Frenetic battle royale Apex Legends is one of the leading games in the genre, and that can largely be contributed to its creative cast of playable legends, each of which brings their own flair to a team’s composition. Whether it’s a defensive kit that aids in holding back opponents, an aggressive kit for pushing forward, or a supporting kit that aids allies in a variety of ways, players have a wide selection of characters to choose from so that they can be sure they’re playing a role that suits them. But while every legend has their place in the Apex Games, there will always be some that rest on the top of the game’s meta–just as there will always be some that don’t quite hit the highest marks. Here’s our tier list of the best legends in Apex Legends right now.

S-Tier

These legends are invaluable additions to any team composition and have few, if any, major weaknesses. In this tier, we have three legends.

Bloodhound

Bloodhound consistently ranks among the most used characters and boasts an incredible win rate. This is due to their staggeringly good kit of abilities, the best of which is a tactical that scans enemies through walls to reveal their location to all teammates. Additionally, they can track the location of enemies on the ground to find engagements, and their ultimate speeds them up and grants them some extra insight into where opponents may be lurking. There simply isn’t a better recon character to have on your team.

Wraith

Wraith is synonymous with streamers and “sweaty” players, but there’s a good reason for that. Her passive, which reveals when she’s being aimed at, is a useful but unexciting boon. But it’s her tactical and ultimate abilities that offer some serious mobility and utility. The former is easily one of the game’s best abilities, granting her invulnerability and a 30% speed boost to help her reset fights that haven’t gone her way. The latter is a portal that can be used to reposition herself and her teammates when they find themselves pinned in a bad situation. When you put all of this together, it’s hard to nail down and kill a good Wraith.

Gibraltar

Defensive powerhouse Gibraltar is a force to be reckoned with. His gun shield allows him to block some enemy gunfire, which effectively adds an extra 50 points to his health pool. Meanwhile, his deployable bubble is one of the best abilities in the game, shielding teammates for rezzes, healing, or repositioning. That’s before we talk about how his ultimate reigns down hell on enemy teams for big damage and area denial. Once you add in the fact that he takes 15% less damage from all gunfire, it’s clear that Gibraltar is a monster on the battlefield.

A-Tier

These legends fill their respective roles exceptionally well but may have one or two downsides that keep them from being the best of the best. In this tier, we have eight legends.

Octane

Good Octane players can be a wonderful asset to their teams, as his tactical ability allows him near-constant extra speed to help him reach fights or reposition rapidly. Of course, it comes at the cost of a good chunk of his health each time, which he then very slowly replenishes with his passive ability. His ultimate tosses out a jump pad that the team can bounce on to gain height or cross large gaps, and it can be used very often since it recharges quickly. With that kind of speed and utility, Octane is one of the best picks for fast and twitchy players.

Valkyrie

Valkyrie’s movement is unmatched thanks to her jetpack which allows her to reposition frequently and reach heights with a consistency that no other character could dream of. Being able to use her ultimate to redeploy to a new area is immensely helpful for rotations, and it has the added bonus of showing you where enemies are out in the open. Her tactical, meanwhile, offers a large AOE that stuns and damages enemies, making her great for getting someone out from behind cover. However, some Season 14 nerfs have hit her pretty hard, bringing her more in line with other characters. Even so, she’s still a very valuable addition to almost any team.

Newcastle

Every one of Newcastle’s abilities is focused on protection and area denial, and he received a solid buff to many of those abilities back in Season 14, making him better than ever. His passive ability allows him to spawn a small shield in front of downed allies and then drag them to safety while he rezzes them. Meanwhile, his tactical ability deploys an energy shield that can be moved and angled in any direction for a brief period of time, giving himself and his squadmates cover as they reposition. Lastly, his ult sends him leaping forward to create a large, durable wall with varying heights for his team to fire from behind during gunfights. Newcastle’s sheer amount of protective capabilities ensures that he is a premier defensive legend that gives all others a run for their money.

Pathfinder

Lovable and chatty robot Pathfinder has always been a favorite among mobility-focused players. His grapple is one of the game’s most versatile movement abilities that rewards high-skill plays with phenomenal payoffs. Meanwhile, his ultimate can be used to get him and his teammates to new areas pretty often, and it’s especially helpful for crossing horizontal gaps. His passive, which recharges his ultimate when using survey beacons, just rounds all of the reasons that make Pathfinder a superstar.

Mad Maggie

Mad Maggie came out the gates swinging in Season 12 with a strong kit that made her a viable pick, and some helpful buffs have made her even better in Season 14. Her passive not only lets her briefly scan enemies after doing damage to them, but it makes her move faster with shotguns, too. Her tactical ability does damage through obstacles to flush enemies out of position, while her ultimate provides speed boost pads and explodes on enemies for a little bit of damage and disorientation in the process. Mad Maggie is no doubt a meta legend for the time being and an excellent alternative to other aggressive legends like Wraith, Bloodhound, and Octane.

Vantage

Vantage shook things up pretty well right out of the gate and hasn’t slowed down since. She has an incredibly helpful kit that benefits both herself and her team in a variety of situations, making her a wonderful pick for basically any type of player. Her passive allows her to zoom in even while unarmed to give useful insight to her team, while her tactical ability positions her bat pal Echo somewhere and then lets her propel herself to them and double jump from that location. Lastly, her ultimate ability is a sniper rifle that can mark enemies so that teammates deal additional damage to them. Playing Vantage guarantees that you can aid your team immensely at almost any range, making you a scary opponent to face.

Catalyst

Catalyst is Apex Legends’ newest character, bringing yet another defensive kit to the table. She is a master of ferrofluid, which she can use to block enemy sightlines or set traps, such as with her tactical ability that lays spikes on the ground to slow and damage any enemies willing to push through them. Meanwhile, her ultimate lets her create a massive wall of ferrofluid that will block the visibility of foes, as well as slow and blind them should they try to push through it. She can even use the substance to block doors with her passive ability, clearly showing that she’s a great pick for defensive-minded players.

Ash

Ash has proven herself a mighty contender since her introduction to the roster. Her tactical ability can be tremendously helpful at blocking doors and slowing people down, though aiming it at any range can prove difficult. Her ultimate requires a bit of thought to place correctly, but being able to warp to new locations so quickly makes her an outstanding option for those who enjoy flanking. Lastly, being able to track player deaths across the map can help teams make better rotations. Ash is simply deadly in the right hands.

B-Tier

These legends are great picks that can be very useful in specific scenarios, especially in the hands of skilled players, but they lack the level of utility needed to be highly recommended. In this tier we have six legends.

Horizon

Horizon is another effective movement legend that benefits players who can make the most of her awesome passive and handy tactical ability. The former allows her to ignore the impact animation caused by high falls, which means she can start shooting immediately after landing. The latter’s vertical boost to high spots is an incredibly powerful option for reaching new heights, though its one downside is that enemies can use it, too. Her ultimate ability is solid for area denial in close quarters, but it’s easy to destroy or ignore in most situations. For those okay with sacrificing a mediocre ultimate in favor of fantastic mobility, though, Horizon is a solid pick.

Bangalore

Bangalore has consistently been one of Apex Legends’ most balanced legends. Her passive ability allows her to move very quickly when being shot at, and her ultimate is great for outdoor area denial. And while her smokes can be exceptional for covering a rez or escape, they can also be a major hindrance to your team if used in or around gunfights, clouding their vision and creating an absolute mess. Because of this, she requires a high level of awareness to be used to her full potential.

Rampart

After receiving a buff in Season 10, Rampart went from being a bottom-tier character to a solid pick for defensive-minded players, and her Season 13 buff has only improved her viability further. Her amped walls provide extra cover and some improved damage when firing through them, while her passive makes her extra lethal when running LMGs – a class of gun already known for being very powerful. Her ultimate, a giant gatling gun named Sheila, can now be used while mobile. It slows her down significantly, however, so good opponents can easily outflank her. Rampart doesn’t quite have the mobility needed to be meta, but those looking for a unique challenge will find that she packs a punch.

Loba

As the queen of loot, Loba is a valuable asset for any team looking to stay stocked up. Her passive lets her see purple items through walls and inside bins, and her ultimate ability lays down a shop that allows her and her teammates to sift through all nearby loot for up to two items each and as much ammo as they can carry. Her tactical ability – a bracelet that can be thrown and warped to – feels a little underwhelming and awkward in practice, but it can be used to great effect when trying to escape. She’s not a top-tier legend since she doesn’t bring much to a fight, but there’s something to be said about easy loot.

Wattson

After her Season 11 buff, Wattson has gone from a C-tier legend to a decent B-tier pick for those who enjoy locking down areas. Her electrified fences can be used to create havoc for aggressive teams trying to push in on her, while her ultimate is a pylon that recharges shields and destroys incoming ordinance, reducing the ability for other squads to repel her team from their location. Still, despite her usefulness, Wattson requires a lot of setup time to create a meaningful stronghold and doesn’t offer much in the way of offense, and thus she doesn’t land in the must-have category for most teams.

Crypto

Season 12’s buff for recon specialist Crypto has taken him from arguably the worst character to a worthwhile pick for players looking for a legend who can be useful in both aggressive and passive situations. His original kit remains intact, including the ability to manually fly his drone in first-person and use an EMP stun blast that does 50 damage to enemy shields. But he’s received a new feature that allows him to throw his drone in a line in front of him and scan enemies along the way. The drone can now even connect to walls for long-term reconnaissance. With these new upgrades, he’s finally a decent pick for most team compositions, though he remains a weaker overall option than Bloodhound.

C-Tier

These legends can certainly serve a purpose and help bring teams to victory in the right situations, but they could use some serious buffs to bring them in line with much better legends. In this tier we have five legends.

Lifeline

Lifeline has finally received some love in Season 16. Her ability to revive teammates with her bot while she continues to fight is invaluable, especially now that the slow penalty for doing so has been vastly reduced. Her healing bot can be nice in a pinch, too, especially when you’re running low on med kits and syringes. Lastly, Season 16 has seen her ultimate ability–which calls down a care package nearby–buffed quite a lot by increasing the deployment range and reducing the drop animation speed. Even with all of these buffs, though, Lifeline remains a situational character that isn’t particularly necessary in most team comps.

Caustic

Caustic is known for his stinky gas, and that’s best showcased with his ultimate, which can be great for pushing teams out of cover or giving cover for heals and rezzes. Sadly for fans of the legends, his Season 12 nerf now allows players to destroy his tactical gas traps even after they’ve gone off, making him a bit less effective at the kind of long-term area denial that has always defined his kit. His biggest downside, though, is that he has to fight in close quarters to reach his full potential, as his large hitbox makes him a liability in open spaces. Caustic has been in better and worse spots, but for now, he’s a mediocre pick for most teams.

Fuse

Fuse can bring some seriously obnoxious area denial with his cluster bombs, especially considering how quickly they recharge. Unfortunately, the remainder of his kit is pretty dull, especially his passive which simply allows him to carry an extra grenade in each spot and fire them faster. His ultimate fares slightly better by trapping enemies in a circle of fire, but it’s pretty easy to escape for many legends and therefore only occasionally provides much more than a minor hurdle. Those cluster bombs definitely hurt, but they don’t do much to save this legend from being mediocre in most settings.

Revenant

Revenant is a mixed bag of good and bad ideas. His double-speed crouching is excellent for sneaking up on teams, his ability to quietly climb structures can be used to make some great plays, and his tactical ability is a great silence that keeps enemies from using their own abilities. Sadly, his ultimate – a totem which teleports you back to it upon taking some damage – feels weaker than it really should and regularly results in little more than revealing to everyone precisely where you are and where you’ll be once they deal a bit of damage to you.

Seer

Seer started off strong upon release, but a series of nerfs has landed this recon-focused character closer to the bottom. Seer’s ability to see the heartbeats of nearby enemies can be useful to him in some situations, but Season 16 has seen the ability nerfed in that those same enemies can now hear him using it. His tactical can be used to disrupt enemies who are healing or rezzing, which is pretty cool–but his ultimate is simply too situational. Many teams know to crouch to avoid detection within it–or easily destroy it at the center of the sphere–and it received a nerf to its duration and cooldown in Season 16 as well. As it stands, Bloodhound is simply too much better to make Seer a worthwhile pick for most players.

D-Tier

These legends are in a poor state that makes them extremely difficult to recommend to anyone but the most diehard fans of the characters and their respective kits. In this tier we have one legend.

Mirage

Trickster Mirage has a fun kit that allows him to send a decoy out and control it, and his ultimate ability spawns a lot of these decoys in an area around him while granting him a very brief period of invisibility. But as enjoyable as it is to bamboozle enemy squads, Mirage simply lacks any team utility beyond his niche ability to go invisible while rezzing teammates, and his deceptive practices don’t really make up for his complete lack of mobility. Some players can overcome his weaknesses with sheer skill, but the majority of teams will find that he’s better used for some well-earned laughs than for maxing out the potential of the composition.