The Soldier is a crazed, jingoistic patriot from America's heartland. Tough and well-armed, he is versatile, capable of both offense and defense, and a great starter class to get familiar with the game.

The Soldier is well known for his spectacular rocket jump. In defiance of all good sense and judgment, the Soldier can detonate a rocket at his feet and launch himself skyward at the cost of some health (which can be reduced by the Gunboats, or negated altogether by the Rocket Jumper). This ability allows the Soldier to appear from unexpected places and reach areas off-limits even to the Scout's double jump and Hype jumps.

Well-balanced and possessing both survivability and mobility, the Soldier is considered one of the most flexible classes in Team Fortress 2. Despite his low ground movement speed, he is capable of using rocket jumps to reach his destination quickly. His large health pool is second only to that of the Heavy, and his wide array of armaments and weaponry allow him to bring whatever weapon or equipment is best suited to the situation at hand.