With such a wide selection of iconic heroes and villains in EA and DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront II, it’s no surprise that some handle better than others. Since its November 2017 release, the video game’s Star Wars villain roster has gone through a series of updates to better balance its existing characters. Add on an additional four heroes, and it’s sometimes hard for players to decide on the best choice.
In the right hands any of Star Wars: Battlefront 2's villains can be a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes it’s also more a matter of positioning or objective than the skill level of the player. In a close-quarters map, or during a match of Heroes vs. Villains, Count Dooku can be a major threat. Surround him with angry Clone Troopers on the wide open battlefield of Geonosis, however, and he just becomes target practice.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s different game modes have a tremendous impact on the ebb and flow of a match, and how the game is played in general. Some modes, like Hero Showdown or Co-Op, emphasize teamwork and collaboration. Support characters are vital when it comes to capturing Command Posts or buffing teammates, but are usually quick to die if they’re ambushed by a fast-moving Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi.
BB-9E Offers Little To Battlefront 2 Besides Support
BB-9E has some of the most useful passive abilities in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. His Technical Support means he counts as two units when it comes to completing capture objectives; a huge help during Co-Op or Supremacy missions. Bacta Support is not quite as powerful, but has more overall uses, regenerating the health of all friendly units within a radius. The Potent Bacta Star Card can increase the healing rate and expand this radius, too.
The problem with BB-9E, however, is that he has little else to offer. While Battlefront 2’s BB-8 is a murder machine, only one of BB-9E’s five abilities has any offensive capability - Shock Spin. Compared to BB-8’s Cable Spin, Shock Spin is weaker, and the Spin Me Around Star Card pushes targets away - not something that's necessarily helpful given his Shock Prod's limited range. BB-9E's Shock Prod deals low damage slowly, and aside from the smoke he's easily targeted and destroyed. As a strong support unit he's great for capturing objectives with a team, but if the choke point is too hot there’s not much he can do to clear it without help.
There Are Always Better Villain Choices Than Darth Maul in Battlefront 2
As one of the most memorable villains in the Star Wars franchise, it’s disappointing how underwhelming Darth Maul is in Battlefront 2. With the latest updates that DICE made to the game, at least now Darth Maul can block with his lightsaber; something he couldn’t do for the first eighteen months of the game. The hope was initially that Maul’s speed, agility and force powers would be enough to keep him alive on the battlefield, but his survivability is still low, even if players replace his Battlefront 2 model with Vin Diesel.
Since his deflection ability is far worse than Darth Vader or Kylo Ren’s, Darth Maul’s best defense is not to get hit at all - something that’s easier said than done on larger maps or crowded modes. Concentrated fire can take his low health pool down to nothing in seconds, especially if his abilities are on cooldown. Spin Attack is his most useful move, getting him up close and personal with enemies or away from excessive fire, but it still takes two successful hits of Spin Attack to kill an enemy trooper. This will immediately put the ability on cooldown unless players have the Flow Motion Star Card slotted in. Maul’s Furious Throw is also difficult to aim, often missing the target, and feels redundant considering that Maul can more effectively close the distance with Spin Attack.
General Grievous Deals High Damage But Is Quickly Overwhelmed In Battlefront 2
The inclusion of General Grievous was one of the most highly-anticipated features added via Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s Clone Wars updates. The Separatists’ feared Droid Commander is a sight to behold, lumbering menacingly across the battlefield and cutting down any Clone Trooper foolish enough to get in his way. His Unrelenting Advance and Claw Rush can clear entire rooms if angled correctly, and Thrust Surge can close the distance with blaster heroes or pin down fleeing targets.
The problem with Grievous isn’t his abilities or his Star Cards; it’s his inability to deflect blaster fire consistently and his incredibly low stamina. Regardless of whether the player is using the Sith Trained Star Card, he can only strike with his sabers a few times before his stamina gauge is completely depleted. At that point, whether he lives or dies is completely dependent on whether his Claw Rush is on cooldown; it’s his best means of escaping. Heavy gunners and Battlefront 2’s Clone Commandos can easily counter Grievous with a prolonged barrage of rapid-fire weapons from a distance.
Captain Phasma Can Zone And Stun-Lock Battlefront 2’s Heroes
She may lack the raw power or accuracy of blaster villains like Iden or Bossk, but crafty players can angle Star Wars: Battlefront 2's Captain Phasma to completely change the outcome of a battle. With the Blaster Inspection and Easy Shots Star Cards, Phasma can go on long killstreaks, keeping a safe distance and picking off targets with her scoped F-11D. Though this weapon lacks the finesse of other rifles, its rapid fire and night-vision scope make it easy to identify and eliminate clusters of grouped enemies. Combined with her Staff Strikes and First Order Sentry Turret, she can zone enemies into a bottleneck and open fire to devastating effect.
Up against other players in Galactic Assault or Heroes vs Villains, Phasma’s best strategy is to camp a location with her Sentry Turret. Any player brash enough to attack her on her turf will be stunned and vulnerable to her F-11D. Prolonged fire from the gun can then be followed up with some well-timed Staff Strikes for easy kills. Unfortunately this strategy becomes very predictable. What Battlefront 3 needs to do differently with its heroes and villains is to build them in ways that deter common problems like griefing and camping, rather than encourage them. There are ways to defeat a camping Phasma player, but the best method is not to fall for their trap and simply ignore them. This strategy is effective, but it’s not balanced or fun.
Battlefront 2’s Boba Fett Is Tricky To Use, But Worth Mastering
Boba Fett’s Concussion Rocket and Rocket Barrage can surprise or obliterate clusters of enemies, but the more likely reason a player would choose Star Wars: Battlefront 2's Boba Fett over a different hero is his jetpack. With it, he can take full advantage of Battlefront 2’s wide, open maps, striking from unexpected angles and maintaining unmatched mobility. This is especially true on expansive, outdoor maps like Endor, Yavin, Mos Eisley, or the exterior of Hoth’s Echo Base.
Despite his low health, Boba Fett reigns unchecked in these locations, and it’s unfortunate he isn’t playable in other eras. He’d be a terrifying presence on Jakku, Kashyyyk, or Ajan Kloss, Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Rise of Skywalker map. With Mophead’s Instant Action tweaks mod, Boba Fett can play on these cross-era maps, but only in offline Instant Action or Arcade modes. Be sure to pick him at the right moments, however; as he’s far less effective indoors or in close quarters.
Count Dooku Is A Deadly 1v1 Duelist in Star Wars Battlefront 2
Darth Tyrannus is a villain in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 whose effectiveness is entirely dependent on the situation and game mode. With the possible exception of Anakin Skywalker, whose Passionate Strike can break through blocks, Count Dooku is hands-down the best saber-wielder for 1v1 fights. His Duelist buff and Expose Weakness debuff synergize to turn him into an absolute hero-slayer, provided the player has the time and safe surroundings to single out a victim to engage in a duel.
While he’s an outstanding choice for Heroes vs Villains, Count Dooku is harder to justify in Galactic Assault, Instant Action, or Co-Op modes, especially since he costs so many Battle Points in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 to select. His blaster deflection is unreliable and weak, and without Duelist active he quickly runs out of stamina, even with the Finesse Star Card active. Lightning Stun does less damage the more targets it hits, which highlights Dooku’s intended design: He’s great against single opponents, but quickly falls when up against a squad of troopers keeping a loose formation.
Kylo Ren Is A Balanced Choice For A Villain In Battlefront 2
Where Count Dooku is a master duelist or Captain Phasma is unparalleled when holding choke points, Kylo Ren is a solid pick no matter the occasion, mode, or objective. He’s able to hold his own in 1v1 fights or against grouped up enemies, and his Force Powers can turn the tide wherever First Order forces are outnumbered. As a jack of all trades, Kylo’s usefulness per game mode largely depends on which Star Cards he currently has active. The same can be said of his ship’s Star Cards when choosing him in Battlefront 2’s Starfighter Assault mode.
For example, the Resilience, Berserking Tantrum, and Power of Darkness Star Cards work in tandem to make Kylo a strong contender for Heroes vs Villains mode. For the trooper modes controlling the battlefield is paramount, so it’s wiser to equip Star Cards that boost his crowd-control Force Powers; Freeze and Pull. Kylo Ren suffers from a downside similar to that of General Grievous, however: All his abilities are at their best when Kylo is surrounded by numerous enemies. The resulting catch-22 is that whenever Kylo Ren is at his most powerful, he is also at his most vulnerable.
Bossk Can Ambush And Outlive Battlefront 2’s Best Heroes
Bossk, like Dooku, is a villain in Star Wars: Battlefront 2 with more niche advantages. The Trandoshan bounty hunter boasts more overall versatility than Tyrannus, but is truly in his element when it comes to sniping and zoning large groups of troopers. Despite his uses, Bossk is far from the most interesting villain in the roster. General Hux or Director Orson Krennic had far more screen time in the films, but since DICE brought Rogue One’s Scarif map to Battlefront 2 so late, it made more sense to have Bossk return from the previous Battlefront.
Like Grievous and Dooku, Bossk’s abilities are best when used together. His Dioxis Grenade deters enemies from entering certain areas, instead funneling them towards his Proximity Mines’ deadly explosions or towards the grenades he can fire with Predatory Instincts. As long as Bossk keeps his distance from the enemy, he can always fully regenerate his health. With enough breathing room, he can outlast all the other villains in the game.
Iden Versio’s Flexible Gameplay Ranks Her One Of Battlefront 2’s Best Villains
Iden Versio can use her Droid companion and three different weapon attacks to harass and bombard enemies at any range. Her Pulse Cannon is harder to use than Bossk’s Relby V-10, but with enough practice it can be just as effective. Iden’s real power, however, comes from her default rifle, the TL-50. This versatility and familiarity with various weapons is evident in Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s single player campaign. Throughout the story mode, Iden is able to swap between any weapons and abilities she encounters.
This versatility extends to her effectiveness in all types of game modes: Stun Droid can freeze heroes and leave them vulnerable to her blaster fire, and her TL-50’s secondary fire is a game-changer in any mode. Its splash damage can break through a lightsaber block just as easily as it can deal AoE damage to large groups of troopers. What she lacks in health she can make up for with her Droid Shield, which protects her from damage whenever she’s overwhelmed or caught off-guard.
Emperor Palpatine Can Level Entire Legions of Battlefront 2’s Troopers
Since launch, Emperor Palpatine has been one of the strongest villains in the game. Despite multiple nerfs to his abilities and his Star Cards, he remains one of the best picks for any situation, especially in trooper game modes. At one point there were so many complaints about how strong he was that DICE had to remove Emperor Palpatine from Battlefront 2 until they could properly balance him. Though he’s lacking in defense, he more than makes up for it with his offense and his three strong area-of-effect abilities.
Palpatine embodies the dark side of the force, hurling forth streams of Force Lighting to devastating effect. Though Chain Lightning has been nerfed so as to no longer heal him per kill, he can still passively gain health through eliminations, just like the rest of the heroes and villains in Battlefront 2. In Full Control and Lightning Reach combo together to keep the pressure on with his base lighting attacks, homing onto targets across long distances. Electrocute is a decent way to freeze enemy heroes in their tracks, and with the right Star Cards, Dark Aura can slowly eat away at large groups of enemies, even affecting them through cover.
Darth Vader Is Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Most Powerful Villain
With Anakin Skywalker ranking as Battlefront 2’s best hero, it’s almost poetic that Darth Vader is the game’s most feared villain. Arguably the most iconic character in the entire franchise, DICE and EA did the dark lord justice, making him a close-quarters tank that can outlast and overpower any foe who dares to challenge him. Able to crush opposition in trooper modes and outduel opponents in Heroes vs. Villains, there’s never a scenario where Darth Vader is a bad choice.
Darth Vader combines Captain Phasma’s survivability with Kylo Ren’s flexible play style and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s outstanding blaster deflection. The result is that, with the Fueling The Rage, Bonus Health, and Furious Resilience Star Cards active, Vader’s Focused Rage gives him huge amounts of health to go along with the ability’s significant damage boost. Armed with Lightsaber Throw and Force Choke, one of the biggest reasons Star Wars Battlefront 2 is worth playing in 2021 is to re-enact Vader’s epic entrance at the end of Rogue One. Being able to beautifully recreate the feeling of the series’ best moments is what keeps fans coming back for more Star Wars Battlefront II.
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