Shang-Chi and Iron Fist are two incredibly skilled fighters, but which one truly takes the title of Marvel's greatest martial arts master?

When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Shang-Chi and the Iron Fist are two of Marvel’s most skilled fighters. Both spent years honing their fighting prowess to become legendary warriors, and their adventures as superheroes have only solidified each of them as martial arts masters. Over time, Danny Rand and Shang-Chi have proven that they’re both prepared for nearly any fight, but if the two were pitted against each other, who would come out on top?

First appearing in 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15 by Steve Englehart, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, and Tom Orzechowski, Shang-Chi has only recently seen a surge in popularity thanks to his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Born to a ruthless criminal named Zheng Zu, Shang-Chi was trained to become a living weapon, and to eventually take his father’s place as the leader of the villainous Five Weapons Society. As he grew, he gained proficiencies in various forms of martial arts, and from an early age his fighting skills were already unparalleled. In time, he decided against working as an assassin for his father, and instead continued to use the lessons he had learned throughout his childhood as a hero.

The power of the Iron Fist has been passed down to many heroes throughout Marvel’s history, but fans are most familiar with its current wielder, Danny Rand. Making his debut in Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Dick Giordano, Glynis Wein, and L.P. Gregory’s Marvel Premiere #15 back in 1974, Danny Rand was brought into the mystical city of K’un-Lun at the age of nine, after the tragic deaths of his parents. There, he spent years training in numerous forms of martial arts, before eventually getting the chance to claim the power of the Iron Fist. In order to do this, Danny had to defeat a mighty dragon called Shou-Lao the Undying, and though the battle almost cost him his life, he emerged victorious. Would he fare as well against the might of Shang-Chi?

Marvel's Most Skilled Martial Artists

Although Shang-Chi prefers to engage in battles unarmed, he is adept at using a multitude of weapons as well, making him just as likely to win a sword fight as he is a fist fight. Through continued meditation and training, he’s remained in peak physical condition, has developed heightened reflexes, and has total control over his body. This means that, despite having no real superpowers, Shang-Chi is capable of performing near superhuman feats of strength, speed, endurance, and more; allowing him to hold his own against opponents with enhanced abilities, which would include Iron Fist.

With the power of the Iron Fist, Danny can channel his spiritual energy, or chi, for a variety of uses. His most famous ability allows him to focus his power into his hand, delivering devastatingly forceful blows, but he can also heighten his speed, his senses, his stamina, and more beyond human limitations. He’s even used his powers to heal himself and others on more than one occasion, as well as showing some minor psychic capabilities. Overall, Danny Rand is a force to be reckoned with, but against Shang-Chi, his skills would certainly be put to the test.

Shang-Chi and Iron Fist's History

Both Iron Fist and Shang-Chi have crossed paths frequently over the past several decades, and they’ve even fought one another before. In Ed Brisson, Mike Perkins, Andy Troy, and Travis Lanham’s Iron Fist #7, Shang-Chi ends up being mind-controlled by a villain known as the Seer, and he spends most of the issue trying to kill Danny. In the end, Iron Fist is able to break the Seer’s sway over Shang-Chi, ending their brawl in a stalemate, but it’s made apparent that they can each hold their own against one another. With no clear winner crowned in this battle, however, readers are left to ponder who is actually the better fighter. Luckily, Marvel has an answer to that question.

Thanks to the Power Grid, a tool that officially ranks the powers and abilities of Marvel’s many characters, it’s been confirmed that Shang-Chi is a better fighter than Danny Rand. While Danny’s fighting skills earn him an impressive rank of six on this scale, Shang-Chi manages to one-up the Iron Fist, sitting at the highest possible score of seven. Obviously, Iron Fist is a competent combatant, but Shang-Chi is on a whole other level, and Marvel isn’t shy about pointing that out. Several other famous heroes have called out Shang-Chi’s expertise as a martial artist, with Black Panther even claiming that Shang-Chi shows more talent than Danny. Of course, without seeing the two heroes actually put their skills on display against one another, it’s difficult to say for certain that Shang-Chi has Iron Fist outmatched, but T’Challa is a fairly reliable resource when it comes to judging the abilities of other heroes.

Iron Fist Would Give Shang-Chi A Run For His Money

Of course, Iron Fist’s powers also need to be considered in this matchup, as he can achieve some destructive results by tapping into his reserves. Unfortunately for Danny, a fight with Shang-Chi would likely force him to use his chi just to keep up with his opponent, as opposed to channeling it into a few devastating blows. After all, as the better trained fighter of the two, Shang-Chi can adapt to practically any fighting style Danny uses, allowing him to counter almost any attack the Iron Fist would make. Sure, Danny could get a lucky strike in somewhere, but given Shang-Chi’s finesse through all his years of training, he’s more likely to wear down his opponent in the end with a series of lighter, quicker hits.

While it would seem like the power of the Iron Fist would give Danny an edge in this battle, it would probably only delay his inevitable defeat. His abilities would certainly keep him in the fight for longer, but against Shang-Chi, he’d have to rely on them too heavily and would eventually start making increasingly sloppy mistakes as the fight raged on. Ultimately, Shang-Chi has the sheer fighting prowess to overcome the Iron Fist, but Danny Rand’s powers would make him a worthy opponent.

Next: Marvel's New Iron Fist Can Redeem The Hero's Problematic Past