Mobile Legends: 10 Best Heroes For Defensive Playstyles

In Mobile Legends, playing defensively is all about protecting teammates, controlling fights, and surviving enemy attacks. Whether you prefer tanking damage, peeling for allies, or disrupting enemy engagements, choosing the right hero can make all the difference. Defensive heroes excel in crowd control, sustain, and utility, making them essential for team survival and strategic plays. In this article, we’ll cover the 10 best heroes for defensive playstyles in Mobile Legends, helping you hold the line, keep your team alive, and turn fights in your favor.

#10: Mathilda

Mathilda is a hybrid support/assassin who excels at protecting teammates while offering mobility and defensive utility, making her a great pick for a defensive playstyle in Mobile Legends. Her Passive – Ancestral Guidance grants extra movement speed after dealing damage, allowing her to stay mobile and reposition in fights. Soul Bloom (Skill 1) releases spiritual energy that targets nearby enemies, providing consistent poke damage while staying at a safe distance. Guiding Wind (Skill 2) is her signature ability, allowing her to shield herself and teammates while granting them a dash, making it a powerful disengage tool to escape bad fights. Her Ultimate – Circling Eagle locks onto an enemy, dealing continuous damage and stunning them, making it a great ability to disrupt enemy divers and protect allies. With strong shields, mobility, and the ability to reposition her team, Mathilda is an excellent defensive hero for players who love keeping their team safe while still offering utility and crowd control.

#9: Estes

Estes is one of the best pure healers in Mobile Legends, excelling at keeping his team alive, sustaining fights, and providing continuous healing, making him a top-tier pick for defensive playstyles. His Passive – Scripture of the Moon Elf enhances his basic attacks, slowing enemies and providing extra sustain, making it useful for poking and controlling enemy movement. Moonlight Immersion (Skill 1) is his main healing ability, allowing him to link to an ally and continuously restore their HP while boosting their movement speed, making it perfect for protecting carries in fights. Domain of Moon Goddess (Skill 2) creates an AoE zone that slows and damages enemies, helping Estes control engagements and peel for his team. His Ultimate – Blessing of Moon Goddess provides massive team-wide healing, making him one of the strongest sustain-based supports in the game. With his exceptional healing, strong crowd control, and ability to sustain entire teams, Estes is a perfect pick for defensive players who prioritize team survival and turning fights through sustained healing.

#8: Angela

Angela is a powerful support hero in Mobile Legends, specializing in shields, healing, and crowd control, making her one of the best defensive picks for protecting teammates and disrupting enemies. Her Passive – Smart Heart increases her movement speed whenever she casts a skill, allowing her to quickly reposition in fights. Love Waves (Skill 1) sends out healing waves that restore HP to allies while slowing enemies, making it perfect for sustaining teammates and keeping enemies at bay. Puppet-on-a-String (Skill 2) tethers Angela to an enemy, dealing damage and immobilizing them if they fail to escape, making it a great tool for peeling and controlling aggressive opponents. Her Ultimate – Heartguard is what makes her exceptional in defensive playstyles, allowing her to attach herself to an ally from anywhere on the map, providing shields and casting abilities while being untargetable. With strong healing, shields, and the ability to save teammates from dangerous situations, Angela is a top-tier defensive hero for players who love supporting their team, protecting carries, and controlling fights from anywhere on the map.

#7: Johnson

Johnson is a tanky frontline defender who excels at absorbing damage, initiating fights, and protecting teammates, making him a top choice for defensive playstyles in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Electro Airbag grants him a shield when his HP drops low, giving him extra survivability in critical moments. Deadly Pincers (Skill 1) stuns enemies in a small area, making it great for peeling aggressive opponents and stopping dives on his teammates. Electromag Rays (Skill 2) creates an electric field around him, dealing continuous damage and slowing enemies, helping him zone out enemies and control fights. His Ultimate – Rapid Touchdown is one of the most unique abilities in the game, allowing Johnson to transform into a car, pick up an ally, and crash into enemies, stunning them and starting a fight on his terms. With strong crowd control, high durability, and game-changing mobility, Johnson is an excellent defensive hero for players who love initiating fights, protecting allies, and disrupting enemy strategies with well-timed engages.

#6: Khufra

Khufra is a high-impact tank known for his exceptional crowd control, anti-mobility abilities, and durability, making him a top-tier defensive hero in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Spell Curse enhances his basic attacks, reducing enemy healing and shielding, making him effective against sustain-heavy heroes. Tyrant’s Revenge (Skill 1) allows him to dash forward and knock up enemies, making it a great tool for initiating fights or stopping aggressive enemies. Bouncing Ball (Skill 2) is his signature ability, turning him into a bouncing sphere that slows and prevents enemies from using blink or dash skills, making him a nightmare for mobile assassins and fighters. His Ultimate – Tyrant’s Rage pulls all nearby enemies toward a target location, stunning and dealing massive damage if they collide with a wall, making it one of the best fight-changing abilities in the game. With insane crowd control, strong anti-mobility tools, and excellent durability, Khufra is an ideal defensive hero for players who love disrupting enemies, controlling fights, and protecting teammates from aggressive threats.

#5: Uranus

Uranus is a durable tank with high regeneration, strong sustain, and excellent zoning capabilities, making him one of the best defensive heroes in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Radiance grants him continuous HP regeneration whenever he takes damage, making him exceptionally hard to kill in extended fights. Ionic Edge (Skill 1) releases energy blades that damage and slow enemies, helping him poke and control the battlefield. Transcendent Ward (Skill 2) gives him a shield and movement speed boost, allowing him to initiate fights, escape danger, or absorb incoming damage. His Ultimate – Consecration removes crowd control effects and greatly increases his HP regeneration, making him a huge problem for enemies who rely on burst damage. With his ability to soak up damage, sustain himself in long fights, and disrupt enemy formations, Uranus is a perfect defensive hero for players who love playing an unkillable frontline tank that wears down opponents over time.

#4: Atlas

Atlas is a powerful tank known for his game-changing crowd control, durability, and ability to disrupt enemy formations, making him one of the best defensive heroes in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Frigid Breath slows down enemies around him after using a skill, reducing their damage output and making him a strong frontline deterrent. Annihilate (Skill 1) deals AoE damage, helping him poke enemies and clear waves efficiently. Perfect Match (Skill 2) allows Atlas to separate from his mech suit, gaining extra movement speed and stunning enemies when he merges back, making it a fantastic tool for peeling or engaging fights. His Ultimate – Fatal Links is his signature ability, letting him grab multiple enemies with chains and slam them into the ground, dealing massive damage and stunning them, which can completely turn the tide of a fight. With exceptional crowd control, strong defensive capabilities, and the ability to disrupt entire teams, Atlas is an ideal defensive hero for players who love initiating fights, protecting allies, and shutting down enemy aggression.

#3: Belerick

Belerick is a high-sustain tank with exceptional durability, strong crowd control, and built-in damage reflection, making him one of the best defensive heroes in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Deadly Thorns allows him to retaliate against enemies, dealing damage whenever he takes hits, making him a huge problem for auto-attack-based heroes. Ancient Seed (Skill 1) slows and taunts enemies, forcing them to attack him while disrupting their movements, making it a great tool for peeling and stopping aggressive divers. Nature’s Strike (Skill 2) grants him a movement speed boost and damage reduction, allowing him to engage fights, soak up damage, or reposition when needed. His Ultimate – Wrath of Dryad roots all nearby enemies in place, making it an excellent initiation or counter-engage tool in team fights. With high sustain, strong crowd control, and a passive that punishes attackers, Belerick is a top-tier defensive hero for players who love absorbing damage, disrupting enemy formations, and protecting teammates from harm.

#2: Grock

Grock is a highly durable tank with strong crowd control, high mobility, and powerful zoning abilities, making him one of the best defensive heroes in Mobile Legends. His Passive – Earthen Force increases his defense and HP regeneration when near walls or turrets, allowing him to soak up massive amounts of damage in fights. Power of Nature (Skill 1) charges his weapon, dealing massive damage and slowing enemies, making it a great tool for disrupting enemy initiations. Guardian’s Barrier (Skill 2) creates a rock wall that blocks enemy movement, allowing him to cut off enemy escapes, protect allies, and zone out dangerous threats. His Ultimate – Wild Charge slams him into enemies, stunning them and dealing heavy damage, making it an amazing engage or counter-engage ability. With his strong defensive stats, disruptive crowd control, and zoning capabilities, Grock is an ideal defensive hero for players who love controlling the battlefield, blocking enemy movement, and soaking up damage for their team.

#1: Minotaur

Minotaur is the ultimate defensive tank in Mobile Legends, excelling at absorbing damage, providing healing, and disrupting enemies with powerful crowd control, making him the best pick for defensive playstyles. His Passive – Rage Mode allows him to enhance his abilities when fully charged, making him significantly tankier and more disruptive in fights. Despair Stomp (Skill 1) deals AoE damage and slows enemies, making it great for zoning and peeling. Motivation Roar (Skill 2) heals himself and nearby allies, making him one of the few tanks with built-in sustain. His Ultimate – Minoan Fury is his strongest tool, unleashing a massive knock-up and stunning all enemies in range when in Rage Mode, making it one of the best fight-changing abilities in the game. With high durability, team-wide healing, and one of the most impactful ultimates, Minotaur is the best defensive hero for players who love leading the frontline, protecting their team, and controlling fights with powerful crowd control and sustain.

Conclusion

Defensive playstyles in Mobile Legends are all about protecting teammates, controlling fights, and soaking up damage, and the heroes on this list excel at keeping their team safe while shutting down enemy aggression. Whether it’s Minotaur’s game-changing crowd control, Grock’s zoning abilities, or Uranus’ endless sustain, these heroes are built to disrupt enemy plays and turn fights in your team’s favor. Playing defensively doesn’t mean playing passively—it means positioning well, making smart engages, and ensuring your team survives long enough to secure victory. If you love leading the frontline, shielding allies, and dominating with smart defensive strategies, these 10 heroes will help you control the battlefield and secure wins.