Marvel Rivals Starting Characters Guide: Best Heroes & How to Unlock Hidden Fighters

Jumping into Marvel Rivals with the right starting roster is crucial for early success. This guide breaks down the strengths, roles, and best pairings for all your unlocked heroes, from Black Panther's melee combos to Storm's area control. Learn how to build a powerful team from day one.

Default Characters (Unlocked at Start)

Black Panther

Black Panther is a close-quarters specialist with fast, flowing melee combos and agile movement for evasion. His signature Vibranium special attacks include powerful lunges and spinning claw slashes. His speed makes him ideal for tag-team strategies, pairing well with slower or ranged heroes.

• Role: Melee DPS
• Key Strength: High mobility and burst damage
• Early Synergy: Works well with Iron Man or Storm for ranged cover

Cosmic Ghost Rider

Cosmic Ghost Rider applies Stun with both basic abilities, providing crucial crowd control in early missions. Before his first turn, he lowers enemy damage and focus to protect allies. When enemies use Ultimate attacks, he grants Barrier to himself and "Out of Time" allies.

• Role: Crowd-control tank
• Key Strength: Pre-emptive damage mitigation
• Early Synergy: Pairs with Nova or Wolverine for safe burst windows

Iron Man

Iron Man excels at ranged combat with repulsor blasts and aerial superiority for safe positioning. His electro-charge heavy attack staggers enemies and interrupts incoming attacks. He pairs naturally with melee fighters like Wolverine, providing covering fire while they engage up close.

• Role: Ranged DPS
• Key Strength: Safe damage from distance
• Early Synergy: Supports front-liners such as Captain America or She-Hulk

Beta Ray Bill

Beta Ray Bill’s Retaliation passive shocks opponents after he’s hit, adding bonus damage and control. Classified as a cosmic-tier character, he wields hammer-based area attacks with high base strength. He pairs exceptionally well with Nova, creating a balanced team of brute force and speed.

• Role: Counter-attacking bruiser
• Key Strength: Reactive damage and AoE control
• Early Synergy: Forms a power duo with Nova for burst and follow-up

Captain America

Captain America can block incoming attacks with his shield, significantly reducing damage for reliable survival. His shield throw ricochets between targets, letting him deal with enemies from a safe distance. He serves as a durable frontline tank, ideal for beginners learning the game’s mechanics.

• Role: Tank / hybrid ranged
• Key Strength: Damage mitigation and simple execution
• Early Synergy: Anchors any team; great with Rocket for revive support

Nova

Nova’s Nova Force passive increases Nova Beam damage after using his Special Attack, enabling burst combos. Mastering the Special-into-Beam rotation is key to maximizing his output. He pairs well with crowd-control heroes who create space for his focused attacks.

• Role: Burst ranged DPS
• Key Strength: High single-target spike damage
• Early Synergy: Benefits from Cosmic Ghost Rider’s stuns or Storm’s slows

Rocket Raccoon

Rocket Raccoon uses firearms and gadgets to maintain distance and apply constant ranged pressure. He excels at area damage, making him ideal for Arcade mode swarms. He also provides versatile support, including healing and revives, valuable for longer Campaign missions.

• Role: Ranged AoE / support
• Key Strength: Wave clear and sustain
• Early Synergy: Works behind Captain America or She-Hulk for safe casting

She-Hulk

She-Hulk is a durable frontline brawler who absorbs punishment and controls enemy groups. Her area-of-effect attacks clear weaker fodder common in early levels efficiently. Her straightforward playstyle makes her accessible for players of all skill levels in co-op.

• Role: Tanky brawler
• Key Strength: Simple, reliable crowd control
• Early Synergy: Holds the line while Iron Man or Nova dish out damage

Spider-Man

Spider-Man arrives with classic web-slinging and acrobatic combat. His spider-sense grants early-warning detection, making him hard to ambush or hit. The mix of natural agility and technological web-shooters keeps him flexible across varied combat scenarios.

• Role: Agile disruptor
• Key Strength: Evasion and battlefield mobility
• Early Synergy: Flanks with Black Panther or Wolverine for pincer attacks

Storm

Storm wields Omega-level weather manipulation, including lightning, wind, and atmospheric control. She can even bend cosmic storms and solar winds, making her effective against space-based threats. Her wide-area abilities soften groups before allies move in for the finish.

• Role: AoE controller
• Key Strength: Long-range zone control
• Early Synergy: Sets up kills for burst heroes like Nova or Cosmic Ghost Rider

Wolverine

Wolverine functions as a Frontline DPS, keeping elite enemies occupied with sustained pressure. His healing factor grants natural durability, making him one of the more forgiving characters. He pairs well with Venom for crowd control, shredding entire packs after they’re grouped.

• Role: Self-sustaining melee DPS
• Key Strength: High uptime and survivability
• Early Synergy: Combines with Storm or Rocket for safe, sustained fights

Unlockable Hidden Characters (Unlock via Campaign)

Phoenix (Jean Grey)

The Blue Area of the Moon campaign mission - formally titled Blue Area of the Moon: Full Moon of the Insectoids - is your gateway to adding Phoenix to the roster. This mission appears as either Mission 6 or 7, depending on your campaign path.

Step-by-Step Unlock

1. Reach the final encounter where Dark Phoenix appears as the boss.
2. Defeat Dark Phoenix to trigger the unlock cut-scene.
3. Recommended duo: Wolverine and Nova—Wolverine’s high health regen keeps you alive, while Nova’s aerial mobility helps you stay clear of AoE bursts.
4. Master Cosmic-Swap: Tag-team swapping at the right moment is crucial for dodging Dark Phoenix’s devastating area-of-effect specials.

Venom

Progress through Mission 8: Destromundo - also known as The Flying Menagerie - to face Venom in a climactic boss battle.

Step-by-Step Unlock

1. Complete the mission objectives until you reach the final arena.
2. Defeat Venom in the boss fight to add him to your team.
3. Dodge constantly: Venom’s grab and wide-area attacks punish stationary players.
4. Optimal team: Wolverine and Spider-Man. Wolverine’s rapid, high-damage slashes shred Venom’s health bar, while Spider-Man’s webbing keeps you mobile.

Phyla-Vell

Clear Mission 11: Hala to unlock the cosmic warrior Phyla-Vell.

Step-by-Step Unlock

1. Finish the Hala mission objectives; no unique boss name is highlighted in guides, but completion is sufficient.
2. Phyla-Vell joins automatically after the mission summary screen.
3. Combat edge: Her Cosmic Counter move restores extra focus, letting you spam specials more often.
4. Synergy tip: Pair her long aerial reach with a melee brawler to cover both ranged and close-quarters threats.

Silver Surfer

The Fort Galactus sequence - Missions 13/14 subtitled Free the Eater of Worlds - delivers the game’s toughest unlock fight.

Step-by-Step Unlock

1. Survive the two-stage finale:
   • Stage 1: Defeat Silver Surfer solo.
   • Stage 2: Face Silver Surfer and Galactus simultaneously.
2. Stay mobile: The arena is littered with hazards, and Silver Surfer’s teleporting dark-energy combos demand constant repositioning.
3. Bring burst damage: Characters with strong ranged attacks or high burst excel here—think Nova or Iron Man.
4. Priority target: Focus fire on Silver Surfer first; Galactus’s attacks are slower and easier to telegraph once the Surfer is down.

Mastering your starting characters provides the foundation for tackling the game's toughest challenges. With a solid understanding of each hero's role and synergy, you're ready to build effective teams and progress toward unlocking powerful hidden fighters like Phoenix and Silver Surfer.