Hela Marvel Rivals Guide: The Goddess of Death's Kit, Team-Ups and Costumes

The Queen of Hel, From a 1964 Comic to Knull's Queen in Black

Hela's comics debut, per the wiki's trivia, was *Journey Into Mystery* (1952) #102, published in March 1964. In Norse myth and in most of her comics history she is Loki's daughter and the ruler of the dead. Marvel Rivals takes a different line, closer to the films: the wiki's infobox lists Odin as her father, Angela as her older sister, Thor and Balder as younger brothers, Laussa as a younger sister, Loki as a younger foster sibling, and the wolf Fenris as her companion. Her listed birthplace is Asgard, and the infobox gives her powers as command over life and death, necromancy, weapon summoning, black magic, superhuman speed and strength, and Asgardian physiology.

The family tree in the game has shifted over time, and the wiki tracks it. Loki's lore once had him call her "sister"; the wiki notes that all of Loki's mentions of Hela as a sister were removed in Season 4: Heart of the Dragon. The Season 3 gallery card "Nowhere Left To Run" also says "her own kin would come to deliver justice soon enough", which the wiki reads as confirming her blood tie to the Asgardian family.

Her biggest story moment in the game so far is Season 3: The Abyss Awakens, where she appears as the Queen in Black, allied with the symbiote god Knull. The wiki lists Knull as one of her affiliations alongside Asgard, and records that Donny Cates, Knull's co-creator, called the idea "rad as hell" when the season's story was announced. The wiki's personality section sums her up as defined by absolute confidence: a ruler who sees death and darkness as necessary forces and treats alliances as tools.

The official in-game description puts it more simply: "As the Goddess of Death, Hela wields supreme control over the fallen souls residing in Hel. With a haunting whisper and a murder of crows, the queen of the underworld gracefully reaps the souls of her enemies without an ounce of mercy." Her English voice actor is Nika Futterman; the wiki lists Hong Haitian for the Chinese voice and Miyuki Sawashiro for the Japanese.

When Hela Was Added: A Launch-Day Duelist

Hela is not a seasonal addition. She was part of the roster on day one: the wiki's Season 0: Dooms' Rise page, which runs from December 6, 2024 to January 10, 2025, lists her among the launch heroes, and her Balance Changes page opens with a Season 0 entry dated 12-06-24 that reads "Hela reaps the souls of the enemies as a Duelist hero!" The wiki's hero page lists her as one of the 33 heroes in that launch roster.

The same Season 0 page lists the ten heroes who were playable for the first time at launch because they had not been in the Closed Beta Test, and Hela is not among them, which indicates she had already been playable in the Closed Beta Test.

Three infobox numbers set expectations before you load in. Her health is 250, down from 275 at launch: the Season 1 patch of January 10, 2025 cut it. Her difficulty is 3 on the wiki's 1-to-5 scale, which puts her in the middle of the roster. And her role is Duelist, the damage class, which our marvel rivals roles explained page breaks down if you are new to the three-role system.

Hela's Abilities and Their Current Numbers

Every value below is copied from the wiki's ability template for Hela (Template:Abilities/Hela, read October 30, 2026). PC keys are listed; on PS5 her primary is R2, secondary L2, Astral Flock L1, Soul Drainer R1, Hel's Descent X and the ultimate L3+R3, with the Xbox equivalents RT, LT, LB, RB, A and L3+R3.

| Ability | Key | What it does | Key numbers | |---|---|---|---| | Nightsword Thorn | Left click | Throw Nightsword thorns (hitscan) | 80 damage per round; falloff begins at 18m, decreasing to 75% at 35m; 2 rounds/s; 10 ammo; critical hits: yes | | Piercing Night | Right click | Fire thorns that detonate after a delay | Direct hit 10, explosion 35; 4 thorns; 3s explosion delay; 80m/s; 8s cooldown | | Soul Drainer | E | Explosive Hel sphere that Stuns and pulls enemies into the blast | Direct hit 1, spell field 40; 3m radius; 0.3s stun; 40m/s; 10s cooldown | | Astral Flock | Shift | Glide forward as a Nastrond Crow; press again to end | 15m/s; max 18m; immune to damage while transformed; 25 bonus health after; 15s cooldown | | Hel's Descent | Space (hold) | Fall slowly | 6m/s horizontal, 3.5m/s descent | | Nastrond Crowstorm | Passive | A defeated enemy generates a crow that explodes | 80 damage; 5m radius; 1.8s delay | | Goddess of Death | Q | Soar into the sky and throw Nastrond Crows from each hand | 4000 energy; 10s; 1000 ultimate-state health; 125 per crow; 32% falloff at 4m from center; 1 round/s; 6m radius; 80m/s |

Two notes on reading the table. Piercing Night's thorns explode whether or not they are stuck to anyone; the wiki's overview spells this out, and the table's special-effect line says they stick to enemies and terrain before exploding. Goddess of Death gives her a separate health bar rather than extra health: the overview says that if those 1,000 points run out she does not die, but drops back to normal form with the health she had before casting.

The wiki's overview text and its table disagree in one small place. The overview says Astral Flock makes her "completely immune to all damage and crowd-control abilities" during flight; the ability table only lists immunity to damage. We give the table's wording here and note the difference rather than pick a side the table does not state. The overview also says teammates cannot heal her while she is a crow.

Reading Her Damage From the Table

None of the following is a measured statistic. It is simple arithmetic on the table above, to show what the numbers mean in practice.

Primary fire. At 80 per round and 2 rounds per second, Nightsword Thorn's ceiling is 160 damage per second before falloff, and a full 10-round magazine holds 800 damage. Past 18m the damage starts dropping, reaching 75% (60 per round) at 35m. Because it is hitscan and can crit, the table rewards aim more than prediction.

Piercing Night. Four thorns at 10 each on impact plus 35 each on detonation means a target hit by all four takes 40 straight away and 140 three seconds later, 180 in total. The delay is the catch: the explosion lands where the thorn is, so a thorn stuck in a wall only threatens whoever is standing there three seconds later.

Soul Drainer. The 40 spell-field damage is small; the value is the 0.3-second stun and the pull. The wiki's overview notes it can interrupt certain Ultimates.

Nastrond Crowstorm. Each kill drops an 80-damage, 5m explosion after 1.8 seconds, which is why the wiki describes her as having "conditional area-of-effect" damage: it only happens after a final blow.

Goddess of Death. One crow per second for 10 seconds is up to 10 throws of 125 damage each, in a 6m sphere, with damage falling off by 32% at 4m from the center of each blast.

Patch History: How Hela's Kit Has Changed

Her Balance Changes page on the wiki lists every adjustment since launch. The most recent entries first:

- Season 9.5 (August 7, 2026): Deep Wrath's Undead Monstro Spawn damage cut from 15 to 10 per shot. - Season 9 (July 10, 2026): damage-to-ultimate-charge conversion cut from 70% to 55%; damage anchor bonus removed; Nightsword Thorn raised from 70 to 80 damage per shot, with max falloff range moved from 30m to 35m and falloff at max range from 70% to 75%; Astral Flock can now move freely while active; her current team-ups, Hel Tendrils and Deep Wrath, introduced in their present form. - Season 7 (March 20, 2026): ultimate charge conversion cut from 90% to 70%; passive ultimate charge from 12/s to 11/s. - Balance patch (February 19, 2026): Nightsword Thorn falloff at 30m from 80% to 70%. - Season 6 (January 16, 2026): under the old Death Kneel team-up with Namor, Undead Monstro Spawn damage cut from 12 to 10 per shot and its berserk-state damage from 7 to 6. - Season 4.5 (October 10, 2025): Astral Flock cast time reduced and the 25 bonus health added after casting; the old Queen of Hel team-up removed and the Death Kneel team-up with Namor added, which summoned an Undead Monstro Spawn on a final blow. - Season 3 (July 11, 2025): the Hel Tendrils team-up first added, with Venom empowering Soul Drainer to link tendrils to enemies hit and slow them. - Season 2.5 (May 30, 2025): Nightsword Thorn ammo from 8 to 10. - Season 2 (April 11, 2025): Piercing Night explosion damage from 30 to 35; Astral Flock cooldown from 12s to 15s; Soul Drainer cooldown from 12s to 10s. - Season 1.5 (February 21, 2025): Nightsword Thorn falloff at 30m from 70% to 80%. - Season 1 (January 10, 2025): max health from 275 to 250; the Queen of Hel team-up's anchor damage boost from 20% to 15%.

The pattern is clear from the list: her primary fire's falloff has been moved in both directions over the patches and its damage per shot is now the highest the page lists (80, up from 70), while her ultimate has been made slower to charge twice. Our marvel rivals patch notes page tracks each week's official notes as they land.

Team-Ups: Two of Her Own, Five Where She Is the Partner

The Team-Up system was rebuilt in Season 9.0. Under the current rules, the wiki's Team-Ups page explains, each hero has two team-up loadouts of their own, each tied to a partner hero; the Base Effect works whenever the loadout is selected, and the Enhanced Effect only switches on when the partner is on your team. Hela's page lists two active loadouts.

Hel Tendrils (partner: Venom). Replaces Soul Drainer. On hit, tendrils pull nearby enemies toward the impact point and link them, Slowing anyone who tries to escape. It keeps Soul Drainer's 1 direct and 40 spell-field damage, 10s cooldown, 3m radius and 0.3s stun, adds a 20% Slow rising to 40% at 2.5m from the center, and tethers up to 5m for up to 2s. Enhanced with Venom on the team: Piercing Night fires 6 symbiote-infused thorns instead of 4, and each direct hit restores 20 health.

Deep Wrath (partner: Namor). A passive. Whenever Hela participates in a KO, an Undead Monstro spawns where the enemy fell; while one is present, casting Piercing Night makes it spit a Nightsword Thorn at the nearest enemy. The Monstro has 150 health and deals 10 per shot, falling off from 20m to 50% at 40m, every 0.33s. Enhanced with Namor: every attack during Goddess of Death spawns a Monstro at the point of impact.

She is also the partner that enhances five other heroes' loadouts:

- Hel-Yeah, Honey (Deadpool): with Hela present, both the Desert Eagles and the Katanas can be upgraded one extra time. - Circle of Life (Phoenix): with Hela present, every blast of Phoenix Netherfire applies multiple stacks of Sparks. Version 20261009 (Season 10.5) cut this loadout's cooldown from 12s to 10s. - Villain's Illusion (Loki): with Hela present, Loki's borrowed form lasts slightly longer, and lethal damage while transformed or in his ultimate reverts him to Loki instead of a KO. The official Version 20261113 Balance Post added an effect for Loki when this loadout is selected: whenever an illusion is destroyed, he gains "1s of cooldown for both Doppelganger and Devious Exchange", in the post's words. - Ragnarok Rebirth (Thor): with Hela present, if either of them participates in a KO, Thor instantly revives from his decaying bonus-health state. - Ragnarök (Gorr): added in Season 10.0; with Hela present, Gorr's scythe strike gains range and each hit grants bonus health to Gorr and nearby allies.

Every Costume, With Rarity and Source

Her cosmetics template on the wiki lists twelve costumes including the default, two recolors and four chromas. Where the wiki names a source, it is given; where it leaves the field blank, we say so rather than guess.

- The Redeemed (Epic): premium reward in All Hallows' Glow, the Halloween event pass running October 15 to November 13, 2026. The official Version 20261014 notes name it among the event's premium rewards. Our marvel rivals halloween event page lists the rest of that pass. - The Grim Lady (Legendary): no source in the costume template; the wiki's Version 20260911 page lists it as one of the College Perk costumes from Season 10.0. - Helen Angerboda: The Rebel (Legendary): Season 7 BattlePass, Premium (Tablet of Life and Time). Chromas: Ruby Revolt and Violet Violence. - Queen in Black (Legendary): Queen's Codex, Premium. - Consort of Khonshu (Legendary): no source listed. Chromas: Midnight Moon and Sapphire Shadow. - Empress of the Cosmos (Epic): Season 0 BattlePass, free track (Chronovium). - Disco of the Dead (Epic): FLIGHT MODE! World Tour, free. - Savage Monarch (Epic): Savage Adventure, Premium. - Goddess of Death (Epic) and Yami no Karasu (Epic): no source listed. - Merciful Queen (Rare, What If...? label): Season 5 BattlePass, Premium (Grand Garden Adventure). - Default. - Recolors: Ultimate (Rare) and Will of Galacta (Rare, Twitch Drops).

How We Would Play Hela (Editors' Opinion)

This section is our editorial reading of the sourced Hela Marvel Rivals kit, not a measured result.

Treat her as a pick who stays at the edge of the fight. The wiki's overview calls her a long-range specialist, and the table backs that up: full damage out to 18m and still 75% at 35m. Moving closer than you need to only gives up the advantage the falloff numbers hand you.

Hold Astral Flock for leaving, not arriving. The overview's first weakness is "poor means to deal with divers, especially when Astral Flock is on cooldown," and the kit has no self-heal outside the Venom team-up. Our view: a Hela who flies forward to start a fight has nothing left when a diver reaches her. Since Season 9 she can steer the crow freely, and it still grants 25 bonus health on landing.

Use Piercing Night as a delayed threat. Three seconds is long enough for an enemy to walk off, so we think it pays most on targets that cannot move far: a Vanguard holding a shield, someone channeling, or a doorway the enemy must walk through. Soul Drainer's pull pairs naturally with it.

Pick the ultimate's spot before pressing Q. She is stationary in the air for up to 10 seconds, and the overview warns that she returns to the exact spot she cast from. Casting from behind your own front line means the end of the ultimate puts her somewhere safe.

Choose the team-up for the comp you have. Hel Tendrils trades nothing away and adds slow plus self-healing when Venom is around; Deep Wrath makes most sense when the team is getting kills and Namor is present to boost the ultimate.

Is Hela Right for You? Who She Suits (Editors' Opinion)

Again, this is our opinion as editors, drawn from the kit and the wiki's own strengths and weaknesses list.

She suits players who like hitscan aim and patience. The wiki's difficulty rating of 3 puts her mid-roster, and most of her damage comes from one primary fire that can crit, so improving your aim pays off on her directly. If you enjoy controlling sightlines from high ground, Hel's Descent and Astral Flock give her more ways to reach and hold elevated spots than many ranged Duelists have.

She suits less well players who want to dive into the backline or who prefer self-sufficient heroes. Her listed weaknesses (trouble with divers, no self-sustain, no healing during flight) all point to a hero who needs teammates nearby. If you want a damage hero who can win a duel alone, a diver from our marvel rivals duelist tier list is a better fit.

Team fit. Hela is the partner hero for team-up loadouts of Deadpool, Phoenix, Loki, Thor and Gorr, and her own two loadouts reach their Enhanced Effects only with Venom or Namor on the team. When one of those five heroes has selected the loadout tied to Hela, her being in the lineup switches on its Enhanced Effect, which is a concrete reason to pick her beyond her personal damage.

Counters and Synergy, Limited to What the Sources Say

The developer publishes no matchup data, so this page does not invent any. What the wiki does state:

- What threatens her: divers. Her own page lists "poor means to deal with divers" as her first weakness, made worse when Astral Flock is on cooldown, and adds that she lacks any self-sustaining abilities. Our marvel rivals hero counters page groups the dive heroes. - What she threatens: Jeff the Land Shark's wiki page says that despite his reduced headshot damage, he "can still be easily taken down by enemies with high burst damage, such as Hawkeye and Hela." - What she can stop: Soul Drainer can briefly stun several enemies and, per her overview, interrupt certain Ultimates. - Synergy: the clearest synergy in the sources is the team-up list above: Venom and Namor for her own loadouts, and Deadpool, Phoenix, Loki, Thor and Gorr for theirs. Her achievement "Ragnaröked" even asks you to partner with Loki to take down an enemy Thor.

Anything beyond that, such as how often a pick beats her, is not published by NetEase or the wiki, and we leave it out. For the full list of every hero by role, see marvel rivals characters list.