Mythology, Religion & Legend — Power Ranking TOP 100
I wrote a book ranking the most powerful gods, monsters, and heroes from world mythology, religion, and legend! The ranking is heavily influenced by my own perspective, but every placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a satisfying read.
In this post, I’d like to introduce some of the characters featured in the ranking. There are many more beyond the ones mentioned here, so if you’re interested in mythology, religion, or legend, I think you’ll enjoy it!
Rank 67: Apollo (Greek Mythology)
Overview
Apollo is one of the twelve Olympian gods of Greek mythology, governing a vast range of domains: light (the sun), arts, prophecy, medicine, archery, music, poetry, the protection of livestock, plague, and more.
He is also famous as the twin brother of the moon goddess Artemis. Looking at his domains, one might not expect him to be a skilled fighter, but he is in fact a formidable combatant — as evidenced by his many slayings of monsters and giants through his mastery of archery.
The exact name of his bow is not given in the myths (it is commonly called “the bow of Apollo”), but his golden arrows, imbued with plague, can bring a painless death to any male target they strike.
Notable episodes demonstrating Apollo’s power include slaying the monster Python (or Pytho) shortly after his birth, and in the Gigantomachy (the war against the Giants), joining Hercules to defeat the giant Ephialtes (or Ephialtes).
There are no episodes where Apollo was clearly defeated, but when a dispute arose with Hercules and Zeus had to intervene, it suggests that Apollo would likely have been at a disadvantage if he had fought Hercules seriously.
Evidence of this: Hercules obtained the oracular rights that were at the heart of the dispute (meaning Apollo’s side conceded).
Apollo also fought the human hero Diomedes at one point, but he blocked all of Diomedes’ attacks without difficulty — showing that hero-level opponents simply cannot compete with him.
Why This Ranking
Apollo is a god who fights primarily from a distance with his bow, and while he shows little prowess in close combat, he is very much a war deity who has slain many enemies by arrow.
While not a clear-cut defeat, the episode with Hercules suggests they are at roughly comparable levels of strength.
Beyond that, he deflected all of Diomedes’ attacks — the same Diomedes who had even wounded Ares — and with nothing more than his blessing to Paris (a prince not particularly renowned for military valor) he was able to bring down Achilles, the finest warrior in human history. These feats literally put him in a different class from any hero.
Taking all of this into account, I placed him at this position in the ranking.
