The Most Underrated Characters in Marvel Rivals: Hidden Picks That Actually Work

There’s something weirdly satisfying about locking in a hero everyone else shrugs at… and then absolutely rolling a match with them. Marvel Rivals has its showboats, sure, but some of the most effective heroes aren’t the ones clogging highlight reels. They’re the steady ones. The patient ones. The “I swear this hero’s actually good” ones.

In this article we will dive into what makes Groot, Peni Parker, and Storm very strong picks even though they’re not played quite as much. Learning these characters could be what brings you and your team into the higher ranks! And if you still think you need some help, consider getting a Marvel Rivals rank boost to give you that little push you need to reach the higher ranks and unlock those cool skins they give.

Let’s break down what these heroes truly do in-game and why you should consider giving each of them a real try.

Why these quiet picks matter

There’s a comfort to sticking with meta heroes. They’re popular, loud, and explosive. They don’t ask you to think too hard about angles or spacing. But underrated heroes? They make you rethink the battlefield entirely.

They give you:

• More ways to control a fight
• Options that opponents don’t prep for
• A sense of ownership over your impact
• And honestly, a more satisfying climb once you get the hang of them

Groot, Peni Parker, and Storm all fall into that category. Not weak. Not niche. Just misunderstood until someone plays them the way they’re meant to be played.

Groot – the Vanguard who literally reshapes the map

If you only know Groot from his personality, you’re missing the best part of his gameplay: he changes the terrain itself.

Groot isn’t a standard tank. He’s a strategist’s dream. His Ironwood Walls don’t just block damage – they block vision, reroute pushes, create new angles, seal off flanks, and, when he’s near them, those walls can be “awakened” to provide healing and support effects.

He basically builds his own battlefield.

That’s why you don’t run Groot in like a battering ram. You plant him where his walls matter most.

He excels when you:

• Drop walls to cut off enemy approaches
• Rotate them to form unexpected cover or elevation
• Use them during fights to provide healing
• Hold narrow objectives where his kit is strongest

Good Groot play doesn’t feel like tanking. It feels like gardening with consequences. The enemy team tries to push through a lane, and suddenly there’s a giant tree-wall covering it. They rotate left, and boom – another one. It’s slow, annoying, and incredibly effective.

Peni Parker (SP//dr) – the defensive bully who outlives everything

Peni might look like a quirky ranger in a mech suit, but she’s actually one of the most frustrating heroes to dislodge if played well.

Her kit revolves around map control and self-sustain, not brute-force DPS. She lays down spider-nests and webs that give her movement speed, extra shields, and healing-over-time – but only if she moves through them. That means she creates her own pockets of safety where she becomes way harder to kill than people expect.

Her primary weapon has infinite ammo, letting her apply pressure nonstop without reload downtime. And those traps? They’re sneaky little duel-winners. Anyone stepping into her webbed zones risks getting stuck in a poke war she’ll absolutely win.

The way to really shine with Peni is to think like an objective babysitter:

• Set up webs before fights break out
• Use nests to punish flanking heroes
• Fight inside your zones, not outside them
• Let enemies come to you – she loves that

Peni isn’t flashy. She’s stubborn. And once you learn how to move through your own traps like a spider with a plan, you’ll out-trade and outlive heroes who rely on bursting you before you get a chance to respond.

Storm – a mobile aerial controller with deceptive utility

Storm is one of the few heroes in Marvel Rivals who can straight-up fly, and that alone gives her an advantage most duelists can’t touch. But the underrated part of her kit isn’t just the height advantage – it’s her blend of zoning, consistent poke, and team buffs.

Her damage comes from a mix of wind strikes and lightning abilities, but Storm shines most when she’s using her mobility and AoE pressure to push enemies where she wants them to go.

She plays almost like this drifting storm front hanging over the battlefield, raining pressure from above while her team pushes underneath.

Most players who dismiss her don’t understand how to leverage:

• Her airborne angles
• Her ability to chip safely from elevation
• Her damage-boosting team buff
• Her hurricane-style ultimate that messes with enemy positioning

A Storm who floats just out of reach, poking, buffing teammates, and waiting for the perfect moment to unleash her ultimate can turn a messy fight into a disaster for the enemy.

She’s not a “dash in, blow up a guy, dash out” hero. She’s a “don’t look now, but she’s ruining your whole push from the sky” hero.

How to get real value from these underrated picks

A few things these three share:

1. They reward map awareness

If you play with your eyes closed, these heroes will feel useless. But the moment you think about chokepoints, high ground, flanks, and rotates, everything clicks.

1. They don’t play like their flashier counterparts

Groot isn’t a “jump in and soak damage” tank.

Peni isn’t a “run and gun” DPS.

Storm isn’t a “burst them down now” duelist.

Their power sits in how they shape fights – not just how they perform in them.

1. Timing matters more than mechanics

Place the wall early instead of late.

Lay the web before the fight, not during it.

Hold your Storm ultimate until the enemy commits.

These are little things, but they compound fast.

1. They pair beautifully with certain teammates

• Groot loves disciplined backlines and midrange heroes
• Peni thrives when someone else protects her webs
• Storm elevates melee duelists with her damage buff

These aren’t solo-carry characters. They’re synergy multipliers.

When “underrated” becomes “meta”

It always happens eventually: a character people ignored suddenly becomes the darling of highlight clips and ranked guides. And it usually starts with a few players finally showing what they can really do.

Storm’s already drifting upward in popularity thanks to better understanding of her buff and flight combos. Groot gets discovered every time players remember objectives exist. Peni spikes whenever people remember her infinite ammo and self-healing webs are annoying as hell.

If you learn them now, you’ll be ahead of the curve – and trust me, nothing feels better than winning with a hero people claim is “meh.”

Conclusion

Rogue and Gambit are joining the game soon, and everyone is excited about it. It might even be the reason you’re joining the fray as well! However, as it usually happens when a very cool new hero drops, you might not get a lot of time playing them. For those times, you might want to consider helping your team with one of these characters instead.

Soon, you and your team will start appreciating every character for what makes them special. No character in this game is “bad”; you just need to know how to use them.

So, keep all this in mind when you go back into the game, and consider getting a Marvel Rivals rank boost to help you catch up with your friends who have been playing the game since launch!

FAQs

Are these heroes actually viable in ranked?

Yes! As long as you learn their kit inside-out you won’t have any trouble raising the ranks with them. If all else fails, consider getting a Marvel Rivals rank boost to get you where you want to be.

Which one is easiest for beginners?

Groot. His value comes from placement and patience more than mechanics.

Which one has the highest skill ceiling?

Storm. Her flight mechanics and timing windows take practice.

Is Peni Parker good for solo queue?

Very – if you focus on map control instead of chasing kills.

What makes these heroes underrated?

They require foresight instead of brute force, so new players misjudge their impact.

Should I main one of them?

If you like being the quietly terrifying backbone of a team, absolutely.