With its iconic mutant roster and RPGstyle progression, XMen Legends offers players the chance to form powerful teams comprised of tremendous heroes. Across its roster of fifteen playable characters most of whom are fan favorites the game lets you level up powers, upgrade abilities, and unlock devastating ‘XTreme’ attacks. Here’s a deep dive into who you can play as, what makes them unique, and how players remember using them.
Main Playable Characters
The original XMen Legends includes fifteen playable XMen. Some are available from the start, while others unlock later or via ingame events.
- Beast (Hank McCoy)
- Colossus (Piotr Rasputin)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers)
- Emma Frost
- Gambit (Remy LeBeau)
- Iceman (Bobby Drake)
- Jean Grey / Phoenix
- Jubilee (Jubilation Lee)
- Magma (Alison Crestmere)
- Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)
- Psylocke (Elizabeth Braddock)
- Rogue (Anna Marie)
- Storm (Ororo Munroe)
- Wolverine (James Howlett)
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) playable only during Astral Plane segments
Role and Power Overview
Each hero has four core abilities mapped to action buttons X, Circle, Square, Triangle plus an XTreme ultimate move unlocked later in the game.
- Wolverine: X = Brutal Slash, Square = Feral Rage, Circle = Claw Flurry, Triangle (XTreme) = Savage Rampage
- Cyclops: X = Optic Beam, Square = Command boosts, Circle = Optic Sweep, Triangle = Optic Rage
- Storm: X = Lightning Strike, Square = Blizzard shield, Circle = Tornado, Triangle = Cyclone Fury
- Jean Grey: X = Telekinesis, Square = Shield, Circle = Psychic Scream, Triangle = Phoenix Force
These abilities can be upgraded with experience. As characters level up you gain attribute and power points to customize your team’s growth making defensiveoriented heroes tanky, or turning offensive users into elemental powerhouses.
Secret or Later Unlockable Heroes
While some heroes are available early, others must be unlocked through missions or meet conditions:
- Nightcrawler, Gambit, Colossus, Psylocke, Jubilee, Emma Frostjoin your roster after certain missions or via recruitment events
- Professor Xis only playable during two Astral Plane story sequences
These unlockables helped keep the roster fresh and encouraged players to progress through all missions to build their ideal mutant team.
Fan Favorites and Memorable Combinations
Community forums reveal which heroes players favored in teams. A common favorite lineup includes:
- Cyclops, Storm, Iceman, and Wolverine valued for a mix of crowd control, ranged, melee, and area damage
- Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Cyclops and Scarlet Witch (in Legends II) remain beloved for synergy and crowd control
Playstyles varied: melee-focused builds often centered on Wolverine, Colossus and Rogue, while crowdcontrol or ranged builds turned to Storm, Gambit, and Iceman. Jean Grey was prized for her telekinesis and Phoenix Force ultimate.
Legendary Moves: XTreme Attacks
Each character’s Triangle button powers up into an XTreme move once enough blue energy icons fill. These cinematic moves decimate enemies and turn the tide in boss fights:
- Beast: Orbital Bombardment calls in the XJet
- Colossus: Seismic Quake knocks enemies to ground
- Gambit: 52 Pickup launches charged cards everywhere
- Rogue: Energy Drain steals enemy powers temporarily
These signature finishes were not only powerful but also highly cinematic adding excitement and spectacle to boss encounters.
Character Roles: Covering Team Needs
Tank & Melee Front-Liners
- Wolverine, Colossus, Rogue
- Provide durability and bleed or devour mechanics
Ranged & Crowd Control Specialists
- Cyclops, Storm, Iceman
- Deal wide-target damage and freeze or stun enemies
Utility & Support Mutants
- Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Psylocke
- Offer psychic control, fear, confusion, and defense buffs
Agility & Threat Diversion Experts
- Nightcrawler, Gambit, Jubilee, Magma
- Provide teleport flurries, area denial, crowd damage, or support boosts
Why the Roster Resonates with Fans
Players consistently praise the first game’s roster for its quality even if small because each hero is deeply integrated into the story. As one Redditor summed up:
I refuse to play the game without Wolverine Rogue and Jubilee because this is one of the only games where Jubilee is playable.
Another lamented in a later forum: Beast only playable in the first XMen Legends game! Why can’t people show Beast the love he deserves!!!
While many hoped for additions like Kitty Pryde or Dazzler in a hypothetical sequel, the original roster retains nostalgic appeal precisely because of its selection and how each character’s personality and powers come to life in cooperative gameplay.
With fifteen playable heroes ranging from close-range bruisers like Wolverine and Colossus to psychic controllers like Jean Grey and Emma Frost XMen Legends delivers both diversity and depth. Each hero possesses a distinct role, upgradeable power tree, and an impressive XTreme ultimate that rewards progression. While some unlocks require story progression, building teams like Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, and Iceman remains a fan favorite. Discussions across forums highlight the emotional resonance many players still feel especially for characters like Rogue, Jubilee, and Beast. Whether playing solo or coop multiplayer, forming a squad from classic X-Men squad offers satisfying synergy and storytelling, maintaining the game’s status as a beloved classic.
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