Best Defending Operators In Rainbow Six Siege

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 circumstances:

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

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.

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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 o ne 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.

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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.