Marvel Rivals Hood: The Season 9.5 Vanguard

The Marvel Rivals Hood — Parker Robbins, voiced by WWE wrestler Damian Priest — joined the roster with Season 9.5 on 7 August 2026 as a Vanguard, which is not where most people expected a gunslinger to land.

The demonic energy meter

His kit is built around a resource that fills as he deals damage:

• Primary fire is twin pistols.
• At 50% demonic energy, his attack speed increases.
• At 100%, he shifts into a half-demon state — his arms become demonic rifles that fire fast burst damage.

So he is a Vanguard who rewards staying in the fight rather than one who soaks damage passively. Disengaging resets the ramp you have been building.

The defensive tool

He throws dark magic orbs that warp into barriers, weakening incoming enemy fire. This is what earns him the Vanguard tag — the barriers are placed rather than carried, so positioning them is the skill rather than aiming them.

The ultimate

The Hood enters a Full Demon State, transforming into a sentry-like Gun Demon. In this form he fires high-impact piercing rounds that punch through shields and enemies alike, ignoring defensive abilities that would normally block incoming fire, and radiates dark energy that grants bonus health to allies.

That shield-piercing property is the important part. Most Vanguard ultimates threaten a team; this one specifically answers the other team's Vanguards, which makes it a counter-pick tool as much as a damage cooldown.

Playing against him

Barriers, shields and damage-blocking abilities are the wrong answer to his ultimate. Breaking line of sight or spreading out is the right one. Outside the ultimate, pressuring him before his energy meter fills is the cheapest way to blunt the whole kit.