Apex Legends: Best Defensive Characters, Ranked

(Image: Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts via HGG)

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Next on this list for every character in Apex Legends ranked by class, we have defense legends! These are a class of heroes centered around defending their allies and holding an area down. They tend to excel in certain limited-time modes such as Control, as well as in late-game battle royal matches. They are some of my favorite legends to play as they tend to have some very unique abilities to mess around with.

1/6

Gibraltar

(*Image: Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts via HGG / Koby Gibson Ross*)

Kicking off the list for defense legends, we have Gibraltar. Was this really a surprise? Gibraltar began the game as one of the weakest legends but has since become one of the strongest in the meta. His tactical allow him to throw down an invincible dome shield that will protect him and his allies. His ultimate is an orbital bombardment that will rain down destruction on enemies. And his passive is a strong gun shield that will block some incoming fire from opponents!

Gibraltar is without a doubt one of the hardest legends to 1v1. He has the fortified perk. This allows him to take reduced damage from enemies (this is to make up for his bigger-than-usual hitbox). His gunshield is really good for sniping enemies from a distance and for peaking out of cover to shoot. And his ultimate is better than Bangalore’s in my opinion, as it starts dealing damage much faster.

2/6

Caustic

Up next, we have the mad scientist Caustic! Caustic is a legend that I would actually consider a hybrid between the assault and defensive class. Although I understand if you disagree. His tactical lets him throw down gas traps that will set off and deal damage/slow nearby enemies when activated. His ultimate is a gas grenade that coats a large area in neurotoxins. And his “passive” allows him to see enemies that are inside his gas.

Caustic’s gas traps are very great for holding doors shut and for defending an area. The toxins deal more damage the longer you stay in it, and slowing down enemies is very good. His gas traps can be used offensively by throwing them forwards toward enemies. They can also be used as makeshift cover, so overall he is a very versatile legend. And his gas grenade is great in CQB or when you catch an enemy team huddled together.

3/6

Wattson

Wattson is our next legend, who was released back in Season 2. While Wattson has a strong place in the ranked meta, she is very unpopular in public lobbies. This is mostly due to her pure defensive playstyle. Her tactical lets her construct electric fences that damage and slow enemies who walk into them. Her ultimate is a device that can recharge shields and her tactical. It can also destroy any grenades and (most) ultimates thrown your way.

Lastly, Wattson’s passive allows her to very slowly recharge shields, similar to Octane’s health regen. Wattson is a really, really great legend for setting up defenses, probably the best in the game. But as previously mentioned, she has no offensive capabilities whatsoever, so she isn’t that versatile. You would love playing Wattson if you enjoy supporting your team and aren’t a fan of playing aggressively.

4/6

Rampart

Rampart is next up on our list. It’s a shame that I had to put her on the lower end, as I really really love playing her. Her tactical is a buildable set of cover that lets you deal more damage to enemies when you shoot from behind it. Her ultimate is a portable minigun with a VERY high DPS. And her passive ability allows all LMGs she uses to hold more ammo in them, and she can reload them faster than other legends.

Her amped cover is very good, especially if you love being a sniper and attacking enemies from a distance. If you get the high ground with her you’ll be in a very good spot. Rampart’s minigun is great in some scenarios and when facing against low-level players. But due to the high recoil, a skilled player can very easily outmaneuver the minigun’s fire. I’ve seen clips of low levels getting SHREDDED by this gun but watched more experienced players easily dodge out of the way in CQB.

5/6

Newcastle

Newcastle is a pretty interesting legend. He is also one of the most unpopular legends you can find in the game. His tactical ability is a mobile shield that can be commanded at will and used to push forward onto enemy positions. His ultimate is a move that sends him flying up into the air and crashing down below to immediately set up some barricades. And his passive ability lets him move allies that were knocked down, while also shielding them from fire while he is healing them.

This legend is pretty great for helping out teammates that are struggling. In a lot of ways, he is like a Gibraltar with a kit that takes the purpose of Gibraltar’s dome and doubles down on it, giving him a passive and ultimate that provide a similar function: getting your squad out of danger fast. I think that he is pretty underrated, but he is not as good as some of the other legends in the game.

Catalyst

Before talking about Catalyst, let me just say that the new season only JUST came out and I can’t make a fair judgment of her just yet. While I have some experience messing around with her abilities in a public lobby, my opinion will probably change the more I play her. Her tactical lets her create a spikey trap that deals damage to enemies who step in it. Her ultimate lets her send out a long wall that causes enemies who walk through it to be partially blinded and slowed down.

And her passive ability lets her reinforce doors, making them significantly harder to break through. Her tactical ability is pretty decent, but I think that Caustic’s gas traps are preferable as they make it very difficult for enemies to see you through the gas. Catalyst’s ultimate ability seems pretty situational, and it isn’t really a counter to the scan meta we were hoping for. If an ally gets scanned before they go behind the wall, they will still be marked by the enemy team.