Top 10 Most Dominant Predators

Predators are hunting animals that attack smaller creatures for meat and make up the top of the food chain. They are extremely powerful and should not be underestimated.

However, most predators need to compete with other predators for meat and prey. Normally, there is a balance between them, with losses and gains for both animals.

That said, some predators completely dominate their territory. They destroy all competition and get what they want for various reasons. Apex predator is the term used to describe those at the top of the food chain. However, there can be more than one extremely dominant predator in a given area, which is why I chose not to include that term in the title.

The Top Ten

Humans

Humans (Homo sapiens) are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by habitual bipedalism and comparatively large, complex brains. These traits have enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, and language. Humans are highly social and live in complex structures, ranging... read more

Humans, of course, are the ultimate predator. Nothing rivals us because we completely dominate. We have killed practically every other organism on Earth, mainly for food but sometimes just to show that we can. I bet humans have killed every single other animal on here for food before.
Humans are one of the most populous animals in the world, and they dominate almost everywhere. They kill and eat so effectively that we're barely conscious of it. Most predators hunt for themselves, but humans are so powerful and capable that only a tiny percentage of the population needs to hunt. A larger but still small percentage processes the food and makes it tasty - a process other animals aren't advanced enough to do yet.
The rest can do other jobs, like continuing to spread over the entire world. It's awesome that we're so capable. Humans are obviously number one, and it's not close. If they were ranked anywhere lower, the list would be inaccurate.
Killer Whale

The Orca, or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca), is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, and is its largest member. Recognizable by its distinctive black-and-white coloring, the Orca is a cosmopolitan species found in all oceans, from polar to tropical regions.... read more

Killer Whales, sometimes also known as Orcas, are arguably the most dominant predator in the entire world, excluding humans. Orcas are THE apex predator, the number one sea creature. They are at the top of the food chain, and other than humans, who don't hunt them for any reason other than to show that they can, no animals prey on them.
Killer Whales eat sharks, squid, octopi, sea turtles, rays, sea birds, and most other fish. If a Killer Whale and a Great White Shark got into a fight, the Killer Whale would almost definitely win. The only reason I didn't put this in second or first is because Killer Whales have some rival predators that could bring them down in the sea, and there are a lot of dangerous creatures down there that it has to compete with.
Still, don't go away from this thinking they aren't the perfect predator - they certainly are by all means.
Lion

The lion (Panthera leo) is a large cat in the genus Panthera, native to sub-Saharan Africa and a single isolated population in western India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body, a short rounded head, round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. Adult males are larger than females and have... read more

Lions are well known to be extremely scary and powerful creatures, partly because of The Lion King, where they dominate the animal world in Africa. This isn't far from true.
In the savanna, the other animals (except for things like elephants and rhinos, which are too big and sturdy to be attacked by lions very often) probably spend most of their time hoping lions don't come and eat them. It's the same with hyenas and cheetahs, but mainly lions.
Lion manes are actually not only a way of determining males and females or for beauty, but they also serve as extra protection. Most other predators go for the neck, but the manes protect their necks. It would be like trying to eat a pillow with marshmallows for teeth for the opposing animal. Such awesome predators.
Golden Eagle

When carnivores and strong predators come to mind, you probably don't think of Golden Eagles. They are pretty huge but not that big, and they're fierce but not really powerful. Well, they're higher than any other animal on the list excluding humans for a reason: they completely and utterly dominate the sky.
Golden Eagles are amazing creatures. They scour the sky, higher than almost any other animal, with impeccable speed and an amazingly keen sense. They can see practically anything with their incredible eyesight, and they're so fast nobody sees them coming. They are pretty much the ultimate sky predator.
There's a reason Eagles are associated with kings and gods: they're crazy fast, powerful, and they come from the sky gloriously before preying on anything they wish. Once, at my school playground, I saw a couple of small birds just bobbing around, not really doing much. Suddenly, an eagle came out of the sky and, quick as a flash, descended on one of them and flew back up with it in its talons. What an amazing creature.
They dominate the sky with practically no contest, and not even humans can do much to them. They're too quick, intelligent, and perceptive.
Polar Bear

The polar bear is a carnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas, and surrounding land masses. It is the largest land carnivore and is well adapted to life on sea ice. Polar bears primarily hunt seals and are classified... read more

Polar Bears also earn a very high spot in terms of dominance. While it has been clearly stated that Grizzly Bears are better in a fight because of their superior strength and teeth/claw size, as well as fierceness, they have tons of other potential apex predators and enemies where they live.
Polar Bears can mainly just lounge around all day with no enemy creatures to contend with, occasionally diving into the ocean to get a nice juicy seal. They have no threats in the north other than the impending extinction that may happen due to the Arctic melting. (Stop your greenhouse gas emissions, please!)
Polar Bears are basically the lion equivalents of the north. Lions dominate the south, Polar Bears the north, Eagles the sky, Orcas the oceans, and humans dominate almost everywhere else, other than exotic areas like the Amazon Rainforest where Caiman reign.
Black Caiman

Okay, you probably don't even know what a black caiman is. Heck, you probably don't even know what a caiman is as a species! Let me tell you. There are four animals in the Alligatoridae family (I think that's what it's called): the Alligator, Crocodile, Caiman, and Gharial.
The Black Caiman is a very special member of the Alligatoridae family. You know the Amazon? Not the company, or the Greek movement, or the river, but the rainforest - the biggest land ecosystem and tropical forest in the world? Out of all the animals there, and there are millions upon millions of them, the Black Caiman dominates at the top of the food chain of the place with the biggest food chain on Earth.
Jaguars, as well as some snakes and piranhas, can make a feeble argument, but these are top class. Congrats to them.
Tiger

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is immediately recognisable by its dark vertical stripes on orange fur and white underside. An apex predator, it primarily hunts ungulates such as deer and wild boar. It is generally solitary and territorial... read more

Tigers are quite the awesome creature. They are actually the more powerful of the big cats, despite the popular belief that lions would win in a fight. (Obviously, it depends on the specific lion and tiger as well as the surroundings and many other factors.) However, they aren't really as dominant, and I'll tell you why.
First, I have to say that tigers are still amazing predators, which is why they're on the list. Tigers have many other powerful animals in the jungles where they live, like in Siberia, that they have to fight. Lions, on the other hand, aren't contended like that. Tigers have a much harder territory to dominate.
Lions have the clear savanna, where there's nothing to do but keep running because you can't hide. Tigers have to dart around trees and avoid all the lush greenery, and they aren't the smallest creatures either.
Saltwater Crocodile

The saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, or informally as a saltie, is the largest living reptile. It is also one of the world's largest living predators. Adult males can exceed 20 feet in length and weigh more than 2,200... read more

The Saltwater Crocodile is an enormous and powerful creature. It silently slides through the water before lunging out of the surface and dragging enormous prey under the water to eat it.
They don't really have any rivalries because they're so strong, powerful, and durable that nothing can stand up to them. They are actually extremely fast both on land and in the water. They don't mess around and get straight to business instead of relishing the kill like some animals do, which makes saltwater crocodiles quick and efficient.
There are much better predators out there, but saltwater crocodiles are basically unrivaled elsewhere.
Snow Leopard

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus Panthera native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected... read more

Snow leopards aren't exactly a model apex predator. They aren't extremely big or powerful, and they're small compared to other big cats like jaguars, lions, and tigers. They don't have huge, powerful jaws or anything like that.
However, they are extremely dominant in their territory. There are few to no other predators and barely any carnivores in their area. They can basically do whatever they want whenever they want because nobody is able to fight against them where they reign.
They're quite the surprising dark horse, actually. Snow leopards are pretty cool, almost as cool as sloths. (Stress on the word 'almost.')
Cheetah

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds between 80 and 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph), with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h (58 and 61 mph). The cheetah has adaptations for speed, including... read more

The Newcomers

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Reticulated Python
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White-Tailed Eagle

The Contenders

Dragonfly

Yeah, this probably doesn't seem like quite the dominant predator to you. Same with me! But in reality, dragonflies are the apex and dominant predator of the bug world. They have a literal 95% success rate, which means that out of every 100 prey they go after, 95 of them are caught and eaten. In comparison, tigers only have a 20% success rate. Can you see the huge difference?
Dragonflies are amazing in the way they take down other bugs, not stopping to mess around at all. I've seen dragonflies a lot at my grandparents' lake, and they don't seem too impressive, though they definitely earn merits for being extremely annoying. But no! They're amazing!
Grey Wolf

The wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the gray or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. Over 30 subspecies of Canis lupus are currently recognized. Gray wolves represent the wild subspecies. As the largest extant member of the Canidae family, the wolf is distinguishable from... read more
Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear, less commonly called the silvertip bear, is a North American subspecies of the brown bear. It is found in parts of the United States and Canada, particularly Alaska and the Rocky Mountains. Grizzlies are known for their large size and distinctive shoulder hump.... read more
Anglerfish

So scary. They use their light bulbs on their antennae to attract other fish to eat.
Great White Shark

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is notable for its size, with larger female individuals growing up to 6.1 m (20 ft... read more

Despite what I said earlier about killer whales dominating the sea, great white sharks have a lot to wear on their sleeves. They dominate as the most powerful fish.

What a cool fish. A big one too! What an apex predator. They've got huge teeth. Yikes! Don't make him angry!
Jaguar

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus Panthera that is native to the Americas. It is the largest cat in the Americas and the third largest cat species in the world, behind only tigers and lions.... read more
King Cobra

The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a large elapid snake found primarily in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. It is the longest venomous snake in the world, with adults capable of growing up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length. Although very long, it is relatively slender for its size, typically... read more
Centipede

Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are mainly carnivorous and prey upon insects, spiders, small birds, rodents, and even other centipedes. Centipedes are found in a wide range of environments, from tropical rainforests to deserts.

These bugs are one of the most dominant species in the arthropod world. The largest ones, like the one in the picture, can take on spiders, scorpions, frogs, rodents, and even snakes.
Sarcastic Fringehead
Anaconda

Anacondas are a group of large snakes of the genus Eunectes. They are found in tropical South America and are known for their size and aquatic habitat. The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the heaviest and one of the longest snakes in the world.... read more
Asian Giant Hornets
Sperm Whale
Wolverine

The wolverine, Gulo gulo, also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species in the family Mustelidae. It inhabits remote boreal forests and tundra across the Northern Hemisphere. Wolverines are known for their strength, endurance, and ability to... read more
Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial native to the Australian island of Tasmania. It has a stocky body, black fur, and powerful jaws capable of crushing bones and cartilage. Tasmanian devils are known for their aggressive feeding behavior and loud vocalizations, including screeches and growls... read more
American Alligator