Fantasy heroes are often remembered for their cool looks or the stories they are a part of, but how powerful they are is what continues to surprise people no matter the era. From warriors to wizards, there’s something incredible about what fantasy stories can provide.
It’s never been effectively compared in terms of power how some of fantasy’s greatest names would fare against one another, but it’s a conversation worth exploring. Whether it be Conan or Thor, there are many strong heroes in fantasy, and some are surprisingly more powerful than anyone would suspect.
Conan the Barbarian is the Strongest Example of a Human
Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian introduces the titular character and his warrior roots by establishing just how strong he is early on. The Arnold Schwarzenegger films have seen him take on other warriors and beasts with his fists and with his blades.
Conan isn’t a superhuman, but his strength very nearly reaches those levels, and his feats back this up well. Of course, there are other characters in fantasy that are stronger than him, but that doesn’t make Conan a weakling by comparison. He’s a powerful threat that deserves the respect he gets.
Aragorn Has Defeated Superhumans and Fought in Wars Against Hundreds
The Lord of the Rings‘ Aragorn has spent much of his life as a warrior, a ranger, a soldier and a king. He’s immensely skilled in his combat prowess and has decades of experience under his belt as well. He may not have superhuman strength, but his combat abilities have been proven against super-strong enemies like Uruk-hai.
Aragorn may be a normal man with the blood of the Dunedain, but his feats prove that there’s so much more to him. It takes a lot to earn the title of king, and Aragorn proves that time and again with sword skills and battle awareness no one else has.
Harry Potter is Resourceful with His Magic and Adapts Quickly
Harry Potter may be a young wizard, but his skills by the time he was 17 were nothing to laugh at. As a child, he learned a lot of magic, fought giant snakes, and ultimately fought Voldemort to a victory. Granted, he had many assists from objects and allies in that time, but it was still him casting spells and fighting Death Eaters.
Harry Potter has a lot to offer in terms of latent potential that has proven itself time and again and made him a threat to more than a few witches and wizards. He may not have super strength, but he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve to get by.
Percy Jackson’s Power is Immense
Percy Jackson is young, but being the son of Poseidon grants him certain advantages he has yet to fully understand or control. Percy can control water, manipulate the weather, and talk to animals, among many other amazing abilities, and that’s just at the base level.
Percy Jackson has only had to learn how to fight and survive, but even his battle instincts are natural to him and prove that, when he’s ready, he could be the most dangerous fighter in fantasy. If not, he could still stand as one of the greats and complete many amazing feats in that time.
Hercules is a Superhero in His Own Right
Like Percy Jackson, Hercules, the son of a god, has feats tied to his strength as the son of Zeus. The Disney version of Hercules has managed to tease most of his 12 labors and also showcase just how incredible his strength is, from fighting a Hydra to crossing the River Styx.
Hercules may not be a literal superhero, but he may as well be one with how much he’s accomplished, and that’s without being a full-blooded god. In fantasy, there are few heroes that stand the test of time, but Hercules has lasted centuries, and his strength alone has helped with that.
He-Man is the Most Powerful Man in the Universe
Gifted with strength from a sword that channels the power of Greyskull, Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, a warrior of Eternia who uses his immeasurable strength to stop Skeletor and his forces. He-Man is a creation of the ’80s that has endured for decades and only just recently got a new live-action film.
He-Manis strong, fast, and smart, and he uses all of those skills alongside his iconic sword to protect those he loves. It’s been stated before that, at the very least, He-Man could beat even Superman in a fight and proves just how impressive he is as a fantasy character.
Doctor Strange Has Centuries of Magical Knowledge in His Mind
Stephen Strange was a famous surgeon until an accident cost him the use of his hands, and from there he left his ego at the door and instead learned the mystic arts. Now, Strange has hundreds of books of magical knowledge under his belt and was even in the running to be Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange has gone toe-to-toe against Thanos, who was using the Infinity Stones, and survived, and has even faced the dread Dormammu and won. There’s no real limit to what Strange can do, and it’s what makes him such a powerful and unique character.
Gandalf the White is a Magical Angel with One Mission
The Lord of the Rings‘ Gandalf may look like an old and unsuspecting wizard, but he’s one of the few beings of Middle-earth with a connection to its creator, and his magical prowess is virtually unmatched. An angel in that world. Gandalf was sent to the planet to save it from the Dark Lords, and that made him someone who couldn’t die because he had so much riding on his mission.
Gandalf’s powers are hard to quantify, but he’s been known to cleanse darkness and face down supernatural forces like the Balrog. He has even elevated his status to Gandalf the White, which made him the strongest magical being after Saruman chose to work with Sauron.
Thor Has the Power of His Father on His Side
Thor Odinson is famous for being the God of Thunder, which is synonymous with power, and it’s often channeled through a hammer like Mjolnir or an axe like Stormbreaker. On top of being strong enough to take on the Hulk, Thor has since elevated his strength since his father, Odin, died.
Now that Thor has truly understood his abilities and can channel lightning without a hammer or axe, it adds a new level of power for Thor to reach that still hasn’t been met. It’s not about what Thor can do so much as it is what he hasn’t done and how that makes him a character who could get even stronger than what’s been shown.
The Monkey King / Sun Wukong is Fantasy’s Greatest Hero
Sun Wukong, aka The Monkey King, was a creation introduced in the novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en and is often considered the most powerful character in fiction. From immense strength to near immortality, there’s nothing that Sun Wukong can’t do, and it’s a blessing that he’s a hero and not a villain.
Along with his latent abilities, Sun Wukong also wields a size-changing staff that weighs 16 million pounds and can move at supersonic speeds. To list his other abilities would take too much time, but even his base-level strength proves just how incredible he is, and that’s without saying he’s also inspired characters like Goku.