How to counter Popol and Kupa
4 hard counters, 5 soft · 3 counter-items · full Popol and Kupa guide
What Popol and Kupa is bad at
- Falls off in the late game compared to hyper-scaling Marksmen who out-damage them by minute 15
- Losing Kupa mid-fight (before Popol can pray it back) removes half the kit's damage and CC
- No mobility skill at all — Kupa, Help! recalls the wolf, not Popol, so a committed engage leaves him standing where he threw the spear
- Bite 'em, Kupa! only stuns while We Are Angry! has Kupa in Alpha Wolf Form; outside that window the pair has no lockdown whatsoever
Every counter below works by pressing one of these.
Hard counters to Popol and Kupa
Pick one of these and the matchup is decided before the fight starts.
AtlasTankHardAtlas's ultimate yanks Popol out of position the instant he commits to Bite 'em, Kupa!, stranding him away from Kupa's shield range.
CarmillaSupport · TankHardCurse of Blood immobilizes Popol and links him to whoever is caught with him, so every hit on one lands on both before Kupa, Help!'s shield can save him.
BaratsTank · FighterHardDetona's Welcome devours Popol and suppresses him for 1.2 seconds, stranding him away from Kupa while Big Guy's stacking Hybrid Defense shrugs off the pair's burst.
TerizlaFighter · TankHardPenalty Zone knocks Popol up and its Scaffold hooks him back in three more times, and Body of Smith's damage reduction climbs as Terizla takes the pair's burst.
Soft counters
Favourable, but Popol and Kupa can still play around them.
HanabiMarksmanSoftNinjutsu: Equinox's shield makes Hanabi control-immune, so Bite 'em, Kupa!'s stun does nothing, and Higanbana immobilizes Popol for the follow-up kill before Kupa can re-engage.
Luo YiMageSoftRotation's Yin-Yang zones slow Popol by 60% and keep ticking, and Dispersion bursts him from well outside the range Bite 'em, Kupa! needs.
Lapu-LapuFighterSoftBravest Fighter leaps onto Popol and slows him 60%, and Storm Sword's damage reduction lets Lapu-Lapu simply stand in the pair's burst, punishing their low mobility.
SunFighterSoftSun's clones distract and soak the pair's single-target burst, letting the real Sun close in and duel once cooldowns are spent.
AliceTank · MageSoftBlood Banquet heals Alice off every tick of her own AoE and Throne of Ruin immobilizes through the pair's peel, forcing an extended fight their burst-reliant kit isn't built to survive.
Items to build against Popol and Kupa
You cannot always change your pick. You can always change your fourth slot.
Dominance Ice40 Physical Defense blunts the burst window We Are Angry! is meant to create, and Lifebane cuts Kupa's Max-HP regeneration while it is on you.
Blade ArmorReflects damage off the repeated Basic Attacks We Are Friends' enhanced hit and We Are Angry! both rely on.
Tough BootsCuts the stun duration on Bite 'em, Kupa!, letting a target escape before the combo finishes.
Do not pick these into Popol and Kupa
Heroes whose own counter list names Popol and Kupa — these matchups go the other way. A red dot marks a hard counter.
Why Popol and Kupa works
Common questions
Who counters Popol and Kupa in Mobile Legends?
Hanabi, Atlas, Carmilla, Luo Yi, Lapu-Lapu all beat Popol and Kupa. Atlas is the hardest counter: Atlas's ultimate yanks Popol out of position the instant he commits to Bite 'em, Kupa!, stranding him away from Kupa's shield range.
What items should I build against Popol and Kupa?
Dominance Ice: 40 Physical Defense blunts the burst window We Are Angry! is meant to create, and Lifebane cuts Kupa's Max-HP regeneration while it is on you. Blade Armor: Reflects damage off the repeated Basic Attacks We Are Friends' enhanced hit and We Are Angry! both rely on. Tough Boots: Cuts the stun duration on Bite 'em, Kupa!, letting a target escape before the combo finishes.
What is Popol and Kupa's biggest weakness?
Falls off in the late game compared to hyper-scaling Marksmen who out-damage them by minute 15