Despite facing a considerably rough release back in 2015, Rainbow Six Siege is more popular than ever. Whether it’s casual, ranked, or even professionally (eSports), Ubisoft’s competitive shooter has seen a considerable, steady player base for the game for the past three years now.
A lot of this success can be attributed to the fact that Ubisoft has continually updated Rainbow Six Siege over that time period, adding new characters and maps to make things fresh. Depending on what version of the game you purchased, as well as the credits you’ve accrued in game, you have access to over 40 different characters in the game, split between attack and defense. These are 10 of the best operators to use from those 40+.
Buck
As an objective based game, Rainbow Six Siege is all about having the multiple angles on site, as defenders can’t cover them all. Buck and his Skeleton Key gadget rank as the most versatile of all perks when it comes to opening up different lines of site. Unlike Sledge, who can only bust open areas within swinging range, Buck is able to open any soft breachable surface, high or low. Shoot out the enemy from above or below, adding to the different possible areas in which they can be shot from. Enemies don’t stand a chance from those angles when he equips his powerful, yet unstable, C8 assault rifle.
Alibi
Information and subterfuge are one of the many different ways to defend a site in Rainbow Six Siege. Thanks to Alibi’s three deployable Prisma clones, she is able to trick and track attackers for a short period of time. Anything that passes through her Prismas will automatically reveal and follow the enemies location for five seconds, working as an auto scanner of sorts. Placing these at windows and in other entryways is an important way to locate which way an enemy team, or an even straggler, is coming from so your team can prepare. The high rate of fire on Alibi’s Mx4 Storm submachine gun also makes short range encounters no contest.
Zofia
Vision is vital in any shooter, especially against aggressive players. In terms of rushers, no attacker beats Zofia and her KS79 Lifeline. This grenade launcher perk is a dual wielding combination of Ash’s M120 Crem breaching rounds and Ela’s Grzmot Mines. The ability to enter through a soft location and shoot in concussive rounds, all from a distance, often results in the GROM attacker being able to clear out a room all by herself. Zofia is also one of the only characters stubborn enough to be able to pick herself up when downed, thanks to her Withstand perk.
Jager
Operators like Glaz and Fuse can cause mayhem with their gadgets, either blinding or killing anyone anchoring the objective. That is why Jager’s three Active Defense Systems (ADS) are pivotal to holding down an area. These gadgets will stop and destroy enemy grenades, enabling the defense to hold and not give away their position. On top of his defensive capabilities, Jager’s 416-C carbine is arguably the most powerful gun of any character on the defense, making him an effective anchor or roamer because of the damage he can deal.
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Buck
As an objective-based game, Rainbow Six Siege is all about having multiple angles on the site, since defenders can’t cover them all. Buck and his Skeleton Key gadget rank as the most versatile of all perks when it comes to opening up different lines of sight. Unlike Sledge, who can only bust open areas within swinging range, Buck is able to open any soft breachable surface, high or low. Shoot out the enemy from above or below, adding to the different possible areas in which they can be shot from. Enemies don’t stand a chance from those angles when he equips his powerful, yet unstable, C8 assault rifle.
Alibi
Information and subterfuge are one of the many different ways to defend a site in Rainbow Six Siege. Thanks to Alibi’s three deployable Prisma clones, she is able to trick and track attackers for a short period of time. Anything that passes through her Prismas will automatically reveal and follow the enemy's location for five seconds, working as an auto scanner of sorts. Placing these at windows and in other entryways is an important way to locate which way an enemy team is coming from, giving your team time to adjust. The high rate of fire on Alibi’s Mx4 Storm submachine gun also makes short range encounters no contest.
Zofia
Vision is vital in any shooter, especially against aggressive players. In terms of rushers, no attacker beats Zofia and her KS79 Lifeline. This grenade launcher perk is a dual-wielding combination of Ash’s M120 Crem breaching rounds and Ela’s Grzmot Mines. The ability to enter through a soft location and shoot in concussive rounds, all from a distance, often results in the GROM attacker being able to clear out a room all by herself. Zofia is also one of the only characters stubborn enough to be able to pick herself up when injured, thanks to her Withstand perk.
Jager
Operators like Glaz and Fuse can cause mayhem with their gadgets, either blinding or killing anyone anchoring the objective. That is why Jager’s three Active Defense Systems (ADS) are pivotal to holding down an area. These gadgets will stop and destroy enemy grenades, enabling the defense to hold and not give away their position. On top of his defensive capabilities, Jager’s 416-C carbine is arguably the most powerful gun of any character on the defense, making him an effective anchor or roamer because of the damage he can deal.
Thatcher
You never really realize how important electricity is until Thatcher throws one of his EMP grenades. Alongside turning the lights out and disabling numerous important gadgets for a short period of time, the electromagnetic pulses from the grenades disable any opposing weapon sight as well. So not only can Thermite use his charge against Bandit battery walls and disable Vigil’s cloaking, enemy players won’t be able to see as well. Take advantage of this and get in close with Thatcher’s 12-gauge pump shotgun to wipe out the enemy.
Mira
Sights and sounds are the two ways any player can communicate the enemies location to their teammates. While cameras are useful for the former, anyone who plays long enough will have taken them out when they move closer to the objective. That is why Mira windows are so important. These windows provide a view into connecting rooms through a slit in the wall wherever they are placed. When placed on reinforced walls, they provide intel and protect you from direct fire. Having a soft wall next to it allows you to use that information and blind-fire through the wall for kills too. Setting up low on soft walls is also a legitimate strategy, as you can crouch, then stand and fire through the wall with Mira’s ridiculously strong Vector .45 ACP SMG.
Twitch
Twitch is one of the most important attackers in Rainbow Six Siege when it comes to clearing a path to the objective. Her shock drone counters the vast majority of utility-based operators on defense. Equipped with shock darts, she is able to destroy Mira windows, Bandit batteries, Jager ADS, Mute jammers, Ela grenades, and a lot of other important defensive gadgets. At a range of 7.5 meters, she is even able to take out cameras before and during rounds, masking the attacker's approach. Combine her gadget with her two speed, two armor, and F2 assault rifle and you can see why she is a valuable operator to have, both for opening up sights and dealing and taking damage from mid-range. Not to mention, her shock darts also damage enemy players, dealing 10 damage per shot.
Hibana
Since every defender has two reinforcements to defend their site, meaning gunfire won’t penetrate the walls as it would on soft walls, hard breachers like Hibana are always necessary when attacking. Choosing Hibana over other hard breachers like Thermite or Maverick comes down to range. Instead of having to go up and manually use or place her gadget, Hibana is able to fire six X-KAIROS pellets at a reinforced surface from a range. These can open up holes to shoot through with her Type-89 assault rifle, which is great for hit and run tactics because of its fire rate, damage output, and range (ACOG). Depending on the placement, these pellets also create entry points, be it hatches or larger holes created with the use of all three uses of the gadget.
Echo
Echo is one of the more underrated characters in the game, as he isn’t as powerful as most attackers when he is on his own. But when he is working together with teammates, he packs a mean one-two punch thanks to his two yokai drones. These drones work much differently from attacking drones, as they launch vertically upwards and attach to the ceiling. Once placed, they go cloaked. Place them at entry points to the objective and fire ultrasonic blast is a pulse of sound that disorientates anyone caught in the blast. This makes them easy targets for allies or Echo’s silenced MP5 submachine gun. Even after they are out of rounds, they work as cloaked cameras, making them extra efficient. Last but not least, Echo is immune to Dokkibi’s Logic Bomb perk, meaning he can hold down the fort and cover players who need to reset their phones.
Rook
When playing defense on any of the three objectives, anchors are vital to victory. These tanks hold down the objective, usually camping out to make sure enemies don’t secure, plant, or grab the hostage. Rook is the best anchor in the game, as he has important passive and active traits. Passively, the GIGN operator is able to place down an armor pack during each round that has enough for every member of the team. These provide extra health, increase bleedout time when injured, and make sure players are only down but not out whenever they aren’t shot in the head. Actively, an MP5 (ACOG) equipped Rook is able to efficiently damage rushing players from any range, as well as tank damage better than the majority of other characters. This combination makes him the perfect character to hold down a site.
About the author
Andrew McMahon
Andrew was Twinfinite's Features Editor from 2020 through until March 2023 and wrote for the site from 2018. He has wandered around with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications sitting in his back pocket for a while now, all the while wondering what he is going to do for a career. Luckily, video games have always been there, especially as his writing career progresses.
