The main problem with Defense Up characters in SWGOH is not necessarily which ones have this ability – because plenty do (64 at the moment of writing), but finding the best ones to use in battle to get your mission done quickly.
So, if you’re looking for the fastest way to gain Defense Up in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, you’re at the right place. Today, I will share both the list of characters who have this ability, but also the best Defense Up characters for your squad.
If you’re dealing with the latest set of missions in the game, I also recommend looking at the SWGOH characters that inflict Blind, as well as the Target Lock characters in the game.
All Defense Up Characters in SWGOH
There’s a huge list, but as you will see below, not all of them are that useful in actual battle. But I’m still listing all Defense Up characters below in alphabetical order, so it’s easier for you to browse through them and decide on your squad:
- 50R-T
- Admiral Raddus
- Barriss Offee
- Bastila Shan
- Bo-Katan Kryze
- Cal Kestis
- Captain Tarpals
- Cassian Andor
- Cere Junda
- Chopper
- Clone Wars Chewbacca
- Cobb Vanth
- Dark Trooper Moff Gideon
- Darth Bane
- Darth Jar Jar
- Darth Vader (Duel’s End)
- Echo
- Ezra Bridger
- Ezra Bridger (Exile)
- Finn
- First Order Stormtrooper
- Gamorrean Guard
- General Syndulla
- Grogu & Anzellans
- Hondo Ohnaka
- Hoth Rebel Soldier
- IG-12 & Grogu
- Ima-Gun Di
- Jawa Scavenger
- Jedi Knight Guardian
- Jedi Master Luke Skywalker
- KX Security Droid
- Kanan Jarrus
- Krrsantan
- Kyle Katarn
- Lobot
- Marrok
- Master Qui-Gon
- Morgan Elsbeth
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (Old Ben)
- Old Daka
- Padawan Obi-Wan
- Paploo
- Pirate King Hondo Ohnaka
- Plo Koon
- Queen Amidala
- Quiggold
- Rose Tico
- Royal Guard
- SM-33
- Satele Shan
- Savage Opress
- Saw Gerrera
- Sith Empire Trooper
- Skiff Guard (Lando Calrissian)
- Snowtrooper Commander
- Stormtrooper
- Stormtrooper (Concept)
- Stormtrooper Luke
- Sun Fac
- Tarfful
- Wrecker
- Wrecker (Mercenary)
- Zeb Orrelios (New Republic Pilot)
If you find this type of list useful, I also recommend reading about the best SWGOH characters that inflict Vulnerable, or the best characters to gain Potency Up.
Best Defense Up Characters in SWGOH
As I said, the main challenge is selecting the absolute best Defense Up characters from the list above. Here are my top five choices, but know that there are more useful characters to complete this quest:
Clone Wars Chewbacca: His unique passive gives all allies a 50% chance to gain Defense Up when they take damage, and each character can gain it multiple times. So a great choice for those long battles.
Plo Koon: His “Take Charge” ability grants Defense Up to all allies, helping you quickly complete your mission.
First Order Stormtrooper: His “The Order Relentless” ability grants Defense Up to all allies.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Old Ben): His “Devoted Protector” ability gives Defense Up to all allies, and everybody has Old Ben, so he’s a great choice.
IG-12 & Grogu: Their “Yes.” special grants Defense Up to all allies – but also heals, so it’s not really a “first to use” ability. I still think they’re a great choice, though.
The main idea is to choose the characters that you have invested the most in (highest level and gear/skill levels), and ideally go either for those that can quickly gain Defense Up, or those who give this to multiple characters without many conditions.
If you want to learn even more about the game, I recommend my previous guides:
- Full List of SWGOH Foresight Characters
- SWGOH Secrets and Shadows Guide
- All SWGOH Buff Immunity Characters
If you think that other characters should make it onto the “best of the best” list above, let me know – I’d love to hear more opinions on this matter!