5 best heroes to duo with The Punisher in Marvel Rivals

The Punisher in Marvel Rivals is one of the most straightforward Duelist characters in the entire game. His ability kit is centered around different types of weapons that can shoot down opponents. The damage output from all of these power-ups is very high, making him a prime candidate for raking in massive damage numbers and eliminations on the scoreboard.

The Punisher in Marvel Rivals has a destructive ultimate ability that can easily melt even the highest health Vanguards in NetEase Games' hero-shooter. However, he does not have any defensive abilities so needs to have someone protecting his position and providing heals when necessary. Fortunately, this character has a zipline ability that one can use to reposition quickly around the map.

This article will highlight the most effective characters you can pick to team up with The Punisher in Marvel Rivals.

Editor’s Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author’s opinion. Furthermore, the contents of this guide have been updated to the latest patch deployed on February 5, 2025. This article will be further updated as a new balance update goes live for Marvel Rivals in the near future.

---

Who are the best heroes to team up with The Punisher in Marvel Rivals?

1) Rocket Racoon

Ammo Invention Synergy (Image via NetEase Games)

Rocket Raccoon is a strong favorite to duo with The Punisher in Marvel Rivals. His Ammo Invention (Team-Up ability) gives The Punisher infinite ammo and increases his firing speed, making him an unstoppable force. Rocket also provides mobility and healing in the form of Wild Crawl, Jetpack Dash, and healing spheres, which keep the team alive in the hardest battles.

Rocket excels as a support hero, and when paired with The Punisher, they become an unstoppable turret combo. His mobility and healing abilities ensure the team stays strong, allowing The Punisher to unleash relentless firepower.

---

2) Winter Soldier

Bucky's Kraken Impact (Image via NetEase Games)

Winter Soldier thrives in mid-range combat, making him a strong ally for The Punisher in Marvel Rivals. Together, their synergy revolves around crowd control and overwhelming firepower. Bucky’s Trooper’s Fist can interrupt healers and isolate enemies, while his Bionic Hook can drag targets into Punisher’s line of sight for devastating takedowns.

Bucky can be a frontline chaser and flanker. His ability to counter flying enemies and snipers ensures that The Punisher's slow movement isn't a liability. With Rocket Raccoon in the mix, this trio becomes even stronger, as Bucky can benefit from Rocket's damage buffs while covering The Punisher's backline.

---

3) Venom

Venom's Tentacles (Image via NetEase Games)

Eddie brings toughness and much-needed distraction for The Punisher to get his shots lined up. As a tank, Venom is meant to disrupt enemy DPS and healers, keeping the vulnerable Punisher out of harm's way. His Cellular Corrosion ability plays well in clustered fights, and his wall-climbing and burrowing mechanics create opportunities for surprise strikes.

Eddie's self-healing and tanky nature make him an excellent shield for The Punisher in extended battles. However, he isn't a heavy damage dealer, so the duo works best when he focuses on disruption, letting The Punisher in Marvel Rivals clean up the kills.

---

4) Mantis

Mantis's Spore Slumber (Image via NetEase Games)

Mantis excels from the backline, healing and buffing her team. She provides continuous support with her Life Orbs, and with her Life Energy Blast, she keeps replenishing orbs with critical hits. Her ultimate can save teammates in a tough spot, such as The Punisher.

Her Allied Inspiration ability provides The Punisher with a 12% damage boost, which can be lethal when he's in turret form. If enemies get too close, she can use Spore Slumber to disable them, giving The Punisher the perfect opportunity to utilize his high DPS and finish them off while she ensures the team stays alive.

---

5) Iron Fist

Lin lie aka Iron Fist getting charged (Image via NetEase Games)

Given The Punisher’s lack of mobility, Iron Fist is a great partner, especially when dealing with long-range threats like Hawkeye and Black Widow. These snipers can easily keep The Punisher at bay, but Lin’s speed and close-range combat skills allow him to quickly close the gap and neutralize these threats.

You may be interested in: Marvel Rivals player finds new Jeff and Groot combo potentially overpowers other heroes

Iron Fist's mobility with potent attacks will distract enemies while keeping The Punisher in Marvel Rivals safe from all kinds of ranged dangers. He will also have sustain by way of Chi Absorption, allowing him to dive in and out at times to create flexibility and protect The Punisher.

---

The Punisher in Marvel Rivals is quite beginner-friendly and has a linear learning curve. This character is easy to master and primarily relies on the player's raw mechanical abilities like aiming and tracking. This means that you can have a significant impact on any online match as long as you can land your shots on the enemy team.

The Punisher in Marvel Rivals also features two weapons in the loadout - an assault rifle for ranged combat and a shotgun for close-quarter scenarios. It is important to switch to the shotgun when being attacked by opponent flanks as it has a lot of damage output.

Be sure to follow Sportskeeda for more updates, guides, and news.

• Marvel Rivals community is enraged over players ignoring this deployable ability
• Shroud officially announces the start-up of new Marvel Rivals org
• 5 best heroes to duo with Captain America in Marvel Rivals
• 5 reasons that make Duelists the most popular role in Marvel Rivals
• How to counter Psylocke in Marvel Rivals