Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100
This article introduces Rank 29: Jormungandr 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 29: Jormungandr (Norse Mythology)
Overview
In Norse mythology, the world is said to consist of nine realms, and the realm where humans dwell is called “Midgard.”
Jormungandr is an enormous serpent monster known as the World Serpent, said to encircle the outer sea of Midgard in a single coil.
From this legend, it is also often called the “Midgard Serpent” (Miðgarðsormr). It possesses an extraordinary size and strength that would allow it to squeeze the entire world in its coils if it wished, and it caused tremendous havoc in the final battle of Norse mythology (Ragnarök).
In the end, it fought an intense battle with Thor, the mightiest war god of Norse mythology, and was killed after being struck three times by Mjolnir.
However, Jormungandr possessed lethal venom, and Thor, having been exposed to that poison during the battle, died shortly afterward — making this iconic Norse battle end in a mutual kill.
Reason for This Ranking
It’s a creature where you could almost say “It’s HUGE, no further explanation needed!!” — something that can squeeze the entire world in its coils simply cannot be weak.
While it resembles enormous serpent monsters like Yamata no Orochi from Japanese mythology and the Hydra from Greek mythology, the scale is incomparably different. Though there is much uncertainty about the exact size of the world in the myths, based on Earth’s proportions, Jormungandr is estimated to be at minimum several thousand kilometers long (possibly even tens of thousands), which means that without the gods stepping in to defend the world, Jormungandr alone could easily destroy it.
Furthermore, since it killed Thor, the mightiest war god of Norse mythology, its venom must be potent enough to kill any god. And while no other enemy has ever survived a single blow from Mjolnir, Jormungandr was struck three times — demonstrating a toughness that is among the greatest in all mythology.
An almost incomprehensible size, devastating venom, supreme toughness — considering these factors, it’s clear that Jormungandr stands head and shoulders above others in the destruction-god tier, which is why I placed it at this position in the ranking.
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) (72/100)
