The Most Powerful Aliens In The MCU Ranked

Jeff Goldblum is a very idiosyncratic actor. Based on his public persona, Goldblum may note seem like a natural choice to play one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. However, Goldblum's inherent goofiness makes him perfect for the role of the Grandmaster in 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok."

Writer-director Taika Waititi took advantage of Goldblum's sense of humor, and together they created one of the funniest characters in the MCU. The Grandmaster is an eccentric leader who rules the planet Sakaar with an iron fist. The Grandmaster's slaves (or "prisoners with jobs," as he calls them) have constructed massive monuments in his honor. He stages entertainment events in which his "champions" face off in front of large crowds. It's here where Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) battle each other for the first time since Banner accidentally unleashed "The Hulk" back in 2012's "The Avengers."

Although the Grandmaster is an influential alien leader, he's not the brightest character in the universe. The Grandmaster's regime is disrupted when Thor, Hulk, and their new ally Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) team up to escape. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) deceives the Grandmaster and infiltrates his inner circle.

In 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War," Thor is forced to team up with Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). However, he also requires the assistance of one of Thanos' victims, Eitri (Peter Dinklage). Eitri is the ancient King of the Dwarves.

Before the events of "Avengers: Infinity War," the Dwarves were among Odin's greatest allies. They helped the king forge Thor's hammer, Mjølnir. Mjølnir is passed down by members of the royal family, and can only be wielded by those that are worthy. However, Thanos noticed the Dwarves' incredible forging abilities. He invaded their home and enslaved them. Thanos forced the Dwarves to construct the Infinity Gauntlet.

The Dwarves were massacred. Eitri was their only survivor. Eitri reveals his tragic backstory to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and agrees to help him build another powerful weapon. Using the power of the star Nidavellir's rings, Eitri helps Thor construct Stormbreaker.

Eitri is physically strong. He is also emotionally resilient. Despite the tragedy that was inflicted upon his people, Eitri is still able to help those in need when they ask for his help. The Avengers would not have been able to unite without Eitri's contributions.

Few Marvel Cinematic Universe characters have had to deal with as many challenges as Nebula (Karen Gillan). Nebula is a powerful Luphomoid warrior with a cynical perspective on the universe. However, Nebula's pessimism is completely understandable given her tragic upbringing. Nebula's family was murdered by Thanos who adopted her as his daughter and trained her and Gamora as his assassins. Nebula and Gamora grow up enemies.

Despite her emotional strength and combat abilities, Nebula's power is often taken advantage of. She serves as one of Ronan's strongest supporters during his search for the Orb and questions her role in the universe after the Guardians' victory. Nebula holds on to her hatred for Gamora and attempts to kill her once more. They ultimately begin to understand each other. Seeing these characters discuss their shared trauma and ultimately working together is one of the most powerful storylines within the MCU.

Nebula will play an important role in the future of the MCU. Hopefully, she will finally be granted personal agency after all that she has suffered. Nebula ranks lower because she is still assessing what her role in the new Guardians of the Galaxy will be.

The firstborn child of Odin proves to be more than a match for her siblings. Hela Odinsdottir (Cate Blanchett) serves as the chief executor for her father, and the Goddess of Death. Since childhood, Hela was trained to be cruel. She represents the imperialism and corruption that exist during Odin's reign. If Thor was able to take on his father's best qualities, Hela adopted all of Odin's worst traits. She is remorseless, callous, and selfish.

Hela is also no slouch when it comes to fighting. Like her brother, Hela possesses incredible strength, endurance, and agility. When Thor initially tries to confront her, Hela shatters Mjølnir. She assumes control of Asgard and promises to return the kingdom to its warlike ways. Hela is a charismatic leader. She promotes Skurge (Karl Urban) to be her new executioner, and those who dare to stand up to her are demolished.

However, Hela ultimately ranks lower on the list because she is so obsessed with power that she fails to become a truly great leader. Thor understands that leadership takes patience, empathy, and a good sense of humor. Hela still ranks higher than her brother because Thor needs the help of Bruce Banner, Valkyrie, Loki, and Skurge to stand up to her.

Loki is one of the most complex characters within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is the biological child of the Frost Giant Laufey but was raised as an Asgardian by Odin. As a result, Loki has the stamina and durability of a Frost Giant but learned the strong leadership qualities of his adopted father. His adopted mother, Frigga, taught him how to wield magic. Loki learns how to deceive others. His tricks are often effective. Loki's tragic upbringing gives him a hardened perspective on the universe.

However, Loki has never been nurtured. His arrested development makes him self-centered, and he's guilty of often playing too many pranks at once. Loki is so convinced that he'll be able to get Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor, Bruce Banner, and Black Widow to hate each other in 2012s "The Avengers" that he's shocked to see them work past their differences to come together and defeat him. Loki lacks faith in others and underestimates the power of compassion.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a recurring problem. Many of the films fall apart during their third acts. It's not entertaining to watch two similarly powered characters battle after you have seen it countless times before in other superhero movies. 2016's "Doctor Strange" is one of the rare MCU films that avoided this issue. Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) outwits his opponent, Dormammu, instead of just fighting him.

Dormammu is a powerful entity that rules the Dark Dimension. Dormammu uses his power of influence to recruit the sorcerer Kaecilus (Mads Mikkelsen) into joining his plan to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth. While Dormammu has powers that can fundamentally change reality, Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to trap him in a time loop. Dormammu finds various ways of killing Strange, only to see him appear again. Perhaps if Dormammu had gone up against a less clever opponent, he would have ranked higher on the list. Given that his most evil plan didn't work, Dormammu sits comfortably at #5.

This list has already mentioned Odin a few times, and that's because he's one of the most influential characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You don't cast a veteran actor like Anthony Hopkins for a minor part. Hopkins brought depth and intelligence to the character who serves as a mentor and father to both Thor and Loki. Even though Odin is killed by Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok," the universe is dealing with the fallout of his passing.

Odin was the King of Asgard and the ruler of the Nine Realms. In the first "Thor," he falls into a deep slumber that thrusts the entire universe into chaos. The Frost Giants feared breaking their peace treaty with Odin but took advantage of his absence to develop their evil plans. When Odin returns, he decides that Thor has finally learned how to be a fitting replacement. This shows that outside of his godly abilities, Odin is a humble and just leader worthy of a high ranking.

Perhaps he is an obvious choice for #1, but Thanos is easily the most powerful character that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced thus far. Even when Thanos does finally perish, his death comes after the Avengers and their allies have been pushed to their physical and emotional limits. Thanos is the character that the first three phases of the MCU were building towards. They are called the "Infinity Saga" because they revolve around Thanos' goals.

The MCU was born with 2008's "Iron Man," so it makes sense that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) would only die after giving his life to defeat the ultimate enemy. The fact that Thanos could only be defeated by the entire extended team of characters shows what a fearsome opponent he is. Individually, they might not stand a chance, but working together, they can stand up to true evil. Thanos' impact is still felt in phase four. The entire universe has to adjust to what life after "the snap" looks like.