Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100
This article introduces Rank 21: Apep (Apophis) from the “Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100”, which ranks the gods, monsters, and heroes of world mythology, religion, and legend in order of strength.
If you want to see the full TOP100 list and the criteria behind the rankings, check out the overview article below.
Rank 21: Apep (Egyptian Mythology)
Overview
Apep is a massive serpentine monster that embodies chaos and destruction in Egyptian mythology. Often called “Apophis,” Apep is said to attack the solar barque of the sun god Ra every night as he traverses the sky.
Apep wields a powerful force of darkness and chaos, capable of plunging the entire world into shadow. If Apep were to achieve a complete victory over Ra, it was believed the world would sink into eternal darkness and perish.
Every night, Apep battles Ra and the gods who guard his barque — led by Set — in a conflict that symbolizes the eternal struggle between darkness and light (the sun and the night) in Egyptian mythology.
Even if Apep is defeated, it revives when the next night comes. Ra cannot permanently destroy it, yet it is precisely through this daily battle that the cycle of day and night continues.
Ranking Reason
While detailed descriptions of Apep’s power are scarce, the fact that even Ra — the most powerful being in Egyptian mythology — cannot permanently destroy it speaks to its extraordinary level of immortality.
More accurately, Apep seems to be a being for whom “complete death does not exist,” and assuming a prolonged battle, it appears capable of outlasting and ultimately destroying any opponent.
On the other hand, it is frequently repelled by Set, which suggests that its raw combat power is not especially high in absolute terms. However, there is a lore account saying that the mere sight of Apep caused the bodies of other gods to freeze in fear, which implies that Set is simply exceptionally powerful — and that most other gods would struggle to fight Apep at all.
All of this suggests that Apep is a being with the power to easily destroy the world, and I placed it at this position in the ranking accordingly.
About the Book
I wrote a book that compiles this entire ranking! The reasoning behind each placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a fairly convincing read.
The book also contains many columns and extras not published on this blog, so if you are interested, please check it out below.
📚 Series: Mythology Power Ranking (Individual Characters) (80/100)
