Brawl Stars tier list: Best brawlers to play in 2026

Stephen Tang
Duncan Proctor
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Table of Contents
  1. TL;DR
  2. Brawl Stars tier list explained
  3. Brawl Stars tier list in brief
  4. Brawl Stars tier list
  5. Best Brawlers for each class
  6. Tips for choosing the right Brawl Stars character
  7. Conclusion
  8. FAQs 
  9. REFERENCES
A desktop monitor displaying Brawl Stars gameplay with three characters — Shelly, Colt, and Poco — running forward, set in a cozy home office with autumn light coming through the window.
Image credit: Supercell

TL;DR

  • Brawl Stars has over 90 brawlers, each offering unique mechanics, roles, and playstyles.
  • Brawlers are ranked into five tiers: S, A, B, C, and D based on win rate, use rate, and meta relevance.
  • The game is well-balanced, so personal playstyle and comfort matter more than just raw tier placement.
  • Mortis, Emz, Rico, Spike, Colt, and Mandy are among the best Brawl Stars characters to play as. 
  • Some of the worst Brawl Stars characters include Willow, Chuck, Sam, and Clancy.

Brawl Stars boasts a roster of over 90 Brawlers, with newcomers joining every few months. With seemingly constant and frequent meta shifts, buffs, and nerfs, choosing the best Brawl Stars characters to climb the Trophy Road will always help. So, to help you on your way, we’ve compiled a Brawl Stars tier list to identify the best Brawlers in the game.

Brawl Stars tier list explained

Before we get into that tier list, it’s important to know what each tier signifies. Our Brawl Stars tier list breaks the 99 Brawlers across five tiers: 

  • S-Tier: Meta-defining, must-pick brawlers
  • A-Tier: Strong picks with wide utility
  • B-Tier: Viable in most maps and modes
  • C-Tier: Average performers or map-specific
  • D-Tier: Underwhelming or niche use

That being said, using an S-Tier Brawler who you are unfamiliar with can be outperformed by a C Tier Brawler by a player who understands their mechanics well.

Brawl Stars’ meta is fluid and changes quickly. We are basing our list on metadata from Noff within the last 30 days.

Overall, Brawl Stars remains a balanced game, which is why it’s important to master Brawlers on your own as well. 

Brawl Stars tier list in brief

Here’s our ultimate tier list of all Brawl Stars characters ranked.

TierBrawlers
S-TierMortis, Emz, Rico, Spike, Colt, Mandy
A-TierShelly, Frank, Fang, Bea
B-TierGlowbert, Cordelius, Pierce, 8-Bit, Stu, Buster, Piper, Byron, Crow, Doug, Otis, El Primo, Nani, Mina, Gus, Edgar, Belle, Bibi, Grom, Tick, Lily, Gray, Brock, Carl, Melodie, Tara, Max, Angelo
C-TierDarryl, Bull, Amber, Lola, Juju, Kenji, Charlie, Meeple, Finx, Squeak, Trunk, Ruffs, Janet,  Sandy, Lou, Griff, Alli, Gene, Moe, Jessie, Kit, Leon, Mico, Meg, Shade, Bonnie, Maisie, Rosa, Dynamike, Chester, Jae-yong, Ash, Lumi, Gigi, Buzz, Berry, Kaze, R-T, Gale, Poco, Hank, Bo, Eve, Jacky
D-TierPam, Colette, Sprout, Draco, Nita, Larry & Lawrie, Surge, Ziggy, Penny, Ollie, Mr. P, Pearl, Barley, Willow, Chuck, Sam, Clancy

Brawl Stars tier list

S-Tier

Brawl Stars character with purple hair and cloak, grinning mischievously
Hard to beat right now / Image credit: Supercell

Mortis has remained one of the best Brawlers in Brawl Stars for a while now, due to exceptional mobility, self-healing, and the ability to finish off squishy foes. Emz excels through sheer damage, whether that’s AOE or over time. Paired with her CC, she is an exceptional zoner.

Then, there are other S-Tiers, like Mandy, with variable range, allowing them to thrive by affecting the game from afar. These characters can be caught out, being glass cannons, but their effectiveness at safe distances and sheer damage output make them some of the strongest Brawlers in Brawl Stars.

S-Tiers can still have weaknesses, but are simply the best in their class, and excel at such a level that they have to be considered the top of the meta.

A-Tier  

Fang character pose in Brawl Stars
Fang’s versatility makes him one of the best assassins in Brawl Stars / Image credit: Supercell

With the way that Brawl Stars is currently balanced, there aren’t many A-Tiers. Most are sitting in the middle of the Brawl Stars tier list, making the A-Tiers still some of the strongest options in the game. 

The likes of Shelly, Bea, Frank, and Fang are still among the best in their class. If we take Fang, for instance, his ability to chain his ultimate for team wipes and incredible mobility make him one of the strongest assassins, while still having long-ranged pressure with his shoe projectile. His versatility makes him one of the best Brawlers in Brawl Stars. 

B-Tier

Mina character pose in Brawl Stars
Mina is a reliable B-Tier Brawler in Brawl Stars, despite nerfs / Image credit: Supercell

B-Tier is where the tiers start getting overly packed, which probably suggests that the balance of the game is relatively even, especially for the size of the roster. Still, B-Tiers are the reliable options, usually boasting slightly above-average meta scores (calculated with win and pick rates). They aren’t as busted as S-Tiers and tend to have distinct weaknesses, but are still a threat in the right hands.

For instance, Mina used to be a near-broken S-Tier character, but some nerfs have seen her weaknesses get exemplified. She struggles against long-range foes, and her final attack in her sequence is now slower, so her strength in finishing off squishy foes has been diminished a little, but she remains a strong option.

B-tiers are great choices more often than not, especially if you’re comfortable with these Brawlers, and with the malleable nature of Brawl Stars’ meta, they can always get stronger.

C-Tier

Kenji from Brawl Stars
He might be C-Tier, but he still packs a punch / Image credit: Supercell

While highly mobile, one of the legendary Brawlers, like Kenji, is still stuck in the C-Tier. Kenji can be made to work well, but combining relatively low damage with a lack of range serves to make Kenji a relatively weak option, especially considering his high skill floor.

This doesn’t make C-Tiers unviable, but rather situational, as it is our most populated tier as of February 2026. With how fluid the meta is in Brawl Stars, there is sometimes only a minor change between C and B-Tier Brawlers, but there tend to be better options for the role.

Brawlers like Kenji exemplify this strongly, being more trouble than he’s worth thanks to how hard he is to play and unlock. 

D-Tier

Clancy character pose in Brawl Stars
Clancy’s poor early and mid game performance makes him a D-Tier Brawler in Brawl Stars / Image credit: Supercell

Then, this leaves us with D-Tier, the bottom of the Brawl Stars barrel. They have a mix of the lowest win and pick rates. If we look at someone like Clancy, he has a poor pick rate of 0.43% and winrate of 41% at the top 200, at least in February 2026. These Brawlers, unfortunately, can’t leverage their strength enough, and their weaknesses get exposed.

Continuing with Clancy, he is weak in the early game, easily countered, and only useful in the late game if you can even get that far. If you’re getting snowballed, Clancy isn’t going to help, and carrying an extra Brawler just to get to their late game, which might not even happen, probably isn’t going to be worth it. Thankfully, the ever-moving nature of Brawl Stars means that those in D-Tier could end up moving up soon.

Best Brawlers for each class

Unlike other MOBAs, which have clearly defined roles, Brawl Stars is much more flexible. While the Brawlers can be divided into different roles, these aren’t completely fixed.

This is because the game has a variety of different modes and maps, which keep rotating as well. Therefore, the role of each Brawler in these modes and maps keeps changing. 

This is a good start to understanding the different characters. For example, if you are looking for the most powerful character in Brawl Stars, start by checking out the assassins listed below. 

  • Assassin: Mortis, Edgar, Lily
  • Tank: Bibi, Bull, El Primo
  • Damage Dealer: Shelly, Surge, Chester
  • Marksman: Bea, Mandy, Piper
  • Artillery: Tick, Dynamike, Juju
  • Controller: Otis, Gale, Meeple
  • Support: Byron, Kit, Max

Tips for choosing the right Brawl Stars character

Figure out which modes and maps you play the most

Some Brawlers are great in Brawl Ball, but might not be the best pick in Heist or Solo Knockout. Furthermore, playing a long-range S-Tier Brawler on a map which has fewer open areas will just diminish their effect.

Therefore, figure out the modes and maps you play the most, and use Brawlers’ good at that. You can go the other way around as well – you can choose Brawlers you like and only play modes in which they excel. 

Prioritise specialisation early on over flexibility

“Jack of all trades, master of none,” holds in Brawl Stars as well. If you are new to the game, it’s better to select a few Brawlers and master them. This will help you accumulate Trophies faster. 

Additionally, you need to level up Brawlers by playing them. Therefore, this allows you to do both at the same time. 

Later on, you can diversify your Brawlers of choice once you get the hang of the game. 

Check out which Brawler fits you best

This point might seem counterintuitive, but it’s important to mention. There is no right way to pick Brawlers in the game, especially in the early stages, since Brawl Stars is pretty balanced. 

Therefore, you need to select a Brawler which suits your playstyle and, more importantly, you have fun playing with. Each Brawler is very unique and has varying main attacks, supers, and traits. 

We recommend trying out Brawlers from different roles to understand what feels most natural.

Watch top players and content creators

The best way to select the best Brawlers for yourself is by observing popular creators and pro-players. 

Brawl Stars has an evolving esports scene where you can tune in to check out the best tricks for positioning, dodging, and Super usage.

Test Brawlers in the training grounds

Use the Practice Mode before joining a game to understand the Brawler. This is a risk-free environment, allowing you to get comfortable before taking them into real matches.

Conclusion

Brawl Stars is a well-balanced title with an ever-evolving roster of characters. It requires a team of Brawlers, however, so there isn’t a single best Brawl Stars character for everyone in every situation. The main goal should be to find a Brawler that suits your playstyle and learn how to use them effectively.

Use our tier list as a guide, not a Bible. Personal comfort and just having fun will outperform raw stats, as you will be able to get more out of that Brawler. With how fluid the Brawl Stars meta is, stats will always change, so picking Brawlers that you enjoy playing should always be the goal. If they happen to be powerful, then even better.

FAQs 

Who is the best Brawl Stars character?

There is no single pick as the best Brawler. Some of the best include Mortis, Emz, Rico, Spike, Colt, and Mandy. Use our S-Tier to know who the most powerful ones are.

Which Brawler should I max out in 2026? 

Focusing on high-tier, consistent Brawlers like Gene, Max, or Spike to max out is a good option. That being said, the Brawler, which suits your mode and map of choice to max out, is often the best choice.

Which character does the most damage in Brawl Stars?

Mandy, with her charged Super, and Charlie have some of the highest burst potential.

REFERENCES

Stephen Tang

Features Writer
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Stephen is a writer for Esports Insider and has been covering gaming stories since 2023. He has a lifelong love for the fighting game scene, having grown up with 3D fighters like Tekken and Soulcalibur. He has occasionally dipped into the world of hero shooters, like Marvel Rivals and Overwatch, and MOBAs, such as League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm.
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