With PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and its mobile counterpart PUBG Mobile being some of the best battle royale games on the market, it makes sense for other devs and publishers to try and capitalize on their popularity. As a result, Garena and its Garena Free Fire quickly took the mobile gaming world by storm upon its release in 2019 - and it remains ever-popular to this day.

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Interestingly enough, Garena Free Fire does have a few nifty features that set it apart from counterparts such as PUBG and PUBG Mobile. For instance, Free Fire has the option to let players choose a character as a basis for their avatar, and this certainly adds a certain layer of flexibility to personalizing in-game characters. The following are the best Garena Free Fire characters.

Updated on November 23, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: With the recent Garena Free Fire update, fans of the acclaimed battle royale have a much faster and more consistent way of obtaining FF Coins in the thick of combat. Now that the game gives players more efficient ways of accessing much-needed FF Coins, any character can get much-needed supplies and revive currency to reverse any unfavorable situation. In that regard, fans may be curious as to exactly how they can take advantage of easier access to FF Coins - and hardcore players know they can secure the victory more efficiently if they know how to use their characters. However, just what are some of the most recommended strategies per Free Fire character?

15 Skyler

Gloo Wall Damage, Heals Can Limit Skill Usage

Skyler
Ability Riptide Rhythm: Release a forward sonic wave that damages up to 5 Gloo Walls within 100 meters. Deploying Gloo Walls also recovers 9 HP
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Price 499 Diamonds

Gloo Walls are an incredible source of defense in Free Fire, especially since this non-damaging explosive creates a wall that gives cover against bullets. While this can be annoying to players who have to cross Gloo Walls to kill enemies, CEO-superstar Skyler has just the right tools to eliminate the competition.

Courtesy of his Riptide Rhythm, Skyler can unleash a sonic blast that destroys up to five Gloo Walls within 50 meters. Not only that, but Skyler also gets 4HP back whenever he deploys a Gloo Wall in the game, incentivizing more defensive builds.

Skyler: Defense Is The Best Support

It’s unsurprising for a CEO like Skyler to want to protect his interests, with his Gloo Wall-focused Riptide Rhythm allowing him to capitalize on these defensive measures in the game. At its core, his ability to damage opposing Gloo Walls while gaining HP from his own deployments incentivizes more proactive play. Skyler’s destructive capabilities make him a debuffer for the team, allowing his more destructive teammates to kill faster.

14 Maxim

Fast Consumption Only Works If Players Have Items

Maxim
Ability Gluttony: Reduce time used to consume mushrooms and Med Kits by up to 25%
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Price 499 Diamonds

As with other battle royale games, Garena Free Fire gives players access to a wide variety of consumables such as Med Kits and Mushrooms to give them a temporary advantage in combat. The thing is, players can’t exactly consume these items while moving around, leaving them vulnerable to attack if they eat these foods in the wrong places. Thanks to Maxim, players can greatly reduce this risk.

With Maxim, players get access to his Character Ability named Gluttony. As the name implies, this ability gives players an advantage when it comes to eating their consumables. When triggered, Gluttony grants as much as a 10-percent reduction in the time it takes to use Med Kits and other consumables. However, players need to be wary that eating still leaves them open to attack, something that Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodline makes use of with health-restoring vampiric bites that also leave players vulnerable during the feeding process.

Maxim: Smarter, Faster Plays

Courtesy of Gluttony, Maxim’s reduced eating time and Med Kit usage might seem counter-productive when engaging foes in the heat of battle. Maxim encourages more strategic plays - striking only when necessary and always having escape options. Maxim’s faster eating time should incentivize players to gank or score third-party kills, run away and recover, and repeat the process. However, players need to get consumables as a priority, as Maxim's skill only works when players have something to eat.

13 Hayato

Higher Attack At Lower HP Puts Players At Risk

Shimada Hayato
Ability Art of Blades Normal: Get 5% armor penetration whenever HP is reduced by 10% Awakened: Frontal damage is reduced when HP is low
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Price 499 Diamonds

Intense combat is often what it takes to define a battle royale player’s strategy - are they more prone to secure safety by retreating, or do they take the risk and push for the extreme offense? In the case of Shimada Hayato in Garena Free Fire gameplay, his gameplay approach encourages players to go for extraordinary measures, giving players the risk of being killed earlier in exchange for stronger offense - something similar to the aggression-oriented Shadow Royale of Apex Legends.

With Bushido, players controlling Hayato get a whopping 10-percent decrease in HP. In exchange, players can get as much as a 9.5-percent boost in armor penetration, practically encouraging players to go on the offensive whenever encountering enemies in combat. His character is perfect for players in love with aggressive approaches.

Hayato: Pain Is Power

Players who enjoy risky maneuvers may enjoy using Hayato’s Bushido skill. After all, at max level, he gains a 10% boost in armor penetration whenever he loses 10% health. Moreover, when Awakened, Bushido can reduce frontal damage taken up to 3.5% per 10% health lost, giving him some form of resistance. When played properly, a backup healer or support unit securing Hayato’s survival can transform the character into a juggernaut, piercing through enemy defenses and killing them even at the brink of death.

12 Homer

Single-Target Stun Not Efficient Against Teams

Homer
Ability Senses Shockwave: Summons a drone that hits the nearest enemy, reducing 60% movement speed and 35% firing speed while dealing 25 Damage. Effects last for 5 seconds
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds

Compared to other characters featured in Garena Free Fire gameplay, Homer has a more sophisticated look compared to the more combat-friendly units. This seems deliberate, as his techy appearance is linked to his leadership in one of the most prominent tech gangs in Griza. When used in the brutal battle royale of the shooter, Homer’s Senses Shockwave can turn the tide against a tough opponent, especially against players used to the brutal gameplay of Bloodshore.

When used, Senses Shockwave releases a drone to the nearest opponent in front of Homer. Upon reaching the target, the drone releases a shockwave that not only deals 25 damage to the opponent but also inflicts debuffs. The target hit by Senses Shockwave suffers a 35-percent reduction in firing speed and a 60-percent reduced movement speed for five seconds. Despite its short duration, five seconds can be a difference between a team surviving or dying in an encounter.

Homer: Phasers Set To Stun

Drone-toting Homer can use Senses Shockwave to not just deal damage but also reduce a target’s movement and firing speed. This equivalent of a pulse concussion should give Homer players enough time to either gain distance and escape or find a better vantage point to eliminate enemies faster. When used correctly, Homer can jump the gun on foes and kill them before they’re able to recover or even distract them long enough while his backup rushes for the kill.

11 Wukong

Camouflage Has A Skill Curve

Wukong
Ability Camouflage: Become a Bush for 10 seconds, getting a 20% movement speed debuff. Attacking stops Camouflage but knocking down an enemy resets its cooldown.
Where To Get Store, Linking
Price 499 Diamonds, Free via Linking

Sometimes, players in battle royale games need to play dirty to win a match - and a lot of times, this means catching enemies by surprise and killing them before they get to react. This can come in a lot of forms, such as sniping or even ambushing, but, thanks to Wukong, Free Fire players can get wild with another idea: disguises.

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Thanks to his Camouflage ability, Wukong can transform into a bush for ten seconds but has the drawback of a 40% movement speed reduction. Not only that, but this also has a 250-second cooldown at the base level that Wukong can reset for each kill. While ten seconds seem a bit too short, players who love their stealth games know this is more than enough time to creep up on an unsuspecting team and introduce them to the business end of their weapons.

Wukong: Secure The Kill, Secure Invisibility

Using Wukong’s Camouflage transforms Free Fire into an item hunt game, albeit for the short term. Wukong’s Bush form can last up to 15 seconds, meaning players should use the monkey god once they spot enemies rushing in their direction. While the skill does come with a lengthy cooldown, takedowns reset it completely. When done correctly, Wukong can rush an enemy, reset his cooldown, and turn back into a bush to confuse their opponent’s backup or wait for nearby players.

10 Xayne

Shield Breaks Leave Much To Be Desired For Offense

Xayne
Ability Xtreme Encounter: Get 80 Temporary HP and deal up to 100% more damage against shields and Gloo Walls for up to 10 seconds
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds

Shields and protections remain an active component in Garena Free Fire gameplay, with various characters offering numerous defensive approaches designed specifically to prolong their survival. For players who want to gain an edge against others who rely heavily on defense, Xayne is definitely the operative for them.

Key to her skillset is her Character Ability, Xtreme Encounter. Thanks to this skill, not only does Xayne get an extra 120 HP temporarily, but she also deals extra damage to shields and Gloo Walls. When used effectively, in other games like Fortnite it can spell disaster for building-focused players. Xayne can tear through enemy defenses quickly and ensure the enemy cannot fall back to a more advantageous position.

Xayne: Break Shields For The Team

Essentially the equivalent of a tank, Xayne’s Xtreme Encounter should provide her with enough firepower to blast through Gloo Walls while still packing defenses to outlast the competition. Her playstyle relies heavily on cornering foes by eliminating their protective options, ruining their timing, and allowing teammates to finish the job much faster.

9 Alvaro

Extra Explosive Damage Encourages Grenade Plays

Alvaro
Ability Art Of Demolition Normal: Give 20% to explosive weapon damage, 10% to damage range Awakened: Grenades produce 3 more grenades before detonating, producing 30% of the original damage
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Price 399 Diamonds, 20,000 Golden Coins

Players of any battle royale game know that a throwable explosive can dish out enough damage to wipe out teams when used properly, and Alvaro and his love for explosives is a match made in heaven for those players. Serving as the game’s demolitions expert, Alvaro has the right tech to make sure that the player’s explosives are deadlier than ever.

He does this through his Art of Demolition, which not only gives explosives a 10% damage boost but also gives their explosive range a 7% boost. This increases the potency of grenades due to the ability to affect a greater area, making more offensive plays viable for aggressive teams.

Alvaro: Boom All The Way

Explosives become the best weapons in the game in Alvaro’s hands, especially when Art of Demolition not only increases damage by 20% but also adds 10% to their explosive radius. When used properly, Alvaro players will enjoy wreaking havoc on large battlefields, especially when players are at an all-out war to gain high-level gear. With the right teammates, Alvaro can enjoy a bit of risk while dishing out much higher damage with grenades.

8 Dimitri

Pure Healing With Self-Revive Sacrifices Offensive Potential

Dimitri
Ability Healing Heartbeat: Create a healing zone with a 3.5-meter radius, healing himself and allies for 3HP/s. All downed allies can self-revive. Effects last up to 15 seconds
Where To Get Store
Price 599 Diamonds

Created in collaboration with real-life DJ Dimitry Vegas, Garena Free Fire gameplay features a character known as Dimitry. While not necessarily a famous DJ, the world of Free Fire has Dimitry as a renowned sound engineer. Such was his passion for music that his sounds can quite literally improve the lives of others - something the battle royale makes use of via Healing Heartbeat.

Through Healing Heartbeat, Dimitry can create a 3.5-meter healing zone that affects his allies. Not only does this help Dimitry’s team heal for 3 HP per second, but downed users can use self-recover to get up instead of seeking assistance. These benefits can make Dimitri the perfect agent for a player new to battle royales.

Dimitri: The Healing Aura

Dimitri’s chill white outfit exhibits calmness in the worst of situations, with Healing Heartbeat transforming him into one of the best support units in the battle royale. This skill’s 3.5-meter healing aura should be enough space to help allies get up on their feet with 3HP/s healing and free self-recoveries. When used correctly, Dimitri could be on standby with this ability in vantage points so much faster scouts can retreat for a quick heal before rushing back to combat.

7 Clu

Tracing Steps Helps Aggressive Teams Find Enemies Quickly

Clu
Ability Tracing Steps: Locates enemy positions up to 60 meters who aren’t crouching or in prone, lasts up to 7.6 seconds
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds

Aggressive players know that missing an enemy is an invitation to be taken down in a fierce counterattack, so players on the offense are always on the prowl for moving opponents. Clu is the character suited for the job, as this private detective has all the means to track enemies moving around her.

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She does this courtesy of the Tracing Step ability, which gives her a 50-meter radius that pings all opponents who aren’t in squat or prone positions. This is nifty for an aggressive team, as Clu can pinpoint where enemies are roaming around waiting to be ambushed. She can also help augment the abilities of other recon agents by securing targets with her unique parameters.

Clu: Running Is A Risk

When this Carmen Sandiego-esque character activates Tracing Steps, it’s Clu’s turn to ask “where” her opponents are. Essentially a twist on abilities of Apex Legends characters Bloodhound and Crypto, Tracing Steps will locate nearby enemies who aren’t squatting or crouching. This ability also extends to teammates, allowing allies in other positions to jump the gun more efficiently on unsuspecting enemies rushing towards certain points in the map.

6 Jota

Lifesteal On Hit Encourages Aggressive Playstyles

Jota
Ability Sustained Raid: When fighting with guns, hitting enemies restores some HP. Knockdowns give back up to 20% Maximum HP
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds

Practically speaking, players don’t necessarily need to be careful in a battle royale if all their opponents are dead - but this is usually a mentality reserved either for sweaty players or extremely aggressive ones. Thankfully, Jota can help make this playstyle extremely viable, since his gameplay essentially encourages mayhem over caution.

It’s thanks to his Sustained Raid that all of this is possible, as it allows him to gain a small amount of HP whenever he shoots down an enemy. Not only does this incentivize proper aim, but it also encourages extremely risky - yet rewarding and fun - gameplay strategies, such as third-partying an ongoing firefight or outright ambushing foes. After all, gaining health after shooting an enemy is an instant reward.

Jota: Essential Lifesteal

Thanks to Sustain Rounds, Jota becomes a highly recommended offensive character in Free Fire. Inspired by Joe Taslim, Jota’s combat-oriented ability will recover HP based on damage dealt and knockdowns. This straightforward buff encourages players to become more aggressive, especially since hits recover their HP. When done correctly, surprise attacks from Jota should net him easy kills and free recovery without taking in much damage.

5 Captain Booyah/K

EP Manipulation Boosts Overall Survivability

Booyah

Ability Master of All Passive: Boost Max EP Active (Jiujitsu): Release a 6-meter aura where all allies get EP Conversion Rate boost Active (Psychology): Get faster EP Recovery
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds, 25,000 Golden Coins

It’s the concept of EPs that makes Free Fire wildly different from other battle royales, especially since this allows players to use EP to heal HP without needing recovery items - provided they earn enough EP, that is. Not a lot of characters can augment the way EP works in the game except for Captain Booyah, whose abilities maximize EP-to-HP recovery.

Thanks to his Master Of All ability, his EP total gets 50 more points, allowing him to raise his EP to as much as 250. Not only that, but he can also switch between two modes to boost EP potency in a variety of ways. Under his Jiu-Jitsu Mode, all allies within six meters get a 500% boost in EP conversion rate. Meanwhile, he can heal as much as 3 EP per second through Psychological Mode, allowing him to constantly stock up on EP.

Captain Booyah: Energy Is Key

When players use K or Captain Booyah, they obtain one of the best medics in the game. Instead of outright healing allies, Captain Booyah’s Master of All gets constant EP Conversion while K himself can enjoy faster EP Recovery or higher Max EP. Master of All, coming in three sub-skills, allows players to hyper-optimize K’s gameplay, letting him become a self-sufficient one-man army or an effective medic.

4 DJ Alok

Heal With Speed Boosts Can Facilitate Faster Recovery

DJ Alok
Ability Drop The Beat: Create a 5-meter aura that restores HP and boosts moving and sprinting speed
Where To Get Store
Price 599 Diamonds

Battle royales can get dangerous for players pretty quickly, not necessarily because they can die in a firefight, but because they didn’t get to recover from a previous firefight before running into the next enemy. It’s this lack of recovery time that often leads to fatal encounters, and the music from DJ Alok seems to help them recover even just for a bit.

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Thanks to this Drop The Beat, DJ Alok summons a five-meter zone that not only heals players and allies inside for 5 HP/second for ten seconds but also gives them a 15% movement speed boost. Not only that, but its short cooldown time means DJ Alok can become an incredible support character in the game. Players can have more aggressive plays knowing that DJ Alok can be there to heal them if need be.

DJ Alok: Speed Healing

As an aura-generating character, DJ Alok’s Drop The Beat emphasizes party recovery at a distance. When activated, Drop The Beat creates a 5-meter aura that boosts the movement speed of himself and his allies by 15% while restoring 5 HP over 10 seconds. While his healing is not as potent as using recovery materials, the accompanying speed boost motivates DJ Alok as a support unit that activates his kit when the party needs to run away and recover.

3 Chrono

Shields Give Teams Time To Recover, Outmaneuver Foes

Chrono
Ability Time Turner: Creates a 6-second shield that blocks 800 Damage but won’t let attacks get out of the shield
Where To Get Store
Price 599 Diamonds

In a fierce battle royale like Free Fire, preserving one’s life is perhaps more important than damage. And, while having a lot of healing components can make life much easier, it’s still evidently more convenient if players don’t take any damage at all. This is where Chrono steps in. A time-traveling bounty hunter, Chrono aims to use his skills to help the weak and the powerless.

Combat-wise, Chrono relies on the Time Turner. This is a shield that can not only defend against up to 600 damage but also gives Chrono a 10% movement speed boost. This makes Chrono a must-have character, as he’s one of the rare characters to be able to protect not just himself, but his entire team from damage.

Chrono: The Ultimate Nullifier

When Chrono activates his Time Turner, his force field practically blocks most damage (up to 800) while disabling the team’s ability to attack from within. Despite this interior caveat, Time Turner should give the squad enough time to pack a reload or prepare to run due to the skill’s 4-second duration. In turn, the ability makes Chrono an excellent deterrent for surprise assaults, as the 4-second lead time can help the team regroup at a short distance.

2 A124

Ability Silence Can Cripple Enemy Strategies

A124
Ability Thrill of Battle: Generates an EM Wave within an 8-meter radius that disables surrounding enemies’ skill activation and interaction cooldowns up to 30 seconds
Where To Get Store
Price 499 Diamonds

It’s one thing for players to know that EP can slowly be used to replenish HP in critical moments, and another to actually find it useful for their needs. Players with a full stock of EP might not end up using it if they take too much damage too quickly, but, thankfully, A124 can circumvent this inconvenience with her nifty ability.

This assassin has the Thrill Of Battle ability that can instantly convert 25 EP into HP, although this comes with a 90-second cooldown. Not only that, but this initial condition improves as soon as the ability is upgraded, making the instant conversion much more potent. This is an extremely useful ability to have, especially since A124 can conveniently rely on an instant heal in a heated firefight.

A124: Not Today

It’s one thing for a character to shield themselves from damage, and another for someone like A124 to block special effects entirely. With Thrill of Battle, all enemies within 8 meters of A124 can’t activate their skills and use interactions for up to 30 seconds, transforming her into an active deterrent in the thick of combat. When combined with more aggressive close-ranged specialists, A124’s team will force firefights into a matter of who has better aim, especially when enemies can’t exactly use their much-valued abilities. Should they try to run away, A124 can shoot at them as well.

1 Kelly

Straightforward Speed Boost Encourages Ganks, Hits And Runs

Kelly
Ability Deadly Velocity: Activate during 4-second sprint, with 1st shot on target hitting for up to 106% Damage
Where To Get Store
Price 199 Diamonds, 2,000 Golden Coins

Sometimes, the best abilities in a game come from characters that offer a lot of practical uses for said ability, and Kelly is exactly this. Being the game’s speedster, Kelly relies on her quick wit and athletic build to outrun and outpace her opponents - an ability that is always critical in a battle royale in which trouble could be anywhere.

This translates into gameplay through her Dash, which simply gives her a faster sprinting speed. Despite the mundane nature of this ability, Dash does have a lot of uses. Aside from being able to enter and exit firefights faster, the printing speed boost allows players to make more distance-based decisions in fights. This includes sprinting towards a drop or rushing into the danger zone to get a coveted item.

Kelly: Hit And Run

At first glance, Kelly’s Deadly Velocity seems like a straightforward rushing skill, emphasizing her potential as a DPS. However, vast environments in Free Fire may expose Kelly to unsavory situations when using Deadly Velocity, which means players must strike fast should they want to capitalize on her speed. The ability’s 4-second sprint with up to 106 percent damage at first hit should give players the edge in solo incursions or killing foes faster, making ganking a recommended strategy when using the character.

Garena Free Fire was released in 2019 and is available on Android and iOS devices.

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