The Mad Titan Thanos proved to be one of the most recognizable and dangerous villains of the last decade through his two film appearances in the Avengers franchise. In his first official film debut, he tore through the MCU and ended up wiping out half of all life in the universe. In his second film appearance in Avengers: Endgame, he destroyed the Infinity Stones and outsmarted the Avengers, solidifying his plan. His past self then went on to wage war on every MCU hero in his siege of the Avenger’s Campus.
Very few villains could stand up to that level of destruction. However, the sci-fi and fantasy genres are filled to the brim with memorable villains that would be more than enough for a match for the Mad Titan.
10 Steppenwolf Was Born For War
Steppenwolf made his debut in the Justice League film by decimating the strongest force audiences had seen by this point, the Amazons and plowed through the Atlanteans to gather the three Motherboxes and fought both Aquaman and Wonder Woman at the same time. Raised in the war world of Apokolips, Steppenwolf was part of Darkseid’s army whose specialty was conquering entire planets.
His only downfall was when he fought Superman, whose Kryptonian physiology proved to be more than enough to pummel Steppenwolf. Without the god-like power of the Infinity Stones, Thanos would struggle against someone who was literally born for warfare.
9 Darth Vader Was One Of The Most Powerful Jedi And Sith Of All Time
Anakin Skywalker was one of the most powerful Jedi in history. After his fall to the dark side of the Force, he became one of the most powerful Sith Lords of all time. As Darth Vader, Skywalker was the scourge of the galaxy. He is known for wiping out entire platoons by himself and leading an armada of Star Destroyers in his ruthless campaign to control the entire galaxy.
Even with a full set of Infinity Stones, Thanos still needed to close his fist to use them. With Vader’s level of control over the Force, it is likely that Thanos would be unable to perform the actions needed to warp reality. From there, it is a battle of sheer strength and technique between the two.
8 Doomsday Was A Monstrous Form Of Kryptonian
A Kryptonian resurrected by technology, the twisted corpse of General Zodd returned to Metropolis as the dreaded Doomsday. In this form, he managed to retain his Kryptonian powers such as his strength, durability, and heat vision. Thanos himself showed incredible durability while fighting the Avengers and Iron Man especially.
With the help of some Infinity Stones, he would likely be able to stand his ground against the being who killed Superman. However, seeing as Doomsday only died in the Batman v. Superman film through the Kryptonite spear, he would probably need Kryptonite to actually kill him.
7 Sauron Was A Primordial Spirit, Immortal And Ageless
The dark avatar of the being known as Morgoth, Sauron was corrupted to fight in the war between the forces of good and evil. His greatest plan was the forging of the many rings he would use to control Middle Earth. As a Maiar, Sauron was a primordial spirit who could not age, or fall ill.
He could shapeshift into any form he chose and had the power to control the elements and energies of the world of Arda. As the Lord of the Rings, in the film he is shown as a giant armored powerhouse, throwing soldiers around like ragdolls.
6 The T-1000 Was Nigh-Invulnerable To All Forms Of Harm
A robot sent back in time from the future to change the course of history. Not that one, but a second one. In the distant far future of 2029, Skynet sends a robot soldier known as a Terminator back in time to stop John Connor from forming the human resistance. And when that failed, they sent another, better one.
The T-1000 was a machine soldier made from a liquid metal that allowed it to shapeshift, form weapons, and liquefy itself to move through tight spaces. This would be a new enemy that Thanos has no reference for.
5 The Predator's Race Is Literally Built For People Like Thanos
If Thanos’ durability and determination make him an immovable object, the Predator is the unstoppable force. What is known as the Predator comes from a race known as the Yautja, an honor-bound warrior race whose entire species revolves around hunting and killing unique prey for sport.
Thanos would certainly fall under that list, not only as the Mad Titan but as one of the last members of his species. The Yautja comes equipped with a variety of equipment focusing on stealth and combat. Active camouflage, shoulder-mounted turrets, spears, and energy-based projectiles, the Yautja are quite literally built for foes like Thanos.
4 Davy Jones Has An Army, A Kraken, And Cannot Die
Davy Jones’ undead nature and magical origins make him a unique threat to Thanos. Not only is he himself enhanced due to the enchantments placed upon him by the sea, but he also comes equipped with a full crew of undead men who will absolutely die for him.
Not only that, but his ship can release one of the most dangerous sea monsters in film history, the Kraken. Stones or no stones, magic has always been something that he doesn’t understand, as seen by his fight with Doctor Strange in Infinity War.
3 Ares Is The Embodiment Of War
Ares is one of the most powerful villains in the DCEU, an Old God born of Zeus himself, Ares shows tremendous power in his battle against Wonder Woman including abilities such as control of lightning and fire as well as telekinesis and the ability to transmute matter from one state to another. As the God of War, Ares is the ultimate tactician and can control the pace of war itself.
Even if Thanos were to wield the Infinity Stones, Ares could employ his strategical prowess to outsmart the Titan and present a level of intellect he had not yet faced.
2 General Grievous Was Trained To Kill Jedi
A war chieftain reborn as a cyborg who specializes as a Jedi hunter, General Grievous was a major threat to the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. In his military career, Grievous was responsible for countless Jedi deaths, as evident by his wide collection of lightsabres that he acquires as trophies.
Trained in swordplay by Master Yoda’s former student Count Dooku, Grievous battles with four mechanical arms and incredible maneuverability that Thanos would struggle to counter. Without the Infinity Stones, Thanos would need to rely on his brain rather than his brawn.
1 Darkseid Was The Inpsiration For Thanos
Who better to face against Thanos than the character he was originally based on? Darkseid is the immortal New God of the planet Apokolips. Empowered by the Omega Effect, he has brought countless worlds under his rule and even battled the Old Gods of ancient Greece.
If it is assumed that Darkseid has the same scale of power that he has in the comics, even a full set of Infinity Stones wouldn’t be enough to defeat him. The two couldn’t be a better match for one another as each commands an exceptional level of power.