Rainbow Six Siege's clash between Attackers and Defenders is what makes the game so unique. Plus, with such a huge cast of available operators for each team, the replay value is unrivaled. There is a reason that the game has maintained popularity for so many years!
But as far as the Defending team is concerned, which operators are the best of the bunch? It can be daunting for newer players to figure it out on their own, but luckily this list is here to help! Here are the ten best defending operators in Rainbow Six Siege.
10 Jager
Jager has remained on top of the pack since the game's launch, thanks primarily to his active defense systems! The tactical nature of Rainbow Six Siege makes his ability to cancel out most projectiles ridiculously overpowered!
But he maintains prestige even outside of his special gadget because his 416-C Carbine assault rifle is easily one of the best in the game! Unfortunately, he lost his spawn-peek potential when Ubisoft removed his ACOG sight, but that did little to reduce his overall viability.
9 Thunderbird
Thunderbird has almost entirely replaced Doc as the go-to healer for defenders. Thunderbird is a highly aggressive roamer that is capable of placing small heal stations wherever the player desires, thus reducing the need for her to stay by her teammates. As an added bonus, the heal stations can be picked up and moved if need be.
Thunderbird will require some decent map knowledge in order to be utilized most efficiently, but she is still generally pretty easy to learn! Her primary weapons get the job done, but her secondary machine pistol is certainly not a firearm to sleep on!
8 Kaid
Kaid has remained in the meta for quite some time now, with his electric claw acting as a natural counter for most attacker abilities. The gadget's range is huge, and it can even clip through walls if positioned correctly! This small detail is what makes him so dang powerful.
Kaid is honestly just a better version of Bandit. Unfortunately, the introduction of impact EMP grenades has slightly nerfed him, as they can easily dispose of electric gadgets. Nonetheless, a skilled Kaid player will know how to properly position their electric claw to reduce the likelihood of it getting EMP'd.
7 Frost
Frost may not work as well in highly ranked matches, but for the most part, she is a menace to go up against! Frost players will strike fear in their opponents because almost nothing is as infuriating as dying right off the bat to a frost mat!
Frost mats should be placed almost exclusively below major hop-in locations such as objective windows, this will leave enemies with as little time to react as possible! On top of all this, Frost's weapons are easily some of the best in the Defender arsenal.
6 Rook
Rook is far and away the most beginner-friendly operator in the game. His only job is simple - set down the armor box where teammates can easily access it and move on! But although his role may be easy to accomplish, it is far from worthless!
Rook's gadget provides an added layer of protection to operators that can mean the difference between life and death! But the armor's utility goes beyond the added health because it also ensures that wearers will always be downed first rather than dying straight away. That is, of course, as long as players aren't eliminated via fatal headshot.
5 Lesion
Lesion is brutally obnoxious to go up against — his Gu mines significantly slow down the pace of the Attackers! Just by virtue of him being in the match, enemies will be forced to spend more time watching their steps, making them painfully vulnerable to attacks!
As a defender, Lesion is one of the greatest operators for map control, able to block off multiple entries at once. He is always a solid choice, both in beginner matches and in the pro league alike! For those who want to be particularly obnoxious, try loading the objective sites with Gu mines. Any enemy who steps on one will have to stop and remove the trap before they are able to interact with any objective.
4 Smoke
Smoke is the choke-point king. His usefulness in preventing flanks and punishing aggressive enemies can not be overstated! Smoke is certainly one of the most difficult operators to master, but those who take the time to figure out how to utilize him will quickly discover how unique and important his kit is!
We highly recommend players use Smoke's Shotgun as their primary, as the FMJ is nothing too special. In fact, his secondary machine pistol is almost as good! One thing to keep in mind for Smoke is to play him passively until the end of each round — he is an anchor!
3 Mute
Mute is a very standard defense operator — and that is not necessarily a bad thing! He is primarily responsible for two things: stopping drones in their tracks and denying enemies of their ability to breach through reinforced walls. Any player using Mute needs to keep these two responsibilities in mind.
He has medium armor and normal speed, making him viable both as a roamer and an anchor! That being said, it is wise to stay within earshot of any gadgets you place down because you will be the first to realize if they are tampered with.
2 Azami
The release of Azami was an absolute game-changer in the Rainbow Six Siege meta. Her gadget is one of the single most versatile in the game, effective for all playstyles and tactics! Rarely has the release of an operator mattered this much.
Azami comes with a total of 5 Kiba kunais, with a refresh of 30 seconds between each use. These mighty gadgets really come in handy during hard breaches, when enemies make a heavy push into the objective. Unfortunately, Azami is really not beginner-friendly. But with an ability as powerful as hers, does it really matter?
1 Aruni
Aruni possesses what is currently the only indestructible gadget in the entire game - the Surya Gate. The Static nature of the gates makes Aruni more potent as an anchor, but she is certainly capable of acting as a great roamer! Just be sure to place the gates in an area that will block off the most desirable point of entry to the enemy.
Players using Aruni will have the fantastic choice of choosing between the P10 Roni and the Mk 14. Both guns are great in their respective ranges, and the PRB92 pistol will assist as a reliable backup. As far as Aruni's secondary gadget goes, the Bullet-Proof Camera is a more versatile option overall.