15 Most Religious Superheroes (Ranked)

In the world of comic books, religion doesn’t usually play a large role, which is somewhat natural as there are different kinds of creatures and characters that directly contradict traditional religious view. Just imagine a heated debate between a devout Christian superhero and, for example, Wonder Woman, a character whose mere existence disproves Christian beliefs; or, imagine, once again, a Christian debating the mysteries of the world with, let us say, Mister Mxyzptlk. These are just some examples where traditional religion wouldn’t make sense, at least when in-universe situations are concerned.

Still, despite that, there are a lot of characters that are obviously and devoutly religions in the world of comic books. Some of them are villains, some antiheroes, and some superheroes. In this article, we have decided to bring you a list of the 15 most religious superheroes (and antiheroes) in the world of comic books. Enjoy!

15. Connor Hawke (Green Arrow)

Religion: Buddhism

Now, we started our list with Oliver Queen’s son, Connor Hawke, who, at one point, replaced his father as the Green Arrow. Connor Hawke was raised in an American-based Buddhist monastery and he even became a monk at one point. Although he did pick a civilian life for himself eventually, he remained a devout Buddhist and he constantly embodied Buddhist teachings in his actions.

14. Captain Canuck

Religion: Mormonism

Canada’s own version of Captain America, called Captain Canuck, was created to be a devout Mormon, as far as we understand, although the comics were never completely clear on that issue. This creator was a devout Mormon and Captain Canuck does utter Mormon-like prayers and it does seem like the denomination’s values are present in the stories, but the main issue with him is that it was never explicitly confirmed. Still, it’s enough for our list.

13. Black Panther

Religion: Panther Cult

As the ruler of Wakanda, T’Challa is at the same time the head of Wakanda’s mysterious, never-defined religion. We don’t know much about it, but seeing how this reminds us of the role of the Emperor in Ancient Rome, who was also the High Priest (pontifex maximus), we are certain that Black Panther had to land a spot on our list.

12. Kitty Pryde

Religion: Judaism

Kitty Pride is Jewish, as was confirmed in the comics. Unlike some other characters, whose religious views were revealed decades after their debuts, Kitty Pryde’s Jewish heritage was quite obvious from the start. She wears religious symbols with her and some stories were focused on her heritage and the fact that she is a descendant of Holocaust survivors, just like Magneto. That’s good enough for us.

11. Dust

Religion: Islam

Dust is a great example of a Muslim superhero. Her robes reveal her religious beliefs and although she is – mostly – a supporting character, which means that we don’t actually see a lot of her, so we don’t know how much she practices her religion, but she certainly does deserve a spot on our list.

10. Black Lightning

Religion: Baptist

Black Lightning is a really great Baptist. He was created as a devout Baptist, a member of one of the most important historically black religious bodies in America, the American Baptist Churches USA (the so-called “Northern Baptist Convention”). His religious views were depicted less regularly as time passed, but he can still be considered too important to not be on our list.

9. Captain America

Religion: Christianity (possibly Protestantism)

Steve Rogers is the embodiment of traditional American values and he is, thus, a devout Christian. Although the comics never really stressed that thing out, we know that he is religious and that his Christian faith plays a large role in his life. He might not be a fully practicing Christian, but he certainly deserves a spot here.

8. Moon Knight

Religion: Judaism

This troubled superhero from Marvel’s universe has a very interesting story. Despite the fact that his Jewish faith was revealed sometime after his debut, he has still become important enough to land a spot on our list. The irony of his character is that he, as a Jew, was chosen by an Egyptian god to become Moon Knight, which is one of those beautiful ironies present in comic books, and a reason why we love them so much.

7. The Thing

Religion: Judaism

Despite being present since the early days of modern superhero comic books, The Thing was revealed to be Jewish long after his debut. A series of flashbacks revealed his Jewish upbringing and in later stories, he could often be seen reading the Torah in a synagogue. He also had a Bar Mitzvah! Surely this is enough for him to land a spot on our list.

6. Wonder Woman

Religion: Ancient Greek polytheism

Now, Wonder Woman basically is the embodiment of her own religion. Sure, she doesn’t really sacrifice goats to Zeus, but she is his daughter (or was given life by him, depending on the story) and is thus a living proof of her own religion. She might not practice it on a daily basis, but since she is her own religion, we placed her so high on the list.

5. Ghost Rider

Religion: Christianity (probably?)

As far as Ghost Rider is concerned, he probably has the best story to tell of the whole lot. Johnny Blaze became, thanks to Mephisto, Satan’s pet and somewhat of an “ambassador” of Hell. Still, he is not a Satanist and he doesn’t really worship his master. He constantly asks God for forgiveness and even his most dangerous weapon faces his opponents with their sins, which is in accordance with Christian principles.

4. Huntress

Religion: Catholicism

Now, Huntress could be better classified as an antiheroine, but based on the context – it’s enough. She is a Catholic, which has sense considering her heritage. She usually carries a cross with her and even her costume has a cross-shaped pattern/thingy on it. Honestly? That’s enough for us to list her here.

3. Nightcrawler

Religion: Catholicism

Unlike other mutants, Nightcrawler is devoutly Catholic. The German Kurt Wagner was a highly religious man and even after realizing his true nature, he never really lost faith. He acts according to Catholic principles and practicing religion is a very important part of his personality, which is why we put him on our list.

2. Azrael

Religion: Sacred Order of Saint Dumas

Now, this guy can get pretty weird, based on which iteration you encounter. He actually comes in forms spanning from supervillain to superhero, so good luck with finding the right one. What is characteristic of Azrael, though, is his blind devotion to the religious cult called the Sacred Order of Saint Dumas, which caused a lot of trouble for Batman from time to time. But, as long as his beliefs remain firm, that’s enough for us.

1. Daredevil

Religion: Catholicism

Daredevil is probably the most religious superhero on the list. His mother is a nun, he often confesses to a priest and he constantly prays for forgiveness around a cross. Daredevil is a superhero with strong principles, and his devout religion is certainly one of these principles, which he often demonstrates, and that is the reason why he landed to high up on our list.