Everything You Need to Know About Winter Soldier in Marvel Rivals

In a game filled with super soldiers, gods, and mutants, few characters bring the same mix of espionage, brutality, and redemption as the Winter Soldier. Once a symbol of Cold War-era fear, Bucky Barnes has evolved into one of Marvel’s most complex and compelling anti-heroes.

Armed with a cybernetic arm, elite combat training, and a deep history with Captain America, the Winter Soldier is a stealthy, mid-range fighter in Marvel Rivals. He excels at precision eliminations, flanking maneuvers, and disruption, making him a top-tier choice for players who enjoy silent power and cold efficiency.

This article explores Winter Soldier’s backstory, abilities, and gameplay role, showing why he’s more than just Cap’s sidekick—he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Image: Marvel Comics

Who Is Winter Soldier?

Winter Soldier first appeared in Captain America #1 (2005), reintroducing Bucky Barnes, the former teenage sidekick of Captain America, as a deadly Soviet assassin.

Presumed dead during World War II, Bucky was actually found by the Soviet Union, brainwashed, and transformed into the Winter Soldier—an elite operative who would emerge from cryogenic sleep for covert assassinations across decades of history.

Eventually, Bucky regains his memories and returns to the side of the heroes, but his past continues to haunt him. His journey is one of redemption and identity, making him one of Marvel’s most morally layered characters.

Character Lore

From Sidekick to Assassin

During WWII, Bucky fought alongside Steve Rogers as a field operative and symbol of hope. But after a mission went wrong and he was presumed dead, the Soviets found his barely alive body and reconstructed his arm with cybernetic enhancements, reprogramming him into the perfect assassin.

As the Winter Soldier, he committed numerous covert kills, becoming a ghost story in the intelligence community.

Reclaimed by the Light

Steve Rogers eventually discovers the truth and uses the Cosmic Cube to help Bucky recover his memories. Wracked with guilt, Bucky becomes the new Captain America after Steve’s apparent death, proving that he’s more than his past.

Now, as the Winter Soldier once more—but on his own terms—Bucky uses his lethal skillset to protect the innocent and eliminate threats from the shadows.

Image: Marvel Comics

Winter Soldier’s Powers and Abilities

Cybernetic Arm

Bucky’s vibranium-enhanced metal arm gives him superhuman strength, allowing him to punch through steel, absorb recoil, and overpower enemies in close combat. The arm can also interface with electronics, block incoming attacks, or discharge an EMP pulse in certain versions.

Elite Marksman and Tactical Genius

Bucky is a deadly shot with firearms, able to use pistols, rifles, and sniper weapons with military precision. His military background also makes him an expert in infiltration, hand-to-hand combat, demolitions, and counter-espionage. He also frequently carries smoke grenades, flashbangs, and timed explosives, perfect for breaking lines and creating ambushes.

Winter Soldier’s Story in Marvel Rivals

Once presumed dead after a mission in World War II, Bucky was secretly captured and transformed into the Winter Soldier — a lethal Hydra assassin. Though he eventually broke free from their brainwashing and fought to reclaim his humanity, Bucky’s path was once again derailed during a solo mission to sabotage Hydra’s Charteris Base. Captured and subjected to horrifying experiments, he awoke to find his cybernetic arm replaced with eldritch tentacles — the result of dark, arcane science. Fortunately, a rescue team led by Hawkeye arrived just in time, though the mission quickly spiraled into a battle against twisted super-soldiers and a reality-tearing portal.

Determined to shut down Hydra’s ritual once and for all, Bucky sacrificed his mutated arm to sever the ancient link, risking everything to stop the monster emerging from beyond. As the chamber collapsed, a mysterious new Captain America from the future arrived through the portal and saved them at the last moment, leading the exhausted heroes to a strange, futuristic Wakanda. There, Bucky received a high-tech replacement arm and was asked to join a new fight. No longer a pawn or a weapon, the Winter Soldier had reclaimed his agency — and with his old friends at his side, he was ready to pull the trigger on a better future.

Image: Marvel Comics

Essential Winter Soldier Comics

Want to dive deeper into Bucky’s legacy? These are the must-read Winter Soldier stories:

Captain America: Winter Soldier (2005) by Ed Brubaker & Steve Epting

• This is the definitive reintroduction of Bucky Barnes, establishing him as the Winter Soldier and kicking off one of Marvel’s greatest modern arcs.

Winter Soldier (2012) by Ed Brubaker & Butch Guice

• Bucky stars in his own solo series, facing his past and hunting down other sleeper agents he once trained.

Captain America: The Death of Captain America (2007–2008)

• After Steve Rogers’ death, Bucky becomes the new Captain America, proving he’s more than just a killer.

The Winter Soldier: Cold Front (2020) by Kyle Higgins & Rod Reis

• A modern continuation that shows Bucky trying to break the cycle of violence by helping others escape their pasts.

Winter Soldier is the embodiment of a man trying to turn pain into purpose. In Marvel Rivals, he’s the silent blade in the dark—a master of precision, positioning, and pressure. He doesn’t overpower enemies with spectacle—he breaks them down with timing, skill, and tactical force.

Whether you’re landing quiet headshots, disabling enemy defenses, or vanishing into the fog after an ambush, Winter Soldier is proof that the shadows hold more than fear—they hold redemption.