As the first Avenger, Captain America has been an iconic figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Phase One. After his retirement in Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers passed his shield onto his friend, Sam Wilson. But every great legacy comes with a burden, and it's this story that Disney+ series The Falcon And the Winter Soldier is meant to tell.

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In the show, Sam and his reluctant partner, Bucky, have to face the Flag-Smashers, a group of super-soldiers just as strong and dangerous as Steve. Bucky has to struggle with the weight of his past, whereas Sam isn't completely comfortable with the idea of becoming the new Captain America. Throughout their journey, it becomes obvious that strength is more than just an objective concept, just like Captain America is more than just a super-soldier.

10 Battlestar Is An Expert Combatant But Can't Quite Match Super-Soldiers

Battlestar talks to Bucky and Sam

After Sam Wilson decides to decline the position of Captain America, the US government passes it on to John Walker, the former U.S. Army's 75th Rangers Regiment's Captain.

John Walker's partner, Lemar Hoskins—also known as Battlestar—supports his best friend through his ascension. An expert combatant and an experienced soldier, he's nevertheless outmatched while fighting the Flag-Smashers and dies in the line of duty.

9 Isaiah Bradley Is An Aged Super-Soldier Who's Preserved Much Of His Strength

Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

After Steve Rogers crashes into the ice and is presumed dead, the US government attempts to replicate the serum by using African-American test subjects. Isaiah Bradley is one of them and among the few successes. For the most part, the serum makes test subjects sick and incapable of performing their tasks, so much so that the unit is captured by enemy forces.

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Knowing the government intends to bomb the POW camp to destroy the evidence, Isaiah frees his fellow soldiers. He later confronts the Winter Soldier during the Korean War and heavily damages his metal arm. Unlike Steve Rogers, however, he doesn't earn honors for his service. Instead, he is arrested and imprisoned for thirty years, and his blood is used in more unethical experimentation.

8 Georges Batroc Is Still A Highly Efficient Mercenary Who Gets A Little Too Greedy

Batroc Falcon and the winter soldier

Originally taken captive by Captain America on the Lemurian Star, Georges Batroc is freed by Sharon Carter and goes on to join the LAF, a criminal organization seeking to earn profit over the chaos erupting after the Blip. He first confronts Sam Wilson during the kidnapping of Captain Vassant. While Sam succeeds in rescuing Vassant, it's a close call, and Batroc escapes.

He's later enlisted by Sharon Carter to fight alongside the Flag-Smashers and get his revenge against Wilson. In their second confrontation, he proves to be a match for Sam's close combat skills, his expertise in martial arts making him a challenge even for the new Captain America. But Batroc is a little too greedy and tries to blackmail Sharon Carter, which is what leads to his death.

7 Sharon Carter Combines Her Experience As A Shield Agent With An Extra Dose Of Cunning

Sharon Carter

In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, former SHIELD agent Sharon Carter is revealed to have significantly changed. Jaded and angry after being deemed a traitor by the American government, she becomes the Power Broker in Madripoor.

Her web of influence is so extensive she is able to free Batroc from his prison in Algeria, and it only grows at the end, when she is pardoned from her crimes.

6 Baron Zemo's Tactical Mind & Manipulative Nature Are His Biggest Assets

Barno Zemo in The Falacon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4

Arrested at the end of Captain America: Civil War, Baron Zemo is freed from prison by Bucky Barnes, who seeks his aid in capturing the Flag-Smashers. Throughout the series, he displays a wide variety of skills, expertly using firearms, freeing himself from handcuffs, and taking out guards.

But his greatest strength is his intelligence. Zemo is a master tactician, having engineered the downfall of the Avengers by revealing the truth behind the Starks' assassination. He's manipulative and able to extract information from unlikely sources. His cleverness serves him well throughout his quest to find the Flag-Smashers.

5 Karli Morgenthau Is The Leader Of A New Team Of Super-Soldiers

Falcon Winter Soldier Karli Poster

As the Flag-Smashers' leader, Karli's goal is to recreate a world without borders, the way it was before the Blip. To this end, she steals the Super Soldier Serum and uses it on herself and her inner circle.

The serum gives her enhanced strength, speed, and stamina, making her a threat even for highly trained soldiers like Bucky Barnes. She's also an excellent tactician, as she's capable of creating an intricate web of followers that support her cause.

4 John Walker Excels As A Soldier But Is Overwhelmed By His Own Power

John Walker holds a bloody shield after killing a Flag Smasher in Falcon and the Winter Soldier

An expert hand-to-hand combatant and a soldier with an excellent background, John Walker seems like the perfect match to become the next Captain America. But shortly after taking up the shield, he is shown to be rash and prideful. This doesn't combine well with the mounting pressure to fill Captain America's shoes, leading him to take the Super Soldier Serum. The serum enhances his physique in every way, but that comes at a cost.

After Battlestar's death, his instability causes him to kill one of the Flag-Smashers, even if he wasn't the one guilty of his friend's fate. The bloody scene taints Captain America's shield and his legacy. Even so, toward the end of the series, John is able to overcome his desire for revenge and prioritize the well-being of the innocent, proving that he is a good man, albeit one overwhelmed by his power.

3 Ayo Honors Wakanda Both In Combat & Out Of It

The-Falcon-and-the-Winter-Soldier-Ayo-Header

A member of the Dora Milaje, Ayo has appeared previously in movies in the MCU. During the Battle of Wakanda, she fights Corvus Glaive, managing to hold her own even if she is ultimately defeated. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, she is revealed to have assisted Bucky Barnes in overcoming his conditioning. The two come into conflict over his decision to free Baron Zemo.

She's a master in martial arts and in wielding her vibranium spear, so much so that she and the other Doras are able to incapacitate John Walker, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes. She's truly a strong character who deserves more screentime in the future.

2 Sam Wilson Takes Up Captain America's Shield While Using His Falcon Wings

sam captain america

Unlike his comic book counterpart, Sam Wilson doesn't have any real superpowers. Even so, he proves his worthiness as Captain America. He learns how to use Steve's shield, combining it with his own Falcon wings in a unique style that makes him a very versatile fighter. Using his jetpack and with the help of Redwing, he is able to rescue the van of hostages taken captive by the Flag-Smashers.

RELATED: FATWS: 10 Ways Sam Disrespected Steve's Legacy By Giving Up The Shield

Originally, he gives up Steve's shield, renouncing Steve's trust in him without thinking of the consequences of his actions. But throughout the series, he grows as a character as well. He finds new determination to become the next Captain America. His true strength lies in his ability to look forward to a brighter future.

1 Bucky Barnes's True Strength Goes Beyond That Of His Metal Arm

Bucky Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Bucky is known to be one of the most dangerous soldiers alive. Prior to his fall, he was a sniper in Captain America's unit. Through the Winter Soldier program, Bucky received a form of the Super Soldier Serum, giving him enhanced strength, speed, and regeneration abilities. His metal arm has already been shown to be a deadly weapon.

Bucky doesn't use much of his abilities in the series. He may have been freed from his Winter Soldier conditioning, but his past has left him with heavy scars. He feels tremendous guilt over his actions as the Winter Soldier and he's trying to make amends. It's visibly difficult for him to channel the Winter Soldier when they're undercover in Madripoor. But gradually, he begins to overcome his trauma. Considering that he's the oldest POW in history, that easily makes him the strongest character in the series.

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