Best Rainbow Six Siege Operators | R6S Operator List in 2023

In Rainbow Six Siege, Operators are the most important mechanic. As the driving characters that uphold the foundation of the game itself, they’re the lifeblood that powers the progression of any player through Ubisoft’s multiplayer epic. From dictating how a round unfolds to determining how a gunfight plays out, Operators truly command the battlefield – big or small. That’s why we’ve put together this guide that’ll walk you through the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators.

It’s an argument that can be considered subjective, but it’s a fact – there are good Operators and there are bad Operators. There are some that are considered so overpowered that they’re banned from esports tournaments and some that are so weak that they’re never picked. With this guide in hand, you’ll get a closer look at all Rainbow Six Siege Operators and learn why some are just so much more preferred compared to others.

How Does An Operator Become The Best?

It doesn’t take much to be considered a good Operator in Rainbow Six Siege. It mostly boils down to having advantageous and genuinely useful utilities and abilities. For instance, take Thatcher’s utility – EMP grenades. These are hyper-useful devices that knock out electronic devices, allowing this instantly-recognisable Attacker to force his way through to an objective more or less unhindered.

And then there are some not-so-helpful utilities. Let’s take a look at Warden and his smart glasses which are designed to reduce the impact of non-lethal grenades. They’re almost useless because they need to be activated seconds before a grenade erupts, and they only serve a purpose if the Attackers deploy said grenades.

It then comes down to health, speed, and the weapons that the Operator wields. There are some that tote larger-sized machine guns and others that rock shotguns, submachine guns, or laser-sharp assault rifles. For some, their weapons are so poor when it comes to power output and recoil that they effectively ruin the pick rate of that Operator. Out of all Rainbow Six Siege Operators, there are dozens of weapons littered around, and they really do make a massive difference to the pick rate.

Read More: When Did Rainbow Six Siege Come Out?

How Many Operators Are In Rainbow Six Siege?

It’s not enough talking about the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators – we need to first highlight just how many of them there are. They’re the bread-and-butter mechanic of the game, and since the game was released in 2015, Ubisoft has taken great pleasure in expanding the roster massively. There are currently sixty-eight Operators in the game, and there are goals to have one hundred in total by the time the game has reached the end of its lifecycle.

If that wasn’t enough, almost every Operator is truly unique from the next, boasting an ability that defines them as an individual. As you can imagine, that means that Ubisoft has had to get fairly inventive over the years. Here’s a quick list breaking down all Rainbow Six Siege Operators (in no particular order):

Attackers:

Brava, Grim, Sens, Osa, Flores, Zero, Ace, Iana, Kali, Amaru, Nokk, Gridlock, Nomad, Maverick, Lion, Finka, Dokkaebi, Zofia, Ying, Jackal, Hibana, Capitao, Blackbeard, Buck, Sledge, Thatcher, Ash, Thermite, Montagne, Twitch, Blitz, IQ, Fuze, and Glaz.

Defenders:

Fenrir, Solis, Azami, Thorn, Thunderbird, Aruni, Melusi, Oryx, Wamai, Goyo, Warden, Mozzie, Kaid, Clash, Maestro, Alibi, Vigil, Ela, Lesion, Mira, Echo, Caveira, Valkyrie, Frost, Mute, Smoke, Castle, Pulse, Doc, Rook, Jager, Bandit, Tachanka, Kapkan

For the most part, given their role in the game, the Defenders ‘look cooler’ than the Attackers – but aesthetic doesn’t really go any way towards defining someone as one of the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators.

Read More: How To Unlock Operators in Rainbow Six Siege

Best Rainbow Six Siege Operators – Defenders

In our guide to the best Defender in Rainbow Six Siege, we listed the following Operators.

Mira

Introduced in Operation Velvet Shell, Mira emerged as a unique operator with high-tier health and a fantastically overpowered utility. She can deploy one-way mirrors, which means that Defenders can take a look through walls that Attackers cannot see through, instantly giving Mira’s teammates the upper hand in absolutely any engagement. She makes use of a top-tier shotgun and a rapid-fire SMG to dispatch her opponents with, but it really is that Black Mirror that makes her such a valuable pick.

I’ve only just noticed… ‘Mira’.

‘Mirror’

Valkyrie

Like Mira, Valkyrie is perfect for players that want to have as much visibility of the map as possible. She can deploy three gyroscopic cameras that are almost impossible for Attackers to spot, which means that players controlling Valkyrie know who is coming and where they’re coming from. It would be fantastic if Valkyrie had better weapons, but her 2-2 build more than makes up for the shortfall, marking her as a relatively tough, agile Operator.

Smoke

Smoke is a classic Rainbow Six Siege Operator, instantly-recognisable and a great early pick for players new to the game or that picked a lower-tier version of Rainbow Six Siege. He’s a brilliant Defender because of his equipment, which includes remotely-deployed gas grenades, barbed wire columns, and a deployable shield. He really is a one-stop shop for Defenders looking to hold the line, and his weapons aren’t that bad, either.

Jager

Jager is a German Operator with a hugely advantageous utility – a set of active defence systems that can intercept almost any projectile. He can also block the sight of Attackers and has a bulletproof camera to boot. Plus, his weapons are some of the best guns in Rainbow Six Siege, truly marking him as a powerhouse Operator with a high pick rate. He has seen some debuffs over the years, but that hasn’t slowed him down as one of the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators.

Read More: Rainbow Six Siege Server Status and Guide

Best Rainbow Six Siege Operators – Attackers

Similarly, here are the Operators that we picked for our list of the best Attackers in Rainbow Six Siege.

Thatcher

Thatcher is a hugely capable Operator who only becomes all that much more impressive in the hands of a talented player. He’s a seasoned veteran, merging into the fray from the British SAS, and he’s instantly recognisable, given that he’s been in the game since the day it was released. He uses EMP grenades that are so overpowered that he’s often banned as a pick in Rainbow Six esports tournaments.

Sledge

Like Thatcher, Sledge is available from the start, he’s an ‘OG’ Rainbow Six Siege Operator, and he’s from the SAS. He’s certainly a contender for the title of one of the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators – and for good reason. He totes a massive, near-unstoppable breaching hammer that can devastate defences, and he uses weapons that are equal parts stable and powerful. He’s not usually a banned Operator, but like Thatcher, he’s massively beneficial to an Attacking side.

Maverick

Maverick is a breacher, and he’s one of the fastest Operators in the game. If you’re eager to push into a map as quickly as possible and bust down almost any defences as you go, then Maverick is one of the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators for you to pick. He boasts an exothermic torch that can disable almost any surface, and his weapons are well-balanced and powerful. He also carries claymore anti-personnel mines, which means he can place them strategically to keep his back covered as he rushes through the map.

Iana

There are many who would have you convinced that Iana is the best Operator in Rainbow Six Siege. She boasts one of the most unique and helpful utilities in the game – a ‘Gemini Replicator’ that allows her to roam the map as a remotely-controlled hologram. It can act as a decoy, a recon device, or a disruptive mechanic, and given its range of freedom, it’s one of the most powerful abilities for roamers. Her weapons are also some of the most powerful guns in the game, making her a solid, strong pick every time.

Read More: How To Get Renown Fast in Rainbow Six Siege

But If We’re Being Honest…

If we’re going to be truthful, we’ll state that the best Rainbow Six Siege Operators are the ones that you prefer to use the most. There are no rules or laws when it comes to playing Rainbow Six Siege, and if you find that one of the worst-rated Operators is the one that you get the most kills with or secure the most wins with, then so be it. There may be some that challenge your pick or suggest you’re making a mistake, but humble the loudmouths with your in-game abilities and everything will be okay.

This is a game that’s tailored to every playstyle, so whether you’re a marksman, a stealthy player, a tech-focused operative, or a guns-blazing kind of gamer, you’ll feel at home with at least one Operator. And if there aren’t any that you gel with now, then hold fire – there are plenty more coming to the Rainbow Six Siege ecosystem over time.

Best of luck out there.