List of Apex Legends characters

The free-to-play battle royale-hero shooter game Apex Legends, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, features a diverse cast of playable characters known as Legends. Apex Legends is set in the same science fiction universe as Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall series, with several characters from the Titanfall series appearing either as minor characters or playable Legends.

The game launched with 8 characters, with at least 16 more added in each subsequent new season post-release. A match starts with each player selecting from one of the available hero characters for a bloodsport competition known as the Apex Games, which operates in an area called The Outlands. The games involve combatants entering an arena on the island and battling each other in squads of three. The victors among the contestants of the Games or "Legends" are known as "Apex Champions".

While each of the game's characters have their own unique abilities and play styles, they are broadly divided into five role classifications: Assault, Skimisher, Recon, Support and Controller. Each character comes with a passive ability, a tactical ability and an ultimate ability. Season 16 implemented a new system that emphasizes new class-specific perks to add a new layer of strategy to this shooter, with each of the five classes having a unique perk attributed to it.

The game's cast of Legends is notable for its diverse inclusion of different cultural, ethnic, gender and sexual orientation identities. The characters have an overall positive response from critics and academic publications.

Overview

When the game launched in 2019, there were eight characters available for players: Bangalore, Bloodhound, Caustic, Gibraltar, Mirage, Lifeline, Pathfinder, and Wraith. Each Apex Legends character has an in-universe home world, except for Alter, Ash and Revenant, whose home worlds have not yet been revealed. Furthermore, Loba is the only Legend to have no home world

Assault

Revenant

Kaleb Kross, also known as Revenant, was a mercenary who worked for the Mercenary Syndicate, renowned for his lack of morals. During Kross's time with the Syndicate, he eliminated multiple targets, including his father. However, he was poisoned by Bob Woods, the husband of one of Kross's victims. The biological remains of his brain were stored as the Syndicate tried countless methods to transfer his consciousness. After many experiments, Kross was eventually transferred into a Simulacrum. He was able to kill James McCormick, also known as Forge, who was a five-time Hyperfighting champion who is entering the Apex Games under a sponsorship with Hammond Robotics, during an interview Revenant would kill Forge and enter himself into the Apex Games. His passive was that he could climb further and quicker, and crouch walking was faster. His tactical, previously, was that he could 'silence' enemies, temporarily disabling their abilities, and his ultimate created a totem that he and others could use to be put to less HP but respawn at the totem if killed. However the Syndicate leader, Torres 'Duardo' Silva, created a new body for Revenant, giving him new abilities. His passive remained the same, but his tactical was a pounce that throws him forwards, and his ultimate grants him 75 extra health.

Ballistic

Ballistic is the call sign of August Montgomery Brinkman, a billionaire orphan who decided to use the financial resources he had access to early in life to dominate the battlefield. He began in the Thunderdome, the predecessor to the Apex Games. It was here, in combat, that August would meet the love of his life, Sok Leng. They would quickly marry and have a son, Nathaniel. Sok Leng and her brother Kit Siang were an inseparable duo of destruction, and with August now in their squad, they seemed unstoppable. However, August’s crowd-pandering combat style meant he wasn’t paying attention to his team when they needed him, leading to Kit Siang’s death. Devastated by guilt, August hid for 20 years, hiding from the world, as well as his wife and son. When Nathaniel was accepted into the Apex Games, after looking up to his father and his victories, August went to the Syndicate with one request: to take him instead.

His Tactical can shoot a projectile that causes an enemy's weapon to overheat as they shoot. He can also fire this projectile at walls or floors to create a radius that triggers when an enemy enters it, causing the same effect as the projectile. His passive allows him to carry a third, unmodified weapon in a sling. His ultimate grants teammates faster reload and infinite ammo, as well as turning his sling weapon golden for a short period of time.

Bangalore

Bangalore is the callsign of Anita Williams, an ex-IMC soldier from a family of IMC soldiers. As an IMC grunt, she was separated from her family during a mission and joined the Apex Games to make enough money to find them again. She later discovered that one of the new arrivals, Newcastle, was one of her lost brothers.

Bangalore's kit revolves around being a strong soldier and is a good pick for anyone used to playing generic shooter games. Her passive activates when she is shot at whilst sprinting and gives her a 30% speed increase. Her tactical is a smoke grenade launcher with 2 charges, which lets her create smokescreen covers to confuse enemies or cover rotations. Her ultimate is called 'Rolling Thunder' and calls an artillery strike that slowly creeps across the landscape.

Bangalore is unlocked for anyone starting the game and was one of the eight original characters included.

Fuse

Walter 'Fuse' Fitzroy is a mercenary from Salvo, a fiercely independent planet that recently joined the Syndicate. He was a childhood friend of Mad Maggie, and they both were mercenaries together. Fuse began fighting in Salvo's famous bloodsport, the Bonecage. He did so well in the Bonecage that once Salvo was inducted into the Syndicate, he joined the Apex Games. Maggie did not take this news well, as she had been fighting the Syndicate her whole life, leading to her blowing off Fuse's arm with a grenade. Fuse is well known for saying the word 'bloody', and is friends with Bloodhound. In stories it is said Fuse took a while to find his persona, originally being called Walt'titude, Mr. Biffo, and – a cult favourite – Timebomb.

Due to his arm being blown off by Maggie, Fuse has a mechanical arm which is used for his passive and tactical abilities. Fuse's Passive gives him the ability to carry two grenades per inventory slot, unlike other characters who can only carry one. Furthermore, he is able to launch grenades 70% faster and further than other legends, using his new arm. He can also see the directions in which Frag Grenades will bounce once thrown. Fuse's Tactical is called Knuckle cluster, which is a type of grenade that he launches out of his mechanical arm that explodes like firecrackers, dealing around 60 damage to targets who don't flee. Fuse's Ultimate, the Motherlode, is a large weapon attached to his back that launches a breaching projectile that can delve through walls. Upgrades can make it leave fire in its wake, and stepping in the fire deals lingering damage to anyone, including Fuse, whilst also slowing them down. Originally his ultimate shot a ring of fire that trapped and marked opponents.

Fuse canonically is pansexual and engaged to Bloodhound. They both helped craft versions of each other heirlooms.

Mad Maggie

She was introduced in Season 8 of the game as the childhood friend of Walter "Fuse" Fitzroy. Maggie and Fuse became mercenaries together while doing some shady deals to increase their power. She can move very fast with shotguns. Mad Maggie also has a riot drill that can phase through any surface and deal damage to the enemy.

Also, she can throw a giant wrecking ball that destroys everything in its paths, including players. The giant ball also, creates a path that increases her speed. Mad Maggie's playstyle favours aggression.

Fade

Ignacio Huamaní, also known as Fade, was introduced in Season 1 of Apex Legends Mobile as an exclusive character. Apex Legends Mobile was sunset in 2023.

Skirmisher

Ash

Ash was originally Dr. Ashleigh Reid, a scientist who worked on Project Iris alongside her mentor Dr. Sommers (Horizon) to research the existence of a material called Branthium, which can only be found in black holes. She was tasked by a mercenary group to steal this material, as it could be used as a fuel source. Unfortunately, she is killed as the lab self-destructed, or so she thought. She is reconstituted as a simulacrum, a robotic construct, prior to her death. She appears in Titanfall 2 as a boss fight, and was rebuilt during a questline that happened as an LTM in Apex. Now she remembers her past, her memories being triggered upon seeing Dr. Sommers again, and her body becomes a fight between Ash, the cold, power-hungry side, and Dr. Leigh, her vulnerable yet intelligent side. Ash fights to transcend humanity; Leigh is determined to prove her wrong.

Her abilities revolve around trapping and rotating around hostiles. Her passive allows her to perform a dash while in the air. Previously, she used to be able to track teams through death boxes, but this was removed in favour of the mid-air dash. Her tactical allows her to throw a spinning snare that damages and tethers the first enemy who gets too close. Her ultimate tears open a one-way portal to a targeted location, perfect for attacking or flanking opponents. Ash's playstyle favours aggression.

Alter

The 27th character to be included in Apex Legends, Alter was introduced in May 2024, upon the launch of Season 21. She is the game's first villain added since Revenant. Her real past is unknown due to her living multiple lives as a result of her having Void-related abilities, similar to those of Wraith's.

Her Passive ability allows her to remotely take an item from an enemy deathbox (not including armour). Her Tactical allows her to create a portal through a surface, such as a wall. Her Ultimate ability is similar to that of Revenant's old Ultimate; hers allows her to place down a destroyable object that can serve as a teleportation point for her or her teammates, if they are within a 200-meter radius of.

Horizon

Dr. Mary Somers, also known as Horizon, is an astrophysicist and gravitational expert originally from the planet Solace. In her youth the Outlands were running out of energy, and she was tasked to find a solution. Her and her assistant, Dr. Asheleigh Reid (Ash) found the element Branthium, which was the key to infinite energy. Reid was tasked with stealing the element, and in doing so sent Somers into a Black Hole. Somers survived only by adapting a vaccuum robot, named NEWT. She survived being stranded near a black hole for 87 years as a result of Ash's treachery, and returned to Olympus to find her son Newton, becoming Horizon.

Her Tactical throws a device that reverses the flow of gravity, lifting players upwards and boosting them outwards when they exit. These tacticals can also be found dotted around the map of Olympus. Her Passive gives her increased air control and reduce fall impacts with her custom spacesuit. Her Ultimate deploys N.E.W.T. to create a micro black hole that pulls players in towards it, as well as grenades and other abilities.

Octane

Octavio Silva (Octane) is a fast-paced legend who is built around adrenaline and 'feeling the rush'. Son of the CEO of Silva Pharmaceuticals and later sponsor of the Apex Games, Octane entertained himself by doing death-defying stunts and posting the videos online to his fans. He then decided to do his biggest stunt yet, using grenades to propel himself across the start/finish line in the Gauntlet. When this attempt inevitably destroyed his legs, leaving his daredevil days to be over, he guilted his friend Ajay Che (Lifeline) into giving him a pair of bionic legs, allowing him to take part in the biggest stunt of all - the Apex Games.

Octane's tactical is a 'stim' that he can use as much as he wants, but it drains an amount of his health. It will not kill him if he is low on health, instead leaving him on 1 HP. To balance his kit, his passive automatically regenerates his health over time. His ultimate deploys a jump pad, which allows players to bounce far and double jump, useful for rotations.

Much of Octane and his kit are based around or reference previous games in the universe, specifically Titanfall 2. It is commonplace in real-world record runs of the 'Gauntlet' for players to use grenades to give them immense speed, but these runs are in-universe taking place in a simulated world - Octane tried his run in real life. His Stim is also an item in Titanfall 2, but is used by Simulacrums and heals as well as providing a speed boost.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a MRVN (Mobile Robotic Versatile eNtity) with a talent for location scouting and surveying. He booted up decades ago in an abandoned warehouse with no idea who created him or why. He set off on a quest to find his purpose, eventually realising, with the help of the Apex Legends, he was built to help with the energy crisis at the time. His adventures before the Apex Games led him to meet many people across the wasteland, including the notorious Alexander Nox (Caustic) who was presumed dead after a fire in his lab, and now lives a life of crime. Pathfinder is has an overly cheerful and happy personality, and now searches for his child, a robot made from his parts.

His tactical is a grappling hook, allowing him to rotate in any direction, as long as he can grapple there. His passive grants him ultimate charge and reduces it's cooldown when he scans care packages, ring consoles or survey beacons. His ultimate creates a zipline that reduces damage when people ride along it. Pathfinder is suited to players who enjoy both horizontal and vertical movement and is useful for rotations. He is free to play and unlocked instantly and was one of the first characters that came out with the game.

Wraith

Renee Blasey was a Senior Science Pilot for the IMC, who volunteered as guinea pig for her own experiments in the labs at King's Canyon. They went wrong, and she was betrayed by her team and left to rot in an IMC Detention Facility. All that was left was a timid girl, frightened by voices in her head, until another version of herself appeared and taught her to listen to the voices. Following her own lead, Wraith found the strength to break free from her prison and escape into a different reality. As a majority of the Apex Games are held around old IMC bases, Wraith now competes so she can access the facilities and continue to learn more about who she was. Every match she gets closer to the truth, even if she sometimes feels scared to find out more about who she used to be.

Her Tactical allows her to briefly enter the void, making her invulnerable for a brief amount of time, seen only as a blue line. Her passive gives her information from the void, typically when someone is around or aiming at her. Her Ultimate ability allows her to create a temporary portal through the void, allowing two-way travel for all players for a period of time. She has often been around the meta and was in the initial group of characters included on launch. She is also free to play when downloading the game, not needing to be unlocked.

Recon

Valkyrie

Kairi Imahara (Japanese: 今原カイリ; Imahara Kairi) better known as Valkyrie, is a high-flying Legend introduced in Season 9 of Apex Legends. She stole her father's Titan as a child, having always been obsessed with the air. The next day, her father went off to fight in the war, with the callsign Viper. This is the same modified Northstar Titan and Pilot from titanfall 2 , who is a member of the Apex Predators. After her father's demise at the hands of Jack and BT, she searched far and wide as a mercenary, hunting down the man who sent her father to his death, Kuben Blisk. After tracking him down, she was shocked when Kuben spoke of her father with respect and even more shocked when he challenged her to be better. She took an Apex Games card off of him, and using her father's intact flight core, she created a sleek new jetpack honouring his legacy.

Her Tactical is 'Missile Swarm', which shoots a grid of micro-rockets to damage and disorient the enemy. Her passive allows her to use her VTOL jets to fly into the air, and when launching or air-diving, seen enemies will be marked for her whole team. Her Ultimate allows her to start a skyward dive with her team, launching her and whoever attaches themselves into the air, with her controlling their descent as 'jumpmaster'.

Valkyrie is canonically lesbian, as referenced by multiple of her voicelines, and for a brief period was romantically involved with Loba. They have since, however, split up, with in-game voicelines showing that Valkyrie is moving on.

Bloodhound

Bloodhound is a hunter known all throughout the Outlands for their skill and proficiency at hunting game. The child of two engineers stationed at the New Dawn industrial plant on Talos, Bloodhound was taken in by their uncle Artur after a meltdown destroyed the facility and killed both their parents. Artur taught them the Old Ways, a belief system that focuses on the glory of nature and rejects modern technology. Bloodhound, however, was still drawn to modern technology, eventually using a combination of new and old technology and ideas to kill a Goliath that threatened their village. After Bloodhound's lover was unceremoniously killed in the Thunderdome, they vowed to win enough battles to send them both to Valhalla, and the Apex Games was the perfect place to do that.

Their Tactical scans the area in front of them, showing them enemies, traps, and clues. Their passive lets them see footsteps, other clues, and white ravens to lead them in the right direction during battle. Their ultimate lets them see enemies clearer and run faster, whilst knocks increase its duration and decrease their tacticals cooldown.

Bloodhound is non-binary, using They/Them pronouns. Bloodhound is engaged to Fuse, who completed the rituals required to propose to Bloodhound, and in return, Bloodhound helped craft Fuse's heirloom guitar.

Crypto

Crypto, whose real name is Tae Joon Park, is a skilled hacker and encryption expert who was framed for a crime he did not commit. His Passive ability, Neurolink, allows Crypto and his teammates to see enemies and traps through walls when they are within a certain radius. Crypto's Tactical ability, Surveillance Drone, lets him deploy an aerial drone that can scout enemy positions, detect traps, and interact with certain objects such as doors or loot bins. The drone can be manually controlled remotely, providing valuable intelligence from a safe distance. His Ultimate ability, Drone EMP, triggers an electromagnetic pulse from the drone that damages enemy shields, slows enemies, and disables traps within its blast radius.

Seer

Obi Edolasim, or Seer, was named a cursed child at birth and branded an outcast by his community, although he is loved by his parents and raised to be kind and compassionate. He gains renown after he accumulates a series of victories in the Apex Games, by using his skill with micro-drones to his advantage, eventually gaining a fan following.

Vantage

Xiomara Contreras, more well known as Vantage, is a Legend introduced in Season 14 of Apex Legends. Xiomara was born a remote planet that her mother's prison transport ship crashed on, and was raised to learn how to survive in harsh conditions, while on this planet she encountered her Companion and pet Echo who is a white bat, she joined the Apex Games to raise awareness about her mother's wrongful imprisonment. Her abilities include "Echo Relocation" in which she can perform a large jump to wherever Echo goes to and then double jump off of him, "Spotter Lens" which can scout the shields of enemy players and where bullets will land, and "Snipers Mark" in which Vantage Acquires a custom sniper rifle that damages enemies and adds a tag that reveals enemies.

Sparrow

Enea Davide Guarino was born into the most widely respected bounty hunter clan in all the Outlands, the Clessidra Rossa. These hunters serve as the most efficient law enforcement contractors, known for their unparalleled archery skills and their dogmatic moral code. They train their youth in the ways of the order, making even the teens more dangerous than many lawless assassins. His abilities include a double jump in which he can perform a higher jump. "Tracker Dart", are darts shoot from the gauntlet and reveal enemies who walk within its line of sight. "Stinger Bolt" shoots a large arrow that anchors where it lands, shock anyone within its range, causing damage and slowing down opponents it hits.

Controller

Catalyst

Main article: Catalyst (Apex Legends)

Catalyst is the alias of Tressa Crystal Smith, who hails from the planet Boreas, where the residents learn early to manage resources efficiently. She is the second transgender character introduced in Apex Legends, preceded by Bloodhound, who is nonbinary. Catalyst has the ability to manipulate a substance called ferrofluid and apply it in combat situations. She can use ferrofluid to barricade doors, throw out a patch which turns into spikes, and raise a permeable wall of ferrofluid to hinder her enemies as her Ultimate ability.

Caustic

His real name is Alexander Maxwell Nox, he is also known as Dr. Mikhail Caustic. He grew up in the planet Gaea which is home to legends like Crypto and Rampart. He is the adoptive brother of Crypto, who is adopted into his family of him and his mother. he utilizes noxious gas in combat. he was sent to the apex games as a punishment for crimes when experimenting his gas on innocent, non-consenting humans. this gas originates from the venom of spiders from Salvo.

Rampart

The owner of a successful firearms modding and selling shop, Rampart is a keen engineer with a love for firepower. her ability kit revolves around protecting her team and dishing out as much damage as she can from behind her "amped walls", a one way barrier that she can shoot through while protecting herself from challenging fire. her ultimate is a minigun called Sheila that she can use handheld or mounted, if fired from the hip she has a limited magazine, but when mounted she can infinity reload. the mini gun can instantly destroy doors.

Wattson

Wattson's father was key in the beginning of the Apex Games, as he was responsible for the creation of the ring. Wattson's Passive, Spark of Genius allows her to recharge her shields without having to use a healing item. However, it does not heal Wattson as fast as Octane's Passive, which does the same, but to health. As well as this, Wattson is able to carry two Ultimate accelerants in one inventory slot. Not only this, but an Ultimate accelerant can charge her Ultimate to 100%. Wattson's Tactical, Perimeter security allows Wattson to place up to 12 fence nodes, which join to make an electric fence. The fence damages enemies, as well as obscuring their vision and slowing them down. Wattson's Ultimate, Interception Pylon, is a large machine that can be placed. If within its radius, it heals Wattson and her teammates shields at a drastic rate. Not only this, but it reduces her cooldown for her tactical from 10 seconds to 2. As well as this, any ordnances or ordnance abilities with are used in the area, from an enemy, our stopped. This includes all three grenades and any other Legend throwables, such as the Nox Grenade.

Support

Gibraltar

Makoa Gibraltar is a large built man whose strong defensive abilities is intended to fulfil the classic "tank" role in a team.

Lifeline

Ajay Che, or Lifeline, is a healer who renounced her association to her family, who made their wealth profiting from war, and dedicates herself exclusively to good causes.

Most of Lifeline's abilities are administered by her companion drones. Her D.O.C. drone revives downed party members as part of "Combat Medic", her Passive Ability.

In a 2023 retrospective of the game's original eight characters, Brendan Paul Dick of Game Rant wrote that Lifeline "has remained relevant because her singularly focused kit has allowed her to excel in the only area she needs to".

Loba

Main article: Loba (Apex Legends)

Loba Andrade is a master thief with teleportation abilities. She grew up an orphan after her family was killed by Revenant, which forced her to survive by picking pockets and cultivating her instincts.

Newcastle

Newcastle, also known as Jackson Williams or Lamont Craig, is a former IMC pilot that joined the Apex Games in Season 13. Throughout childhood, him and his sister Anita Williams (Bangalore) shared a strong kinship, even going through basic military training together. Known to have a friendly rivalry, the two kept scores of who became the 'better Williams child'. After the Battle of Gridiron, Newcastle gave the idea of desertion, though Bangalore strongly protested the thought. Despite that, he sedated her to prevent her from starting a mutiny. After escaping the IMC and arriving at the Outlands, Bangalore was reminded that Newcastle caused the entire crew in committing treason and proceeded to send an SOS message to the IMC. Though a leading officer attempted to execute Newcastle, she intervened and fought the officer off. Newcastle was celebrated by his people in Harris Valley despite his many denied attempts at joining the Apex Games, still regarded as the local hero. Eventually, he was let into the roster. His passive carries fallen allies away whilst simultaneously reviving them, and his tactical deploys a mobile shield that provides a temporary barrier. His ultimate leaps him to an ally or targeted area and slams down, created a fortified, electrified wall.

Mirage

Elliott Witt, also known as Mirage, is a legend in Apex Legends known for his charm, wit, and penchant for practical jokes. As the youngest of four brothers, he had to learn to fool around to stand out. His main interest, however, was studying holo-pilot technology, as used in the Outlands Civil War. His mother was a gifted engineer, helping explain the different parts of holo-technology to him. During the Outlands Civil War, his three brothers went MIA, presumed dead. Mirage carried on after the war as a bartender, hearing stories of the fame and riches that come with competing in the Apex Games but not wanting to leave his mother childless. Only then did she gift him her customised holo-devices, allowing him to compete, which he dedicates to her. During this time, Witt's mother was diagnosed with a form of dementia, which means she forgets much about her past. His closest friends include Rampart, Wraith and Vantage, the latter of whom he helped acclimatise to the games when she joined.

His tactical puts out a decoy of Mirage who runs in a straight line to where the player points. The player can press a button to make the decoy copy his movements, and any hostile that shoots his decoy will be marked for his team. His passive allows him to go invisible when respawning teammates, using respawn beacons and healing. His ultimate deploys a ring of decoys around him, mimicking his movement in a circular pattern.

He was one of the original characters in Apex Legends, albeit having to be unlocked with Apex Tokens.

Conduit

Conduit, also known as Rowenna Valentina Coffey Divina, is a legend introduced in Season 19 of Apex Legends. Following the Nexus Revolution, Conduit often appeared in the crowds of the Apex Games, aspiring to join their ranks. However, her aspirations were fuelled by a pivotal event when her sister returned home injured. Faced with the financial struggles of their family, Conduit took matters into her own hands. She embarked on a daring mission to salvage the irradiated battery from the wreckage of The Monarch, fashioning it into a powerful exosuit. Her ingenuity and determination quickly garnered attention, earning her an invitation to compete in the Apex Games. Her passive gives her the ability to run faster when facing a far teammate, and her tactical grants her and a selected teammate a temporary shield. Her ultimate ability deploys several 'jammers' that damage enemies that step inside.

Rhapsody

Linh My Vo, also known as Rhapsody, was introduced in Season 2 of Apex Legends Mobile as an exclusive character. Apex Legends Mobile was sunset in 2023

Reception

The characters of Apex Legends have received significant coverage for the perceived diversity of its playable characters, although some reviewers felt that the nature of the game did not allow for a narrative which properly highlights this diversity.

Several characters are LGBTQ, including one non-binary character and a trans woman. Emily Berry of Kotaku praised the game's LGBT-related voice lines, writing that "Apex Legends smartly weaves queer dialogue into the gameplay elements themselves". Identifying herself as a lesbian woman of color, Berry went on to express that flirtatious voice lines between female characters further her investment into the game, writing that "Representing queer courtship in all of its messy glory, regardless of how cliché and dramatic it may be, sets Apex Legends apart from other Battle Royales".

Catalyst received a nomination for Best LGBTQ+ Character at the Gayming Awards 2023, but lost to Lor from New Tales from the Borderlands.

Further reading

• Hawreliak, Jason; Lemieux, Amélie (2020). "The semiotics of social justice: a multimodal approach to examining social justice issues in videogames". Irish Journal of Asian Studies. 2. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
• Richard, Gabriela (2021). Playing as a Woman (of Color) as if a (White) Man (PDF). ETC Press. Retrieved June 30, 2023.