The discussion of what characters would be worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer has been around for quite some time. It’s a legendary feat that can only be accomplished by a certain kind of person. While the traits needed to wield it vary from universe to universe, there’s a general idea of how one needs to carry oneself and the ideals one must hold to achieve this feat.
On average, to wield the hammer of Thor, Mjölnir, a person needs to be courageous, honorable, able to sacrifice for the greater good, and willing to kill if absolutely needed while refusing to harm the innocent and brave. These factors hold certain characters (that one would think could hold it) back from being able to be deemed worthy by Odin and Mjölnir, likethe comic universe’s Spider-Man. The ones who can, however, are truly genuine warriors for good.This list will discuss the characters who could conceivably wield Thor’s hammer, coming from different universes, from anime to video games.
10Samurai Jack
‘Samurai Jack’ (2001-2004)
Samurai Jackis one of the most beloved animated series of all time. Samurai Jack (Phil LaMarr) is a fish out of water fighting to get home, but most importantly, trying to defeat a malicious demon known as Aku (Mako Iwamatsu).It’s universally agreed upon that demons pretty much represent and embody evil itself, which already gets Jack a lot of points.
Not to mention, Jack already has a magic weapon, which is another big parallel tothe Thor character. Jack is a man with no fear andcontinues to be brave no matter the cost to himselfor the situation he’s in. This samurai is one of the truest definitions of a warrior in media, which, combined with his pure intentions, makes him one of the most worthy candidates to lift Mjolnir.
Samurai Jack
9Optimus Prime
The Transformers Franchise
When one thinks of Optimus Prime, the words “nobility,” “honorable,” “courageous,” and “leader” typically come to mind. One ofthe most powerful characters in theTransformersfranchise, Optimus Prime will do anything if it means protecting peace and those who cannot protect themselves. He’sa true leader who always stands for what’s right, no matter what it takes.
Optimus Prime is alsoone of the most self-sacrificing characters in fiction, always willing to put his life on the line to save others. The number of times that Prime has died to help the greater good is large. The Autobots' leader will kill if necessary, but he (in most interpretations) takes no pride in doing so unless one is looking at the live-actionTransformersfranchise… that’s a bit different.
8Master Splinter
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Franchise
The righteous rat master of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise, Master Splinter, might be a rodent, but a worthy one. NotableThorcomic book writerJason Aaronactually statedthat if Marvel were to crossover with the heroes in a half-shell,Master Splinter would be the character who would be worthy enough to wield the hammer. This much is clear inevery iteration of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Splinter’s worthiness is supported by the fact that in Aaron’s run, he states that in order to wield Mjolnir, one needs to have compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom and humility. One would be a fool not to recognize that these adjectives very clearly spell out exactly who Master Splinter is. The mutant teens that protect New York City would be far different without the teachings of this ninja.
7Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira)
The DC Universe
The legendary Diana of Themyscira is one of the DC Comics universe’s most definitive examples of a warrior. She was forged by the gods, for crying out loud! Of theJustice League,Wonder Woman is the most similar to Thorin a plethora of ways, notably being of godhood heritage, using magical weapons, and having a certain lust for battle and war. She’s one of thebest female superheroes out there.
Wonder Woman has no issue killing for the greater good, either. She doesn’t have many active enemies in canon like Superman and Batman because when she faces off with a foe, she typically puts them down for good. Wonder Woman is no wild murderer, though—everything she does,she does in service of the world of humans.
6Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2016-Present)
Spider-Man is a clear candidate to wield the hammer due to how noble he is. Indeed, Spidey is commonly noted as the greatest hero in the Marvel Comics universe.The traits that define Spider-Manare nothing but righteous. In the mainline comic books, however, Thor has stated that since Peter has a strict “no killing under any circumstances” rule, he would not be able to lift the hammer.
As pure-hearted as he may be, though, the Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption of the character has this over his source material counterpart. In the final battle ofAvengers: Endgame, when he’s getting dogpiled by Thanos' (Josh Brolin) army,he activates the Iron Spider costume’s “instant kill” mode.He murders the surrounding aliens and knocks down the main pillar holding 616 Spidey back from being worthy.
Avengers: Endgame
5Sonic the Hedgehog
The Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise
The ever-lovable Blue Blur may not be the first hero one thinks of when considering who could have the ability to lift Mjolnir, but Sonic the Hedgehog actually fits the bill pretty much perfectly. It may be surprising, given the fact that one of the traits is a willingness to kill, but Sonic actually does meet these criteria. Sonic has actually killed on multiple occasions, includingdestroying the Final Hazard with Shadow (Jason Griffith) inSonic X, tipping the Death Egg Robot over with Eggman (Jim Carrey) inside inSonic the Hedgehog 2, and more.
Still, Sonic isone of the most pure-hearted heroesout there.No matter what version of Sonic, he’s constantly fighting for freedom and doesn’t quit helping people, no matter what.He’s a consistent symbol of heroismand an incredible figure for kids and adults alike to look up to. If Sonic could go into his super form and lift the hammer, he could do some amazing things!
4Son Gohan
‘Dragon Ball Z’ (1989-1996)
Many throw Goku’s (Masako Nozawa) name into the ring when talking aboutDragon Ballcharacters who could be considered worthy. However, his son, Son Gohan (Nozawa), is a bit more worthy than his father than some may think. While his father is a hero and willing to do whatever it takes to protect people, Gohan is not as much of a fan of fighting, which makes him a tad more worthy.He takes a different approach to adversity.
Young Gohan cares less about fighting but will always be willing to do so if he must. Before resorting to that, he tries to take more peaceful routes. Rather than risking himself for the sake of battle, Gohan constantly risks himself with the goal of protecting others. He may very well bethe most compassionate character in theDragon Ballfranchise. Even better,Gohan is the most powerfulmortal in the universe as well.
Dragon Ball Z
3Captain America (Steve Rogers)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011-2019)
Setting aside the very simple fact that everyone saw him do itin the scene facing ThanosinAvengers: Endgame, a plethora of reasons justify why Steve Rogers is certainly worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer. In the words ofDr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci)inCaptain America: The First Avenger, “The serum amplifies everything inside, so good becomes great; bad becomes worse.”
Steve Rogers has compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humilityfar more than any other human. He’s the prime example of what it takes for a standard human to be worthy of such a high title. There’s a clear reason why the entire world thought he was worthy and would wield the hammer leading up toAvengers: Endgame. Everyone knows this man can lift the weapon in almost any timeline.
Captain America: The First Avenger
2All Might (Toshinori Yagi)
‘My Hero Academia’ (2016-Present)
Of any anime superhero out there, All Might (Kenta Miyake) is the clear-cut definition of a hero. After all,All Might is the world’s Symbol of Peace. It’s safe to say that Toshinori Yagi isthe symbol of purity while still possessing the heart of a warrior. He represents hope for a better life, and his entire existence revolves around helping others and making the planet a better place, even if it means fighting to protect it.
It’s shown in flashbacks thatthe only reason the powerless Toshinori Yagi wanted powers in the first place was solely because he wanted to give the world something to believe in. All Might wanted humanity to have a symbol to look to. If the world didn’t need a Symbol of Peace, he’d have no desire to hold power, which is astoundingly noble.
My Hero Academia
1Uncle Iroh
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005-2008)
Almost everyone can agree thatAvatar: The Last Airbender’s Uncle Iroh isone of the most pure-hearted characters in all fiction. He’s not just some gentle and sweet old man, though; Uncle Iroh is a glorious fighter and is never to be trifled with. His fire-bending prowess makes him one of the deadliest characters in this animated universe.
Ofevery character inAvatar: The Last Airbender, it’s very clear that Iroh is the all-around fan-favorite.He’s wise, strong, patient and most of all, humble—so humble, in fact, that he probably wouldn’t deem himself worthy of wielding Mjolnir, which, in a way, makes him even more so. Iroh would hold the hammer with grace and honor and only use it to accomplish the best for everyone.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
NEXT:Every Member of the DCEU’s Justice League Recast in the DCU
