Odin and Thanos are two incredibly powerful Marvel characters fighting on opposite sides. They have unique skills and abilities, but their powers superseded almost anybody else in the universe. So, judging by their Marvel Cinematic Universe versions, who would win a fight between Thanos and Odin, and why?
Without the Infinity Gauntlet, Odin easily beats Thanos with his superior powers. Although the MCU version is old Odin and didn’t showcase all his might, Odin is on a much higher power level than the Mad Titan. If Thanos has the Gauntlet, though, things change in his favor.
Odin fought and defeated threats way more powerful than Thanos. Don’t get me wrong, Thanos is an extremely powerful enemy for anybody, having enhanced his Titan Eternal physiology his entire life. But, Odin is the All-Father; his battles shattered galaxies and cosmic beings beyond imagination. Keep reading to see what their powers are and who would eventually win.
Odin and His Powers
Odin Borson, known as the All-Father, and former King of Asgard, first appeared in Journey into Mystery #85 in 1962. Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby took inspiration from Norse mythology to create the powerful character based on the god Odin.
His powers are incredibly powerful, although MCU fans didn’t have a chance to see him in full power since he’s already older and doesn’t regularly fight anymore. However, he’s still an incredibly formidable opponent for Thanos – even stronger than him if it’s a one-on-one fight.
Asgardian Physiology
Odin is a god, and the King of Asgard, so he has Asgardian physiology, only furthermore enhanced. He has incredible superhuman strength, stamina, speed, reflexes, and agility. He also has extreme durability – almost to the point where he can’t be physically harmed, just like Thanos. The All-Father ages very slowly, too, living for thousands of years.
His powers superseded all other Asgardians, even the mightiest ones like Thor and Hela. He almost single-handedly defeated the almighty Surtur and took away his Eternal Flame.
Odin also has amazing healing powers, although not as strong as some other Marvel characters. He can quickly heal from injury, but he can’t regrow organs (hence, his lost eye).
Odinforce
The incredibly powerful Odinforce is the thing that makes the All-Father such an incredibly mighty adversary. He can easily generate and manipulate his own life force, transmuting it into magical and cosmic energy and using that energy in many ways.
He can take away others’ powers with a whisper – as he did with Thor. Summoning the Bifrost and traveling through the galaxy on a whim is nothing for Odin, even without special enhancements and Infinity Stones that Thanos needs.
His magical powers are almost limitless, but his battle skills and experience conquering entire galaxies cannot be disregarded as well. Odin would crush Thanos if they ever collided in a hand-to-hand battle.
Genius-level Intellect
What we humans consider genius-level intellect, the Asgardians consider just regular intelligence. However, Odin is a genius even by Asgardian standards. And, he knows how to use his wits in battle – the All-Father is a masterful tactician, ad despite fighting and leading his armies for thousands of years, he rarely ever lost a battle.
His spellcasting knowledge and overall intelligence put him over even Thanos, who is a brilliant Eternal. His intellect also enables him to react quickly against almost anybody, including Hela, Surtur, the Frost Giants, and many others.
Thanos and His Powers
Thanos is an Eternal from Titan but has the Deviant syndrome, making him very powerful and durable. His first appearance came in The Invincible Iron Man #55 back in 1973.
The Mad Titan is a warlord who felt rejected his entire life, so he devoted himself to becoming as powerful as possible through training, learning, bionic enhancements, mystical artifacts, and any other way imaginable. It made him the strongest Eternal in existence, and one of the mightiest beings in the universe, even without the Infinity Stones.
His end goal is to “tip the scales of the universe back to balance.” Thanos believes that the universe is overpopulated and needs correction, so he wants to collect all six Infinity Stones and simply wipe half of all life from existence. The scary part is that he’s powerful enough to do it – let’s see what abilities grant him so.
Enhanced Eternal Physiology
As I mentioned, Thanos is an Eternal, a being created by the Celestials themselves – a race of primordial cosmic beings responsible for creating the multiverse itself. However, he’s much more powerful than other Eternals.
First, the Deviant syndrome makes him extremely strong and physically durable but stumpy and weirdly built. That made him feel rejected, so he spent his life becoming more powerful to prove his worth and rule the universe.
Eternals, in general, have superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and agility. However, with Thanos’ research and body enhancements, he became as strong – if not stronger – as the Hulk and virtually immune to any physical damage. He also has strong mental powers in terms of telepathy resistance.
Thanos can also project plasma energy, making him dangerous in long-range combat as well.
Genius-level Intellect
Just like Odin, Thanos is much more intelligent than even the most intelligent human beings ever. He used that intelligence to study and enhance his powers, whether with bionic enhancements or magical artifacts.
Also, he’s a masterful tactician and combatant, which he often displays in battle despite having an entire intergalactic army to do the dirty work for him – he just loves the battlefield. It’s incredibly hard to outsmart him.
Mystical Artifacts & Weapons
Without any weapon in his hands, Thanos is still a major threat to anybody. However, he doesn’t go into battle empty-handed. He has access to a huge number of powerful mystical artifacts you could think of, including weapons.
For instance, he used the Cosmic Cube to conquer planets before ever having the Infinity Gauntlet – his cream of the crop. The Infinity Gauntlet is a device capable of harnessing the power of all six Infinity Stones at once.
When Thanos has the full gauntlet, nobody can stop him – not even Odin because the Mad Titan has complete control over the universe’s entire existence. He could destroy it all with a snap of his fingers, including Odin, Asgard, and everything in it.
Odin Vs. Thanos: Who Would Win, and Why?
In a situation where Thanos doesn’t have the Infinity Gauntlet, and he and Odin square off using only their individual powers, Odin would crush Thanos easily. Although it might not seem like it in the movies, as Odin is already old and weaker than before, he could still summon the Odinforce and easily defeat the Mad Titan.
Odin defeated Hela, Surtur, and many other beings that would smash Thanos like a bug. Although powerful, Thanos isn’t even on Hela’s level, let alone Odin. I’m focusing on the MCU here, but they fought in the comics as well, and Odin didn’t even try that hard, easily fending off Thanos’ attacks and defeating him in battle.
However, if Thanos has the Infinity Gauntlet, there’s nothing Odin can do to defeat him. Thanos can alter time, space, power, and reality in a heartbeat. He snaps his fingers, and half the universe disappears. You can’t compete with that, no matter how powerful you are.
Therefore, if Odin is himself battling Thanos without the Infinity Gauntlet, he wins the fight comfortably. He might not kill Thanos, but he’d certainly incapacitate him. If the Stones are in play, then the Mad Titan beats Odin and anybody in the universe.
