Surprisingly, Thanos Does not Hold the Highest Kill Count in the MCU

Recently, we talked about Iron Man’s kill count, which is likely the highest among Avengers in the MCU. However, even Tony Stark’s significant tally pales in comparison to Thanos’ snap, which wiped out half of all life in the universe.

While this staggering number is almost impossible to grasp, it’s surprising to learn that it isn’t the highest kill count in the MCU. And no, we’re not referring to the fact that the snap was eventually reversed; Thanos’ total doesn’t even come close to the top.

Thanos’ snap wiped out half of all living things in the universe, covering nearly every form of life. But what if you were to erase the entire universe, including everything within it? After ‘Endgame’ and the advent of the Multiversal Saga, the MCU has introduced the concept of a Multiverse, featuring characters like Kang the Conqueror and his variants, who have been dismantling countless timelines and parallel universes.

In the 31st century, scientist Victor Timely discovered the Multiverse and facilitated interactions among alternate versions of himself, leading to a brief period of peace and knowledge exchange. He also created an AI named Miss Minutes, which he never granted a physical form. However, some of his variants, such as Kang the Conqueror, sought to dominate these alternate universes, igniting a Multiversal War.

During the conflict, Timely’s Variant, Ravonna Renslayer, commanded his forces. Timely eventually harnessed the power of a creature named Alioth, born from space-time rifts, to defeat his Variants and bring the war to an end. He took on the name He Who Remains and created the modern TVA to oversee the Multiverse with strict control.

To maintain peace among the variants, He Who Remains decided to “terminate” any timelines that could spawn evil variants. He eliminated all timelines that could lead to another Multiversal War, establishing the Sacred Timeline as the definitive baseline for the Multiverse.

He Who Remains isolated a series of timelines that followed a specific pattern, labeling them the Sacred Timeline. He implemented strict rules to ensure all branches conformed to this pattern, pruning any that deviated. He also created the Temporal Loom, a device designed to manage and erase any branched timelines that were not pruned in time, serving as a safeguard to preserve the Sacred Timeline’s integrity.

While the exact number is unknown, it is clear that He Who Remains destroyed countless realities and universes. This goes beyond complex mathematics into a realm that is nearly inconceivable for human comprehension, entering the domain of philosophical contemplation.

The situation becomes even more dire when considering the potential that was destroyed. While one might argue that being killed is worse than never existing at all, He Who Remains didn’t just “prune” living beings—he also eliminated potential futures.

We won’t delve into the morality of his actions, but it’s clear that He Who Remains (and his variants) are the most lethal characters in the MCU, far surpassing the impact of Thanos.

What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!