12 Best Heroes To Counter Esmeralda In Mobile Legends

Esmeralda is one of the most durable and annoying heroes in Mobile Legends, thanks to her ability to absorb shields and sustain through long fights. With her mix of mobility, magic damage, and tankiness, she can dominate lanes and become a major threat in team fights if left unchecked. However, like every hero, Esmeralda has her counters—especially those who can burst her down quickly, apply anti-heal, or keep her from freely diving into the backline. In this article, we’ve rounded up the 12 best heroes to counter Esmeralda and keep the Star Moon Priestess in check.

#12: Lunox

Lunox is a strong counter to Esmeralda because of her ability to deal consistent magic damage and shred through tanky targets using Chaos Assault. While Esmeralda relies on her shields and sustain to survive long fights, Lunox can bypass that by applying constant pressure with her burst combo. Her Order & Chaos stance switch also gives her the flexibility to kite, reposition, and keep her distance from Esmeralda’s close-range engage. With proper timing, Lunox can whittle Esmeralda down before she has a chance to fully stack her shields or recover.

#11: Nana

Nana may not seem like a direct counter at first, but her disruptive kit is highly effective against Esmeralda. With Molina Smooch, Nana can interrupt Esmeralda’s engage by transforming her mid-dive, buying time for her team to reposition or punish the attempt. Her poke from Magic Boomerang keeps Esmeralda at bay, and her passive Molina’s Gift makes her hard to finish off in return. Nana’s consistent harassment and CC make her a frustrating matchup that limits Esmeralda’s ability to freely dive or snowball.

#10: Aurora

Aurora is a hard counter to Esmeralda due to her powerful crowd control and burst damage. With her passive Pride of Ice, Aurora can freeze Esmeralda in place before she gets the chance to stack shields or dash in with her combo. Once frozen, Aurora can quickly follow up with her skill combo to deal heavy burst damage, exploiting Esmeralda’s weakness to high, instant magic damage. Since Esmeralda thrives in drawn-out fights, Aurora’s ability to shut her down before the fight even begins makes her a dangerous matchup.

#9: Wanwan

Wanwan is a strong marksman counter to Esmeralda thanks to her high mobility and true damage output. Esmeralda struggles to lock Wanwan down due to her passive Tiger Pace, which allows her to dash after every basic attack. This constant repositioning makes it hard for Esmeralda to land her skills or keep up in extended trades. Once Wanwan activates her ultimate, Crossbow of Tang, she can burst Esmeralda down with true damage, bypassing her shields and sustain. With smart positioning, Wanwan can easily kite Esmeralda and punish her for overcommitting.

#8: Diggie

Diggie is a strong utility counter to Esmeralda, especially in team fights where she relies on crowd control and shield stealing to thrive. His ultimate, Time Journey, removes and blocks all crowd control for his team, making it hard for Esmeralda to lock anyone down with her immobilizing ult. Additionally, Reverse Time can be used to zone or drag her away when she tries to dive into the backline. While Diggie doesn’t deal much damage himself, his ability to disrupt Esmeralda’s momentum and protect his allies makes him a valuable support counter.

#7: Chou

Chou is an excellent counter to Esmeralda thanks to his mobility, crowd control, and ability to isolate targets. With The Way of Dragon, Chou can kick Esmeralda away from her target or his team, completely disrupting her engage. His Jeet Kune Do combo can also interrupt her flow and prevent her from stacking shields effectively. Since Esmeralda depends on staying close to her enemies, Chou’s constant knockbacks and ability to reposition her make him a great pick to shut her down before she becomes a problem.

#6: Selena

Selena is a strong counter to Esmeralda thanks to her long-range poke, stun, and burst combo. Her Abyssal Arrow can stun Esmeralda from a distance, preventing her from closing the gap or starting a fight. Once stunned, Selena can follow up with her Garotte and Soul Eater to deal massive burst damage before Esmeralda has time to build up shields or sustain. Since Esmeralda struggles against crowd control and quick bursts, Selena’s ability to pick her off before a fight even begins makes her a serious threat.

#5: Franco

Franco is a powerful counter to Esmeralda due to his ability to isolate and suppress targets. With Iron Hook, he can pull Esmeralda away from her team or catch her before she dives in, instantly turning the tide of a fight. His ultimate, Bloody Hunt, suppresses her completely—preventing her from activating any skills or stacking shields. Since Esmeralda relies heavily on sustained combat and mobility, Franco’s lockdown tools shut her down before she can become a threat, making him a strong pick against her.

#4: Kaja

Kaja is an excellent counter to Esmeralda because of his instant suppression and repositioning. With his ultimate, Divine Judgment, Kaja can instantly pull Esmeralda out of position and shut her down before she can build shields or activate her combos. This is especially effective when timed before she casts Falling Starmoon, completely ruining her engage. Kaja also deals burst magic damage, which Esmeralda struggles against. His ability to isolate and quickly eliminate her makes him a top-tier pick in matchups where Esmeralda is a threat.

#3: Valir

Valir is a strong counter to Esmeralda thanks to his knockbacks, slows, and consistent poke damage. His Searing Torrent pushes Esmeralda away every time she tries to dive in, preventing her from sticking to key targets and stacking shields. His Burst Fireball applies slows and deals steady magic damage from a safe distance, making it difficult for Esmeralda to engage or sustain. If she does manage to get close, Valir’s ultimate, Vengeance Flame, removes crowd control and boosts his mobility, allowing him to kite her even further. Valir’s ability to zone and punish Esmeralda at range makes him a serious threat.

#2: Baxia

Baxia is one of the best counters to Esmeralda because his passive, Baxia Mark, significantly reduces the healing and shield effects of enemy heroes. Since Esmeralda heavily relies on both for sustain, this directly weakens her core mechanic. Additionally, Baxia’s mobility and tankiness allow him to stick close and apply pressure without being easily burst. His Tortoise’s Puissance also lets him chase her down or escape if needed. In extended fights, Baxia effectively shuts down Esmeralda’s sustain, making her far less effective in both 1v1s and team battles.

#1: Karrie

Karrie is the most effective counter to Esmeralda thanks to her ability to deal true damage based on the target’s max HP through her passive, Lightwheel Mark. This completely bypasses Esmeralda’s thick shields and high durability, allowing Karrie to shred her down regardless of how tanky she builds. On top of that, Karrie’s fast attack speed and mobility make it hard for Esmeralda to keep up or sustain in a fight. Whether in lane or in late-game team fights, Karrie melts through Esmeralda with ease, making her the top pick when you need to shut the Star Moon Priestess down.

Conclusion

Esmeralda can be a nightmare to deal with if left unchecked, but she’s far from unbeatable. Heroes who bring high burst damage, crowd control, anti-heal, or true damage can effectively shut her down before she gains momentum in fights. The 12 heroes listed in this guide each exploit her key weaknesses—whether it’s keeping her at a distance, denying her sustain, or locking her down before she can scale. If you’re struggling against Esmeralda, picking one of these counters can make all the difference and turn the tide of battle in your favor.