Knull Vs Thanos Rematch Settles Who's Strongest

Published May 13, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT

Thanos consistently proves that his capacity for evil is a bottomless well that no other villain can truly compare to. However, even the most untouchable of villains eventually meets his match.

Knull Officially Kills Thanos And Steals His Army

Knull #5; Written by Al Ewing & Tom Waltz; Art by Juanan Ramírez & Erick Arciniega

Knull's second attempt at expanding his reach across the universe is going even better than the first one. After escaping from his prison, Knull claims the All-Light, transcends his dark nature, and kills the Ascended One. On his second encounter with Thanos, Knull both overpowers and outstmarts Thanos, stabbing him in the head through the mouth with the All-Light blade. As if the graphic image of an impaled Thanos weren't enough, Hela confirms Thanos has officially died.

Killing Thanos isn't enough for Knull. The King of the Symbiotes gets the idea of stabbing Thanos' head from the Mad Titan himself, who boasts, "you should have gone for the head" after Knull's first attack misses the mark. To top it off, Knull steals Thanos' army of Outriders and uses the All-Light's power to transform them into dragons. As Knull heads towards Earth, Thanos' corpse lies lifeless in a fetal position.

Thanos' Power Is An Especial Kind Of Power

Thanos Is A Bigger Villain Than Stronger Characters For Different Reasons Than Simple Physical Or Energetic Might

All things considered, Thanos survives his fight with Knull longer than he should. After all, he's only an Eternal with a Deviant mutation. Still, Thanos lacks the natural constraints or cosmic roles that govern other villains' behavior. While Galactus must consume worlds to survive and characters like Annihilus and the Brood kill due to their nature, Thanos acts out of a cold-blooded and calculated desire for destruction and dominion. Although he was born as a mortal being, Thanos has become a force of nature that weaponizes nihilism, which makes him infinitely more unpredictable in his attacks.

Thanos possesses a genius-level mind capable of creating and using technology that rivals that of the universe's oldest races, and his ability to master nearly any mystical artifact or scientific theory makes him a versatile threat. He knows how to use his skills better than physically stronger villains because he views power as a tool to be wielded with surgical precision rather than a blunt instrument to be swung blindly. For example, the Mad Titan defeated the Champion of the Universe by outmaneuvering him and exploiting his psychological weaknesses.

Ultimately, Thanos' best asset is his twisted psychological resilience. He's a master of manipulation who understands the hearts of his enemies and often allows them to believe they've won just to make their eventual defeat more agonizing. Thanos has survived encounters with Odin and Tyrant through sheer force of will and strategic retreat, only to return with a plan that destroys their legacies from within. Of course, this approach to villainy doesn't work one hundred percent of the time, and characters as deadly as Knull are able to overpower Thanos more often than the Mad Titans would like to admit.

Do you agree Knull is more powerful than Thanos?

Knull #5 is now available from Marvel Comics.