How Strong Are the Talokan? Compared to Wakandans, Asgardians & Others

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced us to a whole new civilization within the MCU – the Talokan, the underwater empire led by Namor, the Sub-Mariner. In the comics, they are called Atlanteans, and their powers are well explained. However, in the MCU, the powers of the Talokan somewhat confused the fans. So, how strong are the Talokan compared to others?

The Talokan all have superpowers, as they all ingested the vibranium-enhances plant that turned them into an underwater civilization. They are more powerful than regular Wakandans but less powerful than the Black Panther, who is at around Namor’s level. That is, on the surface.

Underwater, the Talokan – especially Namor – are way stronger. The Sub-Mariner can go at it with the heaviest hitters in the MCU, but how do his powers compare to the rest of the Talokan? Here’s everything you need to know about how strong the Talokan are compared to Wakandans, Asgardians, regular folks, and their leader, Namor.

How strong are Talkonas compared to their leader, Namor?

I think a lot of people were confused about the power level of regular the Talokan because they failed to realize that not all of them have the same powers as Namor. Namor explained how his mother drank the herb while pregnant. They all died and were resurrected as underwater beings, whereas Namor became a mutant.

He’s the only one that has the abilities of both worlds – the surface-dwellers and the Talokan. They call him K’uk’ulkan, which is not a king or an emperor. To them, Namor is their Feathered Serpent God – yes, a god.

He is much stronger and more durable than the regular Talokan and can also live incredibly long (he’s been around for centuries already). To add to it, Namor is the only Talokan that doesn’t have blue skin and can breathe outside of water. And, as a result of his mutation, the Sub-Mariner has wings on his ankles that don’t heal in the same way as the rest of his body.

Apart from that, Talkonas and Namor have the same superpowers, but Namor’s are amplified. As for the rest of his kin, they have enhanced durability, strength, and speed, especially underwater. They can’t breathe air, though, and they, like Namor, get increasingly weaker the longer they’re out of the water.

How strong are the Talokan compared to Wakandans?

Another reason why fans were confused with Talokan power levels was their healing factor. At one point, Okoye delivers fatal wounds to a couple of Talokan soldiers, but they heal up almost instantly despite not getting back into the water to do so. At another point, Nakia shoots a Talokan with a sonic weapon, and they can’t heal – the shot Talokan dies from the wound. 

Granted, it wasn’t explained what a sonic weapon does in the MCU, so it’s a bit of a grey area, but it’s safe to assume that it deals a different kind of damage than a blade, potentially disrupting the healing factor completely. That being said, how strong are regular the Talokan compared to regular Wakandans – for instance, the Dora Milaje?

Well, the fact is, the Talokan have superpowers – all of them. They aren’t as strong as Namor, but all of them have a healing factor and superhuman strength, stamina, and durability – granted that they are in the water. They also have vibranium, just like Wakandans, along with profound combat training and sheer strength in numbers.

On the other hand, the Wakandans have vibranium technology, but they lack superpowers. Other than the Black Panther, Wakandans do not consume the Heart-Shaped Herb, and they are all regular folk. 

Granted, their armies have the best training in the world to match the best technology in the world, but in terms of sheer physical power, the Talokan are much stronger. When it comes to the Black Panther, though, things are certainly different.

How strong are the Talokan compared to Black Panther?

Now, it’s clear that the super-powered Talokan would win against non-super-powered Wakandans, but what about the Black Panther – the only superpowered Wakandan warrior? How strong are the Talokan compared to Black Panther?

That’s where our beloved superhero takes the reigns. Well, at least on dry land. On the surface, Black Panther is much stronger than the regular Talokan. After ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb, the person who becomes the Black Panther gets Super-Soldier level powers, including superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability.

They also get jaguar-like reflexes and balance to go along with the unfathomably advanced, vibranium-based technology, highlighted by the multi-functional Black Panther suit. Black Panther held his own against some of the MCU’s mightiest and would have his way against the common Talokan. When it comes to Black Panther Vs. Namor, though, it’s not that simple.

One-on-one, Namor would likely defeat Black Panther more often than not, especially if the battle commences in the proximity of a body of water. Especially when we talk about Shuri’s Black Panther, who’s just as powerful as any Black Panther before her and more innovative than most, but lacks the fighting skills and experience (for now) to be as strong as T’Challa.

She used her wits and her blind rage to outsmart and defeat Namor, but she’d lose most of the times they fought one-on-one. T’Challa’s Black Panther, who was more experienced and trained in combat, would likely have much better odds, but still, Namor is a powerhouse that would be insanely hard to defeat.

How strong are the Talokan compared to Asgardians?

Another reason for confusion about the strength of the Talokan came as a result of the same confusion happening earlier in the MCU with Thor. His power levels seemed inconsistent, to say the least, even in the same movie.

For instance, we see him fight Iron Man and Captain America in the first Avengers film, and every hero holds his ground in an equal matchup. But then, we see Thor knock down the Hulk on Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok. In Infinity War, Thor eats the full force of a star and survives, but in another moment, he’s held restrained by the Ebony Maw’s magic as Thanos kills Loki.

I won’t get into that all too much, but the writers of Infinity War explained how Thor’s strength, durability, and stamina work, giving us a clearer picture of those inconsistencies. However, Wakanda Forever didn’t provide a solid explanation for the inconsistencies in Talokan power levels. So, how strong are the Talokan compared to Thor? Or, better yet, to other Asgardians?

Well, Asgardians are a cosmic race led by some of the most powerful gods in the universe. They are, above and beyond, more powerful than the regular Talokan. Essentially, we’re comparing mutants who can only survive in water with aliens who can survive anywhere, including space. As my man, Big L would say, it’s like comparing a Benz to a Chevrolet.

If we were to compare Namor to common Asgardians, the Feathered Serpent God would likely have the upper hand. However, comparing god to god – Namor to Thor – is just a completely different league. Thor’s stamina is virtually relentless, and his healing factor incalculably stronger than Namor’s. In a one-on-one battle, it’s a no contest.

I’d dare even say the Sub-Mariner would even lose to the God of Thunder underwater. You know, electricity and water. Burn-burn, fish people. Bye-bye, Mr. Winged Feet.

How strong are the Talokan compared to other superhumans on Earth?

Every superhero is different, but there are numerous groups in the MCU now that we can compare the Talokan to determine their strength. The Talokan are, essentially, mutants, so we could compare their power levels to the mutant levels of mid-level X-Men. Not Wolverine, or Deadpool, who are essentially immortal, but lower-tier mutants would work.

Compared to the Avengers, the Talokan are not on that level. Well, depending on which Avenger we’re talking about. If it’s non-superpowered folks like Black Widow or Hawkeye, the Talokan and their technology might give them a run for their money. If we’re talking Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, or even Spider-Man, the Talokan are below that level.

But, even if we consider the sheer power difference between Avengers and the Talokan, one has to consider the strength in numbers. In the movie, Namor says that he has more soldiers than there are hairs of grass in all of Wakanda. That kind of vibranium-equipped army is an absolute threat to anyone.

Finally, I wanted to touch up on the Talokan versus Eternals, as it seems they are already forgotten in the MCU despite being introduced rather recently. I’ll keep it short – the Eternals would wipe the floor with the Talokan – including Namor – should a fight between them ever happen.