Top 10 Strongest Heroes from Mythology

Heroes from all mythologies are welcome, not just those from Greek mythology. This list is a combination of physical strength, defense, magic, and intelligence. These characters must be mythological, or at least found in mythology, not in history.

The Top Ten

Karna (Hindu)

He is the greatest warrior of all time. Undoubtedly the undisputed and undefeated champion in all times, Karna was killed by Arjuna when he was unarmed. Karna's chariot wheel got stuck in mud. He took off his bow and arrow and got down to help the chariot wheel come off. Arjuna targeted Karna to kill him. Karna shouted about Kshatriya Dharma and the Hindu Warrior Code of Honor, which prohibits killing an unarmed warrior or prisoner of war.
God Krishna told Arjuna about reality and the truth about using cleverness in war. He explained that as he is a divine god, all bad warriors are already killed by him. Therefore, he instructed Arjuna to kill Karna without any fear. So, Arjuna killed Karna. Otherwise, Arjuna would have easily been defeated by Karna if Lord Krishna had not stepped in. Karna was the mightiest. He could take down Bheem also easily. The gods, Devas, all had come down to see the mighty universal fight between Arjuna and Karna as well.
Heracles (Hercules) (Greco-Roman)

Hercules accomplished so much in ancient Greek myths that people began to lose track of his deeds. A good rule of thumb is if Hercules ever came into direct contact with it, it's likely in Greek mythology. Despite the goddess who tried to kill him throughout his life, she allowed her husband Zeus to bring him back as a god after recognizing her defeat. The only reason Hercules died was that acid was burning away his flesh until he chose to burn himself alive to go honorably, rather than surviving to live a ripe old age and continue his battles.
He defeated multiple gods in hand-to-hand combat, held up the sky with his bare hands, aided the gods in defeating the giants who were made to be unkillable, wore a cloak that made him invulnerable, and never lost a battle. He seriously needs to be nerfed.
Achilles (Greco-Roman)

The greatest warrior of all mythology, Achilles outclasses Karna, Siegfried/Sigurd, Diomedes, and others. Absolutely unrivaled in terms of speed, athleticism, battle prowess, strength, and stamina, his rage was said to defy fate. Even Zeus himself feared the rage of Achilles. He was only killed through divine intervention, as nobody could challenge him. Notably, he wasn't in battle when he was killed. He was praying at an altar, as it was impossible to kill him in combat.
Even his mere presence struck fear into the greatest of the Trojans, Hector, and forced gods such as Poseidon and Apollo to directly intervene to prevent the fall of Troy before its time. It was even said that Diomedes, the second greatest of the Achaeans, despite having divine power from Athena to challenge and beat immortal gods (like Aphrodite and Ares), couldn't match up to Achilles and didn't have the same presence and force Achilles had.
There's so much to list about Achilles that it's not even debatable to say he was the greatest warrior in all of mythology. Even Alexander the Great looked up to Achilles and wanted to mirror him in everything he did. When Achilles refused to fight, defeat was inevitable. When he took part, victory was inevitable. No questions asked.
Thor (Norse)

Thor is easily among the top contenders for this list.

I think Mjolnir is the most powerful weapon ever made in the history of mythology.

Thor is very, very super duper powerful.
Perseus (Greco-Roman)

Perseus is one of my favorites. He chopped off Medusa's head, killed a sea monster, and killed people who were going crazy due to intoxication. I like how he unknowingly killed his foolish grandfather.
That guy is totally crazy. He even rested well after he literally threw his daughter into the ocean.

One of the only successful heroes, come on people! Okay, maybe he couldn't beat Hercules, but he could crush the heel boy with one hand tied behind his back!

Perseus can totally kick Heracles' ass. Perseus can turn invisible and run fast. Better yet, Perseus can turn Heracles to stone.
Krishna (Hindu)

He was a great combination of brain, divine powers, physical strength, and warrior skills. He killed numerous demons in his childhood, lifted Govardhan Parvat (mountain) with his baby finger, and defeated Indra (King of Gods). These are some examples of his strength.
He won the great battle of Mahabharata without killing a single person, showcasing his strategic mind. He demonstrated his divine power by showing the entire universe in his mouth to his mother. Lastly, his teachings to Arjuna during the battle of Mahabharata formed the book Geeta, the holiest and a great source of knowledge. This was his wisdom.
Beowulf (Norse)

He killed nine giant sea serpents while in a five-day swimming match against the mighty Brecca. He killed a dragon with his bare hands and, in order to do so, he had to cut off his arm without showing the slightest sign of pain.
Not only does he have unprecedented strength, but he is also a master tactician and uses his vast knowledge to defeat his opponents, finding their weakness and seizing the advantage. He killed the giant demon Grendel completely naked and without weapons. Beowulf is truly the greatest legend of all.

Beowulf killed a dragon with only 12 bee swarms and a queen bee. He effortlessly ripped off the arm of a monster that had killed hundreds of highly trained warriors. He also killed the monster's mother, who was even scarier than her son. To top it off, he was a wise king who brought peace to his people for decades.
Sun Wukong (Chinese)

A monkey who became immortal through Taoist practices. When he was fated to die, he fought back, defeated Hell's messengers, and wiped his name and his kind's names off of Hell's registry. Afterwards, he rebelled against Heaven and defeated all of Heaven's best generals.
He was eventually trapped under a mountain by the Buddha, where he remained imprisoned for 500 years. He was eventually released and, to atone for his past sins, escorted a monk on a pilgrimage to India to receive the holy scriptures from the Buddha. On this pilgrimage, he fought and defeated a great many demons and monsters.

Let's start with his weapon: a staff weighing 17,550 lbs (7,960 kg) that he easily wields. It can shrink, expand, and be duplicated on his command. It was initially used to measure the depth of the sea.
The Monkey King himself was immensely strong and fast, could shapeshift into any animal (although he keeps his tail), knew how to cast various spells, and could turn each of his individual hairs into duplicates with the same abilities. His feats include moving the Earth, defeating armies of gods, and literally scaring death. He was the strongest monkey to ever live and should probably be at the top of this list.
King Arthur (British)

The legendary concept of an ideal king carried by a mere human being, with divine power on their guard, represented especially by the legendary sword Excalibur.

Chosen by a weapon, he became a weapon in his own right, fighting his enemies and serving his nation as a knight of the round.

He forged England into one nation from hundreds of fighting landowners, setting it onto its future course.
Theseus (Greco-Roman)

I've always admired Theseus for his intelligence and open-mindedness. He was the only Greek hero who stood by his friends. When Heracles was driven to madness by Hera, everyone but Theseus abandoned him. Theseus stopped Heracles from going too far, breaking an Ancient Greek stigma by making himself dirty through contact with him.
Heracles lived with Theseus for an extended period, either months or years, before embarking on his famous 12 Labors. Additionally, Theseus was a total badass, fighting his way through miles of bandits and managing to contain Heracles' renowned strength. He's also one of the only mortals to have escaped Hades. Combining this with his Odysseus-level smarts makes him one of the best heroes in mythology.

The Newcomers

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Perun (Slavic)
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Hua Mulan (Chinese)

Many people are familiar with the Disney version of mulan right?
LIES!
Mulan was not clumsy, she was graceful, adept, and courageous. She not only wielded a sword, but bows and arrows as well as be well versed in martial arts. One of the best well known Chinese heroines, Mulan earned her self the name "Hua" mulan in war. "Hua" Mean soilder. She fought for about twelve years from the age of seventeen before returning home, unscathed and unrevealed as a girl.
It was until after the war did she reveal herself as a girl. Though some stories do depict mulan of going out in full woman's clothes on the last day of war.

This is like one of the only heroes that is a girl and can fight with a sword. Okay, Atalanta fought a boar, but Mulan fought a war!

The Contenders

Cú Chulainn (Irish)

Tied himself to a rock with his own intestines so he could die standing, and fool the enemy army of Connacht. His power was so feared that, even eviscerated and dying, his very presence was enough to prevent his opposition from making a move. Only when a crow landed on his shoulder after his passing did any man dare approach. This man promptly lost his hand in the attempt of taking Cú Chulainn's sword from his corpse.
With the wit and cunning of Odysseus, Herculean strength, Achilles-level wrath and agility, Karna-level loyalty, a spear that kills invulnerable heroes, a Riastrad that makes the Hulk look cute, and a sword of light on a level with Excalibur? I rest my case.
Arjuna (Hindu)

For all the people who think Karna would've easily slain Arjuna, know your facts. Bhishma himself said that he wasn't one-twelfth of the Pandavas. True, pound for pound, in terms of skills, Karna might've been a bit better, but you should know that his dharma would never allow him to achieve victory.

Arjuna is the most powerful warrior, and he has the power to consume the whole world in a single arrow. Hence, he is the powerful epic hero.

Arjuna was the best archer in the whole universe. He was the greatest student of Drona and was so sharp that he could easily hit a bird's eye!
Rama (Hindu)

He was the slayer of Ravana, the most powerful demon in Hindu mythology. He killed fierce warriors like Khar/Dushana, Tarka, Bali, and others. He is the lord of Hanuman, who burnt mighty Lanka to ashes, husband of Maa Sita (goddess of wealth), and elder brother of Lakshman (avatar of Sheshanaga). His power can be described by the following verse from the Ramayan: "Enter the city with the Lord of Ayodhya enshrined in your heart and accomplish all your business. Poison is transformed into nectar, foes turn into friends, the ocean contracts itself to the size of a cow's footprint, fire becomes cool, and Mount Meru, O Garuda, appears like a grain of sand to him on whom Sri Rama has cast his benign look."
Odysseus (Greco-Roman)

He was not a demigod and yet defied gods and monsters, winning through cunning what he could not win through strength alone. He ended the siege of Troy, a feat that not even the mighty Achilles accomplished. He went to the underworld and returned with life, killed the son of Poseidon, and avoided the god's revenge.
He suffered for ten years to return to his home, denying immortality and the love of goddesses to return to his family.

Hey, Odysseus was the man who ended the Trojan War with his Trojan Horse plot. He legitimately defied the gods, sailed the Sea of Monsters, survived a land of sleep, got past an island of cannibals, and plotted his way out of Polyphemus's island (that scene was hilarious). He also survived the Sirens without stuffed ears, overcame Scylla and Charybdis, got past the sorceress named Circe, endured all the wrath of Poseidon, and murdered all the suitors invading his home. He is the cleverest hero, the highlight of the much-loved poem, the Odyssey, and a brilliant strategist.
In the fight over the armor of Achilles, the two who helped carry back Achilles's body held a poll on who was most beneficial to their cause, and Odysseus won (thus bringing about the suicide of Ajax).
He is a favorite of Athena, one of the most prominent heroes in the Trojan War, yet he isn't in the top 10?
Wow, people, get a brain. I'm sure Athena would agree. He wasn't even a demigod. He got through all his hardships on skill, and skill alone! Don't pester me about luck because he had awful luck.
Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian)

He possesses the Chains of Heaven (Enkidu), which can hold down a god, a GOD, and anyone of divine caliber. Also known as the Bull of Heaven, it was stated in the Epic of Gilgamesh to have a weight of infinity, greater than the weight of the known universe, which is 10^53kg. He also possesses the weapon called the "Destroyer of All Truth (Things)" in the Hyper-verse, larger than the Multiverse and Universe! It was forged in the blood of the ancient Primordial God, Ea, who was the first recorded god to appear in all of human history.
This weapon is said to have first appeared in archaeological records around 5000 BC because older is more powerful. The weapon has the ability to wipe out anything in creation, devouring all reality with its immeasurable and omnipotent power.
Near the end of the great Epic, it was also stated that in his failure to attain the flower of immortality, he possessed all of mankind's conceptualized riches, including food, clothing, armor, including weaponry, and even the divine weapons of other gods from different pantheons. The ancient Mesopotamians were the first to create and worship their gods. All of these riches were considered secondary, as he was unstoppable. The Fate franchise did their research well.
Atalanta (Greco-Roman)

Atalanta is an excellent huntress and the fastest runner in ancient Greek mythology. She defeated Peleus (Achilles' father) in wrestling and was the only female Argonaut. She was very beautiful and independent.

Atalanta was overpowered as hell. The only reason people don't know her is because the ancient Greeks and Romans were very misogynistic and found the notion that a woman can be so strong to be ridiculous.

Her skills are said to surpass those of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, who is one of the most powerful.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Irish)

Is killing 3,400 soldiers single-handedly enough to get you on the list? Armed with two swords and two spears, one of which can cause wounds that never heal, his legend is one of love, violence, chivalry, and tragedy.

Plus, those 3,400 warriors were from the otherworld, so possibly gods?

Gasps. The dual-wielding Lancer-class Servant of chivalry!
Ajax (Greco-Roman)

He was said to be stronger than all of Greece. He was a great friend to many other heroes, including Achilles and Odysseus.
Setna Khaemwaset (Egyptian)

Is there more to say? A modern character to match him would be Loki. Setna was smart, brave, and powerful. His greatest weapon was people underestimating him.
He outwitted the Dead Prince. His magic is powerful since he survived demons sent by the Ennead, with some of their power. Just one of those demons can wipe out a civilization from the face of the Earth.

Of course this dude should be higher. He could battle guys like Thoth, who had beaten beings like the Eye of Ra, who was planetary and could destroy Earth's population.
Even ancient Egypt's Avengers back then, the Ennead, couldn't stop him. Classic villain.
Balarama (Hindu)

The avatar of Sesha Naag. He decided in his last birth that whenever Lord Rama would be reborn, he would take rebirth as his brother.
Siegfried (Norse-German)

He defeated a dragon and bathed in its blood, causing him to become invincible. Not to mention, with his sword, which is called Gram, he can easily take on Karna.

Incapable of feeling fear, Siegfried has a helm that he can use to shapeshift, possesses a ring more powerful than the one from Lord of the Rings, wields a sword akin to Excalibur, and almost effortlessly defeated Wotan (Odin).

Siegfried got his abilities from cutting his way out of the stomach of a dragon and bathing in its blood, often called Siegfried of the Undead.
Thoth (Egyptian)

Why is Thoth so low? In fact, where are the Egyptian heroes? Where is Horus? Osiris?
Anyway, Thoth was so smart he could come up with a solution for almost every problem. He also helped Horus defeat the grand dictator Seth.

Creator of knowledge and the Book of Thoth. Kind of a jerk to people who cross him.

The god of knowledge. No one was as smart as him.
Bödvar Bjarki (Norse)
Diomedes (Greco-Roman)

Diomedes, the most complete hero of the Trojan War and the youngest king, was smarter than Odysseus and as brawny as Ajax. Even the great Hector did not want to be found against him in battle. According to Homer, he was the "Aristos" hero.
Only he and Hercules (Diomedes' uncle) faced gods in battle and defeated them. He was the man whom the goddess Athena chose to side with when he became immortal. Some say he was the patriarch of the Celtic nation.

Diomedes stabbed Aphrodite with a spear, defeated Hector, chased away Apollo, almost killed Aeneas, and nearly killed Ares in battle. Yes, Diomedes beat the god of war at his own game. And to top it off, he received absolutely no repercussions for his actions.
Bhishma (Hindu)

If being one of the only three disciples of Lord Parshuram isn't great enough, then what is?
There's more. He's the only one who not only fought Lord Parshuram as an equal but also defeated him. Considering the fact that Lord Parshuram himself is an immortal incarnation of Supreme Lord Vishnu, who rid the world of warriors 21 times. Plus, Bhishma had the right to choose the time of his own death.