Apex Legends Season 23 has been here for a few weeks, giving players an idea of the best and worst characters. While skilled players can take any “weak” character and do well with them, less-experienced gamers want to know who the “best” is.
Players should keep in mind that these rankings aren’t going to stay consistent long since the game’s meta always changes. Legends currently low-tier in Season 23 can get buffed in Season 24. Here’s who we think are the best and worst characters in the game right now.
Apex Legends Season 23 tier list
You can see the full legend tier list below, but we’ll get into the reasoning behind some of our picks further down in the guide.
TIER | LEGEND |
|---|---|
S-tier | Pathfinder, Newcastle, Lifeline |
A-tier | Horizon, Valkyrie, Bangalore |
B-tier | Gibraltar, Wraith, Fuse, Caustic, Bloodhound, Seer |
C-tier | Revenant, Mad Maggie, Wattson, Crypto, Lomba, Rampart, |
D-tier | Mirage, Ballistic, Octane |
S-tier
Pathfinder
One of the most fun characters to use in Apex Legends is officially in the game’s top-tier rankings. Gamers always enjoyed the character’s grappling hook and zip abilities. This recent update has given this character even more mobility, letting them control the map wherever they go.
Like we said, Pathfinder’s Grappling Hook is great for traversal and escaping enemy fire. Insider Knowledge is also a good ability that analyzes Care Packages and reduces cool time for Pathfinder’s Ultimate. Speaking of that Ultimate, Zipline is a very good ability that lets him help players by escaping danger and tricking enemies since these Ziplines can lead to disastrous locations.
Newcastle
One of the best defensive characters in the game, Newcastle has reached new heights in Apex Legends Season 23. Buffs have improved the Legend’s defensive abilities, making him an essential pick for each team.
Fans were already getting the most out of his Retrieve the Wounded Passive Ability, which lets him drag unconscious teammates and revive them. The character’s Castle Wall Ultimate is also great, protecting Newcastle’s teammates and dealing stun damage to anyone who attacks or touches the shield.
Lifeline
Apex Legends Season 23 is great for supporting characters, as shown by Lifeline and Newcastle’s placing in the list. Lifeline has been a threat since she came to the game, with Season 23 improving her healing and offensive capabilities. Having this character in your team is a must.
It’s hard not to enjoy her various healing abilities. The Combat Revive Passive Ability lets Lifeline’s drone heal teammates while she is free to dish out damage. Lifeline’s Care Package Ultimate only adds to that, giving her team plenty of defensive gear.
A-Tier
Horizon
The woman who can bend gravity to her will, Horizon reaching A-Tier is no surprise. Her gravity weapons always gave her a unique playstyle that experienced players could use. Buffs have since made her even more powerful, giving players a heavy hit in Apex Legends Season 23.
Gravity Lift was already one of the game’s better Tactical Abilities, letting her change gravity for other characters. Spacewalk continues to be an incredible ability that reduces any fall damage she can take. Finally, her Black Hole is a threat to any team, sucking enemy players in and leaving them open for damage.
Valkyrie
You’ll believe a woman can fly and then missile everyone to oblivion. Few characters in Apex Legends can soar the skies and kill anything in their sights like Valkyrie in Apex Legends Season 23. Her aerial ability and control of the game’s map ensure she’s going to be a problem for the opposing player.
Most players already enjoyed using her VTOLJETS Passive, which lets her glide around the map for a limited time. In addition to her gliding, Valkyrie’s Missle Swarm Tactical can dish out a ton of damage. Finally, the Skyward Dive gives her the ability to go in the air, with options to cancel the move mid-dive.
Bangalore
Depending on who you ask, Bangalore is either a strong addition to your team or an annoying distraction-based enemy. Either way, Apex Legends Season 23 continues to make this character fun to play with and a nightmare to fight against. A very good choice for tactical players and those who just want to shoot for fun.
Tactical Ability Smoke Launcher is her most memorable attack, blocking the opposing player’s vision. Passive Abiltity Double Time lets her quickly escape enemies when fired upon, which is why killing Bangalore is so annoying. If that wasn’t annoying enough, her Rolling Thunder Ultimate shoots a ton of missiles and dishes out damage.
B-Tier
Gibraltar
Even if Gibraltar isn’t up there with Lifeline or Newcastle, he is still a solid Support character in Apex Legends Season 23. While the character can’t always hang with the best, putting him in a creative team can make him a great anchor everyone can rely on. Simply put, everyone can live if Gibraltar is in the team.
Dome of Protection lets Gibraltar block attacks for a good while, making him unstoppable for a minute. Gun Shield is even more useful, letting him completely guard against enemy fire. Defensive Bombardment is the Ultimate that lets decimate teams, calling a mortar strike on a designated position.
Wraith
One of the original Legends in the game, Wraith is still a solid choice in Apex Legends Season 23. Even if she isn’t the best character for offense, the character’s teleportation abilities are a treat to many. She might not be the most powerful character in the game, but Wraith is still a great option for players.
Into the Void gives her temporary invincibility so she can switch places. Voices from the Void gives her whole team an advantage with audible warnings of upcoming danger. Finally, Dimensional Rift allows her to evacuate everyone away from danger, which is useful when the arena starts to close up.
Fuse
A no-nonsense Legend filled with offensive abilities, it’s easy to see why Fuse is beloved. Even if Apex Legends Season 23 doesn’t favor characters like him, Fuse can still be a huge threat. He might need a solid healer with him at all times, but that’s what teamwork is all about in Apex.
Knuckle Cluster is a fun Tactical Ability that shoots a sticky bomb, which can be set on walls or explode on enemies. Grenadier lets him hold two, well, grenades in his inventory and lets him throw these explosives farther than normal. Finally, The Motherlode lets him unleash a ring of explosions, which is very good for dealing damage.
Caustic
Since Apex Legends Season 23 is all about shooting and support, tactical characters like Caustic can be tricky to play. While not weak at all, his poisonous abilities are all about setting up traps for players. Veteran players can get a lot out of Caustic, but newer players will want to play tactically when using him.
Nox Gas Trap has him place canisters around the arena, releasing poisonous gas when shot at. His Nox Vision Passive lets him see through the poison gas, which is sometimes helpful but is too specific, needing the Gas Traps to be activated just to be useful. At the least, his Ultimate Nox Gas Grenade lets him fire a strong poisonous explosive that should kill multiple players.
Bloodhound
Considered by fans to be the most over-nerfed character in Apex Legends Season 23, Bloodhound is mostly bark with some bite left. This Legend is still a threat when used properly by strategic players, but Bloodhound isn’t a big dog like he used to be.
At the least, players can still get a lot out of Eye of the Allfather, which lets him see all enemies. Less useful is the Tracker Passive, which can still find enemies through clues but isn’t always reliable. Beast of the Hunt is Bloodhound’s Ultimate and is a mix of his previous abilities, giving him enhanced senses and making him incredibly quick.
Seer
A solid tracker in his own right, Seer has some great scanning abilities that can give him an advantage in the shooter. Having Seer in your team will be very useful, especially since he can track some enemies and take care of them immediately.
Focus of Attention finds enemies, slows them down, and makes them silent. Heart Seeker can be used to determine the location of enemies, which is a bit basic. Exhibit is his Ultimate, letting him see enemies on the field and what weapons they’re using.
C-Tier
Revenant
Gamers can still dish out a ton of damage as Revenant, but this character is the prime example of a glass cannon. While Revenant is fine for attacking others in Apex Legends Season 23, taking damage isn’t the character’s specialty.
Shadow Pounce is still pretty useful for climbing around the game. Assassin’s Instinct is also great for traversing and highlighting weak enemies. The Forged Shadows Ultimate is useful for blocking some damage, especially since the character has very weak health.
Mad Maggie
While Mad Maggie is still a really strong character, players have to be careful with her attacks in Apex Legends Season 23. Because Maggie is an expert with shotguns, the character needs to be in close-range to do plenty of damage. This makes her a bit risky to use, despite having some fun attacks.
Riot Drill is a very useful Tactical attack that can attach to obstacles and deal damage. Warlord’s Ire is useful for Maggie, letting her highlight enemies and move faster with the shotgun. Wrecking Ball is also a very good Ultimate, a ball of explosives that can kill most players.
Wattson
Despite having some great tactical attacks, Wattson can be killed easily if players aren’t careful. Players who use Wattson in Apex Legends Season 23 will need to coordinate with their team really well, or risk getting shot at multiple times.
Perimeter Security is a very good Tactical Ability that lets players trap and damage enemies. The Spark of Genius is also pretty good as a Passive, allowing her shields to regenerate. Interception Pylon is a great Ultimate that protects Wattson from all attacks for a limited time.
Crypto
A surveillance character with plenty of use, Crypto is pretty useful but can be tricky for extended play. Since Crypto is about gathering information and destroying defenses, this can make the character less straightforward than the others.
His Tactical Surveillance Drone is great for finding enemies and interacting with objects in the game’s environment. Neurolink is also great for teamwork, letting the whole team see what the drone sees. Drone EMP is a solid Ultimate, damaging players, their shields, and slowing them down.
Loba
This support Legend is great for a more tactical approach, but Loba is just too vulnerable in all out fights. While Apex Legends Season 23 has given several support characters a major advantage, Loba hasn’t received as much love.
Burglar’s Best Friend is great for teleporting around the game, much like Wraith. Eye for Quality can be used to find some of the game’s loot around this map. Black Market Boutique is an Ultimate that lets her teammates send ammo and two items into their inventory.
Rampart
Despite specializing in securing areas, Rampart can be taken down fairly easily in Apex Legends Season 23. She can still be used really well by experienced players, but most newbies will struggle with this character.
Her Amped Cover Tactical is great for blocking attacks, even though it’s for a limited amount of time. Modded Loader increases her ammunition magazine by 15%, which means players can shoot a lor more. The Mobile Minigun “Sheila” Ultimate is also great for taking out enemies, but is a bit limited.
D-Tier
Mirage
One of the fan-favorite characters in Apex Legends, Mirage is known for saying “bamboozle” and is often quipped by other players. Unfortunately, despite some cool abilities, Mirage has been nerfed to oblivion and isn’t that useful anymore. Hardcore players should be the only ones who use him in Apex Legends Season 23.
Psyche Out is still good, letting players use a mimic of Mirage to try and distract other players. Now You See Me can cloak Mirage so he can do various support roles, like reviving teammates. Finally, the Life of the Party Ultimate is still good for distractions, but that’s not too helpful in the long run.
Ballistic
To the surprise of no one, Ballistic is considered to be the worst Legend in Apex Legends Season 23. While the character isn’t useless, players will need to get very creative to get anything out of him.
Whistler is a solid Tactical Ability that can malfunction the weapons of other players. Sling lets him store a third weapon, which sounds useful in theory but doesn’t do much in this game. His Tempest buffs the weapons of nearby teammates, but doesn’t do much for him or the player using Ballistic.
Octane
Despite being one of the fastest characters in the game, Apex Legends Season 23 hasn’t been kind to Octane. Because this Season is focused more on being tactical, it makes Octane’s more aggressive playstyle a hindrance. While not completely useless, Octane isn’t a great recommendation for newer players.
Octane’s Stim Tactical lets him run around the arena faster. Swift Mend will heal the character’s health over time, letting him withstand a bit more damage. Launch Pad isn’t a great Ultimate, giving players some air time and a double jump but nothing else.
For more on Apex Legends Season 23, check out these patch notes on all the changes. You can also read about why the game received plenty of negative reviews on Steam at one point.