Escanor is correctly perceived as not only one of the strongest characters in the Seven Deadly Sins universe, though also as an extremely capable warrior in general. His might is consistent with the time of day, increasing in potency until noon. At the precipice of his ability, he is so lethal that the ground beneath him cracked just through his overwhelming presence.

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It may come as a surprise that in spite of his impressive feats, Escanor is by no means the strongest character in anime history. Through analyzing those that can defeat him, it can also be understood the ways his strength actually fails him.

10 Meliodas (Seven Deadly Sins)

When he has embraced his demon form, Meliodas is strong enough to defeat Escanor. Though their canon battle yielded different results, this was only because it had conveniently become noon just as the former captain was preparing to kill him.

At literally any other time of day beyond that precious minute, the Pride Sin would not be able to overcome his former friend's staggering power. Even after he had tapped into the full might of his blessing, he collapsed from his injuries shortly after his narrow victory.

9 Eraserhead (My Hero Academia)

Eraserhead unleashes his shroud in My Hero Academia.

An experienced professional hero, Eraserhead is able to negate Escanor's power entirely through his Quirk. This would not only limit the Lion's ability to harm him, it would also mire him in self doubt (as his confidence wanes alongside his body).

Since Escanor's power is actively being negated (rather than it simply being nightfall), the Sin could not hope to tap into his reserved strength like he did against Drole and Gloxinia. Nothing would prevent Aizawa from defeating him before he was forced to blink.

8 Kaguya (Naruto)

Kaguya Otsutsuki From Narutosutsuki From Naruto

Kaguya possesses the ability to take people to other dimensions. In of itself, this would pose a difficult obstacle for most adversaries since she can smother them in acid or crush them under the oppressive force of multiplied gravity.

For Escanor, it stands to reason that he would not be enhanced through the power of the sun since he would be whisked far away from it. This would reduce him to a meager and indecisive boor that couldn't withstand whatever attacks ensued. Even if he was able to briefly return to his augmented state, her bone spikes can disintegrate any target no matter how durable they might be.

7 Syura (Akame Ga Kill!)

Syura from akame ga kill

Syura possesses a similar ability to Kaguya that would guarantee his success over Escanor. His imperial arms allows him to create portals by which to teleport himself and others. During his final battle against one of Night Raid's greatest warriors, he brought them to the end of the universe.

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Even if Escanor miraculously were to survive this in the absence of his power, he would have no means by which to return home. As a result, the loyalist would procure a comfortable victory, succeeding against an opponent not even Esdeath could defeat.

6 Baraggan (Bleach)

Barragan from Bleach.

Baraggan is able to secrete a fog of decay, one which can wither any caught in its grasp. In addition to being an indestructible offensive utility, he can also shield himself inside it.

Such an impervious defense would negate the awesome power of Escanor's "Cruel Sun" since even heat can suffer from entropy. More likely, Escanor would see his ability as a challenge and die almost instantly against the Espada as a consequence of his staggering ignorance. Few characters are capable of defeating the Hueco Mundo King, and since the Pride Sin lacks any ability to get in close, he could not hope to find success in a fight.

5 Rohan Kishibe (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Escanor's overwhelming pride would serve as his downfall against Rohan. While he possesses superiority in every aspect of their battle (including endurance, range, caliber, and strength), Rohan's "Heaven's Door" Stand would pacify him and allow the author to make whatever "edits" he wished.

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Since the Lion Sin would find it unconscionable to avert his eyes from an enemy at the beginning of a fight, it would allow Kishibe to capitalize on his ignorance and reduce him to his pawn through a passing glance of his text.

4 Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

Itachi Uchiha prior to his departure from the Hidden Leaf Village in Naruto

What Escanor has in physical strength is lacked in mysticism. Unlike Merlin, he is vulnerable to the Commandments' special powers (demonstrated through Galand's challenge) and similarly cannot free himself from genjutsu.

This would allow Itachi a variety of means by which to defeat the golden knight, especially if he uses the Izanami (a jutsu specifically designed in order to subdue prideful opponents such as Kabuto). It would sedate Escanor long enough for him to become killable by the rogue shinobi.

3 Chandler (Seven Deadly Sins)

seven deadly sins

Chandler was the former mentor to Meliodas and one of the strongest minions in the Demon King's employ. He was capable of single-handedly defeating the Sins on his own, halting only since the former captain agreed to leave with him.

Though he may be overshadowed by Escanor in terms of physical power, he has an ability which blots out the sun. This would deprive Escanor of necessary strength and served as the main reason he could not contribute to his allies' efforts during their canon skirmish. Further, his mastery over the Full Counter would turn his foe's "Cruel Sun" against him, amplifying its destructive power in the process.

2 Zommari (Bleach)

zommari rureaux bleach

As strong as Escanor might be, Zommari could paralyze any of his limbs that he physically saw. Considering that the Lion Sin cannot disperse his weapon and must control his body in order to attack (unlike characters like Byakuya or Gaara), this would unspeakably debilitate him.

Though the Espada might not be able to kill him at first on account of his opponent's massive durability, he would only need to wait for the right moment to strike him down. With every passing minute, Escanor's defeat would become more assured.

1 Tatsumi (Akame Ga Kill!)

tatsumi, Akame Ga Kill

While Tatsumi may not be able to match Escanor's strength under ordinary circumstances, he could turn invisible and wait for the right opportunity to confront him. The Lion Sin would not be without options; his Cruel Sun can impact a wide radius that would likely find its target once cast.

However, the Night Raid member has survived innumerable attacks from the Emperor himself, whose imperial arms could cause devastation to the caliber of a nuclear weapon. Therefore, he should be able to survive Escanor's indirect attacks, allowing him to exhaust himself before moving in to execute him.

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