After what seems like an eternity, Avengers: Infinity War is finally up on the big screen. The fan reaction so far has been largely positive and the movie just broke the record for the all-time highest-grossing opening weekend in film history. This impressive feat started with it becoming one of the few movies to make $200 million in its opening weekend and making the most money on a Thursday night release of any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.

Having seen the movie and our favorite heroes pitted against the Children of Thanos and the Mad Titan himself, we can now compose a definitive list of whom the best fighters are among all the so-called Infinity Warriors. To that end, we have chosen thirty characters from Avengers: Infinity War to rate.

It should be noted that there will be SPOILERS AHEAD for those who have not seen Avengers: Infinity War.

It should also be noted that this list is based on a variety of factors, including combat training, strategic ability, raw power, any impressive feats the character accomplished, and their ability to utilize all their advantages in a fight.

We also limited this to characters who we see in at least one extended fight scene, which sadly disqualified M’Baku’s small role since we don’t really see him in action.

With that in mind, here is Every Infinity War Fighter Ranked, Weakest To Strongest.

30. Loki

Loki was adopted into the royal family of Asgard after the Allfather Odin defeated Loki’s biological father, Laufey - King of The Frost Giants. A diminutive child by giant standards, Loki grew to study sorcery among the Asgardians and showed a natural talent for illusions. He also grew to resent the warrior class of Asgard, particularly his adoptive brother, Thor, who was more popular and better liked than the prank-playing Loki. This secured his place as the God of Mischief among the Asgardians, who had little appreciation for the strategy or trickery that Loki employed in battle.

There was little evidence of Loki’s skill in subterfuge in Avengers: Infinity War. He was eliminated early on, while pretending to pledge his fealty to Thanos, suddenly pulling a dagger and attempting to stab The Mad Titan in the heart.

For some reason, the consummate trickster forgot that the key to stabbing someone in the back is to wait until their back is turned.

There’s a reason why Loki is known as God of Treachery and not the God of Frontal Assaults and his performance here proved it. Still, to give credit where credit is due, Loki did finally show where his loyalties lay and proved himself worthy of the name Odinson with an attempt at stopping Thanos that was brave, if not particularly well-planned.

29. Shuri

Princess of Wakanda and younger sister of T’Challa, Shuri is more scientist than warrior. Possessing a mind that surpasses those of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, Shuri leads the Wakanadan Design Group and designed much of the technology that her brother utilizes as the Black Panther. This includes his sound-canceling boots and a nanotech Panther Habit which allows him to don his costume instantly no matter what else he is wearing.

She also was able to reprogram James “Bucky” Barnes’ mind and remove the HYDRA brainwashing that turned him into the Winter Soldier without damaging the rest of his memory. She was also tasked with trying to remove the Mind Stone from The Vision without destroying him.

In the comics, Shuri eventually takes on the mantle of Black Panther for herself and proves to be as capable a fighter as her brother. Unfortunately, Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War have not given Shuri much of an opportunity to perform in this arena, though she’s undoubtedly skilled in the ways of science.

Still, Shuri did manage to survive a brief close-quarters combat with Corvus Glaive when he broke into her lab while trying to take The Vision’s Mind Stone. That’s no small feat, given Corvus Glaive’s super-strength, enhanced-speed, and fighting prowess.

28. Heimdall

As the gatekeeper of Asgard and guardian of The Bifrost Bridge, there is little that escapes the notice of Heimdall. Possessing powers of foresight that allow him to see and hear nearly everything that occurs within the Nine Realms, Loki once asked Heimdall why Odin did not fear him.

“Because he is my King. And I am sworn to obey him,” replied Heimdall.

That fierce loyalty inspired Heimdall to continue acting as a guardian of Asgard, even after he was seemingly exiled by his liege lord in the events leading up to Thor:Ragnarok. Heimdall’s powers proved essential in saving the people of Asgard from Hela and hiding them beyond her reach.

Despite this, Heimdall’s powers did not allow him to save his people from Thanos. As Avengers: Infinity War opened, we saw Heimdall among the Asgardians who were apparently destroyed by Thanos and four of his followers.

He possessed strength enough to summon the Bifrost one last time to send The Hulk back to Earth and steer him to crash through the Sanctum Sanctorum - an act that cost him his life and made him the first major casualty among the Infinity Warriors.

A noble ending, to be sure, but we can’t help but wonder how he failed to see Thanos coming!

27. Mantis

Born of an unnamed race of insectoid beings with natural powers of empathy, the young woman called Mantis was raised apart from her people by the Celestial known as Ego. He employed Mantis as a sort of caretaker, using her powers to calm his increasingly manic behavior. She would later join the Guardians of the Galaxy in opposing her former master, when it became clear that his plans would eradicate all life in the universe.

Mantis is the textbook definition of “a lover, not a fighter.”

While her empathic powers are impressive, they are also limited in how they can be used offensively. She can force a person to sleep, but the effect can be resisted by particularly strong-willed individuals. She was only able to bring peace to Ego, for instance, when he wished to sleep. She can also incapacitate a person by forcing them to feel intense sorrow or tremendous joy, but only to the point of acting as a distraction.

Mantis’ powers are also limited in that they are touch-based and anyone she wishes to knock out is unlikely to let her get close enough to do so. Still, she did manage to briefly slow Thanos down (with a lot of help) by forcing him to confront his repressed grief over all that he had done. Unfortunately, Thanos’ suffering was such that she could barely process it and she was on the verge of passing out even before Star-Lord messed the plan up.

26. Vision

A gestalt entity crafted from the Mind Stone and the mental patterns of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Helen Cho, Ultron, and Tony’s A.I. JARVIS, The Vision was meant to be the ultimate expression of Ultron’s will, housed in a body that mixed synthetic organic tissue with Vibranium. He became something else entirely - a unique life-form neither wholly human or machine, who was as committed to the preservation of humanity as Ultron was to destroying it.

Despite being one of the most powerful of the Avengers in the comics, the cinematic version of The Vision doesn’t quite measure up to his comics counterpart. Even in the comics, The Vision existed primarily as an exploration of the classic science-fiction tropes regarding intelligence and emotions in artificial beings rather than a physical powerhouse.

Despite having a super-durable body and the power to phase through almost anything, Vision proves easy prey for Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive when they attack him and Scarlet Witch.

He spends most of Avengers: Infinity War in a walking wounded state due to his internal systems having been severely damaged. Only the fact that he was able to end Corvus Glaive accounts for his ranking as high as he did.

25. Star-Lord

The son of an ordinary Earth woman and the Celestial Ego, Peter Quill spent most of his life in ignorance of his divine heritage. Raised among a gang of Ravagers by Yondu Udonta, a young Peter easily adapted to the life of a thief. A legend in his own mind, Quill adopted the name Star-Lord from his mother’s pet name for him as a child. He became an honest hero, however, after his efforts to steal The Orb of Morag led to him stumbling across Thanos’ first efforts to acquire the Infinity Stones and meeting the other misfits who would come to form The Guardians of the Galaxy.

Since ending his own father, Peter Quill has been an ordinary human and, if it weren’t for his high-tech toys, he’d be next to worthless in a fight.

Even then, his ego and short temper make him more of a liability than an asset to his allies. Peter Quill’s heart may be in the right place, but his head is frequently somewhere else entirely and it can’t be denied that it was Star-Lord’s inability to keep his cool that led to Iron Man’s plan failing.

Ultimately, Star-Lord’s biggest accomplishment in Avengers: Infinity War was forcing Peter Parker and Tony Stark to experience a moment of realization, as they both look at each other as if to silently ask, “Is this what it’s like to deal with me?” while they silently endure Star-Lord’s forced bravado and pop-culture references.

24. Wong

One of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the man known only as Wong served as the librarian of Kamar-Taj. He oversaw Stephen Strange’s induction into the order and his early training in the basics of magical theory.

Wong’s refusal to allow the novice Strange access to the more advanced materials that the library had to offer prompted Strange to become creative, mastering portals to great effect in order to work around the ever-watchful guardian. This eventually led to Stephen Strange’s discovering the Eye of Agamotto and The Time Stone, whose powers proved essential in the battle to save Earth from The Dread Dormammu.

While he is primarily an academic, Wong is capable of kicking butt when he has to.

He only joins the battle in Avengers: Infinity War briefly, fighting alongside Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Bruce Banner and Spider-Man as they defend New York City from Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian when they arrive in search of The Time Stone.

Though he fails to stop Doctor Strange from being abducted by Ebony Maw, Wong does get in a good hit on Cull Obsidian, cutting off the giant alien’s hand with the quick closure of a portal. Unfortunately, the need for someone to stay and protect the Sanctum Sanctorum prevented Wong from joining Iron-Man in going off to save his fellow sorcerer.

23. Drax

Born of an unnamed race of tribals who are considered quite primitive by general galactic standards, Drax’s people were nonetheless renowned as warriors. Drax himself is noteworthy, even among his people, having gone on a planet-spanning destruction spree after his wife and daughter were taken out by Ronan The Accuser, on orders from Thanos. This earned Drax the title of “The Destroyer” and made him a figure to be feared even in the maximum security prison known as The Kyln. It was here that Drax first crossed paths with Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot and Gamora, going on to get his revenge on Ronan and form the Guardians of the Galaxy.

With superhuman strength, durability and a healing factor, Drax cuts an imposing figure in battle - along with anyone foolish enough to get in his way. Displaying a preference for knives above all other weapons, Drax is not afraid to get his hands dirty in a fight. Indeed, he relishes it. Despite this, Drax has found a measure of peace among his new family.

Unfortunately, Drax’s simplistic view of things coupled with his short temper make him inefficient without a cooler head or sharper wit to point him at the proper target.

His single-minded approach to combat also causes him to have trouble facing multiple opponents or enemies wise enough to keep their distance from him.

22. Cull Obsidian

Little is known about the Child of Thanos known as Cull Obsidian. In truth, Avengers: Infinity War tells us very little about any of the Children of Thanos. All that we know is that he was the powerhouse of the group of four beings that make up Thanos’ personal guard - the classic strong but silent type.

Based on a character from the comics with a problematic name, Cull Obsidian’s comic book counterpart was tasked with leading the invasion of Wakanda during the Infinity storyline. It was a task that he failed, and he was later taken out by Ronan the Accuser while attempting to win his way back into the good graces of Thanos.

Cull Obsidian’s performance here is equally unimpressive.

We hardly get to see him in action and what we see speaks to his being dumb muscle with little sense of finesse in a fight.

He manages to get taken out of the fight in New York City by Wong and even loses a hand as he attempts to reach back through the portal that send him somewhere cold and far away.

He later goes one-on-one with the Hulkbuster armor (piloted by Bruce Banner) and holds his own until the suit’s severed arm takes him for a ride. Cull Obsidian’s apparent invulnerability was no match for a keelhauling along the inside of the energy dome protecting Wakanda.

21. Ebony Maw

Created by Jonathan Hickman for his run on New Avengers, the being known as Ebony Maw was the least imposing of Thanos’ followers. Unlike most of the Black Order, Ebony Maw preferred strategy to raw force and cultivated an aura of mystery about himself. It is suspected that he had strong psychic abilities as he was able to bend the iron will of Doctor Strange during the Infinity event, though Ebony Maw denied having any powers beyond being incredibly persuasive.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Ebony Maw was given a major power upgrade, granting him telekinetic powers to match his apparent telepathy and hyper charisma.

The character maintained the same dramatic poise and sense of dignity, not dirtying his hands with combat when he could slap people around with a mere thought. He proved powerful enough in this regard to handle Iron Man in a one-on-one fight and was able to successfully bind and capture Doctor Strange when he was unable to just take the warded Time Stone.

Despite this, Ebony Maw lacked the telekinetic strength to stop himself from being sucked through a breach in the hull of his ship and flash frozen in the vacuum of space after Peter Parker and Tony Stark pulled an Ellen Ripley.

20. White Wolf

He was Steve Rogers’ best friend growing up. He was HYDRA’s answer to Captain America. He is the reason The Avengers broke apart. He is James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. AKA The Winter Soldier. AKA The White Wolf.

While Bucky is a great character with a rich history as a fantastic soldier and an accomplished assassin, he doesn’t really do anything to distinguish himself during The Battle of Wakanda.

He’s capable, certainly, but there’s nothing that sets him apart from the other soldiers in the Wakandan army apart from the fact that he’s using a far more primitive gun.

The biggest disappointment regarding Bucky in Avengers: Infinity War is that nothing came of his new White Wolf title apart from an Easter egg relating to the comics. The original White Wolf had a costume and weapons on-par with what Black Panther has.

Bucky didn’t get any sort of upgrade apart from a new bionic arm and we never got to see if it had any special Vibranium-based powers that might help him out in a hand-to-hand fight. This is a far cry from the comics, where Bucky’s bionic arm is equipped with a taser, miniature flame thrower, EMP generator, and retractable claws.

19. Rocket

Created by a group of morally flexible alien scientists who apparently got their hands on some test animals from Earth, the creature known as Rocket resembles an Earth raccoon. Rocket is more than a mere “trash panda,” however, having been cybernetically enhanced to be stronger than most humanoids twice his size.

Rocket is also far more intelligent than the average space ace, having a good head for strategy and tactics, even if he is predisposed toward plans that involve big explosions and as much firepower as possible. To that end, he is a gifted weapons designer, engineer and a walking gun shop catalog who knows about every conceivable weapon in the galaxy - and several flat-out impossible ones!

While Rocket has a number of useful skills going into a fight and is an accomplished marksman, his actual utility as a fighter is limited if he doesn’t have a ranged weapon or runs out of ammo.

He can take on a bigger enemy in a one-on-one fight by simple virtue of being a smaller target and being stronger than he looks, but the plain truth is that Rocket is a gunman and a gunman without a gun is inherently limited.

18. Falcon

A former member of the United States Air Force who served as a pararescue wingman, Sam Wilson left active service for a position in Veterans Affairs where he could help his fellow vets who were having trouble adjusting to civilian life. It was in this capacity that he befriended Steve Rogers.

It was because of his friendship with Captain America that Sam was brought back into duty, commandeering his special jet-pack in order to help Captain America and Black Widow in stopping a HYDRA plot to end millions of people. For this, Sam was honored with a place in the Avengers, until he quit the team to join with Captain America during the events of Civil War.

Sam Wilson is a fine soldier and no one can question his skill or bravery. Unfortunately, Sam’s offensive capabilities are severely limited - no surprise given his status as a defensive warrior who is meant to move quickly and airlift people out of trouble.

While Sam’s jetpack has been augmented with some defensive weapons and a remote-control drone, his main focus is on speed and mobility rather than offense.

With only two pistols there was little Sam could do during the Battle of Wakanda but be a distraction. Thankfully, Sam is good at being a distraction, as he proved during the battle to save Vision and Scarlet Witch in Scotland, where he, Captain America, and Black Widow were able to drive back the far stronger Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight.

17. Groot

A member of the species Flora Colossus from Planet X, Groot has never seen his home-world. The son of Groot, who gave his life to save his friends in The Guardians of the Galaxy during the battle to stop Ronan the Accuser from acquiring The Power Stone, Groot is the spitting image of his father. Still an adolescent by the standards of his people, Groot just recently entered his surly teen years and is making life a merry hell for his foster family the Guardians.

Despite seemingly only being able to articulate three words - the phrase “I am Groot” - Groot is capable of making his meaning clear, at least to those who know his language. Groot is no dummy. He is, however, easily bored (like most teenagers) and has a hard time working up enthusiasm for things that don’t interest him. Still, when push comes to shove, Groot can be counted on to lend a hand - or a limb, in his case - when the fate of the universe is at stake.

Groot may not be the best fighter among the assembled Marvel heroes in Infinity War, but he is among the most durable, even ignoring his fantastic recuperative abilities.

He managed to handle white-hot metal fresh form a star-heated forged and gave up his arm to give Thor’s new axe Stormbreaker a worthy handle. We also saw him handling multiple combatants with ease during the Battle of Wakanda.

16. Gamora

One of the many so-called Children of Thanos - orphans of worlds attacked by The Mad Titan, whom Thanos raised as his own - Gamora is probably the nearest and dearest to Thanos’ heart. He personally trained Gamora to be his prize assassin, augmenting her already impressive physiology with advanced technology that enhanced her strength, speed, and endurance. He also gave Gamora a healing factor that allowed her to recover quickly from nearly any injury.

Gamora made a break for freedom when she was turned loose to track the Infinity Stones for her adoptive father. This led to her joining the Guardians of the Galaxy and making a family of her own among the other misfits who helped save the Power Stone from Ronan The Accuser.

Gamora is easily the most capable warrior among the Guardians, both as a straight-up fighter and as an assassin. She’s mastered a wide variety of fighting techniques and is a fantastic strategist.

If she were fighting anyone but Thanos in a one-on-one, up-close fight she’d be nearly unbeatable.

When push came to shove, she did prove herself capable of ending the man who had raised her, given the chance to get the drop on him. The fact that this occurred in a false reality created by Thanos does not diminish that accomplishment. Unfortunately, while she’s physically capable, Gamora lacks the mental fortitude that other heroes have and we’ve seen her falter when faced with multiple foes.

15. Black Widow

A Russian spy who defected to SHIELD, Natasha Romanov is one of the most dangerous women on Earth. A master of martial arts and covert-ops, she is better known by the name she earned as an assassin - the Black Widow.

Natasha’s performance in this movie was truly surprising. She’s a fantastic spy but that doesn’t always translate to amazing fighting skills when it comes to facing multiple opponents on a battlefield. To use a Dungeons & Dragons themed analogy, Natasha is a rogue/assassin - not a fighter.

Presumably she’s been spending the last few years upgrading her fighting skills while in hiding. We don’t know if she’s been sparring with the Dora Milaje in Wakanda but the results of the training speak for themselves.

Natasha’s best moment in the movie comes when she, Steve Rogers, and Sam Wilson are able to stave off Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight in their efforts totake out The Vision and Scarlet Witch. Though the movie never gives us any background for these two Children of Thanos, the comics describe them as having enhanced strength, speed and durability as well as being masters of hand-to-hand combat.

Given that, it’s fairly impressive that three non-powered humans could hold their own, much less drive them back! We do have to dock Natasha points, however, for how she almost got taken out when facing Proxima Midnight in a two-on-one match later on in the movie.

14. Okoye

General of the Dora Milaje, leader of Wakanda’s armed forces and intelligence division, and personal bodyguard to King T’Challa himself, Okoye is perhaps the most formidable non-enhanced warrior among all of Earth’s champions.

Though she has mastered the art of war and numerous weapons, she prefers the traditional weapons of her people, though augmented by the Vibranium that has made Wakanda into a technological powerhouse. Her sonic spear is a formidable weapon on its own. In the hands of one who has mastered it, as Okoye has, it is deadly.

When Black Widow and Okoye stared each other down in Civil War, T’Challa said it would be “entertaining” to watch the two of them fight. We never do get to see them spar in Infinity War, but the two do team up to take on Proxima Midnight during The Battle of Wakanda. Based on that, we’ve given Okoye a slightly higher placement, since she never wound up in a position where she was in danger of being on the receiving end of a killing blow.

Ignoring that, Okoye is quite the warrior. We suspect she might not need the advantages offered by her weapon of choice. We also don’t know for certain that the traditional armor of the Dora Milaje sports the same sort of enhancements as the Vibranium microweave that makes up the Panther Habit, but it seems a safe bet that Wakanda’s elite guard would have some kind of enhanced armor.

13. Corvus Glaive

In the comics, Corvus Glaive was one of Thanos’ Black Order. His brother was also part of the order, as was his wife, Proxima Midnight. Glaive was a fearsome warrior and master tactician, acting as Thanos’ chief general during the Infinity storyline. He possessed strength, speed and endurance far beyond those of an ordinary human.

What truly made Corvus Glaive a threat, however, was the fact that his life force had been tied to the weapon from which he took his name. So long as his signature glaive remained unbroken, he could not truly lose his life. The exact metallic composition of the glaive remains unknown, but it was sharp enough to split atoms and cut the skin of The Hulk.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Corvus Glaive seems far weaker, from what little we see of him in action.

This version of the character seems more dependent on sneak attacks, ambushing the Vision and Scarlet Witch in Scotland and later sneaking into the operating theater where Shuri was attempting to remove the Mind Stone from Vision’s body.

Still, his signature weapon was capable of penetrating Vision’s Vibranium-infused skin and disrupting the energy blasts of Shuri’s Vibranium gauntlets. He was capable of fighting multiple opponents with ease, yet still suffered a wound during the battle with Captain America, Black Widow, and the Falcon.

12. Proxima Midnight

A member of Thanos’ Black Order in the comics, Proxima Midnight was considered to be the most sadistic of the Mad Titan’s followers. A master of the spear, she fought with a weapon forged by Thanos himself, which was made from the heart of a sun trapped in a time distortion, causing it to act like a star, supernova, and black hole simultaneously. This, coupled with her enhanced physiology and intensive training, made her into a most formidable warrior, capable of harming The Hulk!

We see nothing in Avengers: Infinity War to indicate yhe Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Proxima Midnight is that powerful.

We don’t get any background for her or her spear, but she still comes off as the most impressive of the Children of Thanos.

She was able to engage Wanda Maximoff armed with only her signature spear and later managed to fight Captain America, The Falcon, and Black Widow without being wounded - something Corvus Glaive could not manage!

Later, we see her taking on Black Widow and Okoye simultaneously and holding her own during the Battle of Wakanda. Had it not been for the intervention of Wanda Maximoff, Proxima Midnight might have taken out Black Widow. Unfortunately, her nigh-invulnerability wasn’t enough to save her from being ground up by the spinning blades of one of Thanos’ war machines.

11. Bruce Banner

Under normal circumstances The Hulk would hold a higher place on this list. After all, to quote the not-so-jolly green giant himself, “Hulk is the strongest one there is!” The circumstances in Avengers: Infinity War are far from normal, however, and it takes more than strength to make someone a great fighter.

Bruce spends most of the movie trying (and failing) to awaken The Hulk, who refuses to come out to play after his humiliating defeat at the hands of a Power Stone enhanced Thanos in the opening scene on the Asgardian ship. His piloting Iron Man’s Hulk Buster Suit (AKA Iron Man Mark XLIV) almost seems to have been an afterthought - a way to keep him out of trouble and allow him to feel like he is contributing during the Battle of Wakanda.

The amazing thing is that Bruce proves to be pretty darned effective at piloting Tony’s spare suit.

He’s able to facing multiple Outriders at a time in close quarters combat, despite his own apparent lack of fighting skill. He also managed to take out one of the Children of Thanos, with his severed arm taking Cull Obsidian on what turned out to be a fatal ride against the inside of Wakanda’s country-spanning energy shield. That does a lot to make up for Bruce’s performance issues when it comes to his alter ego.

10. War Machine

James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes befriended Tony Stark when they were both studying at MIT. The trust between them was such that the two remained close, even after Tony followed in his father’s footsteps and took over his dad’s company while Rhodey joined the United States Air Force. Earning the rank of Colonel, Rhodey would go on to serve as the military liaison between Stark Industries and the Department of Acquisitions. He would also become the first person whom Tony would trust with an armored suit of their own, taking up the name War Machine.

Rhodey doesn’t get nearly enough credit and not just because of the countless time he’s saved Tony Stark’s life in the comics and on-screen. While he’s usually content to follow Tony’s lead and let his flashier friend hog the spotlight, War Machine is a formidable fighter and tactician.

While we don’t get to see much of Rhodey in action during Avengers: Infinity War, what we do see is impressive.

When a small gap is opened in the energy shield protecting Wakanda, War Machine virtually holds the line by himself until the Wakandan infantry can run in to repel the Outriders as they swarm in through the opening. It’s an impressive display of firepower which shows how Rhodey earned his name.

9. Nebula

There are few who hate Thanos with the intensity of Nebula. Raised alongside Gamora, she and her adopted sister would be forced to fight by their foster father. When Nebula inevitably lost, Thanos would have part of her body replaced with cybernetics, so that she might be the equal of Gamora next time. This caused Nebula to go mad, as she slowly became more machine than organic in nature. It also caused her to develop an intense hatred of Gamora, though she was able to put that aside to focus on destroying Thanos.

Nebula earned her high ranking on this list for three simple reasons. The first is that, by Thanos’ own admission, she did nearly manage to end him, albeit off-camera. The second is that once she finally caught up to Thanos on Titan, she was able to get in a few hits on him when he had the power of four of the Infinity Stones.

The third is that she was still able to maintain her grip on reality (such as it was) after being virtually bisected alive and undergoing intensive pain for an unspecified length of time between whenever she tried to take out Thanos and whenever Gamora first saw what had become of her sister.

Given that this could have been as long as a year (relative to the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), that’s an impressive feat given what we’ve seen Thanos and his other Children accomplish.

8. Spider-Man

Some might be surprised to see our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ranked so highly. After all, Peter Parker is probably the most inexperienced of all the heroes to fight in the Infinity War. What Spidey lacks in training, however, he makes up for in pure grit. Peter Parker’s most defining trait in the comics, when being written correctly, is that he never gives up, no matter how bad the odds are stacked against him. That spirit is captured perfectly in Infinity War.

Peter also proves himself to be a surprisingly brilliant tactician. He may not have read Sun Tzu but he’s seen a lot of movies and is incredibly creative when it comes to adapting things he’s seen done on the big screen and applying them in the real world.

It was his plan that took down Ebony Maw, who had previously thrown around Iron Man and Doctor Strange with little effort.

Peter probably also saved the single largest number of lives out of any one character in the movie, having kept Doctor Strange from being sucked out into the vacuum of space and saving all the Guardians of the Galaxy on Titan from being splattered on the ground after Thanos’ attack sent them flying.

Spidey also gets in a few good licks on Thanos during the battle on Titan, at a point when Thanos had the power of four Infinity Stones backing his already considerable power. Add all that up and you have a truly impressive fighter.

7. Black Panther

King T’Challa of Wakanda has a number of advantages that make him one of the greatest fighters in The Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is at the peak of physical perfection; his body honed through continual training. He is a master of multiple martial arts and disciplines.

His already impressive physique is further enhanced by the Heart-Shaped Herb - a plant found only in Wakanda that gives those who partake of it strength, speed and endurance on par with the enhanced physicality granted by the Super-Soldier formula. The Heart-Shaped Herb also enhances the senses, granting perfect night vision, enhanced hearing and a sense of smell so strong one can track by scent like a bloodhound.

T’Challa is more than a good body, however - he has a genius intellect and a brilliant tactical mind to match! Coupled with the armor designed by his sister, Shuri, his traditional Vibranium weapons and all the resources that the most technologically advanced nation on Earth has to offer and there is little T’Challa cannot overcome with sufficient warning and time to plan.

T’Challa acquits himself quite well in Infinity War, leading the charge against the Outriders in the Battle of Wakanda, with only Captain America managing to keep pace with him as he runs into the field of battle.

We see him tackle multiple opponents at once, cutting his way through opponents as only a true warrior king could.

6. Captain America

It was speculated by some that Steve Rogers would take up the name of Nomad in Avengers: Infinity War, mirroring a time in the comics when he abandoned the Captain America title. While this didn’t come to pass, and his allies still call him Cap despite his having donned a new, darker costume, it’s clear that the time away from the country he loves has taken a toll on Steve Rogers and he’s been forever changed. Despite this, he’s still the finest soldier in history.

Armed with a loaner shield from Black Panther, Steve Rogers manages to hold his own and then some. While teamed with Black Widow and The Falcon, he is able to fight two of the Children of Thanos - Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight - and send them running. Later, during the Battle of Wakanda, he’s leading the charge against yhe Outriders, keeping pace with Black Panther.

Steve’s proudest moment comes later, when he manages to hold his own against Thanos as The Mad Titan is advancing on a downed Vision.

Though it is a brief moment, Captain America pushes Thanos back at a time when he’s backed by the power of five Infinity Stones.

While it doesn’t seem like Thanos is using the full measure of his power at that moment, it’s still an impressive feat.

5. Doctor Strange

A Master of the Mystic Arts and self-described “defender of reality”, Doctor Stephen Strange took to magic like a duck to water after a lengthy life of leisure as a hot-shot surgeon. A car accident and career-ending injuries to his hands taught Strange a measure of humility and set him on the path to a larger and weirder world than he’d ever imagined.

Despite having only been a practicing magician for a relatively short time, Doctor Strange has thrown himself into the role of Sorcerer Supreme wholeheartedly. He has mastered a surprising number of complex spells and has access to a number of mystical artifacts, including The Cloak of Levitation and The Eye of Agamotto. The later of these houses the Infinity Stone of Time, which allows Doctor Strange the power to alter the flow of time and to see both the future and the past with equal clarity.

Strange’s most impressive feat comes during the battle on Titan, where he single-handedly faced Thanos when The Mad Titan was empowered by the Infinity Stones of Soul, Reality, Power and Space.

Refusing to draw upon the Time Stone in his possession (presumably having seen that it would not help him in the over 14 million battles he watched play out before the fighting started in earnest), Doctor Strange did a credible job of standing up to Thanos for a short time.

4. Iron Man

Tony Stark, AKA The Invincible Iron Man, may be a mere mortal, but underestimate him at your own peril. While he may play the buffoon and the braggart at times, Tony’s “too cool” public persona masks a keen tactical mind and a heart of gold. Though he may deny his true feelings for his allies in the Avengers under a veneer of jokes, the truth of the matter is that Tony Stark admires and respects his fellow heroes and will do anything he can to protect them and the world.

Avengers: Infinity War sees Tony unveil his latest Iron Man suit - The Mark L. Based entirely around nanotechnology, The Mark L suit is capable of growing itself around Tony instantly, much like the Panther’s Habit utilized by Black Panther. The Mark L is also self-repairing, capable of reshaping itself into whatever weapons Tony might need in any given situation. This is in addition to all the considerable abilities Tony’s earlier costumed offered, such as flight, repulsor rays and force fields.

Armed with this new suit, Tony proves himself to be nearly the equal of Thanos when he was armed with four of the six Infinity Stones.

Like Doctor Strange, Iron Man was able to face Thanos in a one-on-one fight. Unlike Doctor Strange, Tony Stark managed to make Thanos bleed. A small victory, to be sure, but still an accomplishment no one else equaled when Thanos was operating at that level of power.

3. Scarlet Witch

One of two twins who was experimented on by HYDRA in a bid to create their own super-humans, Wanda Maximoff found herself cursed with strange abilities that defied explanation as well as control. A powerful telekinetic, telepath and energy manipulator, she was almost able to single-handedly take down The Avengers when she and her brother, Pietro, were set against them by Ultron. She later joined the team in the wake of her brother’s passing, hitting it off with The Vision before being forced into hiding overseas following the events of Civil War.

At first glance, Wanda doesn’t seem to be much of a fighter. She’s easily defeated by Proxima Midnight in a one-on-one fight, despite her considerable powers. She’s also easily flustered and doesn’t handle surprises well.

Give her a chance to find her footing, and the Scarlet Witch is potentially the most powerful and dangerous Avenger of them all.

When the Battle of Wakanda began in earnest, Wanda proved her worth and then some. She flipped several of Thanos’ war machines away from the Wakandan military. She saved Black Widow from being destroyed by Proxima Midnight. Most impressively, she managed to hold back Thanos while he was empowered by five Infinity Stones while simultaneously unleashing and focusing enough energy with her other hand to destroy the Mind Stone!

As Okoye said, “Why wasn’t she down here the whole time?!”

2. Thanos

While the Thanos of the Marvel Cinematic Universe seeks The Infinity Stones for slightly different reasons than his comic book counterpart, he has proven himself to be as effective and enigmatic a villain as the original Mad Titan.

Rather than seeking to literally court Death (the physical, feminine manifestation of mortality, at least) by delivering as many souls to her as possible, this Thanos sees mass extinction as the greatest possible good when it comes to ending the dangers posed by overpopulation on a universal scale. When his efforts to halve the populations of whole worlds one at a time prove inefficient, he seeks the Infinity Stones so he can use their power to destroy half the population of the universe with a single thought and a snap of his fingers.

Even before he starts to acquire the Infinity Stones, Thanos proves himself a formidable foe. Though he leaves most of the heavy lifting to his children, Thanos can throw down when he needs to. With only the Power Stone, he is able to throw around The Hulk with a minimal effort. With four Stones he is able to face both Iron Man and Doctor Strange in separate duels.

What truly makes Thanos dangerous, however, is his single-minded resolve to see his twisted goal accomplished.

1. Thor

All-Father. Last of the Asgardians. Odinson. The God of Thunder. Call him what you will, but there was no doubt who would wind up topping this list of the most powerful fighters among all those who fought in Avengers: Infinity War.

Thor could top this list through sheer durability alone. Over the course of the movie, he survives being beaten by Thanos, a starship explosion, and the raw vacuum of space. Then, in order to build a weapon capable of matching Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, he has to expose himself to the concentrated heat of a star in order to restart the biggest forge in reality!

Once Thor is armed with his new axe, Stormbreaker, the game changes entirely. A formidable weapon on its own terms, Stormbreaker also gives Thor the power to teleport across vast distances by summoning the Bifrost. It also has the same abilities as Thor’s former weapon Mjolnir, focusing Thor’s ability to summon lightning The weapon can also be thrown and summoned to Thor’s hand with a thought, allowing him to cut down multiple enemies at once.

Thor is so powerful that Thanos freely admits that Thor might have ended him even after he had all six Infinity Stones.

If only Thor had gone for the head shot instead of the chest…

Who’s your favorite fighter in Avengers: Infinity War? Let us know in the comments!

  • The Avengers 4 Release Date: 2019-04-26