Mythology & Religion Power Ranking TOP100
This article introduces Rank 93: Enkidu 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 93: Enkidu (Mesopotamian Mythology / Sumerian Mythology)
Overview
Enkidu is one of the defining heroes of Mesopotamian mythology and is famous as the inseparable best friend of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk.
He was originally created by the gods — formed from clay — as a being of equal power to Gilgamesh, sent to check the tyrannical king.
When he first met Gilgamesh, they fought fiercely but neither could gain the upper hand, and as a result the two recognized each other as best friends.
Afterwards, he and Gilgamesh fought and defeated supernatural beings far beyond the reach of ordinary humans — the monster Humbaba and the divine beast Gugalanna.
However, as punishment for killing the divine beast Gugalanna and for their irreverent behavior toward the gods during that battle, Enkidu was cursed by the gods and died in agony.
This gave rise to the legend that “whoever kills Gugalanna must pay with their life.”
Why This Ranking
Enkidu was created directly by the gods, though he himself is human. When he and Gilgamesh first fought, they were completely evenly matched.
Gilgamesh and Gugalanna will also appear in the ranking later, but since both of them possess high specs, Enkidu’s evaluation naturally rises to a comparable level.
In particular, Gugalanna was a mighty monster that could cause earthquakes and chasms simply by walking — yet Enkidu seized it by the horns and held it still while Gilgamesh struck the killing blow. This confirms that Enkidu’s physical strength transcends the human realm.
For these reasons, I placed him 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) (8/100)
