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Tier list

Marvel Rivals Hero Tier List (September 2026)

Last checked August 19, 2026

By the Claude Gaming team

This Marvel Rivals hero tier list covers the Season 9.5 meta as of mid August 2026, right after the August 7 balance patch.

We lean on post patch win rates rather than reputation, which is why a few community favorites sit lower than you might expect.

Rankings move with every patch, so treat this as a snapshot of right now, not a permanent verdict.

S
Peni Parker Peni Parker
Mantis Mantis
Rocket Raccoon Rocket Raccoon
Magik Magik
Storm Storm
Hela Hela
A
The Hood The Hood
Ultron Ultron
Daredevil Daredevil
Black Panther Black Panther
Blade Blade
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic
The Thing The Thing
B
Thor Thor
Venom Venom
Luna Snow Luna Snow
Spider-Man Spider-Man
Captain America Captain America
Magneto Magneto
Emma Frost Emma Frost
C
Doctor Strange Doctor Strange
Wolverine Wolverine
Star-Lord Star-Lord
Psylocke Psylocke
Loki Loki
Iron Fist Iron Fist
D
Hawkeye Hawkeye
Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch
Squirrel Girl Squirrel Girl
Adam Warlock Adam Warlock
Download this tier list as an image

Hero icons from the Marvel Rivals community wiki

How we rank

We anchored placements on Season 9.5 win rate data published on August 12, 2026, then cross checked against two other August lists that lean more on expert judgment. Where sources disagreed, we favored the freshest post patch numbers but kept heroes with strong majority support from sliding a full band. Win rates compress real skill differences, so a C tier hero in practiced hands still wins plenty of games.

Tier by tier

S Tier, the meta

  • Peni Parker: Vanguard, highest win rate in the game despite nerfs
  • Mantis: Strategist, untouched by the patch and utterly reliable
  • Rocket Raccoon: Strategist, top pick rate and win rate among supports
  • Magik: Duelist, teleport melee patterns keep winning games
  • Storm: Duelist, huge win rate at a tiny pick rate
  • Hela: Duelist, precision burst that every list rates highly

A Tier, excellent

  • The Hood: Vanguard, strongest new addition of Season 9.5
  • Ultron: Strategist, quietly holding a top six win rate
  • Daredevil: Duelist, combo chains reward the steep learning curve
  • Black Panther: Duelist, still a great diver after the Team-Up nerf
  • Blade: Duelist, highest raw damage output this patch
  • Mister Fantastic: Flexible bruiser, great utility and a solid win rate
  • The Thing: Vanguard, promoted after buffs, shuts down enemy mobility

B Tier, solid

  • Thor: Vanguard, big damage but demands careful stack management
  • Venom: Vanguard, durable diver, no longer the terror he was
  • Luna Snow: Strategist, excellent healing, numbers dipped after the patch
  • Spider-Man: Duelist, endless mobility, average results for most players
  • Captain America: Vanguard, mobile off tank, demoted this patch
  • Magneto: Vanguard, shields and crowd control, climbing after buffs
  • Emma Frost: Vanguard, strong kit, stats lag behind her reputation

C Tier, situational

  • Doctor Strange: Vanguard, buffed but the win rate has not recovered
  • Wolverine: Duelist, big recent buff not yet converting to wins
  • Star-Lord: Duelist, demands constant aggression for an average payoff
  • Psylocke: Duelist, very hard to master, punishing when misplayed
  • Loki: Strategist, clone tricks shine only in dive metas
  • Iron Fist: Duelist, forgiving dive, outpaced by better damage dealers

D Tier, skip

  • Hawkeye: Duelist, one shot potential, too inconsistent in real lobbies
  • Scarlet Witch: Falls off hard as lobby skill rises
  • Squirrel Girl: Duelist, spam clears points, helpless against air threats
  • Adam Warlock: Strategist, resurrection cannot carry weak healing output

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Marvel Rivals tier list FAQ

Who is the best hero in Marvel Rivals right now?

By the numbers, Peni Parker. She closed Season 9.0 with the highest win rate in the game and stayed on top even after the Season 9.5 patch trimmed her immobilize mechanic. Mantis and Rocket Raccoon are the safest support picks.

What changed in the Season 9.5 patch?

The August 7 patch added The Hood, who landed straight in A tier, nerfed Peni Parker and Black Panther's Team-Up, and buffed Wolverine, Rogue, Devil Dinosaur and Doctor Strange. The Wolverine buff is significant but has not shown up in win rates yet.

Why is Hawkeye ranked so low?

One list still rates his one shot potential highly, but the two most recent sources place him near the bottom because his output is feast or famine. If you consistently hit heads he can carry, which is exactly why averages treat him poorly.

Does this tier list apply to every rank?

Not perfectly. The data behind it skews toward Diamond and above, where coordination is better. In lower ranks, simple self sufficient heroes like Venom or The Punisher perform better than their tier suggests, and hard heroes like Psylocke perform worse.