An Operator in Rainbow Six Siege.
Image via Ubisoft

Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list

Fire in the hole.

Rainbow Six Siege‘s 5v5 tactical-shooter gameplay is among the best in its genre. In any given match, gamers play as the Attackers and Defenders, taking turns to complete specific objectives on both sides. At the start of each match, players get to choose their Operators – characters who have different weapons and gadgets.

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Of course, not all Rainbow Six Siege Operators are created equal, though. There are 74 in total, 37 on each side, many of which are naturally more useful than others. But which ones should you be using on the battlefield? Our Rainbow Six Siege Operator tier list has the answers.

Attacker Rainbow Six Siege Operators, ranked

Operator menu in Rainbow Six Siege
Image via Ubisoft

When looking for the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators on the Attacker’s side, you’re trying to balance firepower with the most versatile gadgets. You want to be able to approach each situation in various ways to keep your enemies on their toes, while still having the firepower to take them down.

S Tier

The S Tier Rainbow Six Siege Operators are the ones you should be picking whenever they’re available. The real curse of these options is that they’re frequently banned, which is why you need to take the opportunity when it pops up.

  • Ace
  • Buck
  • Thatcher
  • Thermite

A Tier

With the A Tier Operators in Rainbow Six Siege, you should still have more than enough firepower to win any match. They pack a real punch and, in the right hands, can outclass a less-skilled player using an S Tier Operator.

  • Ash
  • Brava
  • Finka
  • Grim
  • Hibana
  • Iana
  • Jackal
  • Maverick
  • Nomad
  • Ram
  • Sledge
  • Zofia

B Tier

B Tier Rainbow Six Siege Operators aren’t useless, but you’ll want to reserve their use for specific scenarios. You really have to play to their strengths to make them work, which can come at a cost in the team strategy elsewhere.

  • Blackbeard
  • CapitĆ£o
  • Deimos
  • Dokkaebi
  • Flores
  • IQ
  • Kali
  • Lion
  • Osa
  • Striker
  • Twitch
  • Zero

C Tier

Unless you’re a Rainbow Six Siege god, we’d probably avoid these C Tier Operators. A good player will always make the best of the tools at their disposal, but using these Operators is just going to put you at a disadvantage, especially if you’re opponents aren’t total noobs.

  • Amaru
  • Blitz
  • Fuze
  • Glaz
  • Gridlock
  • Montagne
  • NĆøkk
  • Sens
  • Ying

Defender Rainbow Six Siege Operators, ranked

Defender gameplay in Rainbow Six Siege
Image via Ubisoft

When choosing your favorite Rainbow Six Siege Defender Operators, it’s important to be able to hold your own against numerous enemies at once. You’re looking for gadgets that can slow your opponents, too, as they’re crucial for allowing your teammates time to rotate to the correct locations.

S Tier

These S Tier Operators are basically one-man armies. They have the right gadgets to put a stop to any enemy attack, and the firepower to single-handedly blow your opponents out of the round. Like the Attackers of the same tier, you’ll see these Operators banned a lot.

  • Azami
  • Fenrir
  • Lesion
  • Mira

A Tier

The A Tier falls behind the S Tier Defender Operators, but only by a hair. All of these Operators are more than capable of winning anyĀ Rainbow Six Siege match, even for lower-skilled players. You’ll obviously make better use of these Operators if you know their abilities inside and out, though.

  • Aruni
  • Castle
  • JƤger
  • Kaid
  • Melusi
  • Mute
  • TubarĆ£o
  • Valkyrie
  • Wamai

B Tier

When it comes to the B Tier Defender Operators in Rainbow Six Siege, it’s basically the same deal as the Attackers. You’ll find tons of success if you’ve got a specific plan to execute, but otherwise, you’ll probably get stomped by the S and A Tier Operators.

  • Bandit
  • Doc
  • Echo
  • Ela
  • Frost
  • Goyo
  • Kapkan
  • Maestro
  • Mozzie
  • Sentry
  • SkopĆ³s
  • Thorn

C Tier

With the C Tier Defender Rainbow Six Siege Operators, each one has several factors as to why they’re not competitively viable. Look, the game is an FPS, so if you shoot your enemies in the head, you will win regardless of which Operator you pick – but using these undoubtedly makes life much harder.

  • Alibi
  • Caveira
  • Clash
  • Oryx
  • Pulse
  • Rook
  • Smoke
  • Solis
  • Tachanka
  • Thunderbird
  • Vigil
  • Warden

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Daniel Morris
Contributor - Daniel has been a gamer and an avid RPG fan ever since he could hold a controller. A reader of Destructoid since his teenage years, he became a contributor to the site in August 2024.