Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3: 10 Best Fighters, Ranked

Few fighting games are as over-the-top and outrageous as Marvel vs. Capcom, and the series has been playing with the concept of the dream matchup formula for many years now. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the latest entry in this long-running series, blending characters from various Capcom video game titles with Marvel’s comic book superheroes and villains.

It works on a great many levels, all thanks to the character roster. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to pin down exactly which fighters are the most well-rounded and versatile. It all comes down to their individual fight mechanics, special moves, and inherent strength, speed, and agility.

10 Phoenix

At first glance, Phoenix has a lot of disadvantages which seem to hamper her ability as a fighter. However, she’s best used as a team supplement, specifically because she can transform into the Dark Phoenix from her comic book storyline, which is where her true power lies. Once utilized, she can finish off opponents with a devastating level of power, or turn the tide of a fight gone bad.

The base version of Phoenix requires meter to succeed, and that can be difficult given her lack of a strong offense, combined with low health. It will take some practice for players to master her enough to trigger the Dark Phoenix transformation, but if they do, they’ll have a secret weapon at their disposal.

9 Dormammu

As a fighter, Dormammu has the potential to take names, and reject any bargain. He often gets overlooked by players for his unique fighting style, and a dependence on meter. As a component in a team, however, he can be extraordinarily dangerous to an opponent.

Dormammu’s main advantage is speed, particularly when it comes to dashing. His aerial dash can trigger devastating cross-up combos, or close the gap with an opponent to catch them off guard. Experienced players can use his fireball attacks to juggle opponents in the air with surprising ease.

8 Strider Hiryu

Strider’s main protagonist has always been one of the coolest ninjas in video games, but he’s especially capable in UMVC3. Speed and agility are his main strengths, and players can take advantage of them to set up punishing combos, especially in the air.

Part of what makes Hiryu such a capable fighter is how natural he is to pick up and play. He’s great for newbies, and veterans enjoy his ability to go it solo and deal out tremendous levels of damage. He may struggle against players who have mastered more powerful characters, however.

7 Nova

Rushdown characters don’t get much more dangerous than Nova, a character with punishing combo potential and solid defense. When played up close, Nova can take advantage of his ability to shed health in order to boost his damage output, which is a feather in his cap.

Nova’s only real weakness is the ability of opponents to start anticipating his patterns, so players should be advised to come up with several fallback strategies to deal with adaptation in the middle of a fight. Otherwise, Nova can catch opponents off guard and whittle their health bars down to nothing in a very short space of time.

6 Wolverine

Since the early days of Capcom’s Marvel fighting games, Wolverine has shown himself to be an excellent fighter who makes up for his lack of projectile attacks with speed, high damage output, and some amazing cross-ups. These traits have migrated forward with the character into Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which began when Capcom adapted the popular ’90s X-Men cartoon version of the character in digital form.

Wolvie is still one of, if not the best choice for aggressive players who like to get in the thick of it, and overwhelm their enemies. His ability to build meter is extraordinary, and his specials are bone-crushing. As usual, Wolverine has to stay on his guard while in the air, and he can be zoned by skilled opponents, so the trick is to keep him up close and personal as much as possible.

5 Magneto

To fully use Magneto at his full potential, players will have to put in the hours to master his moveset, and learn to balance his offensive and defensive capabilities. Essentially, Magneto can play either side, which makes him advantageous for fighters who like to keep their opponents second-guessing themselves.

Magneto is a force to be reckoned with both on the ground, and in the air. When used offensively, he can quickly overwhelm players before darting back and zoning them. This is good news, because Magneto does come with a few weaknesses, including his jump which can leave him open to attack.

4 Doctor Doom

It seems logical that Doctor Doom, one of Marvel’s most dangerous and evil villains would make it to the pantheon of fighters in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. His greatest strength is the ability to zone opponents away from himself, and chip away at them with projectiles. Once the opponent wades in, Doom can strike hard and fast.

Doom is also easy for newcomers to pick up and learn, especially when dealing with combo masters. His Foot Dive technique alone can rain on their parade with relative ease, to say nothing of his Sphere Flame hyper and plasma beam specials.

3 Zero

At first glance, Mega Man’s Zero doesn’t appear to be the kind of character who could ascend to the upper echelon of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 fighters. However, it takes only a few moments to realize just how capable he is, thanks largely to his ability to pull off crushing combos, while falling back on his hard-hitting normals.

Zero tends to get passed up in favor of other fighters due to the learning curve required to master the character. Patient players can harvest all of his inherent strengths, while mitigating some of his weaknesses, such as zoning. Combo aficionados especially will want to take notice.

2 Vergil

This Devil May Cry fighter has earned a lot of praisefrom the UMVC3 community for being one of the most versatile of the bunch. His level of balance is astonishing, with potent damage output, speed, and superior range at his disposal. He’s a one-size-fits-all kind of fighter that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, and adapt accordingly.

Vergil’s level 3 X factor is nothing to shrug off, and neither is his Devil Trigger ability boost. Many players regard him as the best in the game, and the argument does hold water when witnessing him in action.

1 Morrigan

The character of Morrigan started out as the Darkstalkers equivalent of Street Fighter’s Ryu and Ken, but she’s evolved through the course of the last few decades to become a pivotal and iconic member of the UMVC3 roster. In fact, she’s arguably the best fighter in the entire game, with very few peers.

Morrigan has a host of powerful specials at her disposal, including the panic-inducing Astral Vision. She’s also one of the most capable jugglers in the entire game, and once opponents get caught up in her attacks, they’re not likely to survive very long. She’s the ultimate combination of speed, aerial mobility, and power.

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