From the moment I jumped into Marvel Rivals back in December 2024, I have been captivated by its dynamic hero roster and third-person action. But after two years of dominating the battlefield, I cannot shake the nagging feeling that something is missing. The game boasts iconic figures like Venom, Loki, Hela, and Magneto, yet the lineup tilts heavily toward anti-heroes and redeemed rivals. We desperately need more pure, unapologetic villains to shake up team compositions and storylines. Recently leaked characters like Ultron as a Strategist hint that NetEase Games is aware of this gap, but I have my own wishlist of ten evildoers who would elevate the experience.
First up is Kingpin. As a Vanguard, his sheer bulk and brawler mindset would fit perfectly into a game that needs more front-line tanks. I see him as a unit who thrives in close quarters, with a passive that provides natural resistance against melee strikes. Imagine Wilson Fisk wading into a teamfight and sharing a portion of that durability with nearby allies. His playstyle would revolve around isolating a single target and hammering them into submission—no superpowers, just pure, intimidating muscle.
Shocker, a classic Spider-Man foe, would bring a much-needed Strategist option. I have always been drawn to supports who can hold their own in a duel, and Shocker’s vibro-smashing gauntlets could heal allies while shredding enemies. A passive that boosts damage to structures would make him a clever counter to map-angled defenses. When he activates his ultimate, I picture him unleashing a broad, continuous beam that simultaneously stitches up teammates and melts anyone foolish enough to stand in its path. That kind of multi-tool utility would be a game-changer.
Baron Mordo steps in as the anti-Doctor Strange Strategist I’ve been fantasizing about. Using dark magic to manipulate life force, his basic attack would steal a fraction of his own health to heal those around him. If it lands on an opponent, the health siphon can overheal Mordo to a cap, adding a risky but rewarding layer. A support ability granting an ally a brief invisibility akin to Psylocke’s vanish would cement his role as a mystical disruptor. For his ultimate, imagine a phalanx of spectral copies of every teammate in range, each reflecting damage back at attackers—a perfect mirror to Strange’s portal plays.
Kraven the Hunter would introduce a hybrid sniper-melee Duelist, and I adore the concept of a scaling passive. Each unique elimination in a single life increases his damage, urging a patient, predator-like style. A rope spear could pull him toward terrain or yank enemies closer, while his ultimate transforms his rifle into a one-shot headshot threat against squishy targets—five shots, no more, rewarding precise aim. He would reward strategic stalking over mindless aggression.
Gorr the God Butcher, wielding All-Black the Necrosword, is a Duelist I would main instantly. His basic melee would possess extended reach, and an alternate fire parry would feel fluid and reactive. A passive health leech on damage dealt keeps him in the fray, while flight, damaging tendril pits, and even shadow clones diversify his kit. His ultimate—a spinning slash that becomes a long-range hurricane—sounds devastating yet balanced by limited vertical coverage, forcing careful positioning.
As a Vanguard, Juggernaut’s entire identity revolves around momentum and destruction. I love the idea of a passive that lets him scoop up chunks of the map and hurl them at enemies, with extra damage against fliers. His healing ability would scale off damage recently taken, turning a bad situation into a sudden survival spike. A charging speed boost rounds out his kit, letting him bulldoze through backlines or peel for allies with equal ease.
The Absorbing Man has the potential to be the most creative Vanguard on my list. His baseline wrecking ball provides mid-range melee and a spinning deflection field for team protection, while his ultimate slams an enlarged ball for massive burst damage. The real genius lies in his passive material switch—stone slows enemies, metal amplifies incoming damage, and magic grants ranged missiles. This shape-shifting complexity would give master players endless room for expression.
Green Goblin needs to own the skies as a chaotic aerial Duelist. Unlike current flyers, his glider would offer reactive dodges and razor disc projectiles that bleed. His primary pumpkin bombs would function like Squirrel Girl’s but with a passive poison linger on all explosive damage. His ultimate would rain death from straight streaks, an evasive bombing run that leaves a toxic aftermath—ideal for breaking entrenched positions.
Rhino feels like an inevitability. A Vanguard through and through, his passive resistance to crowd control embodies his unstoppable nature. A team-bolstering shout that grants armor and reduces his own damage taken echoes Junker Queen’s leadership, while a horn charge can impale and isolate a priority target. His ultimate grants brief invincibility followed by a vulnerability window, demanding perfect timing to maximize impact.
Finally, Carnage would be the Duelist that cleaves through the opposition with symbiote brutality. Instead of Venom’s tankiness, I’d give him faster base movement and an attack-speed steroid. Long-range tendrils would work like Groot’s reach but with headshot capability. His ultimate, a symbiote tether that pulls multiple enemies into a massive slash, delivers that visceral burst I crave. With Knull’s presence teased, Carnage feels like a story-driven addition just waiting to happen.
In my hundreds of hours across all ranks, I have seen how role imbalance and monotony can dull the competitive edge. These ten villains would not only diversify the Duelist-Vanguard-Strategist split but also let players finally inhabit the full moral spectrum of the Marvel universe. NetEase has a golden opportunity in 2026 to refine the game’s identity, and plunging deeper into villainy could be exactly what keeps Marvel Rivals roaring for years to come.