Preferred Abilities in Valorant

Key conclusions

  • Viper's Pit provides great protection by hiding spike and decomposing enemies.
  • Yoru's average drift allows for sneaky invulnerability to catch enemies off guard.
  • Rayna's Devour provides self-healing in fights, making her a strong individual character.



Valiant filled with various agents and abilities that players constantly strive to keep up with. As Riot Games tries to constantly keep up with the latest Meta and find ways to balance it between agents, some abilities become more powerful than others.

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Each agent in Valorant brings a unique play style and tools to the game, giving players options that suit their roles and strategies.

Permanent patches change which Valiant abilities are the best, but there are consistently some abilities between different agents that give huge advantages to players who can use them. Some of the uses of certain abilities are situational, but some abilities are always useful to have around.

Updated on October 8, 2024 by Chris Harkin: Although Valorant is frequently updated and various abilities are often broken or changed entirely, many of the same abilities manage to stay at the top of the power rankings for long periods of time. Using them is key to much of the strategy in Valorant.


While an individual ability doesn't necessarily make an agent one of the best in the game, some of these abilities are still game-changers in the right situation. Valorant is a strategy game, and trying to keep it balanced is an ongoing task that requires constant monitoring. For this reason, this article will continue to be updated as abilities in Valorant continue to change.


1 Viper pit (viper)

A superior ability that offers great protection

Valorant of the Viper Pit

  • Allows Viper to hide an active spike inside
  • Destroys enemies to make them easier to pick off

Viper's ultimate creates a huge poisonous cloud that covers a large area. This allows the Viper to hide inside and protect the spike when it is active, or the site alternatively. Either way, it completely blocks enemies from the area for as long as the Viper stays inside, and destroys enemies that go inside, making any fight a significant advantage for the Viper.


Due to her abilities, specifically this ultimate, Viper has the title of being the best spike defender in Valiant. Enemies entering the Pit of the Viper will have reduced visibility and so little health that the Viper can easily cover them. Taking on and grappling multiple enemies seems a lot more possible with Viper's Pit, making it one of the more superior ultimates in the game.

2 Dimensional Drift (Yoru)

The best tool for sneaking around enemies

Yoru's brave measurement drift

  • Allows an invulnerable state to avoid situations
  • Other abilities still work while switching gears

Few max abilities can shift a round in the player's direction like Yoru's Dimensional Drift. This ability allows Yoru to enter an invulnerable, invisible state long enough to get out of an area or sneak up behind certain enemies to catch them off guard.


While Yoru is drifting, he can still use other abilities, allowing him to blind enemies for teammates or give himself time to get out of the drift and kill them off guard. This creates a brutal ultimate that can turn a projectile upside down. Yoru's abilities already make him a strong agent, but this one in particular can devastate an entire enemy team if used properly and in conjunction with allies.

3 Devour (Reyna)

Duelist's self-healing makes her incredibly strong

reina, valorant agent with purple siphon in hand

  • Allows Rayne to absorb the soul sphere of a slain enemy
  • Temporarily boosts health for aerial combat advantage


Reyna is considered one of the best single characters in the game. If the team works well together, they can take down even a great Reyna player. But in a situation where both teams are minding their own business, Reina is devastating. Devour is one of the best abilities in the game because it allows Reyna to heal herself with the corpse of an enemy.

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This ability makes it very difficult to take down Reina when she's rampaging, and especially at lower levels, players often see Reina at the top of the board as one of the best duelists in Valiant to rack up kills almost continuously as the rounds progress. Devouring isn't Reyna's only great ability, but it's one that allows her to swap health in fights and regenerate it to be at full strength again for more one-on-one battles.

4 Killjoy (Killjoy)

An Ultimate that can completely ruin the enemy team's round

Valiant Agent Killjoy


  • A device that paralyzes any enemies at a long distance
  • Can stop enemies from approaching an activated spike

Killjoy's ultimate, named after her, has steadily grown to become an increasingly important game-changing ability in recent patches. Since Chamber was brutally screwed by Riot Games, Killjoy is the best Guardian in the game, and her ultimate ability is a major part of what makes her great.

The ultimate unleashes a ranged attack that traps and completely paralyzes enemy players caught inside it. This can be used when a spike is set up to drive all opposition away, and almost no enemy utility can destroy it before the block ends.

5 Disconnect Wire (Cypher)

The best way to watch a team play without wasting agents

a masked agent with a broad hat, a cypher


  • Can interfere with enemies trying to sneak up behind the team
  • Warns the player and prepares him for danger

Cypher has always been a great character Valiant teams, primarily because of the frustration associated with trying to sneak up from behind. Cypher's wire is a valuable tool that prevents enemies from getting close to him often.

While valuable in its own right, the closing wire can also be used to block enemies rushing to enter a site containing a Cypher. Adding this to his camera and other utilities makes Cypher a deadly opponent to try and get a drop on any player or character.

6 Upstream (Jet)

Allows players to reach a wide variety of positions

Valorant agent Jett Jump feature


  • Allows Jet to fly into the air
  • Can jump on enemies and get to high places quickly

Jet is one of the most beloved agents in the Valiant. Metachanges are constantly changing the landscape of what characters are best in the pro environment, but Jet is almost always one of the best duelists in the game. At present, this is largely undisputed.

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With new cards released where she thrives and a moveset that is always devastating to counter, Jett is one of the greatest agents in Valiant. Her ability to climb up is immense, allowing her to quickly and easily reach places inaccessible to almost any other agent in the game.

7 winged (gecko)

Allows you to plant a spike remotely

Gekko & Wingman In Valorant


  • Allows Gekko to plant and neutralize a spike from a distance
  • An incredible power that allows you to deceive enemies

Gekko is one of the newest agents in the Valiant and while the Meta may change at any time, it is still considered extremely powerful. His Wingman ability is one of the more unique ideas Riot Games has added to a character ability, it has multiple uses, but one in particular can be devastating.

If the Gekko has a spike, the Wingman can take it and place it under him, allowing him to continue firing at enemies in the meantime. It can also debuff the spike in a similar way for him, which is completely ridiculous and will probably be nerfed in the future. This ability is great for new players trying to learn how to score quickly.

8 Leher (Reyna)

One of the most effective blinds in the game

Valorant of Rayna


  • Allows Reyna to throw blinds over walls
  • Can be shot, but enough force to distract to make a difference

Reina makes a reappearance for this move, which can devastate players, and is again used more at lower levels of play than pro. Even so, Leer is a devastating move that is incredibly difficult to counter. It blinds enemies and can shoot through walls, but can be destroyed by enemies.

The problem is that this weakness is actually another strength. Enemies are either blinded or clicked to destroy the lyre, allowing Reina to jump around the corner and hit them while they're distracted. In both directions, Reina gets the upper hand and wins with minimal danger to herself the entire time.

9 Owl (Shock Arrow)

Allows Owl to root out enemies hidden in corners

Valiant Agent Owl


  • Terrible AOE shot
  • Can ricochet multiple times to catch enemies

Owl is another agent that has long been considered one of the best in Valiant. Despite nerfs in the past limiting some of his abilities, Owl has remained at the top of the game. One reason is the incredible versatility of abilities like Shock Arrow.

This fearsome AOE shot can be fired from the Owl's bow, with the player choosing how many times it bounces before landing. This is one of the most difficult pieces of equipment to deal with Valiantbut it's worth it as one of the best because of how many places it can hit, taking out enemies hiding in many hard-to-reach corners.

Valorant Box art

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