They may be low lives and psychotic criminals that create as much damage as they prevent but there is a reason why Amanda Waller drafts these villains into Task Force X. In James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, the operatives are no different, all providing unique skills, abilities, and powers to help the team.
James Gunn, however, decided to introduce many obscure and bizarre villains from the DC universe for his film. With over twenty different characters, there are a lot of unique skill sets to go along with the wild personalities and costumes. Obviously, some characters use their abilities more effectively than others.
Detachable Arms - T.D.K.
In the comics, Arm-Fall-Off Boy was famous for having the most useless superpower: his arms come off. James Gunn revamped the character into The Detachable Kid (or T.D.K. for short) played by Nathan Fillion. In The Suicide Squad, T.D.K.'s ability is given a slight upgrade with the arms able to detach and hover in mid-air, under the control of T.D.K. as an extension of himself.
In concept, this would allow him to sneak behind enemy lines and use some weaponry but the character is not too bright, resulting in mildly annoying the enemies with slapstick. So while it was a wasted opportunity, T.D.K.'s ridiculous powers do leave an impact.
Tech-Boomerangs - Captain Boomerang
Being a part of Task Force X has its perks: Captain Boomerang's signature weapons were upgraded from the first movie. Instead of regular metallic boomerangs, The Suicide Squad gave Boomer technologically advanced boomerangs that glow with energy and can seemingly cut through anything.
In the film, Captain Boomerang was able to cut one man's head in half and another's head clean off from the neck. Along with his costume, it would seem that everything about Captain Boomerang was an upgrade from his first appearance in 2016's Suicide Squad.
Super Soldier - Peacemaker
Peacemaker is essentially a psychotic Captain America; he is a tank of a man who can throw someone across the room with ease. Peacemaker is also equipped with several weapons that help him accomplish his mission: a hand ax, a sword, an overly long pistol with multiple types of rounds, a blowgun, and more.
The downside of Peacemaker is that his skills are backed up by an obnoxious personality. He's very much a grunt that never grew up past his immature teen years. He's also a blind follower of orders, willing to kill anyone to finish the mission: even children.
Spec Ops Training - Rick Flag
Rick Flag and Peacemaker are similar: both are elite soldiers but Flag has a slight edge, even able to get the upper hand in a fight against Peacemaker. Where Peacemaker works solo and is a blind soldier, Flag has more integrity. Flag is a leader who is always willing to do the right thing, even if that means making the mission more complicated.
Flag also earns respect because on a team of killers, metahumans, and world-class assassins, he keeps up with them and puts them in their place. Even before becoming leader of Task Force X, Rick Flag was labeled as one of the best operatives of the U.S. military.
Assimilate & Conquer - Starro The Conquerer
James Gunn returns to his roots with Slither by featuring an extraterrestrial villain that births parasites that possess humans, turning them into extensions of the creature. That villain is Starro The Conquerer, a giant alien starfish who seeks to control Corto Maltese upon his freedom.
Not only can Starro control legions of zombie-like infected via his parasites but Starro himself is a massive kaiju that would have destroyed the cities on Corto Maltese if it weren't for the titular Suicide Squad. It's also hinted that Starro wasn't even at full power since he gains strength through how many he assimilates into his army.
Way Of The Clown - Harley Quinn
Harley presents herself as a silly jester girl but in actuality, she is one of the deadliest fighters of Gotham City. One of many reasons she remains one of Batman's most famous foes is because he tends to underestimate her, just like the Corto Maltese leaders do.
Upon breaking out, Harley unleashes her murderous rage on dozens of soldiers; mixing her acrobatic skills, psychosis, and even a bit of dance to form her own martial arts. Unlike Batman, Harley Quinn has no qualms about her killing so she mixes firearms and a golden javelin into her combat for brutal fight scenes.
Apex Predator - King Shark
Nanaue AKA King Shark is a three-year-old trapped in a large shark man's body looking for friends and something to eat in many ways. However, King Shark has bulletproof skin and those rows of teeth are not just for show. When unleashed, King Shark can devour an entire human in seconds.
Even giant alien starfish can feel the wrath of King Shark, able to bite through Starro's skin with ease. King Shark also displays the ability to leap long distances and has the strength to tear a man in half. The Suicide Squad is actually lucky that Nanaue likes them so much.
Interdimensional Virus - Polka-Dot Man
Of all the characters, very few expected a man who shoots polka-dots at people to be cool. Well, James Gunn pulled it off with David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man. In The Suicide Squad, he explains that his ability is actually an interdimensional virus that will eat him up if he doesn't release the dots.
Fortunately, those said dots can vaporize anything they touch, including part of Starro's limb or turning a group of soldiers into a puddle of blood. Polka-Dot Man launches his dots through specially made gauntlets, with dots acting like the rounds to a special firearm.
Rat Whispering - Ratcatcher II
Taught by her father, Ratcatcher II can communicate with rats, including her own pet rat: Sebastian. In battle or any situation requiring it, she uses a special light that can summon anything from one or two rats to millions of rats at once.
Ratcatcher II's ability ends up playing a large part in the final battle against Starro, showing just how lucky humans are that not all rats choose to attack humans. Instead, they are intelligent animals that are victims of stigma and Ratcatcher turns them into saviors of the human race.
Man Of A Thousand Weapons - Bloodsport
Even the best soldiers can carry a maximum of two to three weapons on their person. Bloodsport carries dozens and remains a nimble fighter due to his special armored suit. Each armor piece doubles as a gadget that transforms into a firearm for him to use in seconds or they can be merged to create even more powerful weapons.
High power pistols, assault rifles, slingshots, dart guns, and so much more are present on Bloodsport. This makes him a walking weapon and believable in being able to take down the likes of Starro. For many fans, Bloodsport's armor was praised as one of the best costumes of The Suicide Squad for its unique design and functionality combined.