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CounterWatch
The Thing

How to beat The Thing

Vanguard · Marvel Rivals

The best counters to The Thing right now are The Punisher, Mantis, and Rocket Raccoon, led by The Punisher at a +1.9 counter rating. Every hero below is ranked by how hard they beat The Thing in real duels and teamfights, all ranks, updated Jul 9, 2026.

Ratings blend one-on-one duel wins (two thirds) with teamfight impact (one third), from the kill feeds of community matches. Each hero's general strength is stripped out, so a high rating means the matchup itself is lopsided, not that the hero is simply strong. Match win rate is excluded on purpose: it punishes counter picks made from behind. Counters that work by absorbing or denying damage rather than dealing it, like Magneto's shields, are understated by kill data. So are counters that only come online while a team-up is active.

Vanguard13 heroes

  1. Peni Parker
    Peni Parker

    Takes 64% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 63% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.4High
  2. Devil Dinosaur
    Devil Dinosaur

    Takes 60% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.3High
  3. Deadpool (Vanguard)
    Deadpool (Vanguard)

    Takes 54% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.3High
  4. Emma Frost
    Emma Frost

    Takes 53% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.2High
  5. Groot
    Groot

    Takes 52% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.6High
  6. Bruce Banner
    Bruce Banner

    Takes 57% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 62% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.7High
  7. Thor
    Thor

    Takes 53% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.1High
  8. Magneto
    Magneto

    Takes 47% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 59% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.2High
  9. Venom
    Venom

    Takes 44% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.5High
  10. Rogue
    Rogue

    Takes 42% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.7High
  11. Captain America
    Captain America

    Takes 41% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.9High
  12. Doctor Strange
    Doctor Strange

    Takes 41% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    -2.2High
  13. Angela
    Angela

    Takes 35% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    -2.8High

Duelist27 heroes

  1. The Punisher
    The Punisher

    Takes 74% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 53% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.9High
  2. Iron Man
    Iron Man

    Takes 73% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.5High
  3. Human Torch
    Human Torch

    Takes 71% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.5Good
  4. Squirrel Girl
    Squirrel Girl

    Takes 70% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.3High
  5. Phoenix
    Phoenix

    Takes 70% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.2High
  6. Moon Knight
    Moon Knight

    Takes 67% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.2High
  7. Wolverine
    Wolverine

    Takes 63% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 52% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.1High
  8. Scarlet Witch
    Scarlet Witch

    Takes 71% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.1High
  9. Hela
    Hela

    Takes 71% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.0High
  10. Hawkeye
    Hawkeye

    Takes 68% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.9Good
  11. Elsa Bloodstone
    Elsa Bloodstone

    Takes 64% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.9High
  12. Psylocke
    Psylocke

    Takes 69% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.7High
  13. Namor
    Namor

    Takes 68% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.7High
  14. Cyclops
    Cyclops

    Takes 73% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.5Very high
  15. Storm
    Storm

    Takes 66% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 56% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.5Good
  16. Iron Fist
    Iron Fist

    Takes 63% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 52% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.3High
  17. Winter Soldier
    Winter Soldier

    Takes 68% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.3High
  18. Blade
    Blade

    Takes 56% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 50% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.2High
  19. Star-Lord
    Star-Lord

    Takes 61% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.4High
  20. Black Widow
    Black Widow

    Takes 57% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.5Good
  21. Deadpool (Duelist)
    Deadpool (Duelist)

    Takes 53% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 52% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.6Good
  22. Daredevil
    Daredevil

    Takes 43% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 48% of the deaths when both are up

    -1.7High
  23. Magik
    Magik

    Takes 47% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 50% of the deaths when both are up

    -2.0High
  24. Mister Fantastic
    Mister Fantastic

    Takes 49% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 55% of the deaths when both are up

    -2.1Good
  25. Black Cat
    Black Cat

    Takes 44% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 51% of the deaths when both are up

    -2.2High
  26. Spider-Man
    Spider-Man

    Takes 38% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 51% of the deaths when both are up

    -3.1High
  27. Black Panther
    Black Panther

    Takes 30% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 47% of the deaths when both are up

    -3.5High

Strategist12 heroes

  1. Mantis
    Mantis

    Takes 57% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 61% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.7High
  2. Rocket Raccoon
    Rocket Raccoon

    Takes 51% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 63% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.7High
  3. Ultron
    Ultron

    Takes 67% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 62% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.3Good
  4. Adam Warlock
    Adam Warlock

    Takes 52% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 54% of the deaths when both are up

    +1.0Good
  5. Loki
    Loki

    Takes 50% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 61% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.9High
  6. Jeff The Land Shark
    Jeff The Land Shark

    Takes 52% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 57% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.9High
  7. Luna Snow
    Luna Snow

    Takes 55% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.8Very high
  8. Gambit
    Gambit

    Takes 50% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.7High
  9. Deadpool (Strategist)
    Deadpool (Strategist)

    Takes 46% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.5High
  10. Invisible Woman
    Invisible Woman

    Takes 42% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 59% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.2High
  11. White Fox
    White Fox

    Takes 50% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 58% of the deaths when both are up

    +0.1Very high
  12. Cloak & Dagger
    Cloak & Dagger

    Takes 38% of the kills traded with The Thing · The Thing suffers 59% of the deaths when both are up

    -0.4Very high

Flip side: The Thing punishes Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Angela hardest. Playing The Thing yourself? See The Thing's full stats, win rate & synergies →

Counter picking guides: Marvel Rivals counters: who beats who in every matchup · How Counterwatch calculates hero counters and synergies

Beating The Thing FAQ

What is the best counter to The Thing in Marvel Rivals?
The Punisher is the strongest pick against The Thing right now, with a counter rating of +1.9, followed by Mantis and Rocket Raccoon. The full list below ranks every eligible hero against The Thing.
How are The Thing's counters calculated?
From the kill feeds of community matches: who wins the one-on-one kill trades against The Thing, and whose side dies more while both heroes are on the field. Each hero's general strength is stripped out so the rating reflects the matchup itself, and match win rate is excluded entirely because counter-swappers are usually already losing when they swap. Matchups need 50 or more contributing players to appear.
Who is The Thing good against?
The Thing punishes Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Angela hardest right now. If the enemy runs one of them, staying on The Thing is usually right.
Should I swap off my main to counter The Thing?
Only when the matchup is genuinely lopsided. Playing your best hero into a slightly bad matchup usually beats swapping to an unfamiliar counter: the data shows counter-swappers lose more often partly because they are off their main. Use the ratings here to judge how lopsided the matchup really is before giving up your comfort pick.

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