Gaming
Games
The best Apex Legends characters for beginners
With 25 characters to choose from, Apex Legends can be overwhelming if you don't know where to start: here's a helping hand to get you on the right path
Apex Legends changed the game when it debuted in 2019: while similar to other battle royale titles like Fortnite and PUBG: Battlegrounds – you know, dropping from a ship, landing, looting and surviving – this team-based first-person shooter shook things up by making you pick a dedicated Legend to play as.
That's a character with their own unique set of abilities to use, from passive to tactical, and an ultimate ability too. Think Valorant or Overwatch, and their unique characters, and you're on the right path. Picking the right character that you gel with can be the difference between being the last Legend standing, to getting fragged right after you land.
After launching with eight characters, Apex Legends now has a huge cast of 25 characters – and with that sheer number of Legends, it can be tricky to pick who to start with if you're just diving into the battle royale. We've done the hard work though: we've narrowed down some top picks to get you started. Whether you're jumping in for the first time, or coming back from a break, these Legends are your picks for success.
01
Bangalore
- Class: Assault
- Passive: Double Time
- Tactical: Smoke Launcher
- Ultimate: Rolling Thunder
Straightforward and no nonsense. That describes Bangalore right down to a tee, as her kit gives players a functional and effective way to navigate the battlefields, making her one of the best Apex Legends characters to get started with. Her Passive ability, Double Time, gives her a temporary speed boost when shot at, allowing her to get out of sticky situations.
If you need to shake things up on the battlefield, her Tactical ability, Smoke Launcher, is a great way to block out enemy sightlines and get a quick heal in, or to help with a quick getaway. While her Ultimate, Rolling Thunder, calls in an airstrike of your choosing, making it ideal for forcing enemies out of cover. Her all-around kit makes her an ideal choice – and that's if you're a long-time player, too.
Watch iiTzTimmy put Bangalore through her paces:
02
Pathfinder
- Class: Skirmisher
- Passive: Insider Knowledge
- Tactical: Grappling Hook
- Ultimate: Zipline Gun
Pathfinder might look like a hapless robot, but his kit makes for a great Legend whether you're a beginner or not, offering fantastic mobility and scouting options that'll keep you in the fight for longer. His Passive ability, Insider Knowledge – as the name suggests – gives him the inside scoop on the next ring's location after scanning a survey beacon, giving his team an advantage on where to move to next.
If you're wanting to zip around the map easily, his Tactical ability, the Grappling Hook, allows for incredible movement around, letting you reposition easily, escape danger in a flash, or find new angles to take on enemies. His Ultimate, Zipline Gun, creates a zipline that the whole team can use, making it super handy to move around in a pinch. While Pathfinder lacks abilities that boast immense firepower or sheer defence, his mobility and repositioning skills makes for a solid pick for any player – and can help you learn your surroundings too.
Phony gears up at Red Bull Legends Inn
© Kena Krutsinger/Red Bull Content Pool
03
Octane
- Class: Skirmisher
- Passive: Swift Mend
- Tactical: Stim
- Ultimate: Launch Pad
Fast and furious, Octane makes for a high-impact choice for any player thanks to his high-speed gameplay and his ability to remain largely self-sufficient. That's thanks to his Passive ability, Swift Mend, which lets him gradually regenerate health over a period of time, letting you stay in the fight without relying on items or your team.
As one of the fastest Legends about, his kit lets you get the edge on your foes. His Tactical ability, Stim, gives you a swift boost to his movement speed, letting you escape or reposition quickly – but it does come at the cost of health. His Ultimate, Launch Pad, lets you deploy a giant pad onto the map that catapults anyone through the air. This is ideal for repositioning your team, making some aggressive manoeuvres on enemies, or simply for a quick escape. With a focus on movement and speed, Octane can be a great pick to quickly learn your way around maps, too.
04
Lifeline
- Class: Support
- Passive: Combat Revive
- Tactical: D.O.C. Heal Drone
- Ultimate: Care Package
Keeping your team alive is a great way to start playing the game, and Lifeline is one of the best characters for exactly that. Her Passive ability, Combat Revive, lets you deploy a drone that will revive downed team-mates automatically while you're still in a fight, which is ideal when you're deep in the fray.
That's not all though, her Tactical ability, D.O.C. Heal Drone, continues the drone theme with a healing hand for your team-mates who stand near it. An instant health boost for your whole squad. Her Ultimate ability, Care Package, can really change the flow of a game, however. It drops down a pod full of defensive gear, all of which are guaranteed to upgrade your current loadout – from healing supplies to shield upgrades, it'll up the ante for your squad's survival.
05
Wraith
- Class: Skirmisher
- Passive: Into The Void
- Tactical: Voices from The Void
- Ultimate: Dimensional Rift
Wraith is one of the game's most versatile Legends, making her an ideal pick for beginners and veterans alike. Her kit is filled with helpful abilities, giving you a slight edge on your enemies. Her Passive ability, Voices from the Void, for example, gives early warnings when enemies are aiming at her, letting you get out of the way before entering a sticky situation. Her Tactical ability, Into the Void, lets her phase out of danger, where she becomes invulnerable and gains a 30-percent speed boost – ideal for getting out of firefights you might have stumbled into.
It's her Ultimate, Dimensional Rift, that's really helpful: you're able to lay down a two-way portal that lets you and your team move around the map swiftly, whether to get out of a tough fight, or to reposition around a key objective. There are many situations where it can come in handy, and it's ideal for any new players to utilise to move around. Wraith is also one of the more compact characters in the game, giving her a slightly smaller hitbox for enemies to aim at, making it a pinch more difficult for rivals. With her useful abilities, Wraith is a solid choice for getting to grips with the game.
