As collectors and enthusiasts delve deeper into the expansive universes of fiction, the question of what makes a character worthy of immense power like Thor’s Mjolnir resonates. This exploration not only highlights beloved figures across various narratives but also amplifies their significance within the collectible market.
Only a few have what it takes to wield the power of Thor. The Norse god of thunder is known for charging into battle with his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, which has been enchanted so that only the most worthy individuals can wield it. Besides Thor, several characters from the Marvel Universe have proven themselves worthy, including Captain America, Jane Foster, and the Vision.
To wield Mjolnir, one must be courageous yet humble, pure of heart but willing to fight when necessary. Outside the Marvel Universe, several beloved fictional characters embody these traits and, if given the opportunity, would be considered worthy to wield Thor’s mighty hammer.
Perhaps the purest soul in all of fiction is Samwise Gamgee, played by Sean Astin in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Sam is a humble gardener from the Shire who only embarks upon a dangerous quest to protect his friend, Frodo Baggins. For friendship, Sam travels hundreds of miles from home, faces down primordial monsters and bloodthirsty armies, and even braves the land of Mordor. All along the way, he remains true and untempted by the One Ring.
One of the most important aspects in determining if someone is worthy of wielding Mjolnir is whether or not its power would corrupt them. Samwise Gamgee briefly possessed a power far stronger than that of Mjolnir. Sauron’s One Ring attempted to corrupt Sam when he briefly held it in place of Frodo, but the pure Hobbit resisted its influence. He would therefore be trustworthy with the power of Thor.
He has also proven that he is willing to fight and kill for a just cause, as Mjolnir requires from its wielders. Despite his humble beginnings, Sam may be the most worthy of anyone to wield this ancient weapon, though he likely wouldn’t have any interest in doing so—and that just makes him all the more worthy.
Aang is the protagonist from Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. A young boy with the ability to “bend” air, Aang is also the latest in a long line of “Avatars” who can manipulate all four elements. He has this incredible power thrust upon him at a young age, and the series chronicles his adventures as he learns to harness these abilities before a looming deadline that could spell the end of the world. Despite his youth, Aang learns to use these powers wisely, fighting to protect the innocent people of his world rather than to accumulate wealth and glory for himself.
Aang already wields great power responsibly and could therefore be trusted with the might of Mjolnir. However, he may not be overly interested in the power of Thor, given that he already possesses the power of flight and could one day learn to control lightning as he grows in his fire-bending abilities. Even so, the fact that Aang was never corrupted and refused to fight for revenge even when he had the opportunity to do so proves that he is worthy of the power of Thor.
In the wild and wicked world of Westeros, it’s incredibly difficult to find someone who is truly noble. The knights and leaders in King’s Landing are often corrupt or become overly consumed with power. The Targaryen dynasty is overly self-involved and easily swayed. Even House Stark, known for its honor, has a reputation for withdrawing from conflicts that don’t suit its interests. Only one individual from Game of Thrones truly shines as an honorable and noble hero: Brienne of Tarth.
Hailing from the island of Tarth off the coast of Westeros, Brienne is loyal to a fault. Unwilling to betray her word for any reason, Brienne will serve her sworn liege until her dying breath. Of the many characters in Game of Thrones, Brienne is one of the very few whose word can be taken as fact, making her one of the most honorable individuals therein.
Moreover, she is a fierce warrior whose courage is the only thing that outshines her loyalty. Despite all these traits, she still operates from a place of humility that supersedes all she does. Brienne of Tarth would be more than worthy of wielding the power of Thor through his hammer Mjolnir, and would perhaps be the only in all of Westeros with such an honor.
Percy Jackson is a demigod from Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series and the subsequent Disney+ adaptation of the same name. The son of the Greek god of the ocean, Poseidon, Percy is one of the most powerful demigods in the world. During his adventures, he faces down mythological beasts like the Minotaur and even quells the rise of the ancient Titans.
Not only is Percy incredibly powerful, but he also has a pure heart, a direct result of his loving relationship with his mother, whose selfless care is the exact opposite of the gods’ relationships with their children. With this in mind, Percy Jackson would be more than worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer.
The Percy Jackson book series confirms as much in The Last Olympian, the fifth and final installment of the original saga. After defeating the Titans and saving Olympus, Percy is offered the opportunity to become an immortal god. Instead, he chooses to reject the power and remain with the people he loves.
This proves that Percy fights for love and honor, not power and glory. These are traits that Mjolnir looks for in choosing a wielder. More interestingly, Percy may one day get the opportunity to wield Mjolnir, as he exists in a world where the Norse gods and many other mythological pantheons are real—including Thor and his hammer.
Fa Mulan, the star of Disney’s classic animated film Mulan, is one of the greatest warriors of her generation. Mulan possesses the heart of a fighter, but not for the glory that comes from victory. Instead, she is motivated by love for her father, whose conscription in China’s war against the Huns is a death sentence for a man of his age. It is this love that pushes Mulan to pose as a man and join the Chinese army, eventually going on to single-handedly save the Emperor’s life and defeat the Huns once and for all.
Mulan is the exact type of warrior that Mjolnir gravitates to after Odin’s enchantment. She fights without fear or regard for her own life, but rather for the lives of all those at home whom she wants to protect. She is not afraid to shed blood for what she believes in, which is considered a high mark of honor in the Norse belief system from which the legend of Mjolnir originates.
Moreover, she humbly rejects the Emperor’s offer of vast power upon saving China, instead preferring to return home to her quiet life with her family, having achieved the goal she set out for in the first place.
Luke Skywalker is the greatest Jedi of all time in the Star Wars universe. The child of the fallen Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Luke capitalizes on his family’s strong connection to the Force. During the events of the Original Trilogy, Luke becomes a key part of the Rebellion against the evil Galactic Empire. Along the way, he discovers the truth about his father and must come to peace with it.
When the Emperor tries to corrupt Luke Skywalker, the young Jedi refuses. Not only does he not make the same mistake as his father, but he also manages to get through to Anakin and help him redeem himself in the final moments of his life. Luke is the perfect definition of a noble warrior, willing to fight and kill where necessary but always upholding his core ideals. He would be considered worthy of wielding Mjolnir, but even the powers of Thor are nothing compared to the power of the Force.
Superman is the perfect definition of a superhero who fights not for himself, but for everyone else who isn’t strong enough to defend themselves from all the horrors in the world. An alien from the planet Krypton, Superman is still just as human as anyone else, paying equal attention to a cat stuck in a tree as he would to a world-ending threat. He symbolizes hope and justice in a world that often lacks these things, and has inspired countless other superheroes to follow in his footsteps.
As a paragon of hope, truth, and justice, Superman fights for the very ideals that Mjolnir admires. He is even willing to kill, as is a prerequisite for wielding the hammer, though he only does so as a last resort. Superman is the antithesis of the phrase “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” instead using his immeasurable strength to help other people, and would therefore be considered worthy of the power of Thor. In fact, Superman has indeed used Mjolnir during certain Marvel/DC crossovers, cementing himself as worthy.
Based on reporting by Jordan Iacobucci. Read the full story at https://www.cbr.com/fictional-characters-could-lift-thor-hammer-list/.