Harley Quinn
Best Characters in Injustice 2
Harley Quinn has really come into her own in Injustice 2. While she definitely had her use in the first game, this time around she’s a perfect starter character for newcomers and absolutely devastating in some trained hands. With the new stat system, it’s clear to see that Harley isn’t exactly built for survivability. Her defense and health pool is lower than anyone else on this list. However, she more than makes up for that with high agility that allows her to string together long, intense combos.
Harley’s specialty is keeping opponents off balance. Thanks to her tantrum stance – which sees Ms. Quinzel throw herself on the floor where she can pull off numerous different abilities – she’s able to constantly keep opponents guessing what her next move may be. She’s also great at juggling with combos designed around keeping foes in the air as she delivers a flurry of rapid strikes. Harley also has incredible range with attacks designed for long, medium, and close range. As long as you have an understanding of the stronger characters you’re up against, Harley can find a gap in their defenses to exploit.
It doesn’t hurt that this is one of the best iterations of Mr. J’s better half that I’ve ever seen in a video game. She’s still a bit on the crazy side, but she’s stronger and more confident as well as showing just how good a person there is under all that makeup and mayhem. The combination of interesting character development and easy to use yet highly useful mechanics make Harley Quinn one of the very best.
Aquaman
Best Characters in Injustice 2
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering how amazing Aquaman was in the first entry of the series, but he’s seriously a great character to use… if not a bit overpowered. He plays very similarly to how fans of Injustice: Gods of Among Us will remember. Aquaman still has that speed that makes him faster than pretty much all of the other strong fighters in Injustice 2, yet he’s not lacking in his damage-dealing ability. What makes him even more dangerous is his ability to counter both low and high fighters.
Most characters can counter either low or high really well, with moderate coverage for other areas, but Arthur (that’s the sea king’s real name) is definitely more prepared. He’s a great counter to fast, lower moving characters like Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Cheetah. He can definitely keep distant fighters on their toes as well by punishing them with his abilities and forcing them out of their comfort zones.
Wonder Woman
Best Characters in Injustice 2
Wonder Woman is a warrior through and through. She lives for battle, which is sort of a driving force to her whole character this time around. After forming the Regime alongside Superman, she’s become colder, and more calculated than fans may remember as. She’s about achieving victory at any cost and it shows in her fighting style.
Wonder Woman was power focused even in the first Injustice, but that’s even further bolstered through her special power. She can boost her attack, speed, and defense with a rotating buff that she can apply to herself. While each perk does favor specific attacks, it helps to keep her on the offensive. She can deal a lot of damage with her basic combos, and her special attacks are all about breaking through defenses via grabs, projectiles, stuns and overhead attacks. Wonder Woman’s own defense is very solid as well, making her another solid option for beginners, as long as they can adjust to her lack of speed in comparison to the other female heroes and villains in Injustice 2.
She’s definitely more suited for close range, so those who use her will quickly become acquainted with her Lasso of Truth. It can stop most attacks and bring her target up close for a rude awakening, letting players keep up the onslaught of the amazonian princess.
Scarecrow
Best Characters in Injustice 2
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect of Scarecrow in Injustice 2. I went in thinking he’d be similar to a Takeda-type character with his hook that has limited reach, but he proved to be so much more. While the hook certainly does help control fights, it’s not in the way you would expect. It isn’t really used for keeping opponents close, rather it’s used for bashing and keeping foes out of the air and more subdued. It’s heavy look perfectly reflects its power as you use it to string combos and shield yourself from overly aggressive attackers.
The hook itself isn’t the only star of the show, though. Fear Toxins are used to deal damage over time, disorient, and even push opponents away, allowing Scarecrow to stay in his mid-range comfort zone. He’s deceptively quick for his size, too, which can easily throw other players off guard. Even if you know to expect his speed it can still keep you off balance which is perfect for a fighting game where obtaining the upper hand is key. Scarecrow’s ability to surprise and control his opponent is what makes him a standout. It’s not very often that you get a big character that can do so much so easily.
Joker
Best Characters in Injustice 2
What’s interesting about the Joker in Injustice 2 is that he pretty much hasn’t changed at all since the first game, and I’m 100% fine with that. His erratic fighting style allowed him to perform very well at long to mid-range. His speed makes him formidable at close-range as well, but his real talent is in his control of flow.
Some of his abilities have controllable delays while others are rushed, which never lets the opponent find their own groove. Rounding out Joker’s abilities is a powerful counter that does solid damage and stuns his opponents. It adds a lot of versatility to his arsenal, a versatility that makes this returning contender shine even with his lack of real mechanical change.
Swamp Thing
Best Characters in Injustice 2
Swamp Thing is a character that probably shouldn’t work, but he definitely does. He looks like a tall, living root that’s just lumbering about the stage. It’s how Swamp Thing connects with that stage that makes him so interesting, though. He’s able to melt into it, which allows him to move a lot more smoothly than most of the big men in the game. This also gives him great ground defense.
He’s limited by his speed like other large characters, yet his attacks are very fast. You may have noticed a trend forming with some characters on this list. Mixes of slow and fast are perfect for setting the tone of battles in your favor.
Swamp Thing is best against ground attackers. Those that do a lot of jumping don’t necessarily have a huge advantage over him, but he is more equipped to deal with immediate threats from in front and below. He can even counter a lot of the lower stances from the likes of Harley, Catwoman, and Cheetah. It’s always good to have a counter to the quicker fighters since they tend to be able to break streaks with ease.
The Flash
Best Characters in Injustice 2
The Scarlet Speedster has never been a slouch when it comes to battle. He uses his speed to overwhelm opponents and keep them on their toes, but he also packs enough of a wallop to really control a fight. While most of the faster characters don’t necessarily do much damage per hit, The Flash is always dishing out the hurt.
It’s not just his speed and his power that make him someone truly worth praise. His fighting style is about speed, yes, but it also offers plenty of counters which allow him to take control of a fight when necessary. Many of the fast characters are all about aggression, while Flash can be that and defensive and still find success. Like Harley Quinn, he’s a great fast character for newcomers as he is still more squishy than others, but offers plenty of tools that allow him to seriously contend with the strongest.
Blue Beetle
Best Characters in Injustice 2
Jaime Reyes was just a teenager when an alien scarab infused with his body. It gave him amazing abilities that allowed him to become a hero and really help humanity and planet earth. It provides a mix of brute power and mechanical weaponry that allows him to bust through any defense. On top of that, Blue Beetle’s special power lets him change his hands into blades which extend his reach for a more versatile melee option.
This fighter is definitely a mover, relying on dashes, jumps, and sometimes even flight to always find the best position for an attack. Opponents must be able to defend from all angles at all times as he easily switches things up to bring the hurt. The fact that he’s able to do so much damage while doing so (even without any special gear upgrades) just makes him all the more dangerous and one of the best new additions to the roster.
Black Adam
Best Characters in Injustice 2
When Shazam bit the bullet, it seemed like hope for a magical counter to Superman’s immense power was lost. But then Black Adam stepped up to the plate returning the power of Shazam to the universe of Injustice 2. Oddly enough, he’s posing as a good guy through much of the story, but that’s not what makes him one of the best characters in the game. It’s his sheer brutality that allows him to break apart opponents from a distance while protecting himself from up-close destruction with powerful electricity.
Black Adam is not without close-range options, but mid to long-range is where he truly shines. He can attack from below, above, or straight on no matter where he is on the stage and that makes him particularly annoying to deal with, especially when you factor in how much damage he can do before you can even get close enough to hurt him. Naturally, he’s countered by heroes who are also ranged, but he has a high enough defense to survive a match up while still hitting from all angles.
Supergirl
Best Characters in Injustice 2
Supergirl is easily one of the best additions to the Injustice series as well as one of the best fighters on the current roster. She has the strength of Superman (though it’s slightly lower), as well as many of the same abilities. What really helps her make her own mark on the game is her speed and control. She’s swift and several of her moves can be altered on the fly to suit your needs.
The base fighting style is aggressive and speedy. Using flight to change directions of the fight on the drop of a dime can really cause an opponent to bumble their controls, helping to keep Supergirl out of any messy combos. Her abilities can be tailored to the situation to help out as well. A laser is one thing, but how about one that marches straight on and breaks through defense? Or maybe you want to do a quick knockback instead of one that sends opponents out of reach. It’s these little options that make Kara Zor-El so special.
Her younger (yet bigger) cousin, Superman, may be stronger when it comes to sheer might, but if you’re looking for a Kryptonian with true versatility, look no further.
About the author
