibly powerful, however. Even if you hear it as he pulls the trigger, it’s highly likely you won’t make it out of the impact radius in time.

Pros

• Excellent mobility that makes Iron Man hard to shoot down as he’s always flying around.
• Highly impactful bombardment from his ultimate that can one-shot multiple enemies in its radius.

Cons

• Can be quickly killed by Hawkeye or Black Widow (if they’re accurate shooters).
• Minimal damage from his standard abilities at all ranges. This makes him more of a nuisance hero than having any real impact on the battlefield.

Magik

If you’re not good at movement, then Magik is the best option for you. Surprisingly hard to counter and an impressive force against Strategists, Magik is particularly strong as a frontline pick. Not afraid of death, Magik plays for kills, hoping to take down the support players and long-range fighters before they have a chance at fighting back. She’s an absolute threat in convoy missions as she runs at you, teleporting in close-range, brawler-style fights that quickly overwhelm her enemies. She doesn’t care what hero you are and whether you can fight back because she’ll be in your face before you can react in time.

Pros

• Effective at picking off long-range Duelists (Hawkeye and Black Widow) or Strategists that don’t have means of protecting themselves (Mantis, Jeff the Land Shark, or Rocket Raccoon).
• Great at chasing down enemies and distracting them from the objective.
• Good range with her close-quarters sword, making her a strong pick to fight off movement Duelists (Star-Lord or Iron Fist).
• Can confuse enemies ahead of her by teleporting around.

Cons

• Timing is key with this hero. You don’t want to move predictably, or you will quickly be cut down by the opposing side. Instead, time your ultimate to follow a teleportation that puts you in a favorable position. This places more pressure on her kit than other Duelists.

Iron Fist

There is no point in playing as a sniper if Iron Fist is around. In fact, the only real way to counter this guy is to group up with your Vanguard and pray for his demise, or to fly into the sky as Iron Man. He’s not particularly strong, but he can easily overwhelm his solo targets. His movement is surprisingly fluid as he runs and jumps around in front of your face, flailing his arms around. Growing more powerful the lower his health pool is, Iron Fist doesn’t give up until he hits zero. The only time you can really fight back is if you have movement on your side, or catch him out trying to heal through meditation.

Pros

• Can overwhelm long-range Duelists (Hawkeye and Black Widow) and quickly take down Strategists.
• Overextending in a fight is actually rewarded, as Iron Fist’s damage goes up the lower his health is.
• Strong both defensively and offensively.

Cons

• Highly difficult to master. Iron Fist is incredibly weak if you don’t know how to use him effectively.
• If a Strategist isn’t around to heal you and you rely on your Harmony Recovery ability, it’s highly likely you’re picked off, as this forces you into a stationary position. Getting this ability off and regenerating health without being spotted is difficult.

Black Widow

It may take Black Window longer to kill an enemy than Hawkeye, but her kit is more balanced than his. This means she can protect himself if someone tries to ambush her.

Unlike Hawkeye, Black Widow has three modes of attack. This lets her adapt to whatever is happening on the battlefield, keeping her alive for longer. She shouldn’t be played strictly from the backline, especially if her team are being picked off. While she can deal damage from afar, she can quickly reposition to finish her kill or help another member of the team if they’re being targeted.

Pros

• Black Widow has weapons for all ranges.
• Decent mobility to get around the map.
• Good long-range damage.

Cons

• Requires good aim to make use of her kit.
• Average health pool that can get her killed quickly if she has bad positioning.
• While the sniper rifle offers the highest damage, relying on it will get you killed, as you’ll be the easiest target to shoot at.

The Punisher

The Punisher is an easy hero to get your head around. His strength comes from his turret that can both distract or deal out a ton of damage against enemy util or Vanguards. His kit is balanced like Widow’s, but neither are particularly strong on their own. His ultimate is only strong against weakened enemies, making Punisher behave like Star-Lord but with restricted movement. His weaponry allows him to stay in control in a fight, but he can get picked off by Duelists focusing him. Therefore, it’s best to play Punisher with the team and leaving kill leader to Magik or Scarlet Witch.

Pros

• Punisher is a balanced hero, making him a great place to start if you’re new to Marvel Rivals.
• Incredibly easy to use.
• His turret is effective at distracting enemies and forcing them to waste util to destroy them.
• Good damage from his ultimate.

Cons

• His damage isn’t particularly effect in mid- to long-range battles.
• Highly limited movement that makes him easy to shoot at.

C tier

Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier holds his own against Duelists and Vanguards, and is is excellent in close- to mid-range fighting, often punishing anyone overextending in a fight. His kit makes him resilient and adaptable as he can pull critically low enemies to him, or aggressively lunges at multiple enemies with his brawler-style attacks.

His downside comes from his limited ammunition. With only three bullets per magazine, an emphasis is placed on every bullet. Reloading will likely get you killed when faced against a Spider-Man, Iron Fist, or Magik. Therefore, you must be accurate if you want to make the most out of Winter Soldier.

Pros

• Great at dealing with Duelists with the primary goal of ambushing the team.
• Can pull critically low enemies towards himself and fellow heroes, making them an easy target to finish off.
• Strong three-round weapon.

Cons

• Limited bullets per magazine, putting emphasis on placement and accuracy.
• Slow mobility.
• Adaptability and great reflexes are a necessity when playing Winter Soldier, otherwise you will be punished for missing shots or forgetting about your fellow teammates.

Wolverine

Wolverine is one of the most inconsistent heroes in Marvel Rivals. His kit demands you play offensively, as you’re rewarded the more times you hit the attack button, but this comes at a massive disadvantage. Wolverine should target isolated fights, but he’s often seen full-sending into an entire team. His attack pattern is predictable and his movement is rather restricted for a character that needs to get in your face to kill you. This makes him susceptible to team attacks, especially if a Strategist isn’t around to save him. His movement is limited to a leap that is effective at keeping enemies off the point during overtime. But, when people see you coming, it’s safer to be Iron Fist or Captain America, as they have higher survivability.

Pros

• Damage is increased the more you attack, making him a great choice for those who aren’t accurate with firearms.
• Can overwhelm enemies in an isolated fight.

Cons

• Positioning is key with Wolverine. While you might feel that urge to go in guns-blazing, it’ll only get you killed if you head into the fight alone.
• It’s incredibly easy to kill Wolverine if he’s focused on one person.
• There are more powerful Duelists that do exactly what Wolverine does.

Black Panther

Black Panther is the weakest movement character in the game. He doesn’t have a quick getaway ability like Spider-Man or Iron Fist, making him vulnerable if he pushes a team by himself. He has predictable movement which makes it easy for a team to track him. Similar to Wolverine, you shouldn’t assume these brawler-style heroes have it in them to kill multiple enemies at once. Instead, you need to target the backline, looking for one-vs-ones that he can easily win. Black Panther is similar to Iron Fist as he deals more damage the lower his health is. But there’s other characters that do a better job at dealing damage and surviving longer than Black Panther.

Pros

• Deals greater damage the lower health he has, making him a resilient character that thrives on high-octane action.
• Decent mobility.
• Bast’s Descent is excellent at dealing damage to enemies within close proximity of Black Panther.

Cons

• Can easily be punished and quickly killed for overextending in a fight and trying to take on an entire team by himself.
• Other heroes do a better job of overwhelming the opposition.

Namor

Namor isn’t the weakest DPS character in Marvel Rivals by any means, but there are stronger options. He can be quite good in the right hands, but what puts Namor at the bottom of this list is the fact that he isn’t a team player. Namor plays best on his own, timing his ultimate when it suits him, and hiding away from enemies while his team continues to fight. His ultimate is best placed on an objective, having a larger impact than Venom’s or Moon Knight’s. He’s a self-sufficient hero, keeping himself alive without the need for a Strategist. But knowing this means he can get targeted without a means of escape or a hand to help him out of an nasty predicament.

Pros

• Can distract enemies with his Monstro Spawn.
• Excellent AoE ultimate.

Cons

• Namor deals surprisingly little damage for a Duelist.
• His defenses force him into an invulnerable position where he can’t do anything else (much like Warlock’s respawn ability). This makes him useless in this moment.
• Limited attacks.

---