It's one of the most popular games in recent memory. Overwatch is huge among online multiplayer gamers, and with such a wide range of characters and play styles, it’s not hard to see why. There is so much variety in combat styles, designs, personalities, and abilities of the characters that it’s hard to pick a favorite.
And with new characters being added all the time, it gets even harder to choose with such a plethora of options; so why limit it to just one? Here are the best Overwatch characters based on power, abilities, and overall how fun they are to play.
Updated August 9th, 2020 by Stephen LaGioia: Given the fluid, ever-shifting nature of Overwatch's addictive multiplayer, not to mention its vast array of distinct heroes, we felt it made sense to update our list with 5 more worthy entries. Characters who have a wide array of useful abilities will be stressed, as will those with high skill ceilings.
15 Zenyatta
Between his bizarre mechanics and the many great go-to healers, this Omnic support tends to be overlooked by many. It's a shame, because Zenyatta actually holds a lot of hidden power and versatility to those who know how to use him.
Though he may not be the most beginner-friendly choice, he can really make an impact and turn the tide in battle.
His ability to lace allies at a distance with his healing Orb of Harmony and debuffing Orb of Discord allows him to run the table and cover ample ground. Not only this, but his DPS is surprisingly potent, especially when blasting a fully-charged Orb of Destruction. Then, of course, there's one of the best healing Ults in Transcendence.
14 Soldier 76
Soldier 76 is a great option for new players. Of all the characters, he has the most similar play style to typical shooter games like Call of Duty. He carries a Heavy Pulse Rifle and maneuvers much in the way you would expect of any basic character.
What makes him one of the best Overwatch characters, however, are his abilities. He has an optional Sprint mode, Helix Rockets that cause lots of damage, and the ultimate ability of Tactical Visor which allows him to lock targets when shooting, guaranteeing hits.
13 Junkrat
Junkrat is one of the most fun and unique characters to play. He is a bit of a wild card when it comes to play style as many of his attacks are rather chaotic.
Some of his cool features that put him above the other characters include Steel Trap – essentially a bear trap that can be placed on the map to trap enemies; Concussion Mines – great for launching enemies or yourself far distances; Total Mayhem – a passive ability that causes Junkrat to drop explosives upon death, damaging or killing all those nearby; and RIP Tire – Junrat’s ultimate that spawns a controllable exploding tire that can climb walls.
12 Mercy
Undeniably the best healer in Overwatch is Mercy. Able to bring back dead teammates with her Resurrect ability, fly to targeted teammates in need, escape danger with her Guardian Angel ability, and passively heal herself, Mercy is a must on any team.
Her ultimate ability, Valkyrie, allows her to fly freely and grants boosts to all her abilities, making her extremely useful in any game. And if that’s not enough, Mercy can also equip a gun to shoot enemies herself and can grant damage boosts to her team.
11 Lucio
Lucio is one of the ten best characters in Overwatch because aside from being one of the best healers, he has the best maneuverability of any character. Using his Wall Ride ability, Lucio can defy gravity. Also, he can grant health boosts and speed boosts to himself and teammates almost simultaneously.
His Amp It Up ability makes both these boosts even stronger. In addition, Lucio can knock back enemies and score environmental kills by using Soundwave and create personal shields for him and his teammates using his ultimate: Sound Barrier.
10 Orisa
The tank role is one that can be intimidating to many. This is especially the case with shield tanks, who are tasked with protecting most of the team and take the brunt of assaults. And while Reinhardt tends to be a pretty safe go-to, Orisa can be very powerful offensively and defensively if positioned correctly.
Her massive barrier and rapid-fire Fusion Driver can make her a force to be reckoned with. Her Halt! can also be an effective tool in her toolbox, disrupting the movement of an assaulting team, and even dragging them into deadly pits.
9 Moira
While she gets a bit overshadowed by Mercy, Moira is a similarly effective support character on the healing front - and elsewhere. She can multitask with great efficiency and speed, thanks to her ability to juggle healing and damage orbs. Her ability to sap the health out of targets in her general range makes her tough to deal with for opponents.
Her orbs - which ricochet off walls - as well as her AOE healing make her a particularly potent Hero, especially in closed and indoor spaces. Her Fade ability also allows her to get out of sticky situations easily and cover lots of ground quickly.
8 Widowmaker
If long-range is more your style, Widowmaker is the go-to sniper. Boasting the longest scope, headshot kills, and a combo sniper and rifle for long- and short-range combat, Widowmaker easily makes it into the top ten Overwatch characters.
In addition to killer accuracy, Widowmaker can also see enemies through the map for a short time by infecting them with her Venom Mines, which slowly deal out damage, and she can get to sniping positions using her Grappling Hook. Widowmaker’s ultimate is Infra-Sight, which allows her and all teammates to see enemies on the map.
7 Baptiste
Baptiste is another healer, but in addition to healing, he offers a wide arsenal of offensive attacks. Baptiste is capable of long-range healing, which he can perform without switching from damage mode.
His Exo Boots ability allows him to jump extra high, and he can create an Immortality Field that preserves the last bit of health of any teammate standing within it. If that’s not enough, Baptiste's ultimate – Amplified Matrix – doubles all damage and healing from the team that passes through it.
6 Bastion
Bastion – a gentle, friendly robot – has one of the highest damage outputs of any character. With the ability to change configurations, Bastion can convert to turret mode, in which he essentially becomes a heavy artillery machine gun capable of wiping out anything in his path.
The cherry on top of this extreme offensive method is that, while not in turret mode, Bastion can Self-Repair as he walks, making him an extremely powerful character. Bastion’s ultimate is Configuration: Tank in which he becomes a mobile canon with a large blast radius.
5 Genji
He may be pretty vulnerable even for a DPS Hero, but Genji can be a total killing machine in the right hands. Many players find it well worth overcoming his rather steep learning curve in order to maximize the potential of this high-ceiling Hero.
With Genji, being a swift, pesky target is the name of the game - and he does it well. He can climb, hop, and dash around with Swift Strike, and can cover a ton of ground in little time. His Deflect move makes him even tougher to hit, and his Dragon Blade ultimate can annihilate an unsuspecting team with a few slashes. Put simply - there's a reason pro players often opt for Genji.
4 Tracer
This DPS player is similar to Genji in terms of her insane speed and her trickier mechanics that provide a higher ceiling. Like the previous entry, seasoned Tracer players can absolutely run the table and be a real bother for the enemy team.
She can ambush players, chase down weaker foes, or just be a decoy. Basically, she's terrific for players mechanically and strategically inclined.
She can be vulnerable, to be sure, but her small hitbox, Recall ability, and the speed of her movement mitigate much of this. And while her Pulse Bomb isn't the nuclear weapon some Ults are, she can get it at a far more rapid rate than many Heroes.
3 Zarya
Zarya is another tank character, one of the best as she has a good blend of offensive and defensive abilities. With her Particle Cannon, Zarya can shoot laser blasts and lob explosive charges at enemies, as well as protect herself and teammates with her Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier respectively.
These shields not only protect from enemy fire but also absorb that energy to make Zarya’s weapon stronger. Her Graviton Surge ultimate ability can be used to draw in enemies closer while also damaging them.
2 D.Va
D.Va is probably the best tank overall. She, like Soldier 76, is a good character for new players as she has the best maneuverability of any tank and unlimited ammo. D.Va’s mech is equipped with Fusion Canons and Micro Missiles, as well as Boosters that allow her to fly short distances and jump higher.
The mech is also equipped with a Defence Matrix that can shoot incoming projectiles out of the air. Lastly, and perhaps best of all, D.Va’s ultimate is a Self-Destruct of her mech that utterly decimates any enemies within range.
1 Doomfist
Doomfist is another heavy hitter with a surprising amount of maneuverability for such a tank-like character. His skills include a Hand Cannon that fires short-range missiles; the Seismic Slam that, much like Zarya’s ultimate, pulls enemies in and stuns them temporarily; the Rising Uppercut that can launch enemies into the air; and the Rocket Punch, which is basically equivalent to the Falcon Punch.
Doomfist’s ultimate is called Meteor Strike and consists of him leaping into the air and punching the ground, dealing heavy, usually fatal, damage to any enemies within range.