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 86: Achilles (Greek Mythology)
Overview
Achilles is widely known as the fastest hero in all of Greek mythology and is ranked as a great hero on par with Hercules himself. He played a decisive role in the Trojan War, single-handedly turning the tide of battle.
The story of how his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx to make him invulnerable — but his heel, which she held him by, didn’t touch the water, leaving it as his one weak point (the Achilles tendon) — is one of the most famous myths of all time.
Achilles’ combat ability was outstanding even by the standards of Greek mythology. In the greatest war the myths record — the Trojan War — he was essentially invincible. When he fought in earnest, he single-handedly slaughtered the enemy forces (the Trojans) so completely that the Scamander river became blocked with their bodies.
The Trojan War was not merely a human conflict — the gods themselves actively intervened on both sides, and heroes empowered by divine favor raged across the battlefield.
Within that conflict, Achilles continued to defeat one-sidedly even the most powerful heroes on the enemy side (Hector, Penthesilea, etc.).
Hector and others were said to be on par in strength with Diomedes under Athena’s blessing, and the fact that Achilles overwhelmed even them underscores how remarkable his strength was.
However, Achilles met his end during the Trojan War when the Trojan prince Paris shot an arrow into his heel — his vital weak point. Though he continued fighting even after that, the wound ultimately proved fatal.
Paris’ arrow was guided by Apollo’s blessing, which allowed it to strike Achilles’ weak point with precision.
Conversely, this means Apollo could have dealt with Achilles easily, which also illustrates that no matter how godlike Achilles was among humans, he was clearly inferior to actual gods.
Why This Ranking
While Achilles has no episodes of directly defeating gods, his battlefield exploits, combat power, and near-immortal durability make it almost certain he surpasses Diomedes.
His equipment also includes the spear that the divine Chiron used, and armor and a shield crafted by Hephaestus — bringing him to a level comparable to war gods.
At the same time, he has a clear weak point (the Achilles tendon), and compared to the likes of Apollo he is unquestionably a step below. He boasts the highest power among heroes, yet he hasn’t quite escaped the hero tier. For these reasons, I placed him at this position.
