Apex Legends: Best Legends (Ranked Worst to Best)

Updated:

23 Apr 2021

Apex Legends’ first season has come to a close and Season 2 is underway. Since it’s early February release there has been plenty of time to understand which legends are dangerous and which are duds. Recent patches have included some tweaks to maps, guns, and, of course, legends with the addition of the new legend, Watson.

How do these changes to Apex Legends’ champions affect who’s the best and who’s just a chump? Let's dig in.

#10 - Caustic (Worst)

Why is Caustic a bad legend? Simply because he is made for close quarter combat. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like he got the memo that Apex Legends’ map is filled with plenty of outdoor venues. Even with Season 2 adding a lot more indoor environments, and a buff to take less damage (and suffer from no slowing effect), Caustic still isn’t great. All of his abilities center on his gas traps. While the traps themselves have become more deadly with recent buffs, Caustic falls to the bottom of our rankings for being a round peg trying to fit in a square hole.

Do you know what may be one of the worst possible qualities for a hero that demands close quarters playstyles? Being the second biggest character in the game. Nothing says “shoot me” like taking up half of your enemy’s screen. Even with Season 2’s 5% increase in damage reduction for a total of 15%!
Earning the bottom spot comes about by having skills that just don’t amount to much. Caustic’s passive seems like a cop-out, in that Nox Gas, yours or the enemies, doesn’t affect you. Compared to other hero’s passives, this is laughable.
Being specialized for indoors, Caustic’s Nox Gas Trap not only damages enemies over time but it also blinds and slows them in addition to outlining them in green for you. This may sound unstoppable, but traps are very easy to disarm and if placed outside are too easy to avoid.
Part of what keeps Caustic in the lower tiers of our rankings is his Nox Gas also affecting teammates. This can make areas affected by Nox Gas no-fly zones for anyone but Caustic, and enemy Caustics. Season 2 reduced the penalty to slow teammates only by 50% but that still can swing a fight if the enemy isn’t caught up in Caustic’s stink.
Another thing that holds Caustic back is his ultimate, Nox Gas Grenade. It’s just a thrown trap. That's it. Does it lack creativity? Check. Is it lacking in viability? Another check. Throwing this outdoors is a sure way to be utterly useless and a large portion of this game is spent traveling between locations ultimately limiting your options to use this ability effectively.

#9 - Gibraltar (Terrible)

Why Gibraltar sucks is because he is Apex Legends’ defensive beefcake. With two types of shields, a now 15% reduction to all incoming damage thanks to Season 2’s buff and an ultimate that can dish out some hurt, Gibraltar sounds better on paper than he is in practice. Some may say he’s underrated but the proof is in the pudding as you won’t come across too many Gibraltar players.

A big part of why Gibraltar is ranked here is that he is a true bullet sponge. Gibraltar has the biggest hitbox of any Apex Legends hero, making him the easiest to hit from afar, and up close.
What else stops Gibraltar from being great? Well, Gibraltar’s passive ability, his Gun Shield, stands out like the sorest of thumbs. Even with the extra 75 HP it gives Gibraltar, forgetting to turn off the shield to not be spotted at a distance can be as common as forgetting to turn it back on for combat.
Despite being one of the worst characters, his tactical ability Dome of Protection is a very useful tool. It stops all incoming and outgoing damage allowing you and your team some time to heal safely mid-fight. Season 2 buffed the duration of this shield by 3 seconds, which is a welcome upgrade.
Unfortunately, the Dome of Protection is a bright neon orange advertisement for your location. Not to mention, enemies up close can dip in and out of the shield abusing its benefits for their own attacks.
Defensive Bombardment, his ultimate ability, is powerful in the damage department but comes with plenty of drawbacks. This includes a long cooldown and, a smaller area of effect meaning you’ll need to be exact when deploying it.
Another reason why ole Gibraltar isn’t up to snuff? His ultimate is made up of bombs that explode on impact, which makes it hard for enemies and allies to get out of the way. The bombardment shell shocks and slows any enemies and teammates caught in the mix which can open up your squad to getting picked off.
A now 15% damage reduction and no slowing effect has helped, but it still feels like it isn’t enough to make up for Gibraltar’s ogre-ish bullet magnet size.

#8 - Mirage (Bad)

Why is Mirage in our lowest tier? Even after receiving perhaps one of the biggest buffs since Apex came out, Mirage’s utility is still too limited for him to be a viable choice. A master in misdirection, Mirage’s abilities have the capacity to skew a fight in your favor, but only in limited circumstances. While not utterly worthless, Mirage’s playstyle is centered on buffing himself and not doing enough to help out teammates.

Rounding out our “worst” section of the rankings, Mirage’s ability to bamboozle enemies with a decoy simply isn’t as powerful as it was when the game launched. Players have wisened up to his doppelganger antics.
Why else is Mirage so low? His Psyche Out ability isn’t all that smart. Mirage’s decoy will move in the direction you set but his lumbering, robotic movement makes it pretty easy to identify.
A pretty worthless passive doesn’t help either. Mirage goes invisible when he’s downed. This. Fools. Nobody. Maybe, maybe if you get downed by a sniper you will be able to crawl to cover undetected but at the close and medium ranges this passive adds up to little.
One reason that Mirage isn’t at the absolute bottom is the June patch that included a buff to his ultimate ability, Vanishing Act. Prior to the most recent patch, Mirage wasn’t completely invisible but with the new changes, he is now 100% impossible to see which can feel OP. Season 2 has updated the ability so it can also be canceled early.
What keeps Mirage so low on our list despite this buff? Mirage’s footsteps can still be heard. He can’t attack, heal, or take any action like respawning teammates while invisible. The cherry on top? He can only be invisible for about 3 seconds meaning you have to make fast, coordinated moves to get the most out of his ultimate.
It’s fair to say that Mirage is one of the more fun characters to play but his utility is limited without the proper team coordination or composition. You can do better.

#7 - Bloodhound (OK)

Why Bloodhound is low on our list is because they require constant communication. They, yes, they, are unique in that their abilities are pretty strong. The big caveat to their success hinges on communication. Where other Legends higher on this list are powerful with limited or no communication, let alone pings, Bloodhound requires a chatty player to share the wealth of information they have available to them. In the right hands, Bloodhound is strong. In most hands, especially pick up groups, Bloodhound becomes more of a solo hunter than the tactical leader they are meant to be.

Part of why Bloodhound lands in the lower end in the middle of the pack is their ability Eye of the Allfather. This move reveals enemies, traps, and footprints even allowing sight through buildings. The issue is, enemies can see when this ability is activated as a large sonar-like orange sphere emerges out of Bloodhound. You may know where the enemy is, but they might know where you are now too.
A benefit for Bloodhound’s Eye of the Allfather ability is that enemies marked appear for allies too. Season 2 has buffed this ability so now enemies who get marked by this are tracked for 1.5 seconds in real time, opposed to the single blip the ability has previously.
A stroke of mediocrity for Bloodhound is their passive ability, Tracker. Enemy footsteps and other actions can be tracked by Bloodhound that happened within the last 60 seconds. This opens the door for a lot of potential in hunting down teams but, again, requires a chatty Bloodhound. All too often Bloodhounds may under-communicate and undersell this underutilized ability.
On a more positive note, what keeps Bloodhound from the bottom is their ultimate ability, Beast of the Hunt. This ability allows Bloodhound to see enemies appear in a highlighted red color. By pinging or communicating via voice chat, Bloodhound can call his team to unsuspected, hidden targets that might otherwise be out of reach.
Another benefit of the Beast of the Hunt ability is that Bloodhound’s movement speed is increased. This can help close the gap or serve as a hacky way to give yourself a speed boost if you find yourself in need of some quick cover.

#6 - Octane (OK)

Why Octane is in our “OK” tier is because of his mostly self centered abilities. Far and away the most eccentric of the Apex Legends cast, Octane is the high powered adrenaline junkie who has the speed that is second to none. The first DLC hero to be added, Octane entered the Apex scene adding new and exciting abilities like his drug-induced super speed, automatic healing abilities and goofy jump pad. While you won’t see him on every team as a staple, his agility makes him hard to hit, easily separating himself as a standout, but flawed, addition to the roster. Respawn, the developers, seem happy with Octane as he saw no changes in season 2.

Octane’s primary ability requires careful calculation which prevents him from breaking into the OP part of this list. Stim, the ability that lets him move 30% faster for 6 seconds, comes at the cost of 10% of your current health. Great for flanking or running away.
While the Stim boost can help you dodge incoming fire, taking any damage can leave Octane in a bind as he dips into his own health pool to go, in his own words, “Faster, faster, faster”. Other heroes can’t move as quickly but some have better movement abilities that don’t cost health and do a better job of assisting the team.
An area where Octane excels and earns his spot on the list is Swift Mend. This ability restores 1 hit point every 2 seconds Octane is out of combat. This is potentially one of the best passives in the game. Sit in a corner, be patient, and you’re back in action.
On the other hand, where Octane isn’t so successful, is his ultimate ability Launch Pad. By jumping on the Launch Pad Octane and other players can launch high into the air to gain the high ground or positioning to ambush the enemy. The issue is that the jump ability is very situational and the pad itself is loud. Each time someone jumps on the pad a roaring noise is made that can turn enemy heads to you and your team's location. Sometimes you feel like a clay pigeon being launched for enemy snipers to line you up and take pot shots with you in mid-air or as you land. Pull!
Altogether, what keeps Octane from greatness is his selfishness. His primary and passive ability focus solely on himself which can leave him feeling more like a lone wolf than a part of a three-man buzzsaw killing machine you need to be the last one standing.

#5 - Wattson (OK)

As the second DLC character to join the fray, Wattson is a fairly capable defense hero who can support her team by placing traps, recharging their shields and destroying incoming grenades. Season 2 has come with a lot of changes. The biggest of which may be to the map. With more buildings than ever, many of which come without windows to shoot through, Wattson has potential. Why she is ranked higher is her capacity to help support the team in tough situations and for her control in end game scenarios. This is true especially in Ranked where hardcore players are in smaller rings pushing to be Apex Champions.

Wattson’s passive ability is pretty damn strong. Spark of Genius allows her to use ultimate accelerants to instantly fill her ultimate gauge. Her ultimate can have up to 3 pylons placed and her passive is how she can fill up fast enough to put all 3 down.
The most noticeable impact that Wattson has in Apex Legends in her ability to lock down areas with electrical fences known as her Perimeter Security ability. By placing a node, and connecting it to another node, Wattson can create fences that slow and damage enemies who walk through them.
Locking down a building or certain outdoor areas is a breeze with Wattson. It may be obvious that a team is holed up, but teams need to be aggressive to break down her defenses.
The fences do not damage or even slow allies, they just briefly turn off, making it very easy for team members to reposition in areas that might be fenced off to enemies.
Her ultimate ability, Interception Pylon, recharges the shields of players within its area of effect and also shoots down incoming projectiles like grenades or even missiles from Bangalore/Gibraltar’s ultimates. Combine this with some electric fences and nobody can beat Wattson’s ability to control an area.
Spark of Genius also allows Perimeter Security, Wattson’s tactical ability, to recharge faster when she is by an Interception Pylon. They recharge so quickly that Wattson can put up 6 gates in less than a minute.

#4 - Wraith (OK)

Why Wraith is ranked higher but still in the middle of the pack is her small size and stealthy abilities. Still, as a character, she fails to be absolutely essential to teams earning her the 4th spot on our list in the “OK” tier. With abilities that help her and her team move undetected, Wraith’s higher ranking comes from her being tricky to hit, and from her ability to sneak teams in and out of danger without a whisper. Even with Low Profile, the new ability that increases incoming damage by 5% to make up for her small size, Season 2 still has Wraith as one of the stronger legends who can also get around some of Wattson’s new tricky traps with ease.

Wraith's primary ability Into the Void helps her phase in and out of combat. Into the Void makes Wraith partially invisible and completely invincible. This ability can be used in tandem with her ultimate that can help hide where she and her team may be moving to.
The big con with Into the Void is the blue streak it leaves behind Wraith and that Wraith can’t do anything but move. Wraith’s sight is also impaired while using this ability, making it hard to know where enemies and allies are. Enemies will be certain to look for the blue afterimage streak to hunt down a Wraith who uses Into the Void in too close of quarters.
Dimensional Rift, Wraith’s ultimate ability, can turn the tide of a losing fight by giving your team an easy out. This ability can also be used offensively to quietly position your team behind an unsuspecting enemy team.
Dimensional Rift portals can be used by enemies and a team too caught up in running away might miss the enemy in hot pursuit. The portals themselves can also be easy to spot if not hidden well, giving away your general position but not as grievously as some of the lower ranked heroes.
Much like one of the OP tier heroes, Wraith has one of the smallest hitboxes in the game. Shooting at a Wraith can be an exercise in patience if using an automatic weapon at a distance.
Her passive ability, Voices from the Void, is another powerful tool in her arsenal. This ability can be used to alert team members through an in-game prompt that Wraith is being targeted or has been tagged by an enemy. While the passive doesn’t reveal the enemies location, letting your team know that you are in the crosshairs helps get everybody on the same page.

#3 - Pathfinder (OK)

Why Pathfinder is in the 3rd spot but “OK” tier is mostly because of his size. Pathfinder boasts an entertaining and valuable collection of abilities that help him and his team move greater distances faster than any other hero. His unique playstyle helps him be so close to the greatness of the OP tier that I’m sure he could taste it if he had a mouth. If this list was a “most fun to play” ranking list Pathfinder would be at the tippy top.

Bad news first, Pathfinder is the third largest character in the game. While not as titanically sized as Gibraltar and Caustic, Pathfinder can be easy to shoot at and even easier to spot from a distance. Tack on that he’ll be swinging from things like a metallic Tarzan, Pathfinders can give away a team’s position if you aren’t looking before you swing as an easy target. Season 2 has made this a bigger issue with the small but noticeable 5% increase to all incoming damage.
Pathfinder can move faster than any unit, given the right circumstances. Using his Grappling Hook ability, Pathfinder can attach his hook to tons of objects to fly through the air and pounce on unaware enemies or to gain access to vantage points. Having the best in class mobility earns him the highest OK spot.
Another aspect of the Grappling Hook that helps Pathfinder shine is the ability to hook and pull yourself towards enemies. Undeniably, this doesn’t happen often but few abilities in Apex Legends can be used in this variety of ways.
Insider Knowledge is Pathfinder’s passive ability. This ability allows Pathfinder to use survey beacons, that are scattered about the map, to determine where the next ring location will be. This is priceless information to have, and the next circle appears on the whole team’s map! Insider Knowledge can give a team with a Pathfinder an edge in positioning.
What truly sets a team with a Pathfinder apart is the added movement. Pathfinder’s Zipline Gun, his ultimate ability, has a mere 90-second cooldown and lets him fire off an anchor that sets a new zipline from his location.
Sure, it isn’t as subtle as Wraith’s ultimate, as the newly created zipline is easy for an experienced player to spot but the whole team can move at once opposed to Wraith’s one at a time portals.

#2 - Bangalore (OP)

Why Bangalore is in one of our top spots is because of her insanely powerful abilities. This fierce Legend’s combat skills are remarkably strong. Blowing smoke to obscure enemies visibility, sprinting faster when getting shot at and calling down a massive blanketed airstrike make Bangalore a valuable asset to any team composition. Her abilities also complement the vast majority of Legends, earning her one of the top spots on our list. Bangalore saw no changes in Season 2’s patch and is still one of the strongest legends.

A handful of heroes have abilities that can help provide visibility into the battlefield, enemy positions, etc. Yet, Bangalore possesses the strongest ability to obscure the enemy's line of sight and set up flanking attacks or opportunities for escape. Smoke Launcher can only be countered by an ulting Bloodhound, leaving most teams at a serious disadvantage. Bangalore has two of these puppies she can fire at a time allowing for plenty of coverage.
Another wonderful use for Bangalore’s Smoke Launcher is hiding downed teammates who are getting revived. By laying down smoke, Bangalore or other teammates can run to a downed ally to pick them back up in the middle of a gunfight.
What if a Legend had Octane’s passive ability kick in automatically when under fire? Well, that’s Bangalore’s passive, Double Time. Gaining a nuts 30% speed boost, Bangalore can sprint in and out of combat while under fire, greatly increasing her survivability at no cost.
Rolling Thunder is Bangalore’s ultimate and is another versatile tool in her toolbox. After throwing a flair and a brief delay, some 20 missiles will fall from the sky. Each missile hits the ground and explodes after a few short seconds. Indicators will come up for enemies and allies to get out of the way, much like a grenade indicator. Missiles deal damage and cause a slowing effect with blurred vision.
Much like other Legend’s skills, Rolling Thunder can hit teammates. The single biggest drawback to all of Bangalore lies in this caveat. This ultimate covers a very wide range, and you need to be positive your team is far enough away, or has enough time, to create some distance.

#1 - Lifeline (OP)

Why Lifeline is at the top of our list is because she is the only true support-type character in Apex today. If you aren’t playing Lifeline you better cross your fingers that a teammate does. No other legend can heal the entire team, summon pretty solid loot from the sky, and also be one of the hardest characters to hit in the game due to being so compact. Lifeline can heal faster than any other legend and she gets an energy shield while reviving downed teammates. She’s too good. Do not let this tiny packaging fool you, Lifeline is OP in her ability to arm and repair a team in short order. The only thing that will unseat Lifeline from this spot would be a massive Nerf to her abilities or a brand new, better support Legend. Low Profile was also given to Lifeline, increasing all incoming damage by 5% with the Season 2 patch. This still has not unseated from being the best Apex has to offer. Another small tweak is that her D.O.C drone now dies outside of the ring after two clicks of damage.

With only a minute long cooldown, Lifeline can use her D.O.C. Heal Drone to restore nearby player’s health for a little under 20 seconds. A robotic tentacle attaches itself to close by teammates to let them slurp up the healing goodness. The drone can only heal so much but will always split healing evenly with the aim of topping everyone’s health bar off.
The tiniest of gripes regarding this ability would be the noise it makes. D.O.C. isn’t blasting noises out loud like a howler monkey but an attentive pursuer can pin down your location if they are close enough.
The developers of Apex must have not been paying attention when putting together Lifeline’s passive ability, Combat Medic. This ability is, in my opinion, the best passive in the game. Lifeline gets the luxury of cutting down on healing time by nearly 25%. Seconds matter in Apex Legends and the precious seconds Lifeline shaves off of using healing items help her bounce back into the fight faster than any other Legend.
But wait, there’s more! Lifeline’s Combat Medic skill also allows her to place an impenetrable shield in front of her and a downed ally as she is reviving them. This lets Lifeline make potentially questionable revives much safer for her and her team. You can also abuse this ability by reviving a teammate briefly to provide yourself a shield as your other ally comes roaring in to attack the assailing enemy. Your ally may not like it, but you can stop reviving, start shooting, then go back to reviving for more protection.
Care Package is Lifeline’s ultimate ability and is a tool that can help any composition of Legends get better gear. With the longest cooldown in the game of 6 minutes, Lifeline’s ability is restricted to prevent you and the squad from getting looted out too fast. Despite its cooldown and possibility of enticing enemy teams to scope out your landing spot, this ultimate is priceless. Be sure to feed Ultimate Accelerants to Lifeline to make the cooldown a problem of the past.
Care Packages can contain level 3 gear. This includes backpacks, body shields, helmets, knockdown shields, and weapon attachments. Healing items like shield cells, synergies and more can also appear from these packages. Care Package as an ability is the strongest skill in the game for its capacity to help equip under-geared squads and to potentially fill in the blanks of a team that's already armed to the teeth.

That's our list! Do you disagree with any of these picks? Let us know in the comments section below!

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