Welcome to Smite gods ranked from best to worst, the series where we take a look at the game’s 120+ playable characters and try to figure out which ones are worth your time and which ones are best to avoid in the current season. In this first installment, we’re going to rank the Guardians, Smite’s tankiest gods that are tasked with initiating fights and providing crowd control. Most of the time you’ll only want a single Guardian in your team so it’s vital that you pick the right one.
Ranking all of Smite’s Guardians based on personal preference would be a fun but ultimately pointless exercise. So instead, we’re taking a stats-based approach using data from Casual Smite Normal and Casual Smite Ranked. This is going to be a very general ranking based on average win rates across seven different game modes – Arena, Assault, Conquest, Joust, Ranked Duel, Ranked Conquest, and Ranked Joust.
Needless to say, all Smite gods can be good or bad depending on which mode you’re playing. However, looking at win rates it’s clear that some are much better than others across the board. Smite is a team game so individual win rates won’t always reflect how good a god is but the stats do give us a rough idea of where each Guardian stands as of patch 9.6. We’ll make sure to update this list as new patches roll out so check back often.
With that introduction out of the way, let’s take a look at all of Smite’s Guardians ranked from best to worst.
21. Yemoja – Godess of Rivers
I was a bit surprised by this first one but it turns out that Yemoja has the lowest win rate out of all Guardians. It’s very interesting to note that she actually takes the top spot in Ranked Duels according to the websites mentioned earlier, but comes in dead last in most of the other modes. The only exception is Ranked Conquest but she isn’t performing spectacularly there either.
Yemoja is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. Unlike most Smite gods, Yemoja doesn’t use mana, relying instead on a resource called Omi. I find Yemoja to be a pretty good pick for new players who love to play support. Her abilities are designed to provide decent crowd control and plenty of healing for her team. That said, learning how to properly manage Yemoja’s Omi does take a bit of practice. Meanwhile, her CC abilities have the potential to be more annoying for your allies than your opponents if timed poorly.
20. Kumbhakarna – The Sleeping Giant
Kumbhakarna is a bit of an oddball and one of my least favorite Guardians in Smite. That’s not why I placed him this low on the list, though. According to the stats, this god doesn’t excel in any particular area. In fact, he has negative win rates in most modes. The only mode where he seems to be performing above average in the current season is Arena and, to a lesser extent, Ranked Conquest.
Kumbhakarna is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian but I’m not sure I would recommend him to new players. Most of his abilities are single-target and not particularly interesting. A good Kumbhakarna player who focuses on disabling enemy carries can provide a good amount of help for his team, but his abilities are difficult to land and his passive is mostly useless. Honestly, there are much better choices out there. Kumbhakarna is simply not as interesting as a lot of other Smite gods.
19. Cerberus – Warden of the Underworld
Personally, I think Cerberus is pretty good but his win rates are surprisingly bad in both normal and ranked modes. The Warden of the Underworld does reasonably well in Assault but doesn’t have impressive performances in most of the other modes. Especially in Ranked Conquest where he comes dead last in 9.6. Cerberus does get picked a lot but I suspect that has more to do with the fact that he’s such an iconic character from Greek mythology.
Cerberus is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to new players in spite of his poor stats because he’s a jack-of-all-trades that can teach you the fundamentals of being a Guardian. You can set up fights beautifully with his Ultimate, you get a leap ability that can be used both offensively and defensively, and you can also do some decent AoE damage with Cerberus every now and again. Plus, you get a bit of free healing thanks to his passive. Overall, a versatile Guardian in my opinion.
18. Kuzenbo – King Kappa
Similar to a lot of other Smite gods, your mileage with Kuzenbo will vary greatly depending on which game mode you’re playing. King Kappa has the third-best win rate in Ranked Duels but his performances in other modes are either average or underwhelming. The sumo wrestling turtle does have positive win rates in Joust modes but they’re barely a little over 50%.
Kuzenbo is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. He’s a decent enough tank but doesn’t really have any support abilities and his CCs are better at annoying individual opponents than setting up big team fights. Sumo Slam is arguably the most useful ability in his kit but it can be difficult to land properly, especially on maps with lots of obstacles. His Ultimate isn’t too shabby either but everything else is just sort of meh.
17. Cthulhu – The Great Dreamer
Cthulhu isn’t based on a religious pantheon like most other Smite gods, which makes him pretty unique He’s also currently the only god in the Great Old Ones pantheon. Cthulhu is a very popular character in pop culture but he isn’t very remarkable in Smite I’m afraid. His win rates in Assault are very good but his stats aren’t very impressive in any of the other game modes.
Cthulhu is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. As you might expect from The Great Dreamer, he’s a very imposing presence on the battlefield. Cthulhu is already bigger than most gods, to begin with, but he can grow to an absolutely massive size thanks to his Ultimate. He doesn’t have a lot of CC or any interesting abilities that can help the team so he’s not really the most useful tank. But Cthulhu is very effective at scaring opponents with his Ultimate, and seeing people run in terror from a giant monster is always fun to watch.
16. Sobek – God of the Nile
Sobek is another extreme example of why choosing the right Guardian for the right mode is so important. Surprisingly enough, the God of the Nile takes the top spot among Guardians in Ranked Joust according to the stats but he falls towards the bottom of the pack in all other modes. Sobek is one of the oldest Smite gods so it’s actually a bit surprising that he still manages to hold up reasonably well even after all these years.
Sobek is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. His kit is basic but fairly effective. If you’re playing as Sobek, your bread and butter is going to be the Charge Prey ability that allows you to toss an enemy and potentially set up an easy kill. His other abilities aren’t very interesting I’m afraid. His Ultimate is okay in certain situations but it’s honestly nothing to write home about.
15. Jormungandr – The World Serpent
Jormungandr is a weird Guardian to play as because of his size, lack of legs, and wonky animations. Still, he can be a lot of fun in some situations just because his movement is so unique compared to other Smite gods. As far as his win rates are concerned, they’re a bit all over the place. Jormungandr has average to high win rates in Assault, Joust, and both Conquest modes but lags behind pretty much all other Guardians in the other three modes. Needless to say, he’s not consistent across the board.
Jormungandr is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. The World Serpent specializes in AoE abilities that damage, slow, and knock up enemies. Thanks to his size, Jormungandr can’t be moved by displacement abilities but can get slowed by them, which isn’t always a good tradeoff. Meanwhile, his ultimate is likely to send newbies running for the hills but experienced players will be able to dodge it quite easily. Jormungandr is one of my favorite Guardians right now but he definitely has a lot of pros and cons.
14. Sylvanus – Keeper of the Wild
Next up on our list is Sylvanus, Keeper of the Wild. This is a very unassuming Guardian that can provide a lot of support for the team or be completely useless depending on who you’re playing against. His win rates are pretty mediocre across the board. Sylvanus does seem to perform fairly well in Ranked Duel in 9.6 but that’s about it.
Sylvanus is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. The Keeper of the Wild is pretty useful in the early game thanks to his crowd control abilities, especially his Ultimate if timed properly. Sylvanus can also provide a bit of healing and mana regen for his team but his support abilities aren’t very impressive. All in all, this is a quintessential middle-of-the-road Guardian that can get the job done but likely won’t play a huge role in helping his team win the game.
13. Bacchus – God of Wine
Bacchus is a very well-rounded Guardian, in more ways than one. Ridiculous belly flops and constant belching make Bacchus one of the silliest Smite gods but don’t underestimate him because he’s stronger than he looks. The God of Wine seems to shine the most in the Conquest modes and performs the worst in Ranked Joust at the moment.
Bacchus is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. In addition to being a hardy tank, Bacchus can also dish out quite a bit of damage (for a Guardian) and his multiple CCs can be invaluable to the team. His Ultimate is generally only useful in big team fights and can be hit or miss a lot of the time. If you want to play as a Guardian in Smite but don’t know which one to pick, give Bacchus a try. You can’t go wrong with this one.
12. Athena – Goddess of Wisdom
Athena is essentially equal to Bacchus in terms of win rates. The only reason I placed her higher on the list is because I like her a bit more than the God of Wine but the two perform roughly the same. Athena sees the best results in the Arena in 9.6 so far, with all the other modes coming in closely behind. Expect the Goddess of Wisdom to be remarkably consistent regardless of which mode you’re playing.
Athena is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. She’s nimbler than a lot of other Guardians but her attacks require good timing and precision. Athena is all about holding the line and keeping enemy players away from teammates. Her taunt ability is particularly useful for that purpose. The main thing that drags her down a couple of notches is her Ultimate ability, which has nice utility but takes way too long to charge and require good coordination with allied players.
11. Artio – The Bear Goddess
Artio comes in just a tiny bit behind Athena and Bacchus in terms of win rates. She’s actually the third most successful Guardian in Ranked Joust but her performances in all other modes are average to low. The Bear Goddess is pretty unique in that she has two forms and can switch between them at will. There are other Smite gods that can switch stances but shapeshifting is far less common.
Artio is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian, mainly due to the aforementioned shapeshifting ability. The Guardian gets two sets of abilities, one for each form, and knowing when to switch between them can be a bit tricky. If you want to play it safe, spend most of your time in bear form and only switch to druid form when you need to heal yourself or debuff enemies. That said, you’ll definitely be a lot more effective if you manage to master both of Artio’s forms.
10. Terra – The Earth Mother
Terra is one of those easy to learn, difficult to master Smite gods. She can provide a lot of support and damage for her team but using her abilities properly requires good timing and precision. The high level of difficulty is probably why Terra’s win rates are all over the place. She seems to be more successful in Arena at the moment and sees the least amount of success in Assault. Win rates in all the other modes fall somewhere in between.
Terra is classified as a Hard difficulty Guardian and is the only Guardian currently labeled as such. The Earth Mother is all about synergy. You can place Standing Stones at key locations and shatter them with your dash ability in order to inflict a good chunk of damage to enemies in the area. You can even chain these dashes if you’re fast and smart about placing the stones. In addition to doing a respectable amount of damage for a Guardian, Terra is also a very robust tank and a good healer.
9. Fafnir – The Lord of Glittering Gold
Fafnir is another shapeshifting Guardian but unlike Artio, The Lord of Glittering Gold can only maintain his alternate form for a limited amount of time. It’s generally enough, though, because his dragon form transforms him into a wrecking ball. Fafnir ranks surprisingly high on this list considering his win rates are pretty underwhelming in most game modes. However, he makes up for it by having the fourth-best result in Ranked Duel and the seventh highest in Ranked Conquest.
Fafnir is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. He’s more mobile than other gods, being able to quickly get in and out of combat with his leap ability. Meanwhile, with his other abilities Fafnir can buff his allies and put the hurt on enemy opponents. All of his abilities get augmented in dragon form, which also gives him a neat breath attack similar to that of Jormungandr.
8. Ymir – Father of the Frost Giants
Ymir is right up there with Sobek as one of the oldest Smite gods, having been first introduced way back in the Beta. But even though his design feels a bit outdated compared to those of more recent gods, Ymir continuities to be a very effective Guardian with respectable win rates. His best win rates in patch 9.6 so far are in Ranked Conquest and Ranked Duel and he doesn’t disappoint in most of the other modes either.
Ymir is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. The Father of the Frost Giants has excellent crowd control thanks to abilities like Ice Wall and Frost Breath. He’s also very adept at slowing enemies and causing a lot of damage with his other two abilities, particularly his Ultimate. Ymir’s passive isn’t too shabby either as it serves to both mitigate damage and help the Guardian inflict extra damage on enemies affected by Frostbite. A very solid Guardian all things considered.
7. Ganesha – God of Success
Ganesha is the ultimate wingman and a true pacifist. Well, kinda. Whenever Ganesha lands a killing blow, the credit is transferred to his closest ally and he only receives an assist instead. Simply helping carries grow faster can make a huge difference in a team-based game like Smite. Sure enough, without any teammates to support Ganesha’s win rates in Ranked Duel are close to abysmal but he ranks average to high in every other game mode.
Ganesha is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. Despite being a bit of a pacifist, the God of Success can dish out a decent amount of damage with most of his abilities. However, he’s definitely more useful to the team when focusing mainly on crowd control. Personally, though, I feel like his AoE silence is lowkey the best ability in his kit in team fights.
6. Cabrakan – Destroyer of Mountains
I find Cabrakan to be one of the strangest looking gods in Smite with his dual shields, scaly body and disproportionately small head. Seriously, why is that thing so tiny? But looks aside, the Destroyer of Mountains is a very competent Guardian with average to high win rates all across the board. He seems to be doing particularly well in Ranked Joust at the moment where he places second just behind Sobek.
Cabrakan is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. He can perform one of the nastiest combos in the game by trapping enemies with Tectonic Shift and pounding them with Tremors. Tremors doesn’t do a ton of damage by itself but is very effective at disorienting enemies, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by your allies. His other two abilities are also pretty useful but Cabrakan loses a couple of points due to his passive, which is extremely basic and not terribly helpful in the grand scheme of things.
5. Atlas – Titan of the Cosmos
Atlas is one of the most consistent Smite gods in terms of win rates. He’s the second-best ranked Guardian in Joust and the fifth in both Ranked Joust and Assault. He also has very good win rates in all the other modes. Most Guardians perform much better in some modes than others but that’s not really the case with Atlas. Sure, he does have strengths and weaknesses but, for the most part, you can’t go wrong with this one regardless of what mode you’re playing.
Atlas is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian but I find that classification to be somewhat inaccurate. You can cast abilities willy-nilly and hope for the best but you probably won’t be able to make the most out of him unless you’re thinking about what you’re doing. Like any CC-focused Guardian, Atlas rewards patience and good timing. Besides, all of his abilities have multiple effects and although he can inflict good damage with all of them, it’s best to use them to initiate and set up kills for your team.
4. Xing Tian – The Relentless
Xing Tian is an absolute beast and easily one of my favorite Smite gods at the moment. He’s fantastic across all game modes except maybe Ranked Duel due to his fairly low damage output. Xing Tian can have a difficult time taking down enemies all by himself but that’s not what you’ll want to use him for anyway. His main role is setting up kills for his allies and he does a fantastic job at it.
Xing Tian is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian and I would classify him as a one-man combo machine. His Ultimate, while a bit difficult to land, can toss enemies straight into the arms of your allies. Not just that but upon landing, you can immediately use your Hook Slam to knock your victims into the air and disable them for even longer. Xing Tian’s Ultimate works best when paired with Blink but in the absence of that, you can just use his Sky-Cutting Axe to quickly close the distance. Did I mention that he also quickly regenerates health and can temporarily reduce enemies’ basic attack damage by up to 50%?
3. Ares – God of War
It should come as no big surprise to see Ares ranking so high on this list. The Greek God of War is one of the most resilient Guardians in the entire game and his damage output isn’t to be overlooked either. Ares ranks anywhere between first and fourth place in all game modes except Ranked Duel where he lands next to the bottom. He’s clearly not great in 1v1 fights but he more than makes up for it by providing amazing team support.
Ares is classified as an Easy difficulty Guardian. His Ultimate makes him one of the best initiators in the game, especially when paired with Blink. The rest of his abilities aren’t too shabby either, two of which are capable of inflicting decent damage while the third is used to provide various buffs to himself and nearby teammates. Thanks to his passive, Ares can greatly increase his damage output by building lots of Auras. But you’ll generally want to focus on building him up as a tank instead.
2. Khepri – The Dawn Bringer
Even though he only takes the second spot on this list, Khepri is currently one of the most successful Smite gods with off-the-charts win rates in no less than four game modes. The scarab god takes the top spot in Arena, Conquest, Joust and Ranked Conquest, and the second spot in Assault just behind Ares. However, he does seem to struggle a bit at the moment in Ranked Duel and Ranked Joust.
Khepri is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. The Dawn Bringer has a great initiation ability in the form of Abduct and can also set up kills with Solar Flare if timed properly. Khepri can also provide valuable buffs to allies with Rising Dawn and his passive. But his most impressive ability is his Ultimate, which can revive an ally if they die while under its influence. Alternatively, you can just cast the Ultimate on yourself when you’re close to death.
1. Geb – God of Earth
And finally, we have the most successful Guardian in Smite at the moment, Geb. Geb surpassed Khepri by just a tiny bit but it was enough to allow him to take the top spot. Interestingly enough, he didn’t rank at number one in any of the seven game modes we looked at but he did place near the top in most of them, allowing him to achieve a very high average win rate. Ironically, even though Geb is one of my favorite Smite gods, my own win rate with him is pretty terrible. I guess everybody else plays him better than I do.
Geb is classified as an Average difficulty Guardian. The Egyptian God of Earth has crowd control and defensive capabilities for days while also possessing a useful shield that can save teammates in a bind. In addition, Geb has not one but two knockback abilities, as well as a powerful AoE stun that does quite a bit of damage to boot. The cherry on the cake is that Geb’s passive makes him highly resistant to critical hits. Oh, and he can quickly get in and out of combat to boot. So yeah, overall a very powerful Guardian that can provide tons of utility in any team composition.
