With an increase in population, we have seen numerous wars for power and land. These wars have produced many deadliest warriors across the world. All these warriors have their own strategies, armors and unique style of fighting.
They were not only a deadly fighter but also a great leader who took their empires to new levels. Most of these warrior groups come from ancient history. Few are admired for their skills while others are known for their brutality. In the following list, we are going to highlight the greatest warriors of all time.
Table of Contents
12. Maori Warrior
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The Maori were the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. Their tribe’s symbol is a fishhook because they were also known to make decorative hooks. They believed in eating their enemies to make a reputation in other tribes.
Wars were very common between two different tribes and they believed that these wars are blessed by their ancestors to increase spiritual powers. They used natural weapons such as stingray spear and a special weapon made of shark teeth.
11. Gladiator
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Gladiators were deadliest armed combatants who entertained the public in the Roman Empire. They fought with other gladiators, wild animals including big cats and criminals. Most of the warriors were prisoners and they have to defeat everyone to win.
Few of these won up to ten matches and lived up to the age of 30. These fights reached their peak between 1 BC and 3 AD when they adopted Christianity as their religion.
10. Shaolin Monk
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Shaolin Monks are considered as the most peaceful group in the world. Shaolin Monastery was found in the fifth century in China and famous for its Shaolin Kung Fu. Shaolin is the world’s biggest school of Kung Fu and their fighting styles include using all kinds of all weapons.
They were ranked among best fighter with accuracy but they were not cold-blooded killers. Some other martial arts such as karate were influenced by Buddhist monks. In 2010, the Chinese monastery was listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.
9. Zulu
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The Zulu was a South African group of tribesmen. It was one of the largest ethnic groups in South Africa with an estimated 10 million people. The group was led by Shaka Zulu who taught them to ignore the pain and fight even in the worst-case scenario. They were known for their signature shield ilkwa and a throwing stick. They ruled over a large area from 1818 to the late 19th century. They were eventually defeated by the British army.
8. Knights
Knights were the great fighters who always covered with full-body armored on horseback. They were the warrior and protectors of the European Kingdom. They were among the deadliest warriors of ancient times and the toughest soldiers to be killed due to their armors. They were known by the name “Knights” which means warrior and a gentleman.
7. Huns
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Huns were the warriors of Asia who are known to have lived in Europe and Central Asia between the 1st century AD and 7th century. They formed one of the powerful empires under Attila, the leader. They were skilled archers who also used a combination of swords and axes.
Attila died in 453 AD and their empire broke a year later. Their empire was spread over a large part of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. After his death, his son took the empire but couldn’t lift the empire again.
6. Mongol Warrior
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The Mongol warriors were known for their archery skills while on the horseback. Many great victories and one of the largest empires in the ancient world was led by one of the greatest leaders of all time, Genghis Khan.
They used a composite bow that could tear through armor and this technology is still used today. He was considered as one of the ruthless rulers but he also advanced the Mongol empire in many positive ways.
5. Viking Warrior
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Their religion was war and they believed that if you die in battle then you will fight once again in a never-ending war in the next life. They were originated from Scandanavia and ruled over a large area in Europe between 700-1000 AD.
They terrorized people with raiding and pillaging using long swords, spear, shield, and great ax. They were big in size, big enough to destroy all obstacles in their paths. Vikings were also a good explorer and tradesman and they brought numerous things to Europe.
4. Rajput Warrior
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Rajput, means “son of a king”, were the warriors who were similar to the knights of Europe as they also protected the country. They ruled all over India from the sixth century to the 18th century when the British ruled the country.
They also had a variety of weapons including khanda for close range, aara for mid-range, chakram for long-range and katar, a special weapon. They never changed their words and fought to the last man. Their generations are still found in many regions across India but they are not warriors.
3. Samurai Warrior
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Samurai warriors were the masters of the katana and always heavily armed. They flaunted the world’s sharpest sword which could easily behead a man. They were like professional soldiers who were ready to die for their masters.
They were harshly trained and always fought for their honor. They were also the masters of the bow and arrow and considered as one of the best archers. Samurai martial arts can still be found today in a few regions of Japan.
2. Thebes
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You might be thinking why they are at number two? Thebes were a group of 150 gay male couples who were also known by the name of Sacred Band of Thebes. They were so powerful that they were able to stand their ground against the Spartans and they had beaten them a few times. They ruled from the 6th century to 335 BC until they were defeated by the other Greek powers.
1. Spartans
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Spartans were one of the greatest warriors and most feared armies in world history. Their training was begun in infancy. If the baby was found to be weak, they would leave him on the mountains to die. If he was found strong by the council, he was kept under the intense and rigorous military training until he was ready to join the army.
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They were masters in the combination of spear and shield and they always used to say “Never back down and don’t come back unless you are victorious”.
