Marvel Rivals: Best heroes for beginners

As is usually the case with PvP team games, some heroes in the 6v6 shooter Marvel Rivals are trickier to master than others. Some are better suited for experienced players, while others fit beginners better. If you are new to the game, you might be wondering who the best Marvel Rival characters for beginners are. 

Each hero in Marvel Rivals has a difficulty level designated by a star rating, with the maximum difficulty level being five stars. These ratings are quite generalised though, so it can be hard to get to grips with which heroes are the easiest characters to play in Marvel Rivals if you haven’t played before. 

With this in mind, we’re going to be looking at some of the best characters in Marvel Rivals for beginners. These heroes have simplistic controls and abilities that aren’t too taxing to wrap your head around, making them some of the best Marvel Rivals starter characters. 

As mentioned, the best beginner friendly characters in Marvel Rivals are those who have simple and straightforward abilities. Several heroes in the game have complex ability kits that require time, patience and effort to master. 

While there is nothing wrong with these kinds of characters, it can be frustrating for casual players to spend time they don’t have getting to grips with the tougher skill kits. Heroes with kits that have low levels of complexity and that don’t rely heavily on precision and intricacy are best suited for beginner players. 

We’re going to be looking at two Marvel Rivals heroes from each class in the game that are best suited for beginners. There are three classes in the game: Vanguard (tanks), Duelists (DPS), and Strategists (supports). 

Before we go into more detail on our picks for the Marvel Rivals best characters for beginners, check out each of the heroes and their in-game difficulty level in the table below. 

Cloak and Dagger have the highest in-game star rating of any of our picks. Their complexity comes from the fact that they are two characters rolled into one, but it is far easier than it might seem to get used to this. 

Support players will spend most of their time using Dagger, the healer of the two. Cloak’s skills are support-based, but they revolve around weakening enemies and cloaking themselves and their team to avoid enemy attacks. 

Dagger’s healing is very simple to use, as no aim is required. Her healing light daggers automatically lock onto allies and enemies, allowing her to do some damage while healing teammates. 

Adding Cloak’s supportive skills into the mix does make Cloak and Dagger more complex, but Dagger’s simple and easy-to-use healing makes the hero duo a great choice for Marvel Rivals starters. 

Doctor Strange is a great Vanguard hero for beginners as he perfectly balances defence and offence while having a substantial health bar. 

Strange’s defining factor is his huge shield. Those trying to get used to playing a protective tank role can do so with ease thanks to this. His Cloak of Levitation also offers him a method of escape should he be surrounded or if his shield is destroyed. 

As well as these defensive manoeuvres, Strange is also well equipped with offensive attacks that can deal a significant amount of damage. His ultimate also pairs well with all sorts of other hero abilities, making him a great choice to team up with other characters. 

Rocket Raccoon is the perfect hero choice for those looking to get used to the Strategist role in Marvel Rivals. He is a simplistic character who balances healing with buffs, revival, and damage. He does not have much health, but his manoeuvrability makes him difficult to target as he can use his jetpack to boost himself out of harm’s way and scurry up walls to escape. 

Rocket is easy to use thanks to his simple controls and straightforward nature. Beginners opting to play as him should stay in the backline, make use of his movement skills, and stick close to their team to get the most out of him. 

One of the best Marvel Rivals characters for beginners is Scarlet Witch, as her primary fire skill–Chaos Control–automatically locks onto enemies in the area. Much like Moira’s Biotic Grasp in Overwatch 2, players only need to hold down the corresponding button to damage enemies within reach of Scarlet Witch’s Chaos Control. 

Scarlet Witch does have other skills that need a bit more precision, but all in all, she is very beginner-friendly thanks to her Chaos Control primary fire. This, combined with her movement skills that allow her to flee from immediate danger, makes her a great choice for starters. 

Squirrel Girl is a Duelist who—much like Scarlet Witch—does not require significant precision to play as, making her a good fit for beginners. Squirrel Girl has a lot of similarities to Junkrat from Overwatch 2, as she can do huge amounts of damage in a short period without having to aim much. Her Burst Acorn primary fire is extremely powerful and can take down enemies quickly and efficiently. 

As well as her primary fire, Squirrel Girl can also briefly incapacitate enemies with her Squirrel Blockade. These abilities, along with her Tail Bounce, which lets her bounce up high to escape danger or get the high ground, make Squirrel Girl a versatile Duelist who is easy to use and well suited to beginner Marvel Rivals players. 

As a Vanguard, The Thing is an effective offensive hero who delivers high-damage blows. He is great at running into the enemy crowd, doing damage and running out again. His high health bar is helpful when it comes to keeping him alive as he does this, as is his Embattled Leap ability, which allows him to jump towards a teammate and apply a damage reduction buff to them and himself.  

Learning to balance his punching and know when to dive into the enemy and when to flee is key for The Thing players, but there is no doubt that his easy-to-use skill set and high health make him a prime choice for beginners. 

No matter what hero class you are planning to play as in Marvel Rivals, you can be sure that any of these six characters will be easy to pick up and start playing at any skill level. Beginners can enjoy playing as they develop their abilities, or they can opt to stay with the easier characters if they want to play on a more casual basis.