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 88: Arthur (Western Legend / Arthurian Legend)
Overview
Arthur is a legendary king of Britain (present-day England) who may have been a real historical figure.
He is also well known for the legend of drawing a sword from a stone to become king (the Sword in the Stone), and for leading a band of heroes called the “Knights of the Round Table” — tales that remain enormously popular to this day.
However, his legends are said to have been heavily embellished by later generations, and many elements drawn from Norse mythology were incorporated as well, which is why he has come to be passed down as a legend — occupying a middle ground between history and mythology.
King Arthur has relatively few legends showcasing his personal valor. In terms of pure knightly combat, he is often considered inferior to Lancelot, the greatest of the Round Table knights.
Even so, there are stories that establish Arthur himself as possessing superhuman strength: he single-handedly slew the giant of Mont Saint-Michel, whom even armies could not defeat; and in the Battle of Badon Hill against the Saxons, there is a legend that he personally killed 960 men — making it clear that he was without question a first-rate warrior.
The “Holy Sword Excalibur” — famous in its own right, perhaps more so than Arthur himself — is a magical sword given to him by the Lady of the Lake. It never breaks, never loses its edge, shines like a thousand torches gathered together, and is said to cleave through anything.
Even more powerful than Excalibur is its scabbard, which renders whoever carries it “immortal.” In other words, whoever possesses both the holy sword and its scabbard becomes an invincible being.
Indeed, at the final battle known as the “Battle of Camlann,” the scabbard had been lost (reportedly stolen by an enemy), and Arthur fought with the spear Rhongomyniad instead — sustaining a fatal wound and later dying.
Why This Ranking
King Arthur is one of the most famous heroes in existence, but without his equipment his raw combat power is only at an ordinary hero level.
However, since this ranking evaluates characters at their peak, when King Arthur is assessed in a state where both the holy sword and its scabbard are fully available, he ranks among the very top of heroes.
The reason: Excalibur and the scabbard’s combined effects are extremely powerful, and even against superior opponents, using the brute force combination of maximum attack power and immortality gives a high likelihood of winning.
Even Lancelot, the strongest of the Round Table knights, would likely struggle to defeat King Arthur when the sword and scabbard are both present — technically Lancelot might outclass him, but ultimately the immortal Arthur would cut him down.
That said, the extent of the scabbard’s immortality is ambiguous, and since many beings in other mythologies are also considered immortal, it is likely a lower grade of immortality than theirs. Moreover, even immortality can be overcome through restraint or sealing by an overwhelmingly superior opponent. For these reasons, I believe his chances against war-god-tier opponents are slim.
Taking all of this into account, I evaluated him at this position in the ranking.
