Marvel Rivals Hela guide: Abilities, how to play, and more

Marvel Rivals Hela is part of the ever-growing Duelist roster. She is extremely powerful, and despite the latest nerfs, she still holds her spot as an S-class character in the game. Hela's kit features a unique projectile that is almost hit-scan. These piercing projectiles have a ton of damage, and also have a headshot multiplier. Owing to the nature of this fast-past projectile, players can deal consistent damage, and she is undoubtedly one of the deadliest Duelist in the game.

Hela has a low-skill floor and is perfect for beginners. The only thing that you need to generally take care of when playing this character, is your positioning, and of course, your mechanical aim. If you have good control over both these aspects, you can easily dominate your opponents using Hela.

Our Marvel Rivals Hela guide will provide a detailed brief on her abilities, and the different heroes you can pair with her to make her an absolute terror in matches. Read below to know more.

Note from the Editor: The contents of this guide have been updated to the latest patch deployed on March 6, 2025. This article will be further updated as a new balance update goes live for Marvel Rivals in the near future.

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Marvel Rivals Hela: All abilities

Marvel Rivals Hela is a Duelist character (Image via NetEase Games)

In Marvel Rivals, Hela has two basic attacks and multiple active and passive skills that make her a threat on the battlefield. Here's an in-depth look at her abilities:

Ability	Effect
Nightsword Thorn (LMB)	Throw Nightsword thorns
Piercing Night (RMB)	Fire multiple Nightsword thorns that detonate after a delay
Goddess of Death (Q)	Soar into the sky and unleash Nastrond Crows from each hand at will
Astral Flock (LShift)	Transform into a Nastrond Crow to glide forth, press again to undo the transformation
Soul Drainer (E)	Project an explosive Hel sphere to Stun nearby enemies.
Hel's Descent (Space)	Hold Space to fall slowly
Nastrond Crowstrom (Passive)	Defeating an enemy will generate a Nastrond Crow, exploding after a duration
Queen of Hel (Passive)	When Hela lands a final hit in defeating an enemy, she can instantly resurrect Loki and Thor in the respawn phase, or grant them Bonus Health if they are still alive

How to play Hela in Marvel Rivals

Mobility

Marvel Rivals Hela Astral Flock ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Marvel Rivals Hela has average mobility thanks to her Astral Flock ability. It can be used in a multitude of ways, including taking high-ground advantage and retreating when low on health. Positioning at odd angles or higher ground is often rewarded as you can catch an unsuspecting enemy and land a free kill for yourself.

Hela is one of the slower units in Marvel Rivals. She has a passive that allows her to descend slowly, so using that in combination with the Astral Flock can result in unique plays or save Hela while she manages her ability cooldowns.

Playstyle

Hela is a Duelist in Marvel Rivals, and her primary job is to deal damage. Her Nightsword Thorns deal impressive damage despite being slow. Her daggers follow a straight line and do not have a drop-off. Although not as fast as The Punisher, her attacks do a decent amount of damage.

She is somewhat of a sharpshooter, and if hit scans are not up your alley, she might be the perfect hero for you. Her projectiles deal significant damage, and if you can consistently hit headshots, you'll undoubtedly rain hellfire on enemy players. If you have played Overwatch 2, Hela's left-click is very similar to Kiriko's right-click in terms of speed and style.

Marvel Rivals Hela Piercing Night ability (Image via NetEase Games)

Piercing Night is one of Hela's most crucial abilities, as it can deal delayed damage. It throws a volley of Nightsword Thorns which explode after a small delay. This is best used if you manage to land these on a fleeing enemy, as they are likely to explode while they are escaping from the fight. If the target is low health, it can potentially kill them as well.

Hela in Marvel Rivals can be quite fragile in team fights. High-mobility characters like Spider-Man are your worst enemy, as their combos landing completely can easily send you packing back to spawn. Use the Astral Flock to escape team fights and take an off-angle. Alternatively, you can also use your Stun ability to give yourself and your team a small window of advantage.

For combos, the best way is to use your left click and bring an opponent's health below the halfway mark, and then use your right click and try to land as many of the thorns as you can. Piercing Night will do damage when your shots land on the opponent, as well as the delayed explosive damage which can completely take them down—if done correctly.

Ultimate

Hela's ultimate in Marvel Rivals, Goddess of Death, can deal good damage. However, you must position yourself well to fully utilize it. In her ultimate, Hela will soar up in the sky and shower down Nostrand Crows which deal AoE damage in a small radius.

Positioning is important, as, you soar up into the sky at the exact place where you pop the ultimate. Ideally, you should use your ultimate in a place where no building or structure above you can block your line of sight when airborne.

Best team-ups for Hela in Marvel Rivals

1) Thor

Thor is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Hela (Image via NetEase Games)

Thor and Loki benefit from a massive resurrection team-up ability by being picked with Hela in Marvel Rivals. This skill allows Hela to bring back Thor and Loki from the brink of death with final hits. In case the heroes are alive during this ability, they will receive some bonus health instead to help them sustain longer on the battlefield.

Thor is a great ally to have besides Hela since the Vanguard hero can tank a lot of damage and shield Hela from being targeted. This makes it easier for Hela to land her devastating blows on the enemy team and secure easy kills. Combining both Thor's and Hela's ultimate, you can have a massive impact during team fights by dishing out lethal damage. The squad can then chase around and secure the rest of the kills on weakened heroes.

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2) Mantis

Mantis is a great duo for Marvel Rivals Hela (Image via NetEase Games)

Hela is an extremely potent long-range combatant who gets even more powerful with consistent and reliable healing. Mantis is one of the best Strategists in the game to complement Hela with her Healing Flower ability. She also has a damage-boosting ability in Allied Inspiration and a sedating ability, Spore Slumber, which makes Hela’s primary shots even more powerful and easier to land.

Moreover, Mantis’ ultimate, Soul Resurgence is perfect for airborne characters like Hela.

Best Marvel Rivals Hela counters

1) Hawkeye

Hawkeye is a counter to Marvel Rivals Hela (Image via NetEase Games)

Hela has a lot of damage output but limited defensive capabilities, as she can only evade dangerous situations. With the absence of any shield abilities or a large health pool, Hawkeye can take her down with a few charged headshots. Since Hawkeye can maintain a safe distance similar to Hela, it becomes difficult for the Asgardian to retaliate quickly and needs to receive assistance from the team.

Hawkeye can also launch flanks by taking different routes on the map and engaging with Hela in close-quarter combat. Since he has a few combat skills, Hawkeye can force the other Duelist to retreat or fight against him while having low health. Both scenarios can be beneficial for your team as the opponents will lose out on an important member and be forced to defend till Hela can regroup.

2) Venom

Venom is a counter to Marvel Rivals Hela (Image via NetEase Games)

Venom is one of the best dive Vanguards in the game. Hela is weak in close-range fights, which is where Venom shines. Venom can dodge Hela’s attacks with Venom Swing and Alien Biology, and pair those with Frenzied Arrival for a surprise attack against her.

Furthermore, Venom’s Cellular Corrosion and Symbiotic Resilience are particularly annoying for Hela as they render her pretty much useless against him. Additionally, Venom’s ultimate, Feast of the Abyss, is one of the best in the game to counter airborne characters like Hela.

Read more: 5 best heroes to counter Hela in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals Hela Lore

The Goddess of Death is one of the most interesting characters in the Marvel universe, and rightfully so. Here's a look into the story behind Hela in Marvel Rivals as provided by the game's official website:

"The Asgardian Goddess of Death, Hela is a powerful sorceress who controls an endless army of undead warriors. She has long sought to expand her domain beyond the nether realms and will make any deal that benefits her goal. Hela will not rest until all souls— living and dead are hers to command. Hela offered to support Loki's coup in exchange for an extension of Hel's territory into the realm of the living. In truth, though, she seeks to claim Yggsgard's throne-and the temporal power that comes with it for herself.''

That's all about Hela in Marvel Rivals. For more related news, stay tuned to Sportskeeda's Esports section.

If you're interested, you can check out our other hero guides below: