Rivals of Aether 2: Best Characters, Ranked

Key Takeaways

New characters with specific playstyles and strengths are added to Rivals of Aether 2‘s roster, providing unique gameplay experiences.
Each character in Rivals of Aether 2 has strengths and weaknesses that affect their overall performance and gameplay style.
Fleet, the fox character, stands out as the best fighter in Rivals of Aether 2 due to her versatile moves and powerful tornado abilities.

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I must say that the characters in Rivals of Aether 2 are nothing short of extraordinary! Each one possesses unique abilities and fighting styles that make every match thrilling.

In simpler terms, “Rivals of Aether 2” is the follow-up game in the universe of “Rivals of Aether,” which belongs to the platform fighter genre. This game showcases a vibrant cast of characters who engage in battles reminiscent of “Super Smash Bros.” Each character possesses unique attack styles and has an emphasis on elements.

In the lineup for Rivals of Aether 2, both newcomers and returning characters make an appearance, each possessing unique playstyles that include distinct strengths and vulnerabilities. It’s likely that additional characters may join in the future, but for now, we’ll rank all current characters according to their overall effectiveness.

10. Loxodont

The Emperor of Flame

Elemental Powers: Molten Boulder, Molten Charges
Weight: Heavy
Ground speed: Slow
Aerial speed: Normal
Strengths: Unusually fast with axe swings, has decent ranged damage, and molten charges tend to annihilate.
Weaknesses: Somewhat slow recovery after basic attacks, and has a large hitbox.

In “Rivals 2”, Loxodont makes its debut, and it’s an excellent choice for novice gamers of Rivals. This character is portrayed as a malevolent elephant, armed with a powerful two-handed axe that boasts impressive reach. Much like Kragg, Loxodont is colossal in size and dished out tremendous damage. As an added feature, Loxodont can hurl Molten Boulders as a special move, which can catch opponents off guard.

Loxodont’s special move during fall creates hot lava pits that offer him up to three boosts of Molten Charge, enhancing his damage output. However, due to his massive weight, Loxodont struggles with recovery, becoming particularly vulnerable when knocked off the stage during a combo.

9. Kragg

Defender of the Aetherian Forest

Elemental Powers: Rock Hurl, Defense Ball, Earth Pillar
Weight: Heavy
Ground speed: Slow
Aerial speed: Slow
Strengths: Super heavy and hard to kill, strong attacks and aerials hit absurdly hard.
Weaknesses: Fast faller, most attacks are a bit laggy, and is vulnerable while holding rocks.

Kragg is recognized for his colossal size and extraordinary endurance, outlasting many other characters. He’s a mammoth beetle-like character whose moveset dishes out substantial damage and knockback when executed correctly in combos. His special abilities have the power to dramatically alter the stage, such as summoning a gigantic earth pillar beneath him using his up special attack.

Kragg possesses the ability to unearth a shatterable stone square through his unique special move, which upon impact, sends anyone nearby flying back. His body structure resembles that of a beetle, enabling him to transform into a spiky rolling ball and traverse the stage with ease. He is capable of inflicting immense damage and excels in edge-guarding tactics, but his weakness lies in susceptible instances such as when he’s holding the rock or falling at an accelerated pace due to his heavy weight.

8. Orcane

The Orca Panther Trickster

Elemental Powers: Puddle Teleportation, Bubble Evaporation, Water Amp
Weight: Normal
Ground speed: Fast
Aerial speed: Slow
Strengths: Super safe Down Tilt, good combo hitter, and great reach.
Weaknesses: Few long-ranged air attacks, virtually no recovery if puddle is used up.

In simpler terms, Orcane is an orca with a knack for deception. He can control puddles and bubbles, using them to eliminate opponents and assert dominance on the battlefield. While Orcane’s basic attacks don’t deal much damage, mastering his ability to teleport through puddles makes him hard to catch. Moreover, Orcane excels in combos, particularly when initiating them with his powerful sweeping tail attacks that knock enemies into the air.

Orcane’s aerial maneuvers are crucial for both evading adversaries and inflicting damage simultaneously, making the precise control of his bubble-stream hovering vital. When fully charged, Orcane’s powerful attacks release water blasts strong enough to knock opponents out at higher health levels. However, Orcane lacks extensive long-range attacks, and his puddle teleportation can be exploited, necessitating greater mobility and careful timing to offset these vulnerabilities.

7. Forsburn

The Combusting Smokey Hyena

Elemental Powers: Smoke Screen, Decoy, Consume/Combust
Weight: Normal
Ground speed: Normal
Aerial speed: Slow
Strengths: Amazing combos on ground and in air, powerful Charged Down Special (Combust)
Weaknesses: Lacking projectiles and smoke clouds are fragile.

Forsburn is a skilled assassin, resembling a smoky hyena in his tactics. He excels at adopting a patient approach and seizing opportunities arising from his opponents’ errors. By dispersing smoke, he manipulates the game’s tempo – it serves as camouflage, a portal for teleportation, and a resource to gather combust charges. Although his individual damage is modest, his chain of attacks can inflict significant damage swiftly, with one move smoothly transitioning into the next.

Forsburn boasts impressive agility and attack reach, utilizing a dagger for both close-range and long-distance aerial attacks that are remarkably powerful. However, if his smoke clouds aren’t strategically placed, they can be swiftly eliminated by other projectiles. Additionally, his up air smoke teleportation can be countered if it’s used too consistently and predictably.

6. Ranno

The Slippery Master Martial Artist

Elemental Powers: Poison Stacks, Toxic Trap, Poison Spin
Weight: Normal
Ground speed: Normal
Aerial speed: Slow
Strengths: Toxic trap enables deadly combos, effective Forward Aerial, and awesome long-lasting attack hitboxes.
Weaknesses: Can be trapped in his own bubble, and some moves are sluggish, giving room for punishment.

Ranno is an agile martial artist who happens to be a venomous dart frog. He has two potent attack strategies – quick, aerial combos at close range and cunning toxic trap setups. His weapons of choice for delivering poison are his bubble and darts. The poison he uses can accumulate up to four times, with each buildup increasing the damage by 1% on every move made by his opponent. This effect lasts until the opponent successfully counters him or lands a hit to eliminate one charge from the stack.

Ranno’s incredible move called Toxic Tongue Attack draws opponents towards him, then swallows them before expelling them into a harmful bubble that repeatedly harms those inside. By using a mix of close-range attacks and toxic traps, Ranno can rapidly deplete an opponent’s health to set up for a knockout. However, his weakness lies in the slow speed of some of his moves if he misses, and there’s a risk of getting trapped within his own bubble if not cautious.

5. Wrastor

The Aerial Ace

Elemental Powers: Winged Flight, Wind Current, Aerial Ace
Weight: Very light
Ground speed: Slow
Aerial speed: Fast
Strengths: Strong Attacks can be used basically any time in the air, and good speed buffs.
Weaknesses: Requires expert skills in combos, very light and easy to K.O.

Wrastor is an aerial master, ruling the skies with powerful strikes rather than ground combat. His moves often propel enemies skyward, enabling him to repeatedly attack using forward or upward strong attacks or neutral specials as swift finishes. Additionally, his Forward Special has a handy feature: it creates a trail for him to follow, enhancing his overall speed.

In a simple rephrasing, here’s how I would put it: Wrastor’s special move involves spinning him around like a tornado for several seconds. This move is useful for combos and inflicting damage over a reasonable area. Pressing the button longer sends him ascending, enabling him to dodge most projectiles and carry any opposing character in his path. However, his main disadvantage lies in that his projectile can’t be continually used, and it lacks significant knockback or damage. Yet, he compensates for this through his exceptional aerial combo abilities.

4. Maypul

Tree Whispering Guardian of the Aetherian Forest

Elemental Powers: Watcher’s Mark, Wrapped Up, Sling Shot
Weight: Light
Ground speed: Very fast
Aerial speed: Fast
Strengths: Super agile all around, can wall cling, and great K.O. abilities.
Weaknesses: Lightweight and easy to K.O., and awkward recovery skills.

As a devoted admirer, I’d say I’m all about Maypul – the self-proclaimed protector of the mystical Aetherian Forest. With her agility reminiscent of both ferrets and raccoons, she gracefully wields two leafy blades, making her the swiftest character in the game. What truly sets her apart is her Watcher’s Mark ability – a swiftly tossed seed that brands opponents, giving me the power to catapult myself towards them for extended, destructive combos. It’s an exhilarating dance of speed and strategy!

Just like Maypul, she can sow seeds using her down special move which later sprouts into a vine that entangles foes, fixing them in place. Her powerful attacks consist of whipping vines, causing significant harm, or ensnaring marked adversaries. Although Maypul might seem challenging to grasp initially, mastering her moves will enable players to effortlessly toss their opponents around.

3. Clairen

Warrior From The Future

Elemental Powers: Ionized Tip, Plasma Echo, Energy Field
Weight: Normal
Ground speed: Normal
Aerial speed: Normal
Strengths: Creates a force field to destroy projectiles, grab cannot be punished by parries, large attack hitboxes, and ability to stun.
Weaknesses: A lot of moves leave openings to be punished.

In simpler terms, Clairen is a future black panther who fights with a swift, multi-purpose flaming sword. Her attacks not only deal additional damage but also temporarily incapacitate enemies and push them away. She’s considered one of the simplest characters to grasp due to her quick and versatile swordplay.

Claire’s recovery move proves potent, allowing for double usage in quick succession. This unique trait enables her to advance ground and inflict harm effectively. Her forward special transports her ahead, leaving behind a powerful plasma explosion that severely injures adversaries trapped within. Meanwhile, her down special acts as a defensive mechanism, nullifying damage from incoming attacks and propelling foes far away.

2. Zetterburn

The Courage Of Fire

Elemental Powers: Burn Damage, Wild Fire, Fire Amp
Weight: Normal
Ground speed: Fast
Strengths: Amazing combo game, high damage across the board, and highly useful Forward Special.
Weaknesses: Easily parryable projectile, bad recovery, and weak neutral attacks when compared to other characters.

Zetterburn is a fiery beast with a flaming mane who unleashes devastating combos against his foes using flames. His powerful close-range attacks combined with long-range fire projections make him a formidable adversary. The flames from Zetterburn’s moves not only deal immediate damage but also inflict persistent harm, giving him an advantage in combat. Additionally, his special abilities allow him to hurl walls of fire, enhancing himself and managing the stage layout.

Zetterburn’s power is evident in his rapid, powerful combos, which often involve wide, sweeping strikes such as his upward tilt that sends opponents flying. His neutral air move propels him into a flipping cartwheel, covering a broad area, and his down air move slams him (and any nearby opponents) straight down, dealing substantial damage. Although his neutral attacks might not be the best among all characters, his fiery assaults and exceptional combo abilities make him one of the top fighters to master.

1. Fleet

The Robin Hood of Aether

Elemental Powers: Float, Tornado Arrows,
Weight: Light
Ground speed: Normal
Aerial speed: Fast
Strengths: Can float in the air, powerful tornado buffs, and amazing combo game.
Weaknesses: Tornado effect can be transferred back, and float is once per jump.

Characteristically swift and strong, Fleet the Fox boasts a bow and tornado-harnessing abilities. By leaping, she can levitate for multiple seconds, ensuring her survival and regulating battle flow. Her neutral special comes with five charges, amplifying her standard attacks with a formidable tornado force. Upon impact, this ability lifts the target skyward using a burst of wind. However, it’s worth noting that adversaries can redirect the tornado energy back towards Fleet before the time limit expires.

Fleet can jab her tornado-powered arrows up close as well, making her an extremely versatile character at all ranges. She can shoot a moving tornado with her side special that throws her opponents off-guard. Her up special has great recovery and can also be used up close for an awesome K.O. With her timed tornado abilities and insane buffing powers, Fleet easily ranks as the best character in Rivals of Aether 2.

2024-11-30 08:04