Top 10 Most Powerful Video Game Characters

Alright guys, this list is based on how much each character has endured and survived, as well as their strengths and who would win in a 1v1 combat.

The Top Ten

Kirby (Kirby)

Kirby is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kirby series of video games, owned by Nintendo and developed by HAL Laboratory. His first appearance was in Kirby's Dream Land, released in 1992 for the Game Boy. The pink, spherical hero is known for his ability to inhale enemies and copy their... read more

It is stated that he has infinite power in the game. He is among the few characters who have never died, even in a game over. He can inhale and delete from existence anything he wants before copying that thing.
He has defeated dozens of gods, multiple god slayers, killed death itself three times, and even deceives others with his small size. He has defeated and destroyed the already undead souls of past enemies and has saved the entire multiverse on too many occasions to count.
You cannot defeat Kirby. He can destroy anything he wants just for his sweet strawberry shortcake. No one can stop him.

Kirby has many unique abilities, actually over 100. He can fly multiple times the speed of light in space on his Warp Star without any air to breathe. Hypernova is a veritable black hole and can devour worlds. Kirby has destroyed many bosses that were at planet-busting levels to universe-busting levels, like Magolor. He also has Ultra Sword, Flame Monster, Flare Beam, Snow Bowl, and Grand Hammer as his super abilities. Microphone Kirby can literally explode enemies just with his singing.
Super Smash Bros. is not that accurate. The developers had to adjust the characters' sizes and fix the amount of power they have. If the characters from Smash were in Kirby's games, they would just be sent to his stomach's pocket universe. Also, if they let Kirby destroy everyone he eats in Smash, Kirby would just win all the time.
Kratos (God of War)

Kratos is a fictional character and the main protagonist and anti-hero of the God of War video game series. He is a demi-god who seeks vengeance on Ares and later the Olympian gods after being deceived into killing his own family. In later entries of the series, Kratos enters the realm of Norse mythology... read more

This guy has the power of hope. Kirby or Asura, both will die if they touch the Flame of Olympus. No one can touch it. But the flame's power pales in front of the power in its core, which is the evil powers of Pandora's box. The box, however, harbors another power, the power of hope, which makes its owner invincible. And no matter if a whole sun is thrown at him, he won't get harmed, as gods are much more powerful than stars, and the power of hope is even stronger than the power which can kill gods.
The only way to kill Kratos at that time is if he kills himself.

So, Kirby is above Kratos? Kratos killed at least a dozen gods and titans, who, let me remind you, are the most powerful in the universe, and crawled out of hell not once, not twice, but three times, and bashed Hades' head in. If Kratos got "sucked up" by Kirby, he would literally rip his way out of him, then laugh and murder his family too.
Dante (Devil May Cry)

Dante is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Capcom's Devil May Cry series. He is a demon hunter with supernatural powers who uses a combination of firearms and a sword in combat. Dante first appeared in the original Devil May Cry game released in 2001 and has since appeared in numerous... read more

I've never played a Devil May Cry game, but what I do know is that Dante is our boy. This man has survived stabbings and being impaled almost every day, but shrugs them off like they were nothing but bug bites. His versatility is through the roof with countless weapons (heck, one of his weapons can turn into 666 different other weapons) and his 4 "styles." He goes against Vergil, whose speed is almost godlike. And with Devil May Cry 5, his Sin Devil mode could absolutely destroy anyone who gets in the way.
I could go on and on, but my point is that Kratos doesn't hold a candle to Dante.

Dante should be higher than Kratos. The only reason people actually see Kratos as higher than Dante is because he kills his foes more brutally. Dante is about style. He rarely uses his true power against any foe because he doesn't see it as necessary.
Also, he can master every weapon in a matter of seconds and has the best accuracy and precision you'll ever see. He can fly in his Devil Trigger and survive just about anything. If he fights Kratos, Kratos would probably make Dante mad very fast, and then Dante would mess him up.
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)

Sephiroth is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII developed by Square. He is a former SOLDIER operative who becomes mentally unstable and seeks to destroy the world. Sephiroth is considered one of the most iconic villains in video game history... read more

Sephiroth did too much for me to explain, but I can tell you he is the main cause of the saddest video game death in history. He was the most villainous villain other than Makarov.
Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series released by Sega. He is an artificially created black and red hedgehog with hover shoes that enable him to move at extreme speeds, rivaling those of Sonic.... read more

Shadow is easily god-level to me. This dude can teleport instantaneously, with no apparent starting lag or cooldown, and without any Chaos Emeralds! He could quite literally go anywhere in the multiverse. He can also stop time, time travel, and run faster than the speed of light!
He is both very physically strong and has good projectile attacks. Also, his Chaos Blast is insanely powerful. Shadow is also immune to dying of natural causes, so the only way someone could defeat him is in combat, which is very unlikely.
What really makes Shadow so powerful, as I mentioned above, is his instant teleportation and time-manipulation capabilities. Combined with his strength and immunity to natural death, he is almost, if not truly, god-like.
He's called the ultimate life form for a reason, after all.
Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

Son Goku (Saiyan name Kakarrot) is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. He possesses many powerful abilities, including super strength, ki control, flight, teleportation, super speed, enhanced reflexes, and Super Saiyan transformations that increase his... read more

Goku managed to absorb the power of a Saiyan god, meaning that he could possibly reach that level again and hold it for as long as needed. He also tied against a God of Destruction, all because he didn't want to go to full power and just wanted to have fun with it. If he had trained and taken it seriously, he would have won.
He has almost limitless power and has toppled some of the most powerful characters in the universe. He is not only humble and kind-hearted but also superpowered.

OK, just think about it. Goku has fought the "God of Destruction," which is one of the coolest fights I have seen in anime history. Not only that, when he was a kid (and I am not exaggerating), he was probably the most powerful being on the planet. Like, if he knew how to go Super Saiyan, that would probably give him a HUGE advantage over Master Roshi when they were fighting in the tournament. He almost has unlimited power, or ki as I should say.
Goku could be the nicest man in the anime universe. Whenever he jokes about something, I always smile because of how silly he is sometimes (and I mean silly in a good way).
So yeah, Goku should be at least above Kirby.
And this is a little off-topic, but Saitama is the strongest anime character. But still, Goku is my favorite anime character, so you know, VOTE FOR GOKU.
Mewtwo (Pokemon)

Mewtwo is a Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon. Designed by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in Pokémon Red and Blue in 1996.
Created by Dr. Fuji through gene splicing to clone Mew, Mewtwo is known in game lore as one of the most powerful Pokémon. In later games, it can undergo Mega Evolution into... read more

Uh, hello? Mewtwo is canonically a rogue scientist's attempt at creating the most powerful Pokémon. Real Pokémon, e.g., Arceus, Rayquaza, Necrozma, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and many more, could canonically stomp Mewtwo, and yet it's the highest Pokémon on this list.
To be fair, most Pokémon shouldn't be on here, and though Mewtwo is an exception to that rule, it really shouldn't be anywhere near the top ten. People who are voting for it really need to get past generations 1 and 6, jeez.

Mewtwo's weakest moves are Vegito's strongest moves. He has Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunder, and Earthquake.
Superman (Injustice: Gods Among Us)

Superman is a fictional comic book character and arguably the first powerful superhero of the modern era. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who were high school students in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933. Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, published by National... read more

Superman can't die without kryptonite, so he would be at the top unless we are discussing Injustice, which is our focus.
He could defeat Goku in a battle. He can easily overpower the Apprentice. Superman could defeat Kirby with just his fist. Trust me, don't challenge Superman. If you do, expect severe injuries, possibly including fractured ribs and lost limbs.
Asura cannot defeat Superman, even with his best efforts. In the Injustice universe, Asura wouldn't stand a chance. His moves would be ineffective. Additionally, Asura's game would become trivial with Superman's presence, thanks to his frost breath, laser eyes, speed, strength, and resilience.
Pit an army of Supermen against a galaxy of Asuras, and Superman would emerge victorious. Also, Superman looks ten times more epic than Asura.
Alex Mercer (Prototype)

This guy has the ability to manipulate his own mass, turning sections of his body into weapons at will. He can solidify his body, creating armor, or make it lighter, enabling him to practically fly. His power to mutate and evolve on command means that he can adapt to literally every situation in a matter of seconds.
There is possibly no way to beat him without holding the same abilities because he would just adapt. And if he were to die, all he would need is a little bit of flesh to reform.

Guys, if Alex Mercer eats a Force user, he could just reproduce midi-chlorians in himself, so he'd be as powerful as Asura or stronger. Vitiate ate all life on a planet. Alex Mercer, with enough midi-chlorians, could eat all life in the galaxy and become more powerful than Asura. If he gets his hands on the Vong, holy frick, he could do literally anything with the kind of biotechnology they have.
And that's just in the Star Wars universe. Imagine if he got his hands on stuff from other video game universes. Eating someone like Kirby, Shadow, or Superman and giving himself the ability to replicate their powers too? The universe wouldn't stand a chance.
Apprentice (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)

Seriously, he's under Sonic? This guy almost killed Darth Vader twice and the Emperor. His clone was more powerful than Vader, and he can literally control people with his mind. Sonic can run at the speed of light. I mean, that's cool and all, but the Apprentice can simply mind control him and make him lick a lightsaber.

While I'll admit he may not be able to beat Kratos or Asura, he surely can kill Kirby. Yes, if he gets close enough, Kirby could suck him up and take his powers, but hasn't Starkiller killed a dark version of himself already when he went to the Jedi temple? And if all other strategies fail, Starkiller will just keep throwing Kirby at a wall until he turns into pink mush.

The Newcomers

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Sonic the hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Sonic the Hedgehog is the title character and protagonist of the video game series of the same name released by SEGA. He has since appeared in numerous spin-off comics, several television shows, an animated OVA, and a live-action movie trilogy. Known for his incredible speed and signature blue color... read more

He's fast which means he can easily dodge and outrun heavy attacks, and when he transforms into his Super form, he can spindash the enemies to death.

How is Shadow ranked higher than Sonic? Sonic should be able to obliterate him.
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King Dedede (Kirby)

King Dedede is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's Kirby video game series. He is typically portrayed as a rival to Kirby, though his role varies between games. King Dedede is recognizable for his hammer weapon and royal attire.

I agree with whoever added him here. He has very powerful hammer attacks, and in Smash, his up special is very good.

He is able to hold his own against Kirby. Enough said.

The Contenders

Oni (Super Street Fighter 4 AE)

He can destroy your soul with a single move. He shattered an island with just one punch.

He tied with Asura. Enough said.
Rosalina (Super Mario Bros)

Rosalina, known as Rosetta in Japan, is a major character in the Mario franchise created by Nintendo. She first appeared in the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii and later returned in its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, in 2010. Since then, she has been featured in many main-series Mario... read more

She should be higher than Mario, Sonic, and Shadow because she's a goddess who can stop time, destroy the whole universe at any second, and reset everything.

Rosalina protects the universe. Her children alone are celestials. She's like mother nature for space.

She can just reset the universe, and she's very smart.
Link (Legend of Zelda)

Link refers to several different incarnations of the same protagonist in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Each incarnation of Link is typically chosen by the gods to protect the land of Hyrule from evil forces, often wielding the Master Sword and bearing the Triforce of Courage. His main goal is... read more

If this guy had ALL of his equipment, he would wreck it. Fierce Deity's mask from Majora's Mask + Triforce (he gets the entire thing in Skyward Sword) + Master Sword + Hylian Shield + Golden Gauntlets is enough to wreck everyone else. AND he has MUCH more in his inventory.

How is Link not in the top 5? He would beat most of these characters to a bloody pulp. He could easily take out Cole and Samus. Luigi and Mario wouldn't stand a chance against him.

He should be first. He is so awesome, sexy, kind, selfless, handsome, brave, compassionate, and such a good role model. Okay, okay, I will admit it, I have a huge crush on Link.
Master Chief (Halo)

Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, better known as Master Chief, is a SPARTAN-II commando of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command. He is the main protagonist of the Halo video game series. Master Chief is featured prominently in both the original trilogy and the Reclaimer Saga.

To be honest, Master Chief should be in the top 10. The amount of challenges he's been through is astounding. Not only that, but look at what his suit can do. The number of functionalities it has is ridiculous. He possesses tons of courage, never backs away from a fight, and always wins. He has extensive knowledge of weapons and vehicles. Cortana, the most awesome AI, is by his side.
Put Master Chief on an unknown planet to conquer it by any means necessary, and he and Cortana will get the job done. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing stands in his way. Not even a bloody Scarab.

Sure, Master Chief may not be the strongest, but this guy's sheer will makes him unstoppable. He would beat everyone on this list because he would refuse to give in. Goku, Doom Guy, Dante, Superman, they would all eventually fall.
Arceus (Pokemon)

Arceus is a Legendary Pokémon that first appeared in the 18th Pokémon movie, "Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life," where it was featured alongside other Legendary Pokémon. In the Pokémon universe, Arceus is referred to as "The Original One" and is believed to have created the entire Pokémon world... read more

Why is he not in the top 10? His Pokedex entry literally says he shaped the universe. Therefore, his power must exceed that of any character on this list who is a pitiful "planet buster." Add to that he can embody any type, he has 1,000 invisible arms, and (in the anime) with all his plates, he can block any attack. He would be literally indestructible.
However, I do understand the whole "he gets caught by a human throwing balls at him" argument. Well, every character must have an exploitable weakness for the sake of the plot. Superman falls down at the sight of Kryptonite, but that doesn't stop him from being number 6 on this list (at the time of writing).
At least, Arceus should be above Waddle Dee, Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, and Mewtwo.
Asura (Asura's Wrath)

Why is Kratos number 1? I don't know. The "gods" weren't even island-busting. Hell, Dante could kick Kratos' ass too, which is a great example of God of War fanboys. Man, I like Kratos, but putting him above people who can stomp his whole God of War universe is just wrong.
Asura could beat everyone on this list. The only one giving him trouble is Dante.

He is, without a doubt, the strongest character on this list. Just watch a single boss fight from "Asura's Wrath," and you'll see.

Why are regular humans ranked higher than a continent-destroying being that kills his own world's god?!
Deathwing (World of Warcraft)
Zeus (God of War)

Seriously? GoW Zeus is absurdly weak. He lost to Kratos, a continent buster. Why is he even on here at all?

He's the king of the gods and also the father of Kratos. Need I say more?
Kazuya Mishima (Tekken)

Kazuya Mishima is a fictional character in Bandai Namco's Tekken fighting game series, first appearing as the protagonist in the original 1994 game. He is a central character in the series' storyline, often portrayed as a rival to his father, Heihachi Mishima. Kazuya is known for his complex family dynamics... read more

Kazuya is planet level, unlike these characters ranked higher than him. He is extremely fast and could one-shot most of the rest with telekinesis or lasers. OP! The only one here stronger than him is Asura.

Kazuya's devil powers have no limits. He is in full control of his form now and is capable of destroying the whole world. KAZUYA!

He has supreme control over the Devil Gene. He does not even need to transform into his devil form and can still use telepathy and his third eye for supreme destruction. He should be in the top 10.
Shulk (Xenoblade)

Shulk is a fictional character and the protagonist from Monolith Soft's 2010 role-playing video game Xenoblade Chronicles, part of their overarching Xeno series of video games. He is known for wielding the Monado, a powerful weapon that grants him visions of the future. Shulk has also appeared as a playable... read more

Bro, what are you all talking about? I honestly would've thought that since the remake came out a little while ago, Xenoblade would get the respect it deserves, but NOPE. Shulk is powerful for reasons that are hard to explain. Spoiler alert.
Shulk came back from the dead to become a capsule for a god. Once the god found his true form again, he started a huge war across the world he created and decided to destroy it and make a new one, like Thanos 8 years before he sort of did it.
But Shulk doesn't want the universe to be erased, so he kills this god and then becomes the heir to that god's power. Shulk literally becomes a god by the end of the game.
He can also manipulate time at his will. He knows every move an enemy can make before they make it. The only characters in existence I can see being worthy opponents to him are Kefka from FF6, who I couldn't find despite Sephiroth being number 7, and that one god guy from Dragon Ball Z.
If only this game had more love, it deserves top three at least.
Giygas (Mother)

Giygas, also called Giegue, is the main antagonist in the video games EarthBound Beginnings and EarthBound.
He is an alien being with immense psychic power who opposes the main characters in both titles. His presence influences many of the events in the games, making him one of the most iconic... read more
Tails the Fox (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Miles "Tails" Prower is a fictional character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is Sonic's best friend and sidekick. Tails is known for his ability to fly using his two tails like a helicopter rotor.

The only video game characters on this list who are actually competitive with the most powerful fictional characters are Kirby, Amaterasu, and Tails. There isn't really much of a contest. I've seen two other commenters mention why Tails joins the ranks and not Sonic, so you can read theirs.
I'd say Tails doesn't quite make the top 50 in terms of fictional character power scaling, but he's a lot higher than he looks. My top 3 for the characters on this list is:
#3: Tails
#2: Kirby
#1: Amaterasu
None of the others on this list are really even close. In terms of both all video game characters and fictional characters, substitute Tails for either Astral Birth Void or Drawcia.
I don't know why, but we have a surprising amount of gender representation for these 3. Ammy is female, Tails is male, and Kirby is genderfluid (typically they/them). Just a thing I noticed.
Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Knuckles the Echidna is a fictional character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. He is portrayed as a red, anthropomorphic echidna who is serious, determined, and loyal, though sometimes gullible.
Knuckles possesses the ability to glide through the air, climb vertical surfaces,... read more

Knuckles should be top 10 at least because he knocked out Super Sonic in one punch. Need I say more?

Knuckles literally knocked Sonic out of his super form, so he is even stronger than Super Sonic.

Seriously, he should be No. 15. He can break an asteroid with his bare hands!
Mario (Super Mario Bros)

Mario, originally named Jumpman, is the main character of the Super Mario Bros. franchise and was created by Nintendo of Japan's game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario appears in nearly every game in the series, including many spin-off titles, with a few exceptions such as New Super Luigi U, the Luigi's... read more

We all know that this guy is fat. However, he has a lot of useful abilities, like he can breathe in space, survive fire, etc. He can take a 100-pound hammer to the head and still keep going.

Dude! He is Super Mario. No one is better than him. Plus, he picked up and threw a castle 100 times his own weight, survived an exploding planet, and has astounding fist strength. Truly the best.

Mario is awesome! He is the best character ever! Mario is a million times better than Kirby! Mario can beat up Kirby with ease! Mario is the number 1 best character ever!
Luigi (Super Mario Bros)

Luigi is a major character in video games and related media produced by Nintendo. He was originally introduced as a green-colored palette swap of Mario and is portrayed as Mario's younger, taller fraternal twin brother.
Created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi appears in many... read more

Luigi is the strongest video game character of all time. This man can literally make Kratos fall to his knees by doing absolutely nothing. Every time Luigi blinks, the floor beneath us shakes and rumbles. These are now known to us as earthquakes. Luigi can literally uppercut Kirby into orbit. Luigi once kicked dust at Goku, and then Goku fell 12,450 miles into the ground. He once faced off against Rosalina, and when Rosalina was about to reset the universe, Luigi said "Bye-Bye" and then Rosalina just perished. One time, Luigi threw a rock into outer space, and that rock is now known to us as the "Moon." Truly the strongest video game character of all time.