What does it mean to be worthy? The question of who can and cannot wield Thor’s hammer has been a major question for years. As Marvel’s shown us—not everyone is capable, which makes sense due to the incantation that grants Thor's power if they can pick the hammer up.
In theory, all superheroes should be capable of picking this hammer up—but we’ve seen tons of them fail, particularly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So being heroic or having a good heart isn’t good enough. It takes not only a desire for battle, but the wisdom to know when to stay one’s hand. It takes the knowledge of when to be humble in combat and the kindness to know when to use one’s strength to protect. Here's 10 anime character who may be able to lift the fated hammer.
10 Goku
With the multiple comparisons between Goku and Superman over the years, it might be easy to believe that Goku could lift Mjolnir, same as we’ve seen Superman do over the years. Goku isn’t really a “hero,” as we’ve seen in the English dub. More often than not, he rushes into combat with someone purely because he wants to be tested in battleーbut perhaps the hammer may wavering on deciding if he is worthy or not.
9 Shazam
Billy Batson was already considered worthy of being bestowed with the power of seven gods already. The entire point of Billy Batson is that he was able to resist any temptation and prove worthy of being the champion of the gods. The moment he became Captain Marvel was the moment he became worthy of lifting the hammer. People often don't understand all of the powers he wields, but as someone who has the heart of a champion, he would be a worthy wielder of Thor's power.
8 All Might
All Might is basically just Golden Age Superman. He’s the Symbol of Peace. He’s willing to put his life first to protect his comrades—he doesn’t seek battle, but we’ve never seen him shy away from it even once if it meant saving lives. For him, lifting Mjolnir wouldn’t be nearly the trouble that it would be for people who are vastly more powerful than him.
7 Erza
This feels like a strange entry here, but of the Fairy Tail universe, there’s really no one better than Erza Scarlet. She’s known as Titania because of her role as the Queen of Fairies. She believes in justice and standing up for both her friends or anyone that can’t defend themselves. She also has the quality in her that makes her a leader. We’ve seen her go into battle when a situation is hopeless and still emerge with a victory.
6 Naruto
Naruto’s entire journey is to become someone who respects enough to trust in leading the Hidden Leaf. When the series starts, he certainly doesn’t qualify. As there’s so much, he doesn’t understand.
But after going through the Ninja War and spending years training and honing his craft, he eventually becomes worthy of becoming the Hokage. And in doing so, he’s also worthy of wielding Mjolnir—because his own way of leading and caring for those around him makes him a perfect candidate.
5 Wonder Woman
Well, this is simply a point of fact. Wonder Woman not only can wield Mjolnir, she already has. In the Marvel vs. DC crossover, Thor wound up losing Mjolnir, and Diana found the hammer. She not only picked the hammer up, but she was transformed and granted the power of Thor. This made her all the more powerful, but she felt it was unfair to face Storm that way and ended up losing. No, this doesn’t make sense, but a fan vote decided the outcome, and Storm was more popular than Wonder Woman.
4 Green Lantern
The Green Lantern ring already requires someone to overcome great fear, something that any warrior must have if they intend to go into battle. It feels like the qualifications to become Green Lantern line up rather well with lifting Mjolnir. But Hal Jordan has the same arrogant streak that a younger Thor had, so he likely wouldn’t be able to lift the hammer. But someone like Kyle Rayner or John Stewart knows what it is to be humble yet also worthy? They likely wouldn’t have the same problem.
3 He-Man
There’s an obvious connection between Thor and He-Man in the first place. Both wield a weapon that grants immense power to its user, though in Prince Adam’s case, everything seems to indicate that anyone could wield the Power Sword, which is why Adam fights too hard to keep the weapon out of Skeletor’s hands. But in battling so valiantly against Skeletor, Adam proves he has what it takes to use Mjolnir as well as his own blade.
2 Kamijou Touma
This one is kind of a cheat. Kamijou Touma likely isn't someone that could be considered worthy. He's the protagonist of the A Certain Magical Index series and is considered a Level 0 ESPer in Academy City. That means he shouldn't be considered powerful at all, and he's often underestimated for that reason.
However, the special ability Imagine Breaker is an ability that allows him to negate the magic of any person, regardless of how powerful that magic is. The spell that keeps Thor's hammer from being used by anyone else would be broken down, allowing Touma to have access to it, though he wouldn't gain any additional power.
1 Aang
The younger version of Aang likely wouldn’t stand a chance at picking Mjolnir up. He’s far too playful, and it takes him a long time before he understands what it truly means to be an Avatar in the world where the Fire Nation has chosen to take over everything and everyone. But three seasons of being shown the world cause him to grow enormously. His battle with Firelord Ozai shows the fearlessness necessary of a warrior and the kindness and desire for peace over vengeance. Certainly, the adult Aang would be capable of lifting the hammer, giving him even greater control over the elements.