Summary

Using strategy is the preferred approach inMarvel Rivals, but understandably, many players would prefer to rely on straightforward damage. Thankfully, much of the roster is filled with powerful heroes, villains, and anti-heroes from the Marvel multiverse who deal out damage at a fast rate.

While Duelists are the ideal class of character for damage per second, those in the Vanguard and Strategist classes can provide what the more action-oriented players are looking for. It’s not just the main attacks to look out for though, as the characters also feature just as effective abilities to back them up.

Updated June 02, 2025, by Melody MacReady:Marvel Rivals continues to be a successful free-to-play hero shooter, with new characters, modes, and maps being added. The community has been strong with millions upon millions of players fighting each other in objective-based matches. When it comes to damage-based characters, some continue to be faster than others, while some have joined with surprising damage per second, including new characters that have joined the roster since Season 1 started, such as The Fantastic Four. Many characters with immense damage outputs are duelists, but strategists and vanguards also fit the bill.

20The Thing

It’s Always Clobberin' Time When Ben’s Around

On his own,The Thingis easily one of the strongest vanguards to come across in Marvel Rivals. While his movements and attacks may not be the fastest in the game, the amount of damage he delivers when all of his attacks and abilities are combined can eliminate even the largest health bars in the game.

Ben Grimm is not only immovable, but he has his basic attacks known as the Rocky Jabs, powerful Stone Haymaker alternate attacks, Yancy Street Charge, and his Clobberin' Time ultimate. All of them are effective in taking out most enemies, especiallywhen allied with different characters. His Stone Haymaker in particular can take out most Duelist characters in one or two hits.

19Iron Man

Tony Stark’s Armor Is Not Just For Show

Iron Manalready has a major advantage in matchesdue to his ability to fly, allowing him to soar overhead without even being spotted. That stealth also allows him to get behind enemy lines and deal damage from above, using his repulsors and unibeam, burning through a health bar in seconds.

When Iron Man activates his armor overdrive, his repulsor blasts become explosive and his unibeam is even stronger. If he is left uninterrupted, the unibeam alone can eliminate vanguard, but add in the rockets from his flight and the Invincible Pulse Cannon as his ultimate, he can wipe out an entire team if they are clustered.

18Squirrel Girl

She Is Called Unbeatable For A Reason

Armed with her accurate slingshot and an army of furry friends,Squirrel Girlis perfectfor fans of Junkrat fromOverwatch. She slings powered acorns that explode after over a second or instantly when they contact an opponent. It alone can take out most duelists and strategists with just a few hits, and she can reload her acorns fast.

For those looking to trap or stun their opponents, Squirrel Girl offers a unique alternate attack. She can surround a foe with squirrels, effectively immobilizing them and setting them up for acorn attacks. Additionally, Squirrel Girl can unleash an “Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami,” where a wave of squirrels charges forward, bouncing off walls to continue their assault and deplete enemy health bars with ease.

17Human Torch

Any Player Can Flame On And Deal Damage

Given that his name is theHuman Torch, it should be no surprise that his duelist abilities are all based around fire, with his Blazing Blast being his most useful ability as well as his alternate attack. He can hit an enemy for enhanced damage, but he can also lay down the blasts onto the ground and then light them up with the press of a button to create a connected fence of fire that burns any enemy inside.

That’s not to say that the Human Torch’s main attack is bad, because it is a unique one, as it is akin to a shotgun blast. The Fire Cluster spreads more the farther it goes out, which can result in devastating damage up close. Additionally, Human Torch can dive to the ground to unleash a powerful blast while also detonating any of his Blazing Blasts in range for extra damage.

16Black Panther

It’s Good To Be The King

Like the deadly predator cat that he is named after,Black Pantheris also about speed and pouncing on his prey. Thanks to his vibranium claws, players can charge in and deliver deadly slashing attacks, throw spears filled with kinetic energy, and lunge forward. With all the attacks combined and played well, Black Panther can easily take one or two players off the board.

Despite his vibranium suit, Black Panther remains a duelist, which means he has a limited health bar. Consequently,mastering Black Panther can be quite challenging. Players need to practice the technique of quickly entering and exiting fights, maximizing damage output. Therefore, he is best played with effective teamwork rather than tackling battles alone.

15Hawkeye

The Greatest Archer In The Marvel Universe

Someone might expect an archer to be slow at grabbing new arrows from their quiver, but this isHawkeye, the world’s greatest archer. As a result, a player can rapidly fire arrows at opponents near and far, holding down the attack and allowing him to effectively snipe foes from across the map.

Hawkeye has already established himself as a powerful duelist, especially when his ultimate attack is activated. It allows him to see a trail of shadows where opponents have been and if he shoots an arrow into the shadows, the corresponding players take full damage, and team wipes are possible with the attack, making him feel slightly overpowered.

14Winter Soldier

Hydra Made Bucky Barnes Into A Deadly Bionic Assassin

Thanks to his bionic arm abilities, theWinter Soldierlives up to his reputation as a deadly assassin super soldier who can wipe out entire squads. On top of a powerful pistol attack that can eliminate most foes, he is equipped with the ability to punch them into the air, slow them with bionic energy, and pull them to him.

Being able to unload a lot of damage quickly allows the Winter Soldier to quicklybuild up his powerful ultimate attack, which has already become a fan favorite. It is a powerful downward slam and as long as he delivers an elimination on impact or quickly afterward, he can repeat it as many times as needed, and, under the right circumstances, can lead to a full team being destroyed.

13Psylocke

Speed is the key to playingPsylockeinMarvel Rivals, utilizing her naturally increased speed and psionic powers to eliminate foes and then disappear. Being a duelist, Psylocke’s biggest flaw is her low health, but she balances that with the abilities that allow her to dash with great speed or turn invisible for quick escapes.

Psylocke’s ultimate attack is another example of her speed, allowing her to dash in a large radius to eliminate any foe within. After mixing in shurikens with her dashes and basic attacks, Psylocke results in a surprising amount of damage dealt in seconds.

12Wolverine

Logan’s Adamantium Claws Are Not Just For Show

Wolverineis the best there is at what he does and what he does is not very nice. Logan is armedwith his iconic Adamantium blades, which he uses to slash through anything in sight, with both basic attacks and special abilities, allowing him to diminish the health of heavy characters quickly, especially when his Berserker Rage is activated.

Thanks to his healing factor, Wolverine is also one of the few characters who can heal themselves without the help of a strategist character. This allows him to enter a fight, do damage, take damage, and keep going. Additionally, his lunge ability can potentially defeat an opponent with a single strike if timed and positioned correctly.

11Peni Parker

Her Mech Is Filled To The Brim With Dangerous Weapons

WhilePeni Parkerdoes have a fast basic attack in the form of heavy cannons on her shoulders, she has more to back those up with. If the player puts a few Arachno Mines down combined with her Spider-Nest, which sends out drones that track enemies, and her web snare to trap them, she can eliminate players in seconds.

Peni Parkeralso features a Team-Up abilitywith Venom that allows her to unleash a symbiote barrier that deals damage to surrounding enemies. She is a constant barrage of damage, but her being a large mechanized spider with slow movement leads to her being a target for other players, so newcomers should never think that Peni is invincible.