×
Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Every Apex Legends Character Ranked From Worst To First

So much has gone down in the world of Apex Legends since Respawn Entertainment introduced it into the gaming world back in February 2019. The media positioned it as the Fortnite killer, then reported on its struggles and continually critiques its changes in the gaming landscape. Despite its clear regression, it's positioned itself as a polarizing, trending part of the industry. Whatever you think about the recent battle royale, there's no denying its influence on the competitive multiplayer genre, and it certainly doesn't seem like Respawn has the desire to relinquish its current market share.

Advertisement

Just recently, in July 2019, the dev team released Season 2 of Apex Legends, focusing on a refined Battle Pass, ranked matches, and a brand new legend known as Wattson. With the addition of this "static defender" character, Apex now an even ten legends, creating a much-needed balance for the young title. With characters in the double digits, it's finally time to take a hard look at them and rank them from worst to first.

Caustic

Known as the Toxic Trapper, Caustic hasn't exactly made a lot of friends among the Apex Legends playerbase. First off, there's his price tag: as a premium character, you have to purchase him using in-game currency. But more than that, it's his overall balance in the game's current meta that keeps him in the lowest tier of legends. His Tactical Ability, the Nox Gas Trap, comes in handy at times. Dropping these traps to set up a defensive perimeter in anticipation of attack can certainly help, but the gas just doesn't do much harm compared to other abilities. It does some easily avoidable area-of-effect damage and disrupts sightlines, but nothing more.

Advertisement

From an Ultimate Ability standpoint, it's really just more gas. It's essentially just a throwable version of the trap. Oh, and let's not forget about his Passive, which offers him a way to see through his gas, so while your enemies fly blind, you'll be moving through the smoke with ease. That's just not good enough to keep him competitive with the other options.

Gibraltar

Victory in Apex often relies on quick movements and even quicker decisions. Unfortunately, when it comes to Gibraltar, the "Shielded Fortress" doesn't exactly fit those winning parameters. He's definitely a tank character, but that doesn't come in handy as much as you'd hope. With his Passive Ability, the Gun Shield, he can block incoming bullets while aiming down sights. However, on the other side of that coin, the bright blue shield also makes him an easier target from long distances.

Advertisement

Defensive Bombardment, his Ult, sends down a rainstorm of mortar fire in a small, designed area defined by a projectile toss. Good in theory, this ability is another one that's easily avoidable and can only have an effect when enemies are in the open air. Anyone inside will have nothing to worry about. His most useful ability comes from his Tactical. The Dome of Protection lays down a large bubble shield that absorbs bullets. Use this when reviving knocked teammates to make your life a little easier.

Despite that positive trait, he's still a large target compared to most of the other legends. Even though he does take reduced damage, that larger hitbox really hurts his win rate.

Mirage

Mirage has some of the best voice acting and writing in the game, but his personality traits don't amount to much on the battlefield. The Holographic Trickster brings his patented mirage tech to the game. Focused on illusion, misdirection, and some pretty cool holographic replicas, Mirage gets points for style, but his abilities don't exactly fool many people. His Ultimate, Vanishing Act, sends out a series of decoys to dupe enemies and draw away fire. However, unless he's falling or on a slope when activating the ability, these decoys will stand completely still. When this happens, it's really just not effective.

Advertisement

His Tactical, Psych Out, sends out a single decoy, basically serving the same purpose as his Ult. Still, it's not that effective. Frankly, his best trait is his Passive, which drops one of his holographic clones whenever he's knocked down. However, if you're a run-and-gun type of player, stay away from Mirage. His abilities won't help you. He's best when sticking to the shadows.

Pathfinder

Teamwork makes the dream work in Apex Legends. Now, with the improved Battle Pass and the various Season 2 challenges, there's more incentive than ever to work together with your squadmates and stay in the game as long as possible. If teamwork is the name of the game for you, you may want a Pathfinder on your team. This lovable robot is a solid support character, relying on his grappling hook and zipline for quick traversal through Kings Canyon.

Advertisement

As a Tactical, the grappling hook gives him some great mobility and is particularly effective except when you're trying to dodge enemies. His Ult has merit as well, but only in certain situations. Your team won't always need an extra zipline in late-game situations. Really, it's the Passive Ability that makes a huge difference for any team. His Insider Knowledge shows players where the next ring will appear, and that makes planning ahead much easier.

Wattson

As the newest character, it's not easy to predict how she'll play into the game's meta during Season 2. Regardless, even playing as the Static Defender for a few matches shows just how beneficial she can be to teams focused on strong communication. Much like Pathfinder, she's a good support character, relying on her electrified ability kit to disrupt opponents. It all starts with her Tactical, Perimeter Security. Wattson manually chains together power nodes to create an electrified fence. Perfect for establishing a defensive perimeter or creating a choke point, enemies that move through these fences take damage and lose movement speed.

Advertisement

Her Interception Pylon Ultimate offers Wattson the ability to place a large, electric pylon that repairs your squad's shields while also destroying enemy ordinance (Arc stars, grenades). Pay close attention to your surroundings and look for Ultimate Accelerants. Her Passive allows for these to fully charge her Ult. And with the Interception Pylon activated, this Spark of Genius ability also speeds up her Tactical's recharge.

Essentially, Wattson's an ideal legend for a team focused more on a defensive-minded game as opposed to a run-and-gun, offensive style. If you can lure enemy squads to your location, her abilities give you an extreme advantage.

Octane

If speed's your game, you may want to make Octane one of your go-to legends. With abilities that cover long distances very quickly, the "Adrenaline Junkie" might be the ideal character for squads focused on constant movement and aggressive behavior. Octane's move set starts with his Swift Mend Passive, which automatically restores his health over time. It's beneficial for any situation, but especially when you consider that his Tactical, Stim, chips off 10% of his health bar as it increases his speed by 30% for six seconds.

Advertisement

You want to outrun an enemy or quickly flank a hunkered-down squad? Utilize that Stim ability as often as possible. With strong Passive and Tactical abilities, you'd expect a bit more from his Ult. Unfortunately, the Launch Pad simply deploys a jump pad that boosts players high into the air. Sure, it's another move that helps cover the distance, but doesn't often come in handy during the endgame. Despite this, Octane makes for a strong legend, one that offensive players will want to try out.

Wraith

Regarded as a high-level legend, Wraith works best up in the faces of opponents, but also has the skillset to escape bad situations. You won't often see games without multiple Wraith players, because she's such a strong team player. With her Passive — Voices From the Void — she receives a warning when danger's near. If an enemy aims at her or her squadmates, the entire squad gets a vocal alert, allowing them to adjust their cover and reposition.

Advertisement

This alone makes Wraith a savior in many ways, but her Dimensional Rift Ultimate makes for an ideal escape plan. When activated, she places portals that act as a link between two locations. These stay up for 60 seconds, providing a near-instant path to safety. Finally, her Tactical, Into the Void, allows her to "phase," making her invisible and immune to damage. Unfortunately, as a trade-off, she can't see anyone else on the battlefield. Still, if you can string these abilities together effectively, Wraith becomes a character that can really help you win games.

Bloodhound

Aesthetically, you won't find a more interesting character than Bloodhound. This Technological Tracker has become a character you often see in champion squads because of their strong ability set. Because they focus on hunting and tracking for success, your squad will want a Bloodhound for almost any situation. Defensively, the Eye of the Allfather Tactical Ability comes in handy in a firefight. This skill scans the nearby area, pointing out traps and enemies. This simple ability can help prevent ambushes and save your team's life.

Advertisement

Their Passive works well no matter where you are in the midst of a game. The Tracker reveals enemy footprints and shows how long ago those opposing players passed by. While clues like open supply bins and doors help point out where enemies have been, there's no substitute for learning exactly when they were in your area. Finally, the Beast of the Hunt Ult highlights enemies and makes Bloodhound move with increased speed to help flank and pick off opponents. Save that Ult for the endgame, because you'll likely need it to ensure victory.

Bangalore

If you're looking for a balanced legend to help you get used to the game — or if you're simply all about the offense — Bangalore fits the bill. A quick glance at her ability set, and you can tell she's made to help acclimate new players. With a hard-nosed personality and a military style, she definitely evokes some Call of Duty vibes. But more important than her aesthetic are her abilities. With the Double Time Passive, Bangalore runs faster when coming under fire, making it easier to escape the enemy.

Advertisement

Her Tactical brings out a smoke grenade launcher, which can help with teammate revival as well as obstructing opponents' viewing angles. If you need to make a strategic retreat or heal a friend, pop that smoke and those things become much easier. But it's her Rolling Thunder ability that really brings the heat — in the form of an artillery strike, no less. Whether you're an Apex novice or a seasoned vet, Bangalore gets the job done without fail.

Lifeline

Don't sleep on Lifeline, especially if you're a beginner or not so confident in your battle royale skills. With her support class skillset, this medic can surely make a difference on the battleground even without racking up kills. Her Combat Medic Passive ability allows her to use health packs 25 percent quicker than other legends, while she can also revive knocked allies while protected by a shield.

Advertisement

Frankly, it's her Tactical that gives her the edge over the rest of the character base. With her D.O.C. Heal Drone, she can send out a small robot to heal herself and the rest of the squad. After barely surviving a firefight, her drone makes it so there's no need to make a mad dash for some healing items. Finally, the piece de resistance comes in the form of her Care Package Ultimate ability. It's exactly what it sounds like: she calls down a care package often filled with epic and legendary gear to help kit out her team for the late stages of a match. Much like a Wraith, you won't see many winning squads without a Lifeline in the mix. She's just that crucial to success in Apex.

Recommended

Advertisement