Legends in Apex Legends possess a wide range of abilities to give their players and their squads an edge in the Respawn battle royale. After all, players have to use their Legends' Tactical Skills to secure the advantage throughout the match, while their Ultimate Skills can almost always turn the tables to their favor. Unfortunately, players who still spam their Legends' Skills and still lose the match might not be using another trick up their sleeve: their Legends' Passive Skills.
Despite being "unnoticeable" traits, a Legend's Passive Skill almost always defines their core concept. Players who know how to maximize their Passives can have an unseen advantage in the game. And interestingly, some Legends just have Passives that set them apart from the rest.
Updated on May 3, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Bangalore’s brother Jackson finally arriving as the Legend Newcastle in the upcoming season, players of Apex Legends can finally have another Defensive Legend to protect the squad. And while his abilities focus on arming his pals with a portable shield, other Legends won’t let this newcomer upstage them - especially when it comes to their Passive abilities. However, as they train and master the game’s diverse cast of characters, just which Legend Passives should they study first?
14 Now You See Me… (Mirage)
Trickster Mirage easily becomes the life of the party whenever he summons his duplicates to mess around with enemies, especially when they can copy his actions in the middle of combat. To add to this confusion, Mirage can become one of the best supportive Legends out there with Now You See Me…, a Passive built to emphasize his protective nature.
With this Passive, Mirage will automatically cloak whenever he revives teammates and uses Respawn Beacons. This alone can add a lot of versatility to teams, as Mirage can escape a firefight and get to a lone Respawn Beacon or help an ally even while enemies are scrambling to find them. Not only that, but downing Mirage summons a decoy that will annoy enemies to the bitter end, allowing Mirage to have time to safely hide.
This syncs well with the rest of his abilities. Psyche Out (Tactical) allows Mirage to summon a clone that can copy his moves, allowing him to distract enemies while saving teammates. All the more confusing is when he uses Life Of The Party (Ultimate), as he summons up to five decoys that roam around while the real Mirage is saving his team.
13 Spacewalk (Horizon)
Of all Legends, it’s Horizon that rules the skies with her unique slate of abilities - most of which allow her to take the skies and float while using the maneuverability of the skies to eliminate enemies. Spacewalk is the Passive that makes this possible, as Horizon gets better air control and won’t have as much impact when landing while used.
At its core, Horizon gets a bit more speed when landing from higher places, getting rid of the lag time Legends often suffer when landing in this manner. Moreover, Horizon can make quick turns in the air. While air combat is difficult to master in itself, Horizon can give players better options while fighting mid-air thanks to this Passive.
This works best with her Gravity Lift (Tactical), which essentially allows Horizon and her allies to take to the skies with an upwards booster that can take them as high as 30 meters for up to 10 seconds. This can be more than enough time to reach high surfaces or even get the aerial advantage against enemies in heated fights.
12 Heart Seeker (Seer)
Ever true to his Recon designation, Seer can quickly identify enemies in the field with his Heart Seeker passive, which essentially enables Seer to hear and visualize the heartbeats of enemies that are within 75 meters of him when he dons his weapons in ADS. This is especially useful when Seer is on reconnaissance mode with a sniper, as this essentially allows him to shoot enemies with a built-in heat scanner.
Visually speaking, Heart Seeker takes the form of a circle in the crosshair that moves in the direction of the enemy if it detects anyone in the vicinity. Seer can determine the health of enemies based on how fast their heartbeats are during this mode
This works best with the rest of his Skills, such as Focus Of Attention (Tactical) which reveals enemies, and interrupts their actions for an extremely short while. It even works well with his Exhibit (Ultimate) that can detect enemies that enter its range for as long as 30 seconds.
11 Marked For Death (Ash)
Players out for the kill will love Ash and her slate of offensive abilities, particularly her Passive named Marked For Death. At its core, this Passive will have Ash’s map show the location of recently-created deathboxes. Choosing a deathbox of interest can mark the direction of surviving attackers once, giving players ample time to chase down targets in favorable positions.
This can greatly benefit Ash out for the hunt with her other abilities. Catching up to a set of attackers can give Ash a nice opportunity to use her Arc Snare (Tactical) which can stun enemies for a short while, or her Phase Breach (Ultimate) which allows her to teleport to a location with her weapon.
10 Eye For Quality (Loba)
Wouldn't it feel awesome to open a Supply Pod and know there's high-tier loot inside? With Loba, this is possible with her Eye for Quality. Unlike other combative Passives, Loba's Eye for Quality is literally that: Loba can see Epic (Purple) and Legendary (Gold) loot through walls. This means Loba can ping loot without having to open doors, Supply Pods, or even Explosive Holds.
Of course, given the loot-focused nature of Eye For Quality, it's not necessarily the "best" Passive to master. For beginners, the Eye's lack of combat potential won't make it any more impactful to their performance.
In the right hands, this easily gives a skilled Loba the advantage. After all, Loba will know which areas to search if she's looking for specific gear or specific attachments to weapons. Moreover, Eye For Quality can tell her whether a zone is worth using her Black Market Boutique (Ultimate) for, which in turn allows the squad to steal any gear within the Ult's vicinity - including weapons inside Explosive Holds and Supply Drops.
9 Neurolink (Crypto)
Whereas Bloodhound serves as a mobile reconnaissance unit, Crypto specializes in careful approaches. With his Surveillance Drone (Tactical) he can keep tabs on enemies and other interactive objects from a distance. And with his Neurolink Passive, his allies can tag everything Crypto sees within a 30-meter radius - from enemies to valuable Supply Pods.
Interestingly, it's Crypto's allies - not just Crypto himself - that need to maximize Neurolink. If they pay enough attention to Crypto's "All-Seeing Eye," then his squad will have a handy version of Bloodhound's Eye of the Allfather. After all, with the right positioning, Crypto's Drone can keep on tagging enemies in the area - perfect for tactical attacks.
Of course, while allies greatly benefit from Neurolink, the advantages only kick in if their Crypto can position the Drone properly. In turn, it's a two-pronged tactic that needs a ton of quick thinking, practice, and party synergy.
8 Gun Shield (Gibraltar)
Gibraltar makes up for his size with his efficiency as a defensive Legend. And while he can wreak havoc with Defensive Bombardment (Ultimate) and protect allies with Dome of Protection (Tactical), he can also soak in more damage as a frontline tank via Gun Shield.
Essentially, Gun Shield acts as an extra "component" to Gibraltar's ADS mechanic. The Gun Shield deploys a 50 Health energy shield whenever Gibraltar aims, securing the upper half of his body. This protects him from headshots and other basic damage. This works well with the Fortified Perk, which already reduces incoming damage by 15-percent (or one-shot).
Unfortunately, aside from its minor protection, the energy shield also occupies half of his body - making it very visible against opponents. However, a Gibraltar with the right aggressive play can tank just enough damage to outlive an assailant and knock them down before they get killed. In turn, the Gun Shield works best when treated as a slight health extension than an actual anti-damage barrier.
7 Grenadier (Fuse)
With the right hands, a grenade can cause havoc on the battlefield - and with the Grenadier, Fuse will always have the right hands for grenades. With this Passive, Fuse can hold two grenades in an inventory slot instead of just one. Moreover, since his right arm is a grenade launcher, he can load grenades and launch them faster and farther. In short, with Fuse, a grenade is as good as a third weapon.
Of all grenade types, Fuse obtains a special interaction with Frag Grenades. Instead of just seeing its trajectory, Grenadier also helps Fuse track how a Frag Grenade will bounce off walls. This essentially enables Fuse to attack enemy squads from more angles.
Moreover, Grenadier fits with Fuse's explosive arsenal. For instance, Fuse can load a grenade with the right hand and launch his Knuckle Cluster (Tactical) with his left - making for two quick grenade attacks. Lastly, Fuse can rain hell with grenades after launching the fiery wall of his Motherlode (Ultimate). Of course, despite the efficiency of Fuse's Passive, Grenadier only works best if a player loves their grenades in the first place.
6 Stalker (Revenant)
Synthetic Nightmare Revenant chose a more robotic body to accommodate his specialty as an assassin, and Stalker represents this in Apex Legends. Unlike other Passives, Stalker describes an assassin's advantages in a thin body like Revenant's.
Essentially, Stalker gives Revenant the same crouch speed and walking speed, plus gives him higher climbing speed - making him fit for stealth and reconnaissance. Moreover, strafing while in ADS will compress Revenant's frame, reducing his hitbox. With the right hands, Revenant can launch an ambush or flank aggressive opponents and eliminate them.
Moreover, Stalker fits Revenant's entire toolkit. Revenant can catch enemies by surprise and render their abilities useless by triggering Silence (Tactical) after sneaking up on them. Meanwhile, a Revenant with an extra life via Death Totem (Ultimate) can eliminate squads in intense firefights. Of course, being a Passive attached to a Legend's base characteristics means its efficiency depends on how players can maximize Revenant's stealth potential - which makes Stalker not-so-ideal for beginners.
5 Swift Mend (Octane)
Thanks to Swift Mend, Octane's iconic "Must go faster!" line applies not just to speed but to health regeneration as well. In fact, it's thanks to this Passive that he can risk losing a bit of health to get that speed boost via Stim (Tactical). With Swift Mend, Octane regenerates 1.5 Health for every second he's not taking damage. Sounds simple enough, right?
Thing is, it's Swift Mend that makes Octane such a valuable asset to the field. With Swift Mend, Octane can emphasize speed and aggression - great with players who want a more offensive playstyle.
Remember, with the right usage of Stim, Octane can serve as bait and start a chase while still recovering health. Moreover, Octane can recover Health while knocked down - letting him go back to the fight ASAP once revived. Leaving Octane alone for a few seconds can help him get back to the game faster, making for a mean aggressive Legend.
4 Double Time (Bangalore)
When it comes to straightforward Passives, Bangalore's Double Time easily takes the cake. Essentially, Bangalore gets a 30-percent running speed whenever she gets hit or whenever a projectile misses her. Bangalore players who get that "running" icon in combat will know they've just procced Double Time.
This seemingly-useless skill is deadly at the hands of a skilled player. After all, Double Time doesn't have a cooldown - meaning, Bangalore can enjoy as high as 30-percent running boosts, so long as she narrowly avoids shots. This allows her to catch up to opponents easily or even escape faster.
Moreover, Double Time fits well with Bangalore's tactical toolkit. Proccing Double Time can signal Bangalore to use her Smoke Launcher (Tactical) or her Rolling Thunder (Ultimate) airstrike, depending on the situation.
3 Voices From The Void (Wraith)
Wraith users might find her skillset complicated, especially considering her reliance on speed and mobility. Her Into The Void (Tactical) lets her "phase" to other areas almost undetected, while Dimensional Rift (Ultimate) helps her navigate faraway instances almost instantly via a portal. How can she possibly know when to run? Why, with her Voices From The Void, of course.
This Passive might creep out players at first, especially since it takes the form of a spectral voice that only pops up in certain situations. However, these situations can save Wraith or help her prepare for combat almost instantaneously. The Voices can warn Wraith whenever many enemies await nearby, if an enemy is aiming at her, or if there are nearby traps. As a plus, she can share this information with her squad - helping them prepare for an impending fight as well.
Whereas Double Time just boosts Bangalore's speed whenever she's hit or almost hit, Wraith's Voices allow her to dodge, hide, or even get head-on in combat. Moreover, in high-intensity situations, Voices can help Wraith avoid ambushes and surprise attacks.
2 Tracker (Bloodhound)
Being true to Bloodhound's theme, Tracker ensures this Legend is unparalleled when it comes to keeping track of where everyone is. With the Tracker Passive, enemy interactions leave marks that Bloodhound can easily notice. What makes Tracker so deadly is the sheer number of interactions it can check out - as enemies leave these trails for 90 seconds before they disappear.
For instance, Bloodhound can ping footprints and advanced movements such as slide marks, jumping, mantling, and ziplines. Moreover, Bloodhound can relay recent battle spots, damage locations, and which weapon killed a certain enemy.
Moreover, this Passive fits Bloodhound's Eye of the Allfather (Tactical) and Beast of the Hunt (Ultimate) - both skills that tag enemies. However, Bloodhound's Tracker can easily overwhelm a player, which makes it not-so-ideal in all situations.
1 Combat Medic (Lifeline)
A Legend is virtually useless if they're dead - and Lifeline's Combat Medic is perhaps a literal lifeline for any squad. Whereas typical revives leave both teammates vulnerable against enemy fire, Combat Medic will let Lifeline deploy D.O.C to facilitate the healing. This leaves Lifeline open to heal another teammate or protect the position. In turn, having Lifeline is great for any team composition courtesy of D.O.C and Combat Medic.
Granted, an incoming Lifeline patch will remove Combat Medic's small shield feature. However, the fact that D.O.C will do a revive on Lifeline's behalf still leaves her open for any role on the battlefield.
Skilled players can leave an ally to revive while their Lifeline can dish out aggro - completely taking the enemy's attention away from the injured comrade. Likewise, Lifeline can deploy D.O.C Heal Drone (Tactical) and Combat Medic at the same time, giving the teammate an instant healer to get them back to the fight faster.
Apex Legends is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.