Rainbow Six Siege has become one of the best online tactical shooters available. The exhilarating gameplay married to well-balanced tweaks at every patch continues to deliver.
Now that the game is approaching its 5-year mark, we made a definitive list of the best operators ever to be released.
The following tier list ranks all operators from best to worst in terms of viability for competitive/ranked matches. Let’s dive right in.
Table of ContentsShow
S-Tier
These are currently the best operators to use right now. They have excellent team utility and useful abilities that fit well into any squad. It’s no surprise that they have successful win rates in competitive matches.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Thermite | Attacker | Shotgun, Assault Rifle Handgun Stun Grenade Claymore Exothermic Charge | Thermite is equipped with two Brimstone BC-3 Exothermic Charges. These charges can breach through any Reinforced Wall within three seconds of activation. |
| Hibana | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Shotgun Handgun, Machine Pistol Stun Grenade Breach Charge X-KAIROS | Hibana’s unique gadget is the X-KAIROS Launcher, which can fire explosive pellets that can be remotely detonated simultaneously and can pierce reinforced walls. |
| Mira | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Shotgun, Handgun Proximity Alarm Nitro Cell Black Mirror | Mira spawns with two Black Mirrors. She can deploy her Black Mirrors on any breachable or reinforced wall, and she can even place them over the border between a reinforced and non-reinforced wall. The Black Mirror is a bulletproof one-way mirror; it is see-through only from the side it was deployed from. |
| Bandit | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Barbed Wire Nitro Cell Shock Wire | Bandit can connect his Shock Wires to all metallic gadgets, including barbed wire, reinforced walls, and deployable shields. Shock wires deliver electrical charges that damage players who touch them. |
A-Tier
These operators are excellent in team fights or individually. They’re not as powerful as those in S-tier, but an experienced player can close that gap.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Doc | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun Barbed Wire Bulletproof Camera Stim Pistol | Doc’s Stim Pistol can revive and heal allies for 40 health from afar. It can also “overheal” an ally, granting a health buff over the player’s normal max health. |
| Twitch | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Marksman Rifle, Shotgun Handgun Breach Charge Claymore Shock Drone | Twitch has two Shock Drones that can shoot shock darts at a target. These drones can take out enemy gadgets from afar and shock enemies. |
| Valkyrie | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Deployable Shield Nitro Cell Black Eye | Valkyrie can deploy three Mk2 “Black Eye” Gyro Cams. These cameras can latch onto almost any surface to increase your team’s surveillance in the area. |
| Lesion | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun Impact Grenade Bulletproof Camera Gu | Lesion’s Gu mines are throwable devices that deploy on the floor and stick to any attacker who gets near them. Players who trigger the mine will be poisoned for a time until they are downed or the poison needle is removed. |
| Ash | Attacker | Assault Rifle Handgun Breach Charge Stun Grenade Breaching Rounds | Ash can shoot up to two Breaching Rounds, which will burrow into a surface and detonate after a short time. The resulting explosion deals high damage over a small area. |
| Jager | Defender | Shotgun, Assault Rifle Handgun Bulletproof Camera Barbed Wire Active Defense System | Jager can deploy 2 Active Defense Systems (ADS). Each of these can intercept and nullify up to two projectiles before being destroyed. |
| Maverick | Attacker | Assault Rifle Handgun Claymore Frag Grenades Breaching Torch | Maverick can equip his breaching torch to make holes in any breachable surface, including Reinforced Walls. |
| Thatcher | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Shotgun Handgun Claymore Breach Charge EMP Grenade | Thatcher is equipped with EMP grenades that can disable all electronics within its area of effect (5.2-meter radius). |
B-Tier
These are good operators that have minor flaws that prevent them from reaching the peak of the roster. A lot of them are specialists that excel in a specific team strategy.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Kaid | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Barbed Wire Nitro Cell Rtila Electroclaw | Kaid comes equipped with two throwable “Rtila” Electroclaws that can be thrown onto any surface, electrifying metal objects within a radius of the target. |
| Mute | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun, Machine Pistol Nitro Cell Bulletproof Camera Signal Disruptor | Mute’s Signal Disruptors are portable devices that can be placed on the floor to jam all remotely detonated electronic devices in a wide area. |
| Jackal | Attacker | Assault Rifle, SMG, Shotgun Handgun Claymore Smoke Grenade Eyenox Model | Jackal can use his Eyenox visor to see and scan Defender footprints to track their owner. |
| Rook | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Proximity Alarm Impact Grenade Armor Pack | Rook comes with a bag of five ”Rhino” Armor Plates. These Armor Plates can be picked up and equipped for added defensive bonuses. |
| Buck | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Marksman Rifle Handgun Stun Grenade Claymore Skeleton Key | Buck comes equipped with a shotgun mounted under his weapon known as the “Skeleton Key”. This is the best shotgun in the game due to its high damage and semi-automatic rate of fire. |
| Sledge | Attacker | Shotgun, Assault Rifle Handgun, Machine Pistol Frag Grenade Stun Grenade Tactical Breaching Hammer | Sledge’s Tactical Breaching Hammer, known as “The Caber”, can breach through almost all non-reinforced surfaces and barricades. Breaching with Sledge produces almost no sound so you wouldn’t be giving away your position to the enemy squad. |
| Echo | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun, Machine Pistol Barbed Wire Impact Grenade Yokai | Echo has two hovering drones called Yokai, which can stick to flat surfaces on a ceiling and cloak, as well as emit ultrasonic bursts that can disorient the enemy. |
| Zofia | Attacker | LMG, Assault Rifle Handgun Breach Charge Claymore KS79 Lifeline | Zofia has access to the KS79 Lifeline, a double-barrel launcher that can launch either impact grenades or concussion grenades. Because of the twin barrels, Zofia can launch 2 grenades in succession without needing to reload. |
| Caveira | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Impact Grenade Proximity Alarm Silent Step | Caveira has three unique traits: her Silent Step, her special handgun, the “Luison”, and her ability to interrogate downed enemies. Silent Step allows her to move quietly and sneak up on enemies. She can interrogate downed enemies to reveal their allies’ locations. |
| Maestro | Defender | LMG, Shotgun Handgun Barbed Wire Impact Grenade Evil Eye | Maestro has two “Evil Eyes”. These gadgets are bulletproof, gyroscopic, and can see through smoke. These will unleash low damage but rapid laser shots for a few seconds before overheating and automatically closing. |
| Smoke | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun, Machine Pistol Deployable Shield Barbed Wire Remote Gas Grenade | Smoke can deploy and remotely detonate gas canisters that will damage and possibly kill whoever draws near. |
| Vigil | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Machine Pistol Bulletproof Camera Impact Grenade ERC-7 | Vigil can use his ERC-7 video disruptor to erase himself from video feeds for a set amount of time. |
| Ela | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Barbed Wire Deployable Shield Grzmot Mine | Ela comes equipped with three Grzmot Mines. These are concussive mines that disorient any who come within range. These mines can latch on to almost any surface or object. Ela also has access to a fourth mine, but only when she’s downed. |
| Pulse | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun Barbed Wire Nitro Cell Heartbeat Sensor | Pulse can use his Cardiac Sensor to detect the heartbeats of nearby enemies even through obstacles. |
| Dokkaebi | Attacker | Marksman Rifle, Shotgun Machine Pistol Smoke Grenade Stun Grenade Logic Bomb | Activating Dokkaebi’s Logic Bomb will cause all Defenders’ phones to emit a large buzzing sound, revealing their positions. When Dokkaebi is on the Attacking team, Defenders will drop phones upon death. Dokkaebi can hack these phones and give her team access to all Defender cameras. |
C-Tier
These are average operators that won’t heavily swing your team towards a win. They will still be effective under skilled players’ hands.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Nomad | Attacker | Assault Rifle Handgun Breach Charge Stun Grenade Airjab Launcher | Nomad’s Airjab launcher can shoot out up to three Airjab repulsion grenades that will stick to any surface and knock down all in its effective radius when detonated. |
| Finka | Attacker | Assault Rifle, LMG, Shotgun Handgun Hard Breach Charge Frag Grenade Adrenal Surge | Finka can inject her nanobots into her teammates prior to each mission. Her Adrenal Surge allows affected allies to gain a temporary boost in health and a reduction in recoil. |
| Blackbeard | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Marksman Rifle Handgun Breach Charge Stun Grenade Rifle Shield | Blackbeard can equip Rifle-Shields which protects his head from a few shots. He deploys with two of these and must manually equip/unequip them. |
| Mozzie | Defender | Assault Rifle, SMG Handgun Barbed Wire Nitro Cell Pest Launcher | Mozzie’s Pest Launcher is a slingshot that launches small robots that can hack the Attacking team’s drones and make them his own. |
| Gridlock | Attacker | Assault Rifle, LMG Shotgun, Handgun Smoke Grenade Breach Charge Trax Stingers | Gridlock can deploy Trax Stingers to unfold and spread in its proximity. These stingers slow down opponents and make noise when players cross them. Trax Stingers also damage opponents caught in them. |
| IQ | Attacker | Assault Rifle, LMG Handgun Breach Charge Claymore Electronics Detector | IQ has the Spectre, which is a wrist attachment that can locate any electronic device in the vicinity. |
| Frost | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun Bulletproof Camera Deployable Shield Welcome Mat | Frost comes equipped with “Welcome Mats”. These are mechanical traps that can be used to incapacitate enemies. |
| Kapkan | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Impact Grenade Nitro Cell Entry Denial Device | Kapkan’s EDDs are special tripwire mines that can anchor on doorway and window frames, detonating when enemies trigger its laser. |
| Castle | Defender | SMG, Shotgun Handgun Bulletproof Camera Proximity Alarm Armor Panel | Castle is equipped with three Armor Panels. These panels act as special barricades that attach to any door or window frame. |
D-Tier
You won’t see much of these operators in highly competitive matches as they’ve almost completely fallen off the meta.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Warden | Defender | Shotgun, SMG Handgun, Machine Pistol Nitro Cell Deployable Shield Glance Smart Glasses | Warden wears Glance Smart Glasses, which are special glasses that nullify the effects of stun grenades, smoke grenades, and other similar projectiles. |
| Fuze | Attacker | Ballistic Shield, LMG, Assault Rifle Handgun Breach Charge Hard Breach Charge Cluster Charge | Fuze’s Cluster Charges can be deployed on any destructible, non-reinforced surface. When activated, it launches five sub-grenades into a room. |
| Blitz | Attacker | Ballistic Shield Handgun Smoke Grenade Breach Charge Flash Shield | Blitz has a unique Ballistic Shield loaded with forward-facing flash charges that he can manually detonate to blind anyone within range. Blitz can also wield his shield up while sprinting. |
| Ying | Attacker | LMG, Shotgun Handgun Hard Breach Charge Smoke Grenade Candela | Ying comes equipped with her Candelas, timed explosives that can either be thrown or anchored onto a deployable surface to shoot out six flash charges into an area. |
| Montagne | Attacker | Ballistic Shield Handgun Hard Breach Charge Smoke Grenade Extendable Shield | Montagne can deploy an extendable shield that can fully cover him from head-to-toe while standing. This shield offers the best protection out of all shields in the game. |
| Lion | Attacker | Assault Rifle, Marksman Rifle, Shotgun Handgun Stun Grenade Hard Breach Grenade EE-ONE-D | Lion’s EE-ONE-D is a drone that flies up above the map to scan for enemy movement at his command. If a Defender moves during this scan, the drone will detect that movement and ping them repeatedly for Attackers to see, even through walls. |
F-Tier
The worst operators to use in competitive matches right now.
| Operator | Role | Loadout | Description |
| Capitao | Attacker | Assault Rifle, LMG Handgun Claymore Hard Breach Charge Tactical Crossbow | Capitao’s Tactical Crossbow can fire Asphyxiating Bolts, which will burn oxygen within a certain radius. He also has Micro Smoke grenades that mask positions and team movements. |
| Tachanka | Defender | LMG, SMG Handgun Barbed Wire Proximity Alarm Shumikha Launcher | Tachanka has the Shumikha Launcher – a grenade launcher that launches incendiary grenades that explode after a short time, leaving behind a wall of fire that can damage Attackers and block off entranceways. |
| Clash | Defender | Electric Shield Handgun, Machine Pistol Impact Grenade Barbed Wire CCE Shield | Clash comes equipped with a special Crowd Control Electro Shield. When in use, it fully extends to cover her front-side. The Shield also has a taser function that can damage and slow down enemies in front of her. |
| Glaz | Attacker | Marksman Rifle Handgun Smoke Grenade Frag Grenade Flip Sight | Glaz’s unique gadget is an HDS Flip Sight for his marksman rifle. While aiming down sights with it, it also comes with a thermal feedback system which can outline long-range marks even through smoke. |
