Star Wars: Battlefront 2 features several popular characters in the Star Wars universe, hero and villain alike, and just as in the series, these characters vary in their levels of base strength and special abilities. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 has undergone several overhauls since its launch through DICE's updates to keep the game fresh and competitive, nerfing some overpowered characters, buffing other downplayed figures and generally balancing the power scaling.
The cast featured at the game's launch is almost incomparable to the roster it boasts of today. DICE introduced Star Wars heroes such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to the game and made similar villain additions to the Separatists, Empire, and First Order factions. Choosing the right hero and villain to play in the game can be difficult for players since Star Wars: Battlefront 2 contains 22 different playable characters, each of which has a unique playstyle that gamers must consider carefully.
S-Tier
Darth Vader: It's only fair that the main antagonist of the Star Wars franchise is one of the premier characters in Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and according to many, Darth Vader is the most challenging character to overcome. Players must have a lot of skill to conquer Darth Vader, as he has the largest health pool in the game and can deal harrowing levels of damage with his fearsome Force Choke and Saber Throw. Only teams of highly skilled players can kill Vader, making him a nightmare for gamers and an elite villain.
Anakin Skywalker: Anakin came to Star Wars: Battlefront 2 as part of the Chosen One update during Battlefront 2's shift to the Clone Wars. Initially, Anakin was a godlike character in the game, capable of wreaking havoc on teams at an unprecedented level and wiping players out without breaking a sweat. His power transcended the power scale in such a manner that DICE had to nerf him through several patches before balance was restored to the hero roster of Star Wars: Battlefront 2. Even after these nerfs, he is still one of the strongest heroes in the game.
Emperor Palpatine: The Emperor was a terrorizing force in the early days of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, so powerful he had to be removed from the game for DICE to rework his character. His lateral speed isn't remarkable but his Force lightning attack is devastating, and the sheer damage it causes is enough to seal his place as one of the strongest villains in the game.
Luke Skywalker: Endearing himself to fans with his legendary quote, "I am a Jedi, like my father before me", Luke Skywalker is one of the most recognizable characters in the Star Wars universe. A popular choice among gamers in close-quarters maps, Luke can wipe out large groups of enemies in a matter of seconds. Luke Skywalker may not be as easy for most gamers to employ in a battle as Darth Vader, but his specialized play style and sheer speed make him a first-choice option in all modes of Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
A-Tier
Kylo Ren: Several benefits come with playing as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. He is a well-balanced villain, maintaining an equally powerful mix of survivability and damage. Kylo is highly skilled with the lightsaber, and considering his graceful mobility that rivals Luke Skywalker, he becomes one of the first options for Galactic Assault and Supremacy among players. Although not as powerful as Darth Vader and some other heroes like Anakin Skywalker, Kylo is one of the strongest Sith in Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
Han Solo: Although defensively limited, Han Solo has one of the most powerful weapons in Star Wars: Battlefront 2, the iconic DL-44 blaster, capable of causing severe damage to enemies in one crack shot or a spray using the Sharpshooter ability. Han Solo's other special abilities, like the Detonite Charge, more than compensate for his defensive lapses with elite offense.
General Grievous: An underrated character in the Star Wars universe, General Grievous is a force to be reckoned with in Star Wars: Battlefront 2, possessing excellent mobility and speed on both offensive and defensive ends. Learning to control him can be a bit difficult, but once that challenge is scaled, he is one of the more resourceful characters for players who like to take a fast and furious fighting approach.
B-Tier
Darth Maul: It's natural for characters to have flaws to make them beatable, but when these flaws are due to bugs in the game's development, using these characters becomes unpredictable and annoying. Darth Maul is constantly plagued by bugs, harming the effectiveness of his abilities, but even with the bugs, Darth Maul is a powerful character. He is furiously fast and vicious offensively with his Spin Attack, and he has good range with his Furious Throw, capable of damaging distant enemies. In Galactic Assault and Capital Supremacy, Darth Maul strikes fear into the hearts of his opposition.
Bossk: Bossk's abilities as a blaster villain in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 make him a menace for players to deal with. His rifle has enough range to act as a sniper and enough power to double as a shotgun - and even as a grenade launcher. His character doesn't require much effort to play, and his Proximity Mines pose a serious threat to a hero's health bar. The variety of his assault patterns with his Mines and Dioxis Grenades in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 show that Bossk is not a foe to be trifled with.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Along with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi came to Star Wars: Battlefront 2 as part of a Clone Wars update. He is a solid character for taking on infantry in Capital Supremacy, with special Force Powers such as All-Out Push and Defensive Rush. His defense is exquisite and a joy to watch, having one of the highest survival rates in the game and combining it with elite lightsaber deflection. Obi-Wan Kenobi is an ideal option for more defensive-minded players.
Captain Phasma: Abilities that prolong health pools are always appreciated, and Captain Phasma's Survivor ability keeps her in a fight for much longer periods of time when compared to other heroes. She can be very efficient at range with her Sonn-Blas F-11D rifle and her Sentry Droid. Her fluency at frontline and range attacks makes her an attractive option for players who like unpredictability.
Count Dooku: When it comes to Dueling, few are more skilled in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 than Count Dooku. The villain is surprisingly fast and is able to weaken enemies with his Expose Weakness and Lightning Stun abilities. However, when he's not in his Duelist mode, the Count can be a liability to a player's lineup.
Boba Fett: Equipped with several different devices, Boba Fett has the widest range of mobility in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. However, a series of nerfs since the game's initial release has reduced Boba Fett's abilities as an anti-infantry hero, forcing players to look to other options for Galactic Assault and Supremacy modes. In Heroes and Villains, Boba Fett with his Star Cards can cause significant chip damage against heroes, making him a viable candidate for players to have.
C-Tier
Yoda: Yoda is a favorite among Star Wars fans, and there is much to love about his character in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. He has high mobility and a small hitbox, making it easy for him to dodge attacks, and if he gets hit, Yoda's Unleash and Presence abilities need to be overcome for any significant damage to be done to him. However, Yoda can be hard to execute. He is best as a supporting character to other heroes because he can be ineffective against better opponents.
Princess Leia: Leia might be defensively lacking, but her ability to handle multiple weapon types makes her resourceful. She can use her Defender Pistol for selective marksmanship or Rapid Fire when enemies are coming hot and heavy while using a Squad Shield to protect her allies. Princess Leia is a solid backup character for gamers.
BB-8: The highly durable droid was made to take a beating, able to absorb high radial damage and capture Command Posts in a flash. It lacks any form of good offense but makes up for it with a cable move that can clear an entire room, a great resource for group-based offensive objectives.
Iden Versio: Surprisingly, DICE didn't expand on the protagonist of the single-player campaign mode in the multiplayer. She often gets overlooked in favor of stronger characters, but Iden holds up well on the offensive end with her TL-50 weapon and her Droid abilities.
Rey: Rey has her moments in the game as an effective strike-and-dash character, but in prolonged spells, her weaknesses in base strength become glaring. Her special abilities don't cause much harm to her enemies, but her skill with a lightsaber can be useful to gamers.
D-Tier
Lando Calrissian: Through the famous nerfs and buffs characters have received in the evolution of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Lando Calrissian was largely ignored. He was already one of the worst-equipped heroes in the game at launch, and now even more so. Lando lacks range and power on his Night Sniper blaster, his Smoke Grenade has too many limitations, and his Disabler is almost pitifully easy to dodge. The thermal scope on his weapon is useful when combined with the Smoke Grenade, but that's about all Lando has going for him.
Finn: As a Resistance hero, Finn can boost his teammates' abilities their abilities, making him a good situational supporting member. However, when he's a standalone hero, Finn has too many limitations and cannot compete with other blaster heroes in Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
Chewbacca: A victim of DICE's constant Battlefront updates and nerfs, Chewbacca used to be one of the stronger characters in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. However, the glory days are long gone, and while he's better than the average soldier, Chewbacca doesn't have many notable uses.
BB-9E: The supporting character is painfully one-dimensional in its usefulness, focused on stunning opponents with smart ability usage. Its support abilities are nothing to write home about compared to other heroes, providing a minute HP increase every few seconds. In the Heroes vs. Villains mode of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, BB-9E is useful as a stun bot, but in other modes, players are better served looking elsewhere for supporting characters.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
