Marvel Rivals: The Hood Abilities and Playstyle Explained

The wait for another villain is finally over. After months of the community asking NetEase to show the bad guys more love, Parker Robbins, better known as The Hood, arrives in Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 as the hero shooter’s newest Vanguard, voiced by none other than WWE superstar Damian Priest. Despite wielding twin pistols, don’t mistake him for just another “poke” damage dealer.

The Hood boasts a two-star difficulty rating alongside a highly versatile kit for a tank hero. Between ranged pressure, team utility, protective barriers, and a full demonic transformation, he looks capable of slotting into just about any team composition. On that note, here’s a complete breakdown of his full kit and our two cents on his overall playstyle.

The Hood in Marvel Rivals: Full Kit Breakdown

The Hood‘s kit is designed around a resource called Demonic Energy and the Ruinous Pact passive that builds it. Dealing damage with your weapons, blocking attacks with Mantle of Oblivion, and even using Void Walk (his “fade” ability) all generate Demonic Energy. At 50%, your dual pistols gain a faster fire rate. Fill the meter to 100%, and you’ll automatically enter Half-Demon State, swapping them for demonic rifles with even more Attack Speed, Infinite Ammo, and Lifesteal.

Base Abilities

Below is a quick overview of The Hood’s abilities in Marvel Rivals:

Team-Up Abilities

Like every other hero in Marvel Rivals, The Hood also has two Team-Up loadouts to choose from:

Your game plan with The Hood revolves around keeping Demonic Energy flowing by dealing damage, blocking key attacks, and using Void Walk to engage or disengage whenever the situation calls for it. The more shots you land, the faster you fill that resource meter, giving you more frequent access to Half-Demon State and its high DPS potential.

The rest of his kit encourages you to control the pace of a fight. Mantle of Oblivion gets much more value once you’ve crossed 50% Demonic Energy, so avoid activating it the moment it’s available. Abyssal Veil also affects every enemy projectile passing through it, making it just as effective for disrupting incoming healing as it is for reducing damage. Dropping it behind an opponent Vanguard that your team is focusing can quickly make them much harder to keep alive.

What Is The Hood’s Playstyle in Marvel Rivals?

More than your average “pokeslop” hero. | Credits: NetEase Games/YouTube

The Hood fills a role somewhere between a traditional frontline tank and Vanguard Deadpool. He has the durability to stand with his team, enough ranged damage to pressure enemies from a distance, and several ways to keep building up his primary resource without having to overextend. His kit also gives you enough freedom to play aggressively whenever an opportunity opens up.

That said, a lot of his decision-making comes down to managing Demonic Energy. Since the meter never decays, there’s little reason to rush into Half-Demon State the moment you’re close to filling it. Building up to around 90% before a fight starts and filling out the rest of the meter as soon as it does lets you enter the engagement with your strongest weapons ready, instead of spending the opening seconds charging them.

He also has plenty of room for creativity. You can use Abyssal Veil to weaken incoming heals on an enemy Vanguard, isolate a Strategist from the rest of their team, or simply make a choke point much harder to push through. Pair that with Void Walk, a well-timed Mantle of Oblivion, and an Ultimate that can both pressure enemies and keep nearby teammates alive, and he already looks like one of the more complete Vanguard heroes in the game.

What are your initial thoughts on The Hood, and which of his two Team-Up loadouts do you see yourself equipping more often? Let us know in the comments below!