With so many characters to choose from in Apex Legends, who is the very best Legend? There are now 23 in total, so if you’re not sure who to pick, or want to try someone new, here’s the ultimate Apex Legends tier list for Season 16.
Whether you’re a newcomer to Apex Legends, or an experienced player, choosing a Legend can be a tricky task with so many options. Depending on your playstyle or teammates, you might want to get good with a few characters.
In Season 16, Respawn overhauled the class system in Apex, with Legends now placed into one of five new classes. You’ll want to pay attention to this when choosing your Legend too.
Remember that any Legend can be powerful when practiced a lot, and even ‘lower-tier’ characters can be great when in the right hands – it’s also important to use the right weapons. But, this is our overall ranking for the Legends you want on your squad in any given game.
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Contents
Apex Legends Tier List
Before we break down our picks, here’s our complete tier list at a glance.
| Tier | Legends |
| S Tier | Bloodhound, Valkyrie, Seer, Horizon |
| A Tier | Ash, Caustic, Wraith, Lifeline, Octane, Loba, Gibraltar, Catalyst |
| B Tier | Wattson, Vantage, Bangalore, Maggie, Newcastle, Pathfinder, Revenant, Fuse, Mirage |
| C Tier | Rampart, Crypto |
Keep reading to find out why we’ve picked this order, and which Legends might be better suited for you.
Who is the best Apex Legends character?
S Tier
Bloodhound
Overall, Bloodhound is still the best Legend in Apex Legends for the majority of players. This is thanks to the invaluable information they provide to their team with their powerful and easy-to-use kit.
Although their abilities won’t do any damage, the tracking abilities are unmatched, and if you don’t have a Bloodhound on your squad, you’re at a disadvantage.
Bloodhound hasn’t received any major changes for a few seasons, but they remain well-balanced, despite being top of the pile. They are still as strong as ever when it comes to team composition and scouting out enemies.
Bloodhound’s scan is the core of their kit, allowing not just you, but your teammates too, to see enemies in the area highlighted through walls. The only downside to the scan is that enemies will know they’ve been scanned, and therefore know you are close by – but the advantage is still in your favor.
Beast of the Hunt, the Ultimate ability, turns Bloodhound into a killing machine for a time, highlighting enemies in red like a digital threat, and now sends out white ravens to help guide you to enemies. This is aided by the passive, showing where enemies have been recently.
Check out our top tips for getting wins as Bloodhound.
Valkyrie
Despite some big nerfs in Season 14, Valkyrie’s unique set of abilities still make her a very strong pick, and it’s not enough to knock her out of S Tier quite yet.
Her Ultimate Ability is Skyward Dive; which enables you and your teammates to launch to the sky and redeploy. You will also see teammates in your line of sight highlighted as you are in the air.
Her main passive, the jetpacks, allow Valkyrie to reach almost any spot on the map, and instantly get the high ground, but, they are very loud, which is one of the big drawbacks. You also can’t fire weapons while using the jetpack, making you a sitting duck. The tactical fires a swarm of mini rockets, which don’t deal much damage, but will stun enemies, making them an easy clean-up kill.
With the ability to instantly rotate with your whole squad, and to get high ground easily in any situation, Valkyrie is comfortably an S-Tier Legend, whether you’re playing solo or as a tactical trio.
Check out all our top tips for taking down the opposition as Valkyrie.
Seer
The Season 10 Legend instantly shot into an S-Tier position at the beginning of the season due to all three of his abilities having incredible power for tracking enemies and being a nuisance to them in a fight. But, much-needed nerfs took away a decent amount of his original power.
Not only does Seer’s passive show you the direction of enemies with a heartbeat sensor, but his tactical can also scan, interrupt abilities, interrupt healing, interrupt revives, and show enemies health bars, and track for 8 seconds. It doesn’t deal damage anymore, but that was more power than it really needed.
And Seer’s ultimate will similarly track all enemies within a very large dome, provided they are running or shooting (which is most of the time). Although he’s been nerfed again in Season 16, he’s still a very strong pick.
Seer is a genuine rival to Bloodhound’s crown as the best ‘scan’ and recon legend, so if you’re a Bloodhound main, you might want to try out some Seer too.
Here’s our top tips for playing as Seer in Apex Legends.
Horizon
Horizon has been one of the most prominent Legends since she was introduced in Season 7. But, by the time Season 9 came around, her dominance in the meta was getting too much, and nerfs were needed.
Her Gravity Lift was targeted, as it was too easy for players to get instant high ground and beam down on foes from above. Now, players will strafe much slower on the lift, making you a much easier target. You will also be kicked off the top after 2 seconds, so you can’t sit up the top beaming down.
Thankfully, since Season 10, players are now much more mobile on Horizon’s lift, making her much more viable. Her accuracy on the lift was nerfed in Season 16, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.
Horizon is still one of the best characters within the game, and is one of the most popular among higher ranked players too. If you can get familiar with her abilities and use them at the right time, Horizon makes it into the S tier.
Check out our tips for playing as Horizon.
A Tier
Gibraltar
Support characters are the backbone of your team, and Gibraltar has encompassed a new role within teams thanks to the ample amount of buffs the developers have laid upon him. Even if not used in lower-level games as much, Gibby has become a must-have in high-level ranked.
His Ultimate ability has enough potential damage to zone the enemy away, and the Dome Shield can be a lifesaver for not just you, but your whole team. You do have to watch out for enemies using it too, though, as there’s nothing stopping them from getting inside.
The gun shield has been nerfed a bit, as damage now bleeds through to Gibby, but it’s still a big help to have when first engaging opponents. In Season 16, Gibraltar was placed in the support class, which allows him to get extra loot from blue bins, and craft banners for fallen teammates.
Overall, Gibraltar is one of the best characters, but he’s still a big, tanky character who is hard to miss. Some players will definitely find a more nimble character beneficial. With that said, he’s a powerful asset on any team.
Check out our guide on dominating matches as Gibraltar.
Ash
The Season 11 Legend, Ash is the first pilot to enter the Apex games (no, Valkyrie is not a pilot). And instantly, it was clear that Ash would be a popular pick with her kit at launch. Her Ultimate is similar to Wraith’s, except its only one way, and has a shorter maximum range. But, it’s much faster to use, and the cooldown is much shorter too.
Perhaps Ash’s strongest asset though is her passive. Identifying death boxes and then being able to use her data knife to get instant locations on the enemy squad is more recon information than most recon legends get (looking at you, Crypto).
Her tactical, the arc snare, is probably the weakest part of her kit, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s still a useful tool that can both help you in a close gunfight, or soften up your enemy for an easier push. Oh, and you get a really cool ronin sword with Ash, too.
Check out our guide to playing as Ash here.
Caustic
Caustic has moved up and down our tier list like a yo-yo. With buffs, followed by nerfs, followed by buffs again, Caustic has found his way back into the meta at the top level of Apex.
In Season 12, Respawn made his traps destructible even after they’ve been triggered – but, with 150HP per barrel, it’s not actually as big a nerf as you might think. In fact, it may even be a buff, with enemies often directing their ammo at the barrel, or simply evacuating.
In an organized team composition, Caustic is very powerful in the right hands, and with his Gas now much more dangerous, an experienced Caustic player on your team can be the difference between winning and losing.
Check out our best tips on mastering Caustic.
Wraith
Since the release of Apex Legends, Wraith has undoubtedly been one of the best Legends each season. This is in large part due to her ability to create chaos on the battlefield with her abilities. And she is consistently still one of the most picked Legends at all skill levels.
Whenever you and your squad are engaging in team battles, you will often find Wraith sneaking into the backlines or trying to flank her opponents with her Tactical Ability ‘Into the Void’. This enables Wraith to seemingly avoid all damage while getting a better position on the enemies you are battling.
Wraith continues to be at the top of the Apex realm, and was improved even more in Season 9, as Low Profile was removed. This means she will no longer take 5% more bullet damage.
In Season 16, her portal was doubled in distance, and you move faster when using it too, a great addition to her already strong kit.
Check out our guide on making the best plays as Wraith.
Lifeline
Having a Lifeline on your squad can literally be a lifesaver, as she shines in supportive abilities. But, in Season 9, her res shield was removed, meaning teammates are now exposed when being revived by the Drone.
But, Lifeline can still revive two players at once, while she herself continues fighting. Also, her drone now heals faster, at 8HP per second. The new support class means Lifeline can also craft banners of fallen teammates, meaning you never have to be a player down.
Lifeline’s Ultimate was also massively improved in Season 9, as it now guarantees to drop an upgrade to your gear. Having the chance to capture a Legendary or Epic piece of equipment can be the deciding factor in a lot of Apex matches, and Lifeline is still one of the best characters to have on your team.
Check out how to master your plays as Lifeline.
Octane
The speedy trickster Octane is definitely one of the most fun Legends to play. Running super fast with his stim, soaring over enemies with the jump pad, and healing on the move makes him a joy to play.
His stims will now damage you by 20HP though, so you have to be a bit more careful, opposed to the previous 12HP. The cooldown is now reduced too, meaning you can pretty much instantly spam the stim again – but you’ll be down to very low health quickly if you do.
The jump pad is one of the best movement abilities in Apex, and the whole team can use it – but so can enemies.
He’s not quite as good as the S-tier characters, and his abilities won’t help you win many gunfights, but if you’re all about speed, Octane is the Legend for you.
Check out our guide for dominating matches as Octane.
Loba
Although Loba was once a low pick, fixes to her tactical have allowed her to thrive once more.
Respawn has adjusted her Burglar’s Best Friend ability, allowing players to slide/move and shoot at full speed when the bracelet is equipped. A significant change that should see fans flock to her, as well as it being much less buggy.
But, on the flip side, they did increase the cooldown for her Black Market Boutique from 90 seconds to 120 seconds; but this is not that big of a deal, considering it’s still a short cooldown compared to most other Ultimate abilities.
The changes to her bracelet are the main reason that she moves up to A tier, and is now truly one of the most powerful characters. Also in the support class, she gets that ability to craft banners too.
Check out our guide on racking up the wins as Loba.
Catalyst
Catalyst, added in Season 15, bears few similarities to other legends, as her abilities all make use of ferrofluid, of which she has masterful control.
Catalyst isn’t exactly a meta Legend, but her Ultimate being able to counter scans (mostly) is obviously a big plus, with Bloodhound and Seer being so popular.
Her Passive, the ability to reinforce doors, is a great ability when combined with other defensive legends on your team – but if you’re playing with an Octane and a Pathfinder, you might find it a bit more situational.
Finally, the Tactical, which slows enemies caught in the ferrofluid trap, is a great evasive ability, but how useful it is in attacking a team is questionable.
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For now, Catalyst is certainly a very useful Legend, but whether she moves up or down the list will be determined as more players learn to make the most of her skills.
Check out our top tips for playing Catalyst.
B Tier
Wattson
Wattson is a great team-based Legend, and in the right hands, can be deadly too. Her Ultimate ability destroys enemy throwables and allows a squad to hold down a position. Your shield will recharge too in the vicinity.
Combined with her Perimeter Security traps, if you’re playing as a team, Wattson can be a great squadmate to have. However, she can’t be placed any higher on this list because as a solo player, she certainly isn’t the best pick.
Big changes in the Season 11 update allowed Wattson to move back up to B-tier, and players who have mained Wattson for a long time will know exactly how to get the best out of her abilities.
If you haven’t played Wattson before though, it might take you a bit of time to get ‘good’ with her abilities – knowing when and where to place fences, and using your ultimate when it matters most. With practice, Wattson can be a crucial team player.
Check out our tips on how to master a match as Wattson.
Bangalore
You would think that a Legend with the ability to cover the battlefield with smoke grenades would normally be at the top of any Apex Legends tier list. But, in the case of Bangalore, she has been flying under the radar since the game was released.
Her smoke is certainly useful, but more often than not it’s used for trying to escape from a tight spot – and there are other characters that are better for this (Loba, Octane, Wraith). The problem now is that there are far too many scanning abilities (Bloodhound, Crypto, Seer, Fuse, Maggie, etc.) that will completely counter Bangalore’s smoke, not to mention digital threat scopes.
Despite being relegated to B-tier, Bangalore is still a viable pick. Players who main her regularly will become proficient at the best time to use her abilities. Double Time is also one of the best passives in the game.
Her Ultimate ability, Rolling Thunder, is a mixed bag, because it doesn’t do as much damage as Gibraltar’s missiles, but, you can use it to cover your back or soften up opponents before moving in for the kill. Enemies will be slowed and stunned, if they don’t get out the way in time. Unfortunately, you’ll often find it is just as annoying for you and your teammates as it is for the enemies.
Check out our best tips for playing as Bangalore.
Maggie
On paper Maggie was a scary sight when first unveiled before Season 12. With her tactical able to counter abilities like Rampart walls and Gibby bubbles (and now her ult too), and her scan passive when damaging enemies, there was concerns she might be overpowered.
However, in practice, Maggie’s abilities aren’t as overwhelming as many expected. Her passive scan after damage is great, but is rather short, so you rarely have to worry too much as long as you move quickly – or just shoot back. Her tactical, the drill, is certainly a highlight of her kit, but it’s also easy to waste by missing your shot.
If you love shotguns, Maggie will be a go-to pick thanks to her shotgun speed buffs, but it’s probably not enough to push her into the upper tiers – not yet anyway. We would be surprised if Maggie isn’t in line for some buffs.
Check out our tips for playing Mad Maggie here.
Newcastle
It’s still early days for Newcastle in Apex Legends, but so far, our first impression is that he will certainly have a place in the meta as a support-oriented, defensive Legend.
Crucially, his ability to get to teammates in need quickly makes him a perfect hybrid between a support character, and a character with great movement. If you compare it to other Legends who can zip across distances quickly (think Pathfinder next, with his grapple) Newcastle is simply much more effective at this.
However, it remains to be seen long-term if this will be enough to make him a popular pick among movement fans (e.g. Octane mains) or support players who prefer Lifeline. For now, he’s in the b-tier, but he could move up (or down) as players get familiar with both playing and countering Newcastle.
Check out our guide to playing Newcastle here.
Pathfinder
Pathfinder was once among the best Legends to use within the game, but successive nerfs see him drop to the ‘B’ tier. But, he’s still one of the most fun to play, and if you can master his grapple, you can move like no other character.
The Grapple can still be used to make a quick escape or to push up on weak opponents before they get the chance to heal. But, now, Wraith, Loba, Valkyrie, Ash, or Octane might be better to make those quick escapes.
His movement is still unrivaled on paper, and the Zipline Ultimate works similarly to the Wraith’s portal, getting your team out of a tight spot, or to get to hard-to-reach locations. Of course, enemies can also use it, so you need to watch your back.
Check out our top tips for playing as Pathfinder.
Revenant
Added in Season 4, Revenant has had ups and downs in the Apex meta. Where this deadly Simulacrum Assassin shines is his Ultimate ability, which allows him (and his teammates) to escape death temporarily.
His Passive ability, Stalker, allows him to crouch walk faster and climb higher up walls. However, Respawn perhaps overlooked that this ability pales in comparison to someone like Pathfinder, Valk, or Horizon. These two can scale pretty much any building, of any height, instantly.
Revenant’s Tactical, Silence, is incredibly powerful on paper. It deals a portion of damage and prevents all enemy abilities. But, it only works for 20 seconds, after which the enemy squad can use their abilities as they would normally. Perhaps this needs a buff, to reset charges on abilities instead?
Respawn has commented on the Legend, noting that they are going to change certain aspects of him later down the line. So, we see no reason to adjust his spot on the list, as he can still prove viable in most scenarios.
Check out our tips on how to master Revenant.
Fuse
Fuse joined in Season 8, and has some very strong abilities on paper. Being able to stack two grenades per slot, and then slingshot them out, means he can deal a ridiculous amount of explosive damage, very fast.
His ultimate is fine, but it’s very easy for enemies to escape the ring of fire he puts down. Thankfully, Season 10 added the ability to track enemies caught in it, giving Fuse some much-needed power.
Fuse’s knuckle cluster now has two charges and a reduced cooldown for each charge of 20 seconds, and Respawn have made it last twice as long in Season. For these reasons, he finally escapes the C-Tier, and can move up to B.
Check out our tips on how to play Fuse.
Mirage
Mirage started off life in Apex Legends as a very underpowered character. His Ultimate ability was pretty useless, and his Tactical felt a bit gimmicky compared to many of the others.
Thankfully, a rework eventually came, and masters of Mirage will argue he should be in A tier. Certainly, with enough practice, and in the right hands, he can be a menace.
But, his abilities are still very one-dimensional, and he doesn’t offer a lot to a squad in terms of team play, outside of his ability to cloak when reviving.
Mirage’s Ultimate will definitely get you out of a tight spot, especially if you’re playing against less-skilled players who are more easily ‘bamboozled’. We still think Mirage could do with some more power though.
Check out our guide on how to master Mirage.
Vantage
Added in Season 14, Vantage is a solid pick, especially for players who like to snipe, but can be quite niche too.
If you love fighting at a distance then, of course, Vantage will be a great pick, but her tactical also allows for quick maneuvers if things get a bit too close and personal.
Whether or not Vantage will become a viable pick at the upper levels of Ranked play remains to be seen, but there’s certainly potential for her to be a great pick for casual players who want to live out that sniper fantasy.
So far though, there’s nothing that Vantage truly excels at to make her a must-pick over many of the other legends, unless you just love that sniper fantasy.
Check out our top tips for playing as Vantage.
C Tier
Rampart
Season 6’s Quick Witted Modder, Rampart, was comfortably one of the worst legends for most of her lifetime in the game. Fortunately, Respawn eventually tackled some of Rampart’s shortcomings to ensure she saw her full potential as a legend in Apex.
The most crucial change was allowing Rampart to move with her Ultimate, Shiela. Now, you can carry around the most powerful weapon in the game (Kraber notwithstanding) and take out enemies with aggression. Rampart’s walls have always been a useful ability, and now pair even better with the Ultimate.
Rampart got a much-needed buff in Season 13, but, unfortunately, her abilities still too situational to escape c tier, as unless you opt for a rather defensive, static playstyle, there are other Legends to pick first.
Check out our guide on how to play Rampart.
Crypto
Unfortunately, Crypto remains right at the bottom of the pile. For the majority of players, you’ll be far better with a more explosive character. But – this isn’t to say Crypto is a bad Legend.
With team coordination, the Surveillance Expert has the potential to be great. He predominantly suffers from the rest of the team constantly pushing it and being outnumbered, but coupled with more thoughtful gameplay, Crypto can be a good pick.
Big changes to Crypto’s kit in Season 12 certainly make him more useable, by allowing him to send out his drone remotely, but so far, it’s not been enough so significantly improve his pick rate.
Crypto isn’t a bad character, but is simply a more cerebral Legend than most players will want to use, so it is hard to justify his position at any higher tiers on our list.
Check out our tricks on how to play Crypto.
Best Apex Legends characters for beginners
While there are many highly effective legends in Apex Legends, some are more difficult to master than others. For example, even though Valkyrie ranks as an S-tier legend, mastering when to use her abilities best for your team might require more experience playing Apex.
With that said, here are the best Apex Legends characters for new players:
- Bloodhound
- Lifeline
- Octane
- Loba
- Wraith
Even though new players can find success using a variety of characters in Apex Legends, these characters have both strong and relatively easy abilities to use, where you can’t really go wrong. If you need to make a quick escape, then Loba, Wraith and Octane are all good picks, and will let you reset before heading back into the fight.
That’s our current ranking of the characters in Apex Legends – but this list will change as future updates happen and new Legends are added over the course of the game’s lifecycle.
For more Apex Legends Season tips and tricks check out our guides below:
How to get Heirloom shards | How to get higher FPS on Apex Legends | What are Apex Legends Prestige skins | Rampage LMG Guide | Latest Apex Legends Patch Notes | PS Plus Pack | How to link Origin to Steam
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