The 28 Best Defending Operators In Rainbow Six Siege (2024)

Rainbow Six Siege has been adding a ton of new operators continuously since the release of the game a few years ago, and that means there are a plethora of operators to choose from on both Attack and Defense. There are so many different things to think about when picking an operator in terms of who is best for which objective site, the map in question, what players are expecting their opponents to bring, etc.

To help narrow it down a little bit for players, here are the best operators on Defense in Rainbow Six Siege. The operators chosen aren't in any particular order, and have been included because of how often they're going to be a solid choice; not by how effective they can be in specific circ*mstances:

Updated on May 27th, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: Year 9 of Rainbow Six Siege brings the first villain Operator in the tactical shooter's history in the form of Deimos, allowing teams to use his DeathMARK probe to reveal not just their enemies, but Deimos’ active location - as though forcing them into a no-holds-barred duel where one side is guaranteed to die. Being an Attacker, any team with Deimos who can track any Defender can give them an idea of their setups, making it much easier for their defenses to be breached. In turn, players need to stay on their toes and use more effective Defenders based on various situations. These include Operators who can freeze entire sections of the map, distract foes by smoking rooms, reinforce entryways with more durable materials, and even scan for active gadgets. All of these Defending Operators have been added to this list in its latest update.

28 Thunderbird

Long-Ranged Healing For Allies

Thunderbird relies on high-speed plays to secure positions and protect her allies. Her key ability lies in the Kona Station, as it can heal injured allies and even revive downed teammates. Thanks to the Kona Station, Thunderbird can rely on her mobility to transform zones into secondary defensive points for her allies. When utilized properly, Thunderbird can create vantage points for ambushes and successful roams.

Of course, being an electronic gadget, Kona Stations become clutter when disabled via EMP device. And as with any deployable, Kona Stations don’t last long against melee strikes, gunfire, and explosive damage. However, defensive gadgets such as MAG-NETs (Wamai), ADS (Jager), and Deployable Shields can help transform any room into a highly defensive bunker.

27 Rook

Boost The Team’s Overall Defense

Unlike other Defenders, Rook specializes in providing support to the rest of the team. Being both a buffer and an anchor, Rook can boost his team’s defenses through his R1N “RHINO” Armor. At its core, Rook can deploy up to five RHINO plates that allies can pick up. When equipped, each plate can provide a significant boost to damage resistance. Given the buffing nature of RHINO plates, Rook synergizes well with Stim Pistols (Doc) and Kona Stations (Thunderbird).

Despite the 15% damage reduction from the armor plates, they do take around three seconds to equip. Moreover, unequipped armor plates become destructible from outside damage sources. When used properly, anyone with RHINO will only get downed instead of outright killed at zero HP.

26 Ela

Stop Targets From Moving In Rigged Spaces

See Also

[Top 15] R6 Best Defenders, Ranked (Current Meta)Best Defenders In Rainbow Six Siege Y9S1 | 2024 Tier ListRainbow Six Siege Operator Tier List: DefendersBest Rainbow Six Siege Attackers, Defenders & Operator tier list in Y8S4

Yet another trap operator, Ela is a three-speed one-armor operator who has three Grzmot Mines that can be placed on any floor, wall, or ceiling. When an Attacker passes into the range of the mine, it detonates, concussing anybody in range.

The concussion effect makes it very difficult for Attackers to accurately see what's going on and impedes their movement ability. This acts as a way to make gunfights swing in the Defender's favor, or at the very least, gives some intel for the team. Ela has a very difficult-to-control primary weapon which is sometimes substituted for her shotgun, but she does have a pistol with a nice reflex sight.

25 Pulse

Scan For Attacker Heartbeats Through Walls

For Pulse, intelligence is the best defense. Thanks to his HB-5 Cardiac Sensor, this roaming Defender can track opponents through surfaces - transforming his defensive specialty into an opponent’s worst nightmare. Players using Pulse can see opponents highlighted via the Heartbeat Sensor and even hear the beep go louder depending on their proximity. As such, players can use the HB-5 to note enemy positions and give valuable intel to create ambushes.

Of course, being an electronic gadget, Attackers can disable the HB-5 quite quickly. For instance, Shock Drones (Twitch), EMP Grenades (Thatcher), and locators (IQ) can dismantle both Pulse and the HB-5. Players need to be wary of how often they deploy the HB-5, as Pulse becomes useless as a roamer without it.

24 Doc

Heal Allies To Get Back In The Game

Despite a life of affluence, Gustave Kateb used his medical talents for humanitarian work, having started as a volunteer doctor in Doctors Without Borders until he got invited to work with the French Defense Health Service. Such was his talent and expertise in ecotoxicology and toxicology that he also became a member of the GIGN, which would later earn the attention of Team Rainbow. After Nighthaven’s defection, Gustave was assigned the leader of the Wolf guard sub-unit in charge of humanitarian missions, particularly due to his keen sense of detail and care for others.

Such was his care for his team that it’s reflected in his status as an agent. Known as Doc, his gadget is the MPD-0 Stim Pistol capable of not just healing but also reviving allies from afar. Shooting his Stim Pistol can heal up to 40 Health and may even overheal any Operator. Likewise, his Stim Pistol is capable of enough to jolt a downed Operator back to health. Such is the Pistol’s revive potency that the revived Operator is back to 75 Health instead of 20 Health from the manual revive. Doc’s healing and revival specialization makes him an integral part of any Defending Team’s arsenal. However, players must compensate for their lack of hard defense and offense with skill and gunplay.

23 Melusi

Slows Down Attackers For Easy Pickings

Already a nature lover at a young age, Thandiwe Ndlovu joined the South African Defense Force to hone her skillset further and get the expertise she needed to protect wildlife around her. And while she became a decorated member of the one Parachute Battalion, a grave injury forced her to retire from the military and begin a career as a veterinarian and teacher of wildlife protection at the Southern African Wildlife College. It was during her time as one of the leaders of the Inkaba Task Force Anti-Poaching Unit that Team Rainbow invited her to join their ranks, with her efficiency being her crucial asset.

Known as Operator Melusi, players of Rainbow Six Siege can use her specifically for her Banshee Sonic Defence gadget. This is a deployable item that can be put on floors and walls, which then buzzes softly when Attackers are in its radius and line of sight. Not only that, Attackers are slowed down when in the radius of the Banshee, giving Melusi and her team time to strike quickly. Players who prefer taking care of enemies themselves without depending on their gadgets too much can rely on her Banshee as an early warning system for a fun firefight ahead.

22 Kaid

Disable Electronics In Surfaces To Delay Assaults

What Kaid lacks in speed, he more than makes up for in terms of durability and efficiency. Equipped with a pair of Electroclaws, this heavily-armored Defender can electrify the team’s defensive gadgets to further boost their defensive potential. Upon deployment, each Electroclaw can electrify metallic gadgets within a 0.75-meter radius, making them quite efficient for defending specific points.

Given Kaid’s approach, he and Bandit can work together to fully electrify a room with metallic gadgets. This factor means they do share similar playstyles, as well as weaknesses. Being an electrified gadget, the Electroclaws become detectable via drones and vulnerable against EMP-based attacks. Likewise, Kaid needs excellent map knowledge to know precisely where to position the Electroclaws for maximum efficiency.

21 Frost

Fully Disable Targets When Trapped

An operator that might be surprising to see on this list, according to the most recent win-delta released by Ubisoft, Frost is one of the most under-picked Defenders and has the highest win-delta of all of the Defenders in the game. Frost is a 2-2 Operator, and she has three Welcome Mats. These work essentially like bear traps, activating once stepped on, downing, and pinning Attackers in place.

These Welcome Mats are generally placed underneath windows or on the top of staircases; in the places where they're the most difficult to see. However, Frost has been in the game for quite a long time now, so getting more creative with one's Welcome Mat placement could net players a better success rate. Frost also has a decent primary gun that, though it doesn't have a great rate of fire, stays pretty stable.

20 Mira

Look Past Windows While Protected From Bullets

Mira is, quite possibly, the operator that changed the game most when added. Mira is a three-Armor one-Speed operator, and her Black Mirrors allow for one-way windows through reinforced (or not reinforced) walls. This allows Defenders to stay informed as to what exactly is going on on the opposite side of the wall, letting them stay better prepared.

Many Miras set up their Black Mirrors on a reinforced wall but leave the wall next to it unreinforced, allowing them to line up a shot from safety and peek towards the unreinforced wall while firing, usually giving them an easy kill. While Mira is a three-armor Defender without an ACOG, she has a super-useful and unique gadget and a weapon with a high rate of fire that more than makes up for it.

19 Bandit

Punish Interactions With Metallic Gadgets

Jager's partner-in-crime, Bandit is a great counter to the hard-breaching Attackers. He is another three-Speed one-Armor Defender, and his gadget are Shock Wires that electrifies reinforced walls, deployable shields, and barbed wire. The electric current prevents Attackers from using their own gadgets on those objects; like Thermite and Hibana, for example.

While most Attacking teams bring a Thatcher when they know they're going to have to breach a reinforced wall, a well-timed Bandit Battery can be placed as soon as he hears Thermite lay down his Exothermic charge. This keeps the Bandit Battery out of most of the danger regarding Thatcher but still allows Bandit to perform his role. Bandit also comes equipped with C4, allowing him to make his own rotation routes in a pinch, though impact grenades or shotguns are generally preferred for the job.

18 Jager

Stop Projectiles From Activating

There are few objective sites in the game that don't benefit from a Jager's ADS-MKIV Magpie device. Jager is a three-Speed one-Armor operator, and his gadget destroys any incoming enemy ordnance like grenades, Ash's breaching charge, and more. When placed well, his ADS can be a very difficult gadget to destroy, and can severely limit Attackers' ability to use their own gadgets effectively.

Jager's three-Speed and set-and-forget gadget make him well-suited for roaming, and though he doesn't have the means to create his own rotation routes with an explosive or a shotgun, he makes up for that a bit by having a very good weapon - even without the ACOG.

17 Smoke

Punish Enemies With Deadly Smoke

Rooms become death traps in the presence of Smoke, especially with his Compound Z8 Remote Gas Grenades that essentially render areas inhospitable throughout their duration. When thrown, these Grenades stick to surfaces and release smoke across a 5-meter radius and can take down Operators within three seconds of exposure. This time limit is especially dangerous, as the gas itself lasts for 10 seconds - more than enough for Smoke to appear and take out any enemies who try to escape it.

With this advantage, Smoke synergizes well with other “hidden” traps, such as Welcome Mats (Forst), Gu Mines (Lesion), and even Banshees (Melusi). However, as the Gas Grenades are remote-controlled, gadgets that disable electronics can interrupt Smoke’s gameplay style, making Shock Drones (Twitch) and an Electronics Scanner (IQ) deadly counters.

16 Aruni

Destroy Objects Or Damage Attackers Who Bypass Spaces

When an unexploded land mine caused the death of the sister of Apha Tawanroong, she dedicated much of her life to ensuring unexploded ordinances won’t affect other people and their families anymore. Her studies helped her attain quite a knack for deduction, with her skills earning her a detective position in the prestigious Royal Thai Police. While she’s been able to use her ability to connect seemingly unrelated dots to solve cases, a grave injury left her without an arm and a leg. It’s thanks to Jaimini “Kali” Shah and her Nighthaven crew that Aruni got another shot at helping others. With their advanced prosthetics, Apha is once again able to go to the front lines. Using the codename Aruni, she became Nighthaven - and temporarily, Rainbow’s - resident heavy defender.

As a Defender in Rainbow Six Siege gameplay, Aruni is equipped with her Surya Laser Gate. Deploying this on walls will create a laser grid that covers its entranceway. While this lets Defenders pass, it damages Attackers and destroys all projectiles that pass through it. While most other projectiles can disable the actual Gate, this is still a waste of ordinance and can give Aruni and her team time for a counter-attack. And for players who like Operators with as many weapons as possible, Aruna's prosthetic doesn’t just give her a boosted melee attack but also punches through walls, hatches, barricades, and Armor Panels, and destroys most gadgets.

15 Thorn

Traditional But Efficient Punishment Trapper

Praised as one of tactical weapons expert of Garda Síochána’s Emergency Response Unit, Briana Skehan, or Thorn, became one of Team Rainbow’s more enthusiastic Defenders. Ever the energetic Operative, Thorn’s specialization as an Anti-Entry and Trapper Defender allows her to facilitate methods of counter-offensives against Attackers. Key to her arsenal is the Razorbloom Shell, a proximity grenade, which can be attached to surfaces, that explodes a few seconds after detecting an Attacker within its radius.

While Thorn’s Razorbloom Shell seems like a traditional trapping tool, it’s precisely this familiarity that allows her kit to be adaptable in most situations. Pairing Thorn with gadgets which can slow enemies down, like Gu Mines (Lesion), the Banshee Device (Melusi), or even the traditional Barbed Wire, can set up spaces to become death traps.

14 Goyo

Use Fire To Block Locations, Areas

When a bomb caused the loss of César Ruiz Hernández’s father and sister and gravely injured his mother, he was taught at a young age to be careful with his surroundings. After graduating from the Heroic Naval Military School, his tactical sense and forward-thinking in his days with the Fuerzas Especiales earned the attention of Team Rainbow. While his days of fighting antiquities trafficking with UNESCO and INTERPOL ended, his induction into Team Rainbow as Goyo introduced them to a rather deadly crowd control specialist.

Thanks to his Volcan Canister, Goyo is capable of unleashing carpets of flames in areas that practically deny players of Rainbow Six Siege entry into these zones. These canisters are deployable on all surfaces including furniture, transforming any room into a death trap under Goyo’s protection. Goyo can synergize Kapkan and Maestro for long-ranged activation, while his area denial potential is enhanced with other skirmishers such as Melusi, Aruni, and Wamai.

13 Wamai

Reroute Projectiles To Ruin Long-Distance Attacks

It’s thanks to his remarkable ability to stay longer underwater that earned Ngũgĩ Muchoki Furaha the admiration of his peers and aided in his careers in both the Kenyan Navy and the Kenya Special Boat Unit. Believing he’s “not from here,” Furaha spent much of his time from one dive site to the next to break his previous freediving records, with Nighthaven offering him a private boat and more downtime opportunities to enjoy this hobby. When Furaha temporarily transitioned into Team Rainbow, he went under the codename Wamai, a defender capable of rendering projectiles obsolete.

Thanks to his Mag-NET, he can deploy a unique gadget capable of stopping a projectile in mid-air and redirecting it toward itself. It then forcibly detonates the projectile, usually out of range from its intended target. A unique synergy here would involve Goyo’s Volcan Shield dormant in an area near the Mag-NET, with the enemy’s Frag Grenade being used to detonate Goyo’s deadly fire trap safely. Players who understand how deadly projectiles can be in Rainbow Six Siege gameplay know better than to underestimate the capacity of Wamai’s kit.

12 Maestro

Dual-Purpose Camera Turret For Adaptable Defense

Maestro is a very solid choice on most objective sites in the game. He's a three-armor one-speed operator, meaning he's much better suited towards playing an anchor as opposed to a roamer. His gadget further supports this playstyle. Maestro's Evil Eye cameras are entirely bulletproof (and melee-proof), and can only be destroyed by certain Attacker gadgets, like frag grenades or Sledge's Hammer, for example.

His camera has thermal vision which is incredibly useful when defending against a team planting the defuser inside of a smoke screen. His Evil Eye can also fire energy beams that don't do a lot of damage per beam, but the damage certainly stacks up over a few seconds. All of the above is not even mentioning that he has a fantastic primary weapon that can be attached with an ACOG. Maestro is a really strong Defender in the right hands.

11 Echo

Stun Enemies To Start Counter-Attacks

Quite possibly the most banned Defender on this list in the Ranked game mode, Echo is a three-Armor one-Speed Defender and is one of the most powerful operators in the game. Echo has two Yokai Drones that hover around the floor or on the ceiling, going nearly invisible when doing the latter.

These drones can spot enemies and fire ever-recharging concussion blasts that disorient Attackers for a short period of time. This concussion effect doesn't impede movement like Ela's Grzmot Mines, but it does prevent Attackers from planting the Defuser. This means an Echo in a safe location can easily prevent Attackers from accomplishing their objective if time is running short. Along with his stellar gadget, Echo has a fantastic primary weapon and also a secondary sub-machine gun.

10 Alibi

Lure Attackers With Projection Traps

Undercover specialist Alibi relies on deception to protect locations in her Rainbow Six Siege gameplay, courtesy of her Prismas. When deployed, these devices project holographic displays of Alibi that are quite realistic, to the point that they ping the location of enemies who mistakenly shoot them.

Due to the deceptive nature of Prismas and the intense action of Rainbow Six Siege, it’s enemies will often shoot at an Alibi hologram - making her kit dangerous when securing an area. Unless enemies destroy a Prisma remotely, or shoot the actual device, Alibi can easily trick opponents into chokepoints. As her kit is similar to Valorant’s Yoru, who can also release clones, Alibi players may even pretend to be a Prisma and shoot at enemies who are careless enough to pass her without pre-firing.

9 Mute

Disable Enemy Comms Prior To Retaking Sites

Mute is one of (if not the absolute best) counter-intel operators out there. Mute is another 2-2 operator, coming equipped with four Signal Disruptors that disrupt enemy drones in the area, as well as other gadgets, like hard breacher's gadgets and Jackal's Visor.

They also stop Dokkaebi from having the chance to call the player's phone, provided they're in range or a Jammer. Well-placed Jammers can really stop the Attackers from gaining useful intel into certain rooms, making Mute a great pick for just about any objective in the game. On top of that, Mute has some serviceable weaponry, including a secondary sub-machine gun.