Featuring a diverse selection of 26 unique characters, Apex Legends provides a wide range of options. For assistance in selecting your main in the Battle Royale, consult our current Season 22 Legend tier list.
Apex Legends’ diverse cast of characters appeals to a broad range of players, from beginners to experienced gamers. Each character offers distinct playstyles and strategic advantages, influencing your choice of which Legend to play.
Respawn made major changes to the class system in Apex during Season 16, assigning Legends to one of five new classes. It’s important to take this into consideration when selecting your Legend.
In Season 20, another major change was implemented with the introduction of Legend upgrades. All Legends now have a total of four upgrades that can be earned during gameplay, although players are limited to selecting only two of them to utilize.
These enhancements are built upon their current abilities, so your desired play style and role within the team will remain the same. However, as you progress during the match, your trio can grow even more powerful.
It’s important to keep in mind that with practice, any Legend can become strong. Even characters considered “lower-tier”can excel if used effectively. Additionally, choosing the right weapons is crucial. With that being said, the following is our ranking of the top Legends to have on your squad in Season 22.
Top Apex Legends Characters
Tier | Legends |
---|---|
S Tier | Bloodhound, Horizon, Pathfinder, Revenant |
A Tier | Alter, Wattson, Valkyrie, Caustic, Wraith, Lifeline, Loba, Gibraltar, Vantage |
B Tier | Bangalore, Conduit, Maggie, Newcastle, Fuse, Seer, Octane, Catalyst, Crypto, Rampart |
C Tier | Ash, Mirage, Ballistic |
Best Legend – Recommended (August 2024 Meta)
Among the S-tier Legends, Bloodhound is our top recommendation. This Legend’s tracking abilities remain unparalleled and have yet to be nerfed by Respawn, solidifying their position at the forefront of the meta for multiple seasons.
Continue reading to discover the reasons behind our selection and determine which Legends may be more suitable for you.
Our tiers explained
The following paragraph summarizes how each tier is classified:
- S-tier: The best Legends in the game
- A-tier: Very good Legends offering an alternative to other options
- B-tier: Less powerful or more complciated Legends that can still perform well
- C-tier: Best to avoid unless you find yourself drawn to them
Next, we will thoroughly examine each character in our Apex Legends tier list and arrange them in order from highest to lowest ranking.
Top Tier
Bloodhound
Bloodhound can track down opponents in Apex Legends.
Generally, Bloodhound remains the top Legend in Apex Legends most of the time due to their powerful and user-friendly kit, which provides valuable information to their team.
Despite not being able to cause direct harm, the tracking skills of a Bloodhound are unparalleled. Without one on your team, you will be at a significant disadvantage against a squad that does have one.
Despite not receiving any major updates in recent seasons, Bloodhound remains a well-balanced legend and continues to dominate in team composition and enemy scouting. They remain at the top of the pack, displaying their strength and effectiveness.
Bloodhound’s kit revolves around their powerful scan, which not only allows you to spot enemies, but also provides this information to your teammates. The downside to using this scan is that it alerts enemies of their presence, giving away your proximity. However, the benefits of this ability still give you the upper hand in combat.
Beast of the Hunt is Bloodhound’s Ultimate ability, transforming them into a formidable killing machine for a set duration. This ability highlights enemies in red, similar to a digital threat, and also summons white ravens to assist in locating enemies. Additionally, their passive ability reveals the recent whereabouts of enemies, further aiding in tracking and eliminating them.
Horizon
Horizon has consistently been one of the top Legends since her debut in Season 7. However, as Season 9 approached, her overwhelming presence in the meta required necessary nerfs to balance the gameplay.
The Gravity Lift has been adjusted due to its previous vulnerability, which allowed players to quickly gain high ground and attack enemies from above. The lift now slows players down significantly, making them more susceptible to attacks. Additionally, players will automatically be removed from the top of the lift after 2 seconds, preventing them from staying in one spot and attacking from above.
Fortunately, with the changes made in Season 10, players are now able to move around more easily on Horizon’s lift, greatly increasing her effectiveness. Although her accuracy on the lift was reduced in Season 16, this change is not significant enough to make her unplayable.
Despite receiving multiple nerfs, Horizon remains one of the top characters in the game and continues to be highly favored by higher-ranked players.
Surviving the Revenant
Since his introduction in Season 4, Revenant has experienced fluctuations in the Apex meta. However, in Season 18, his pick rate drastically declined prompting Respawn to give him a complete overhaul, resulting in significant changes to all of his abilities.
Revenant’s Passive ability, Assassin’s Instinct, continues to enhance his crouch walking and wall climbing abilities, while also revealing nearby vulnerable enemies. Furthermore, if Revenant inflicts damage on an enemy, they will be marked for his team as well.
The ability to Silence has been replaced by a new tactical maneuver known as Shadow Pounce. This allows Revenant to swiftly leap forward and close in on vulnerable enemies or swiftly change positions. It can be likened to an Octane jump pad, available for use at any time.
The updated Ultimate ability has replaced Revenant’s previous Totem, providing him with complete damage immunity for a set period. However, he is still vulnerable to fire, gas, and ring damage. If enemies manage to damage the protection, it will be destroyed, but it will quickly regenerate if Revenant eliminates an opponent.
As players have learned to understand his abilities, the Legend has gradually risen to the top tier.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see the reimagined Revenant here.
Pathfinder
Despite being nerfed multiple times and dropping to the A tier, Pathfinder has reclaimed his position as one of the top Legends to use within the game. He remains a highly enjoyable character to play, and mastering his grapple allows for unparalleled movement compared to other characters.
The Grapple remains a useful tool for quick escapes or for surprising weaker opponents before they have a chance to heal. While there are other Legends better suited for quick escapes, aggressive plays are highly rewarded in this meta compared to passive positioning.
Although his movement remains unmatched on paper, the Zipline Ultimate functions similarly to the Wraith’s portal, allowing your team to escape from difficult situations or reach inaccessible areas. However, it is important to be cautious as enemies can also take advantage of it, requiring you to stay vigilant.
A Tier
Alter
Alter, a Skirmisher introduced in Season 21 of Apex Legends, has a unique skill that sets her apart. With her Void Passage tactical ability, she can create portals through solid objects such as walls and floors. This is particularly advantageous in situations where enemies have blocked a door, allowing for a quick escape or an opportunity to attack. Alter’s ability to open up new pathways makes her a valuable choice in any battle.
Alter’s ultimate, Void Nexus, functions similarly to Wraith’s portal, allowing for remote looting of items from distant deathboxes through her Gift from the Rift passive ability. However, the downside is that Void Nexus only offers a one-way passage, similar to Ash’s ultimate.
The ultimate allows you to deploy a device that will bring you and your teammates back to the location where it was dropped. This feature can be crucial in situations where you need to retreat from a fight or avoid being followed by other teams.
Ever since its initial release, Alter has undergone slight nerfs, yet it continues to be a highly favored and top-tier fighter.
Gibraltar
Gibraltar can create a dome of protection for his entire team.
Gibraltar is an integral part of any team, as he provides strong support and has become a staple in many teams due to the significant buffs given to him by the developers. Despite not being as frequently used in ranked matches, he remains a formidable Legend when played by skilled individuals.
The potential damage of his Ultimate ability is sufficient to create a zone that keeps the enemy at bay. The Dome Shield is not only a lifesaver for you, but also for your entire team. However, caution must be exercised as enemies can also take advantage of it and enter the shield.
Despite being a top-tier character, Gibraltar’s bulky build makes him an easy target to spot. For players seeking a more agile option, there are certainly other characters that may suit their playstyle better. However, Gibraltar’s strength and abilities make him a valuable asset to any team.
Valkyrie
Despite experiencing significant nerfs in Season 14, Valkyrie’s distinct set of abilities continue to make her a formidable choice. However, the influence of other Legends and their impact on the current meta has resulted in her being classified as an A tier pick.
Skyward Dive is her Ultimate Ability, allowing both you and your teammates to soar into the sky and safely glide down. While airborne, any teammates within your line of sight will be highlighted for better visibility.
Valkyrie’s primary passive ability, the jetpacks, grant her the ability to reach any location on the map quickly and gain a strategic advantage, but their loud noise can also be a significant disadvantage. Additionally, using the jetpack renders Valkyrie unable to attack, leaving her vulnerable to enemy attacks.
Despite not having a Valkyrie on your team, the new mobile redeploy beacons can serve as a good alternative. This is because Valkyrie, with her ability to quickly rotate with your entire squad and easily gain high ground, is still a formidable character whether you are playing solo or as a tactical trio.
Discover all of our valuable advice for defeating the enemy as Valkyrie.
Caustic
Despite being subject to intermittent buffs and nerfs, Caustic has consistently fluctuated on our tier list. With each round of changes, he has managed to claw his way back into the meta, securing a top spot in the highest level of Apex play.
In Season 12, Respawn implemented a change where his traps could be destroyed even after being activated. However, this does not have as significant of a negative impact as one might assume, as each barrel still has 150HP. In fact, it could even be seen as a positive change as enemies frequently focus their fire on the barrels or retreat from the area.
In a well-structured team, Caustic’s potential is greatly amplified and his recently enhanced Gas makes him even more formidable. Having a skilled Caustic player on your team can ultimately determine the outcome of a match.
Wraith
Ever since Apex Legends was launched, Wraith has consistently proven to be one of the top-performing Legends every season. This is largely attributed to her knack for causing chaos on the battlefield with her unique abilities, making her a highly sought-after pick at all levels of play.
During team battles, it is common to see Wraith using her Tactical Ability ‘Into the Void’ to sneak into the backlines or flank her opponents. This allows her to avoid damage and gain a strategic advantage over the enemies.
Wraith remains at the forefront of the Apex realm and will undoubtedly remain the preferred choice at all levels of the game.
Wattson
Wattson is an exceptional Legend for team-oriented gameplay, but can also be a formidable force in capable hands. With her Ultimate ability, she can neutralize enemy projectiles and fortify a squad’s position. Additionally, being in her vicinity will also recharge your shield.
In addition to her Perimeter Security traps, Wattson can be a valuable teammate when playing in a team. However, her ranking on this list cannot be any higher due to her lack of effectiveness as a solo player.
If you are new to playing Wattson, it may require some practice to become proficient with her abilities. This includes knowing the best placements for her fences and utilizing her ultimate at critical moments. With dedication and practice, Wattson can greatly benefit the team.
In Season 22, Wattson received a minor boost which elevated their strength and placed them in the A tier.
Lifeline
Having a Lifeline on your team can truly make a difference, as she excels in supportive abilities. However, in Season 9, her res shield was taken away, leaving teammates vulnerable while being revived by the Drone.
Even though Lifeline is able to continue fighting, she can still revive two players simultaneously. Additionally, her drone now has an increased healing rate of 8HP per second. With her newly added support role, Lifeline is also able to craft banners for fallen teammates, ensuring that your team will never have to be short one player.
In Season 9, Lifeline’s Ultimate has undergone significant improvements, ensuring that it will now always provide an upgrade to your gear. This can prove to be crucial in many Apex matches, as the opportunity to obtain a Legendary or Epic piece of equipment can make all the difference. As such, Lifeline continues to be one of the top characters to have on your team.
Discover how to become a pro at playing as Lifeline.
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Despite being a low pick in the past, Loba has been able to thrive once again thanks to fixes made to her tactical ability.
Respawn has made a revision to her Burglar’s Best Friend skill, granting players the ability to slide/move and shoot at full speed while wearing the bracelet. This significant alteration is expected to attract a large number of fans to her, and it also addresses the previous issues with bugs.
However, they have also extended the cooldown for her Black Market Boutique from 90 seconds to 120 seconds, and in Season 18, it has been further increased to 150 seconds. Nonetheless, this is not a significant drawback as it still has a shorter cooldown compared to the majority of other Ultimate abilities.
The alteration of her bracelet is the primary factor in her promotion to A tier, solidifying her as one of the most dominant characters. Additionally, as a support class member, she gains the ability to create banners.
Vantage
Vantage, which was introduced in Season 14, is a reliable choice, particularly for gamers who prefer sniping. However, it may also cater to a specific audience.
If long-range combat is your preference, then Vantage is definitely a strong choice. Additionally, her tactical ability enables swift movements in case of close-quarter confrontations.
Vantage has received consistent enhancements in the last few seasons, propelling her up the hierarchy, even amongst the top tiers of competition.
B Tier
Catalyst
Introduced in Season 15, Catalyst differs significantly from other legends, as all of her abilities involve manipulating ferrofluid, which she possesses expert control over.
While Catalyst may not be considered a meta Legend, her Ultimate’s ability to counter scans (for the most part) is undeniably advantageous, especially with the widespread popularity of Bloodhound.
The ability to reinforce doors, known as her Passive, is highly effective when paired with other defensive legends on your team. However, if you happen to be playing with an Octane and a Pathfinder, it may be more useful in certain situations.
Ultimately, the Tactical move, which effectively hinders opponents caught in the ferrofluid trap, can be a valuable evasive maneuver, but its effectiveness in attacking an opposing team may be debatable.
While Catalyst is undoubtedly a valuable Legend, it still maintains its niche appeal.
Octane
Octane, the quick and cunning trickster, is undeniably one of the most enjoyable Legends to play as. With his stim, he can run at incredible speeds, use his jump pad to soar above enemies, and even heal while on the move, all of which contribute to the thrill of playing as him.
Although the cooldown has been reduced, his stims now inflict 20HP damage, so you must exercise more caution compared to the previous 12HP. This allows for almost immediate spamming of the stim, but doing so will quickly deplete your health.
The jump pad is a highly effective movement ability in Apex that can be utilized by both your team and your opponents.
Octane may not be on par with the top-tier characters and his skills may not give you an edge in gun battles, but if you prioritize speed, he is the ideal Legend for you. His enjoyable gameplay has made him consistently ranked among the top 3 most popular legends.
Bangalore
Despite having the ability to cover the battlefield with smoke grenades, Bangalore has not received the recognition she deserves in Apex Legends tier lists. She has remained relatively unnoticed since the game’s release.
While her smoke is undeniably beneficial, it is often primarily utilized as a means of escaping difficult situations. In comparison, other characters such as Loba, Octane, and Wraith excel at this task. The issue is that there are now an excessive number of abilities that can easily counter Bangalore’s smoke, including digital threat scopes. However, it should be noted that aim assist is reduced when firing within a smoke screen.
Despite receiving some minor nerfs in Season 19, Bangalore remains a highly effective choice. Dedicated players who main her will become skilled at utilizing her abilities at the most opportune moments. Additionally, Double Time continues to be one of the strongest passives in the game, despite its reduced impact.
In addition, Respawn has extended the cooldown for Bangalore’s ultimate to 240 seconds, making it one of the lengthiest cooldowns compared to other ultimates. However, its usefulness may be limited.
Crypto
Cyprto has received attention from Respawn in Season 22, resulting in a gradual increase in his pick rate on the charts. While he remains a specialized choice, he is no longer as uncommon as he used to be.
Despite facing challenges such as being constantly pushed by the rest of the team and being outnumbered, the Surveillance Expert has the potential to excel with effective team coordination. With more strategic gameplay, Crypto can prove to be a valuable choice.
It can be argued that Crypto is not a bad character, but rather a more intellectual Legend compared to the majority of players. This makes it difficult to justify his placement at higher tiers on our list.
Conduit
Conduit was introduced in Season 19, following a pause in the addition of new characters by Respawn. Although not a significant change to the meta, Conduit is definitely worth trying out.
Despite not always resulting in game-winning plays, there are numerous advantages to having her ability to grant shields on your team.
Despite its ability to damage and slow enemies, her Ultimate may not fully satisfy the sense of a truly powerful ultimate that is worth waiting for.
Maggie
Despite appearing intimidating on paper upon her initial introduction in Season 12, Maggie’s kit has ultimately proven to be only average.
While her passive scan after taking damage is effective, it does have a limited duration. However, as long as you act swiftly or retaliate, there is little cause for concern. One of the standout components of her kit is her tactical ability, the drill. Yet, it can easily go to waste if you miss your target.
Maggie’s love for shotguns makes her a reliable choice, particularly with her recent shotgun speed buffs. However, these buffs may not be sufficient to elevate her into the top tiers, at least not at the moment. We anticipate that Maggie will receive additional buffs in the future.
Newcastle
While Newcastle is undeniably a valuable pick for his supportive and defensive abilities, he falls short compared to other options in this role.
One of his key strengths is his speed in reaching teammates who require assistance, making him a valuable combination of a support character and one with exceptional mobility. In comparison to other Legends who possess swift movement abilities (such as Pathfinder and his grapple), Newcastle is notably more efficient in this aspect.
Nevertheless, Newcastle may not be the top choice for movement enthusiasts (such as Octane mains) or support players who may still favor Lifeline. This currently places him in the b-tier category.
Fuse
In Season 8, Fuse was introduced and possesses impressive abilities on paper. With the capability to stack two grenades per slot and launch them with a slingshot, he is able to inflict an incredible amount of explosive damage in a short amount of time.
While his ultimate ability is effective, it is also simple for enemies to evade the ring of fire that he creates. Fortunately, Season 10 introduced the ability to monitor and locate enemies caught within the ring, providing Fuse with a significant boost in power.
Due to Respawn’s latest update, Fuse’s knuckle cluster now has two charges with a reduced cooldown time of 20 seconds for each charge. Additionally, the duration of the cluster has been doubled in Season. As a result of these changes, Fuse has finally risen from the C-Tier and can now be placed in the B-Tier.
Seer
Seer’s abilities offer a multitude of benefits for his team, including the ability to use his passive to detect enemy locations through heartbeat sensors. Additionally, his tactical can be used to scan, interrupt abilities, prevent healing and revives, display enemy health bars, and track movements for a duration of 8 seconds. Although it no longer deals damage, this was an unnecessary level of power for the ability.
Despite being a top pick in previous seasons, Seer has fallen from the top tier due to significant nerfs in Seasons 18 and 19. In most situations, he is now considered inferior to Bloodhound.
Rampart
Despite being known as the Quick Witted Modder of Season 6, Rampart was considered one of the weakest legends in the game for a long time. However, thanks to Respawn’s efforts, Rampart’s flaws were addressed and she was able to reach her full potential as an Apex legend.
The most significant update was enabling Rampart to accompany her Ultimate, Shiela while moving. This allows players to wield the game’s most potent weapon (excluding Kraber) and eliminate enemies with assertiveness. Rampart’s walls have always been a valuable ability, and now they complement her Ultimate even more effectively.
Ever since receiving a much-needed improvement in Season 13, Rampart has now been elevated to B tier thanks to a minor modification in Season 22.
Lowest Tier
Mirage
Mirage initially struggled in Apex Legends as a relatively weak character. His Ultimate ability was deemed ineffective, and his Tactical was considered less impactful compared to other characters’ abilities.
Fortunately, a revision was eventually made, and experts of Mirage will assert that he belongs in A tier. Undoubtedly, with sufficient practice and in capable hands, he can be a formidable force.
However, his skills remain limited and he does not contribute much to the team in terms of overall gameplay, except for his capacity to use cloaking while reviving.
Without a doubt, Mirage’s Ultimate can effectively extricate you from a difficult situation, especially when facing opponents with less expertise who are more susceptible to being tricked. Nevertheless, we believe Mirage could benefit from some additional strength.
Ballistic
Despite his advanced age, Ballistic has quickly become a fan-favorite character to play in Season 17 due to his versatile abilities.
His ultimate is particularly noteworthy as it transforms your entire team into a formidable fighting squad, granting them quicker reload times, increased movement speed, and upgrades to Ballistic’s Sling weapon.
When it comes to the Sling Weapon, only Ballistic has the ability to carry three weapons. And even without the option for attachments, this is still a valuable advantage in times of need. Additionally, his tactical, inspired by a smart-pistol, speaks for itself.
Despite this, there are still superior choices for single players and ranked teams, and proper coordination is essential for fully utilizing the Legend’s abilities.
Ash
The debut of Season 11’s Legend, Ash, marked the first time a pilot had entered the Apex games (note: Valkyrie is not considered a pilot). Immediately, it was evident that Ash would be a highly sought after choice due to her impressive abilities. Although her Ultimate is comparable to Wraith’s, it differs in that it only goes one direction and has a shorter maximum range. However, it boasts a faster activation time and a significantly shorter cooldown period.
One could argue that Ash’s passive is her greatest strength.
While Ashe may not be a terrible character, there are other Legends who are more powerful and offer similar abilities.
Top Apex Legends Characters for Novice Players
Even though there are numerous formidable legends in Apex Legends, some may be more challenging to perfect than others. For instance, while Valkyrie possesses formidable abilities, effectively utilizing them for the benefit of your team may require a higher level of experience in playing Apex.
Having stated that, the following are the top Apex Legends characters recommended for new players:
- Bloodhound
- Lifeline
- Octane
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- Wraith
Despite the fact that newcomers to Apex Legends can achieve success with a diverse range of characters, these specific characters possess powerful and user-friendly abilities, making it difficult to make a wrong choice. If you find yourself in need of a speedy getaway, Loba, Wraith, and Octane are all excellent options that will allow you to regroup before returning to the battle.
This is our current list of the characters in Apex Legends. However, as the game continues to receive updates and new Legends are introduced, this ranking will likely change over time.
To achieve optimal results, pair these Legends with the top-performing guns in Apex Legends. And for those curious about obtaining Heirloom Shards, our comprehensive guide has you covered.
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