Legendary cards in Clash Royale vary wildly, from support to high damage. When used at the right time, a legendary spell or unit can grant victory after victory. Entire decks are built around legendary cards, giving you an idea of their power. Having said that, you can't flip every card and hope to win.
With 17 legendary cards to choose from, we've taken the liberty of ranking each one based on a combination of skill, utility, damage, and versatility - not in that order. For example, Ice Wizard ranks higher on our list, not because of its damage, but because of its invaluable utility. A legendary unit that deals a lot of damage, but is easily countered, would rank lower on our list. With that out of the way, let's start with the worst of the best.
Princess
Prince is one of the first legendary cards to come out, but that didn't grant him any immunity. On the surface, it sounds great: slow attack but long range, effectively clears swarms and can even overtake buildings. Firecracker, a modest community card, does this, only better.
Ram Rider
Ram Rider is about as easy as it gets with a Legendary Card. She'll throw a trap here and there, possibly damaging a group of troops but, more importantly, dealing massive tower damage when her trusty ram collides with one. Since Ram Rider's mechanics are straightforward, it rarely sees the higher skill level play, let alone with recent nerfs.
Royal Ghost
Royal Ghost is not a very versatile card and is often overshadowed by other legendary cards that will do its job, only better. His ability to become invisible and appear out of nowhere is impressive. There is nothing better than watching your opponent panic immediately when they appear near a tower. What holds him back, however, is his excruciatingly slow attack speed. Throw him a mini-tank and he's done.
Sinner
Fisherman was a well-received legendary card, topping several charts without breaking a sweat. Because of his overall power and unique mechanics with his hook and fish slap, Fisherman saw too much play. All good things come to an end. You'll still see him in Royal Hog decks, along with Valkyrie, but he hasn't recovered from his nerves yet.
Electro Wizard
The Electro Wizard is a solid card for dealing with small swarms thanks to Zap, which can target two mobs at once. If used on a single target, it deals twice as much damage. And on top of the damage, his forked stun can be a boon against a hell dragon. The strength of Electro Wizard is also its weakness, unfortunately. If a swarm is too big for it, it is easily defeated. Electro Wizard would be higher on this list without the fact that Electro Dragon often replaces it.
woodcutter
Played at the right time, Lumberjack might get you on your way. For starters, Lumberjack feels right at home in a wide range of decks. Part of its charm is in the mechanics involved: the raw damage, which is coupled with speed. Such a combination is ideal for grinding towers and tanks. And if he falls, he will drop a bottle of Rage, increasing the damage of nearby troops.
Sparky
When left untouched, Sparky can deal devastating damage every four seconds. However, any competent player will focus Sparky. And when it's concentrated, it's relatively easy to get rid of. To make matters worse, any type of electrical attack will cause it to short out and restart its explosion. In the right hands and played at the right time, Sparky can deal massive damage in small areas. But once deployed, you will need to go the extra mile to protect it.
Hell Dragon
Tanks can be problematic in Clash Royale, but Inferno Dragon has the cure. His Inferno Blast absolutely melts tanks and towers, if you deploy him close enough. Inferno Dragon can take multiple hits, but being harassed only prevents it from reaching its maximum potential, especially if that pest is an Electro-Wizard. Pair it with a baby dragon or a giant. And never summon Inferno Dragon too far from its target; otherwise, your opponent may distract him by circling the field.
Mega Knight
Mega Knight has always been a fan favorite, even after her nerves. He's not what he used to be, but he still sees a lot of play in the lower scales, especially against Elixir Golems and Wallbreakers, two dominant cards in the meta, which is why he's higher on the list. Mega Knight is all about dealing massive splash damage, but at the cost of very slow attack speed. Any high mobility, high damage unit can kite it, as long as they can avoid its jump or else they will have a morning star in their face.
Ice Assistant
Ice Wizard does abysmal damage, not even enough to kill a humble goblin. He's higher on this list for a different reason: Ice Wizard's support skills are excellent. On its own, Ice Wizard will drop quickly, but its ability to slow enemies makes it easier to clean up high damage troops. Why do the work when someone else will? Amazing combo use Tornado to muster the troops, then launch Ice Wizard on this group of enemies.
Bandit
Attack your bandit on units from a distance and watch them fall like flies. Bandit's strengths far outweigh his weaknesses, making him one of the best cards in Clash Royale. His Dash ability is already excellent, allowing him to quickly switch between targets. The best part, however, is his invulnerability when rushing. With such a combination, Bandit bypasses initial damage, then counteres with his own high damage output. Without it she's squishy, but will take a few more hits before she goes down.
Lava dog
Lava Hound's unique mechanics put her so high on our list. To benefit from Lava Hound's strengths, she needs flying assistance cards. When taken care of, her high hit points, but low damage, give her enough to clear buildings. Upon his death, however, Lava Hound splits into six tiny lava puppies. They don't have as big a health pool as the original Lava Hound, but their damage gets a huge boost, allowing the party to swarm and overwhelm your target with ease.
Night witch
It's amazing what a simple buff can do. In Night Witch's case, she and those pesky bats she spawned weren't much of a problem. Then she started hitting bats after she died. With a simple decision, Night Witch was propelled to stardom. His strength is similar to Lava Hound, able to swarm with units and towers. Dealing properly with Night Witch requires splash damage.
The newspaper
Simple, yet effective, the newspaper does what a newspaper does: it rolls, crushes and repels. The newspaper doubles as a defensive and offensive tool, depending on the situation. For defensive play, Log can bring down pesky ground units; offensive play requires regrouping ground units and letting the newspaper do its job.
Magic archer
Magic Archer's strength can only be observed when played well, due to the difficulty in using it. It is the definition of risk versus reward. To begin with, Magic Archer must be properly placed. Its positioning changes depending on your opponent. When used correctly, its long-range arrows not only travel far beyond its limit, but also pierce targets. Like the Ice Wizard, pairing him up with Tornado is a devastating combo, especially against Graveyard.
Graveyard
The graveyard excels at swarming targets. By creating an army of skeletons anywhere in the arena, Graveyard will freak your opponent into a counterattack. On his own, Graveyard can win games for you, but a well-placed lumberjack, night witch, or newspaper can quickly end your parade. For results, use Tornado to keep your opponent from swarming the graveyard, or a Giant to take aggro from turns.
Minor
If you want to play psychological warfare against your opponent, use Miner. As a mini-tank, Miner can take multiple hits and deal solid damage. There is nothing wrong with the house, but it remains unchallenged, and Miner will destroy any unit or building with ease. Why is he number one? Due to his strange ability to appear anywhere in the arena. Of course, Graveyard can do that too, but costs more to cast and easily countered with a fireball at the right time.