Marvel Rivals: The Characters Players Hate Playing Against in 2026

I'm a Mantis main, so let me just say it: hello, Black Panther. You are the bane of my existence. But you're not alone. In Marvel Rivals, there are certain characters that, when piloted by a skilled player, can make you want to throw your controller at the wall. I recently dove into a Reddit thread where players vented about their most hated opponents, and the responses were equal parts hilarious and relatable. Even in 2026, with new seasons and balance patches, some things never change. So grab a snack, and let's commiserate over the heroes that make us see red. 😡

The Usual Suspects: Characters That Ruin Your Day

The thread started with a user named Tacomant76 picking Scarlet Witch, which is a solid choice—her chaos magic can melt you if you're not careful. But the real heat was directed at Spider-Man. Multiple players chimed in, and it's easy to see why. A good Spider-Man is a nightmare for backline healers. As user Penguino_2099 put it, they 'turn into J. Jonah Jameson' every time they see that red and blue menace swinging around. I feel that. There's nothing worse than pushing as a tank, only to turn around and find that the spider has already backed your healers into Narnia (shoutout to Bslayer67 for that vivid imagery). And if you have a Spider-Man on your team? MrWideside points out they always 'ask for heals while swinging around like a madman.' Yep, been there.

But Spider-Man isn't the only one. Tank mains have a special hatred for Wolverine. Users Siahgoneloxo and Daznox both named him their nemesis, with Daznox calling him 'legit the most unfun thing in this game.' The main gripe? Tanks have 'no counterplay' to his kidnap ability. He just picks you up and takes you wherever he pleases, like a ragdoll. It's brutal. I've seen it happen to my team's Hulk, and let me tell you, it's not pretty.

Then there's Squirrel Girl and Moon Knight. Both can just stand in one spot and lob projectiles into a clump of enemies, racking up kills with minimal effort. Moon Knight's ultimate is particularly despised—many players feel it needs a nerf. Groot gets a mention too, but more for how he can annoy his own team by walling off allies. And Iron Fist? His ridiculous movement makes him a slippery pest that's hard to pin down. As for me, if you main a diver, you may as well be dead to me. I'm looking at you, Black Panther and Spider-Man.

A Table of Tears: Why These Heroes Hurt

To sum it up, here's a handy table of the most hated characters and the reasons behind the rage:

My Personal Nightmare

As a Mantis main, my own personal hell is Black Panther. That guy dives me, and suddenly I'm dead before I can even pop a heal. But I digress. The thread also touched on how some characters are just annoying regardless of skill. A bad Spider-Man is a free kill, but a good one? You might as well log off. And Wolverine? If the enemy team has a decent one, your tanks are going to have a bad time.

Just last week, I was in a ranked match, and the enemy Spider-Man went 25-2. I couldn't step out of spawn without getting webbed. It was miserable. My team's Wolverine tried to counter, but he just got kidnapped and thrown off the map. Fun times. 😒

It's interesting to see how these frustrations have persisted into 2026. Despite balance changes and new heroes being added, the core issues remain. Dive characters still terrorize supports, and tanks still hate being kidnapped. Maybe one day we'll get a perfect balance, but until then, we'll keep complaining on Reddit. And honestly, that's part of the fun.

So, who do you hate playing against the most? For me, it's any diver. But if I had to pick one, it's Spider-Man. That guy just won't leave me alone. 😤

Anyway, if you see me in game, please protect your Mantis. I'll heal you, I promise. Just don't let the spider get me.