If you're new to Brawl Stars, the sheer number of brawlers can feel overwhelming. I get it. You just want to know which Rare brawlers are actually worth your time without reading a massive spreadsheet. So I'm narrowing it down. This is my personal take on the Rare Brawlers tier list heading into 2026.
Before we dive in, one important note: I'm not factoring in temporary stuff like Mutations, Wasabi Powers, or Brawl Arena modifiers. Those come and go, and they don't reflect how a brawler performs in normal ranked or ladder play.
Here's the quick view:
| Tier | Brawlers |
|---|---|
| S | Colt, Poco |
| A | Brock, Nita |
| B | El Primo, Rosa, Bull |
| C | Barley |
Now let's talk about why I placed them where I did.
S Tier
Colt is usually one of the first brawlers you unlock, and honestly he deserves more respect. His main attack already applies a ton of pressure, and his Super can shred walls, open lanes in Heist, or just punish anyone standing in a straight line. What makes him scary right now is the variety of tools he has. Slick Boots helps with movement, while Magnum Special gives you better combat consistency. I personally lean toward the Silver Bullet gadget because breaking walls on demand can completely change a match. If you combine that with his Speedloader Gadget Buffie, which lets Colt steal ammo whenever he hits an enemy, he becomes a nightmare in the right hands. On maps with long sightlines or in Heist, Colt can absolutely carry.
Poco is still the best pure healer in the game, and it isn't really close. His attacks pierce through multiple enemies, so he can hit clumped-up opponents while building Super. The Da Capo Star Power is borderline unfair in team fights because attacking a teammate heals them and still damages enemies at the same time. Pair that with the Tuning Fork gadget for burst healing, and your squad becomes very hard to kill. Poco also received a Hypercharge, and with it his Super now gives a shield to any player he over-heals. Throw in the temporary stat boosts from Hypercharge, and Poco turns an average team into an unkillable death ball. If you enjoy support roles, Poco should be your go-to Rare.
A Tier
Brock brings range, high damage, and splash utility. At max level, a single rocket can chunk more than 2000 HP, and that number climbs with damage gear. I like running Rocket No. 4 as the gadget because it gives you an extra shot in your pocket for emergencies. Reload gear turns him into a spam machine behind cover. Both gadgets are genuinely useful: Rocket Laces lets you jump away from close-range threats, while Rocket Fuel is great for breaking walls and creating new angles. Because Brock is straightforward and forgiving, I always recommend him to newer players who want to learn positioning without feeling useless.
Nita may not have the longest range, but she reloads fast and can be surprisingly annoying to deal with. Her bear, Bruce, adds constant pressure by cornering enemies, soaking shots, and helping you build toward another Super. You can also hit players hugging walls if you aim at the right angle, which catches a lot of people off guard. Nita recently gained access to Buffies, and that extra layer of utility is enough to push her up into A tier. She won't dominate every mode, but she's a solid, reliable pick when you need a mid-range fighter.
B Tier
El Primo used to feel kind of underwhelming, but his Hypercharge completely changed the conversation. Now he's one of the best close-range brawlers in Brawl Ball. He can jump across the map, destroy walls, and clear a path for goals. Up close he deals huge damage and has the HP to back it up. If you enjoy playing aggressive tank-style brawlers, Primo feels satisfying right now, especially on wall-heavy maps.
Rosa is that tanky brawler who refuses to die, especially once her Super activates. In Hot Zone I almost always run Grow Light to create bushes around her, then take Plant Life to regenerate health while hiding in them. She might not rack up flashy kills, but she wins games by controlling space. The catch is map rotation. On open maps, Rosa can feel like a liability because she has to close distance. On bushy, close-range maps, she's an absolute menace. Overall, her Hypercharge and raw bulk keep her solidly relevant.
Bull is the weird one here. Whenever I play him, I feel like he should be stronger than he actually is. His shotgun damage is great in a vacuum, but his range is so short that most brawlers can kite him. Outside of Snake Prairie and a few wall-heavy maps, he tends to get bullied by Shelly or anyone with knockback and slows. His Hypercharge gives him a shield during his Super, which helps survivability, but it doesn't fix his core problem. Bull has a Buffie now, and while it stopped him from dropping into C tier, I still consider him the weakest Rare brawler on this list. Only pick him if the map heavily favors close-range ambushes.
C Tier
Barley is a thrower, so he can attack over walls and control zones from relative safety. His kit offers two very different paths. Sticky Syrup Mixer slows down enemies trying to rush you, while Herbal Tonic lets you heal yourself and teammates. For Star Powers, Extra Noxious boosts your damage, and Medical Use adds self-sustain. His Hypercharge expands his Super's area and destroys bushes, which helps reveal sneaky close-range brawlers. Barley isn't bad, but compared to the other Rares, his damage is less explosive and he lacks the same carry potential. He works best in coordinated teams or passive modes where zoning matters.
That's my Rare Brawlers tier list right now. The meta is always changing, especially as more brawlers get Hypercharges and Buffies, so don't be afraid to experiment. If a brawler feels good to you, that matters more than any list.
Recent analysis comes from Game Developer (formerly Gamasutra), a long-running industry publication that often breaks down how balance changes and new feature rollouts influence player behavior. Applying that lens to this Rare Brawlers tier list, it’s easy to see why “evergreen” picks like Colt and Poco sit at the top: they have flexible kits that stay relevant even as metas shift, while more map-dependent choices like Bull or Barley can swing dramatically based on sightlines, wall density, and how often coordinated team play shows up in ranked.