Of the hundreds of heroes in this game, there are only a few names of the most iconic and well-known Dota 2 heroes of all time by today's players.
Choice of hero names Dota 2 among the most versatile in all of Esports. There are 121 unique Dota 2 hero names with their respective advantages and disadvantages.
There are no Dota 2 hero names that are the same, because each hero comes with their own skills. This forces players to have different approaches for different heroes. As such, some heroes are more popular than others within the Dota 2 community.
This list looks at some of the most iconic heroes in the history of this game, keeping in mind Esports tournaments and often used by pro players.
List of the Most Iconic DOTA 2 Hero Names
Shadow Fiends
Shadow Fiend (SF) is a classic Dota 2 mid-hero. In the early days of Dota, players had to master SF to be considered a proper mid-player. He can deal massive damage to enemies with every ability.
He is one of the most popular DOTA 2 hero names in the pubs and is occasionally picked on in the pro scene. Her ultimate ability, Requiem of Souls, is one of the most satisfying burst damage abilities in the game.
This ultimate has made SF one of the most popular heroes as very few enemies can survive a perfect Requiem.
Other SF abilities also deal magical damage. His passive ability increases physical damage, making him one of the best offensive heroes in the game.
Invoker
Invoker has one of the highest skill limits in Dota 2. Quas, Wex, and Exort are his three basic skills. However, by using a combination of the three, Invoker can cast 10 unique spells. These spells can do everything from dealing damage to protecting Invokers.
As a result, Invoker is one of the best mid heroes in the game. The possibilities of this hero are endless. This hero is also very versatile because he can be played in different styles. He can also be played in the four, increasing his versatility.
Invoker is one of the most stylish heroes in Dota 2 and requires a lot of skill to play. Mastering Invoker is something players take great pride in. He is also the most voted hero of all time.
IO
Io, the wisp, is one such name Dota 2 heroes the most famous. Even though IO is one of the least picked heroes in the game, his influence on the pro scene is undeniable.
Initially, Io was support. He could save allies from the jaws of death and heal them to full health in seconds. But in The International 9, that all changed.
OG carry player Anathan “Ana” Pham started playing Io as the position one hero. Using this unconventional strategy, OG won TI9.
Even before TI9, Io was one of the hardest heroes to balance in Dota 2. After TI9, it got even more complex. This hero is one of the most picked heroes in the pro scene and has never left the meta.
Anti-Mage
Like SF is a classic Dota 2 mid-hero, Anti-Mage is the ideal carry hero in Dota 2. Players like Xu “Burning” Zhilei and Amer “Miracle” Al-Barkawi have become legends of this hero.
This hero has a notoriously weak early game and needs to have a lot of items to be useful. However, once an Anti-Mage is farmed, it becomes nearly impossible to win matches against him. As such, this hero requires very high mechanical skills and a sense of the game to play.
This hero is popular even outside of Dota 2. He has a high pick-up rate among both amateur and pro players. Miracle famously played the Anti-Mage in a game, where he became the first 9,000 MMR player.
Also read: Recommended Build Items for Zeus Pain in Dota 2 2022
Pudge
If any hero should be the face of Dota 2, it's Pudge. Pudge is the most voted hero in the pub. He has the highest pick-rate in the game since its release. Even though pros rarely play this hero, Pudge remains the most iconic hero in Dota 2.
In the early days of Dota 2, Pudge was a regular sight in the pro scene, especially at the hands of Danil “Dendi” Ishutin. But he slowly fell from the meta and was rarely seen.
Meat Hook, Pudge's first ability, is the most iconic skill shot in Dota 2. Dendi used this ability in the infamous Fountain Hook incident at TI3.
Even though Pudge has fallen out of favor in the pro scene, he is still the most picked hero by a large margin in pub games. It seems unlikely that any hero can take him down from his rightful place as the name of Dota 2's most iconic hero.
Pudge is the most popular hero since Dota was founded in 2013. This hero has a total of 735,779,009 matches with a pick-rate of 34.94 percent in Dota 2. Phantom Assassin is the second most-voted hero with a pick-rate of 25.22 percent. who isn't even close to Pudge.
Also read: Dota 2's Best Off Lane Hero Recommendations
Pudge is a melee strength hero. He is an offlaner but one can play him as a successful roamer or in the mid lane as well.