Stormbreaker vs. Mjolnir: Which Of Thor’s Weapons Is More Powerful

Few weapons in the MCU are as powerful as Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, the legendary weapons of Thor, but does Thor’s axe or Thor’s hammer reign supreme? Mjolnir has been a key part of his arc, tied inherently to his own sense of self and worthiness, and losing it when Hela destroys it in Thor: Ragnarok was a huge blow. Mjolnir’s replacement with Stormbreaker in Avengers: Infinity War was a massive deal, as Thor had to go survive the full-powered blast of a dying neutron star to have it forged in Nidavellir.

A surprising number of MCU characters have wielded Mjolnir, with Captain America the most famous, and Avengers: Doomsday will once again reunite the God of Thunder with the MCU’s first Avenger, who will once again lift the hammer. That shouldn’t be surprising, given Cap’s worthiness wouldn’t be compromised, even with his choice to stay with Peggy in Avengers: Endgame‘s ending. Hopefully, we’ll get to see both of the original Avengers fighting side-by-side with the iconic weapons.

Intriguingly, Doomsday has already confirmed that while the ending of Thor: Love and Thunder put Mjolnir back in Thor’s hands and had his newly-adopted daughter Love wield Stormbreaker, Thor is now using Stormbreaker again. He used it in the first trailer for his battle with Robert Downey Jr’s Dr Doom, suggesting his preferred weapon has now shifted back to the mystical axe.

That fits him calling it “the little one” in Endgame, but it also once again reopens the age-old Marvel comics debate introduced to the MCU by Infinity War – Mjolnir vs. Stormbreaker. Who would win, and which of Thor’s iconic weapons is actually better?

Stormbreaker’s Powers In The MCU

Fans have now seen Thor’s mystical battle axe Stormbreaker in action in three films in the MCU, and it will return in at least Avengers: Doomsday, but the true power level of the axe has so far been a little unclear. We know it was forged as a Thanos-killing weapon specifically (and it achieved that goal), and as it’s made using Uru, we know it’s virtually indestructible. As Peter Dinklage’s Eitri says, it is “a king’s weapon, meant to be the greatest in Asgard, and in theory, it can even summon the Bifrost.” That capability was confirmed in both Infinity War and Love & Thunder, of course.

Audiences can also clearly see during the Battle of Wakanda, Thor throws Stormbreaker at Thanos, and it slices through even the energy blast of the six Infinity Stones, ultimately impaling him in the chest, confirming that Stormbreaker is powerful enough to overcome six Infinity Stones, which Mjolnir never achieved. On top of that, Stormbreaker is able to not only focus, but also enhance Thor’s abilities: he can use it to change the weather, summon lightning, and use it as a weapon. Just like Mjolnir, Stormbreaker allows Thor to fly at super speeds and he can summon it with his hand.

Obviously, Stormbreaker lacks the “worthiness” enchantment of Odin, so anyone physically strong enough to lift and use Stormbreaker can, as Love proved and Thanos did before her in Endgame. Thor claims mere mortals would be incapable, but that may be a flex to belittle Star-Lord.

Mjolnir’s Powers In The MCU

Mjolnir is the hammer that has almost been like its own character in the MCU thus far. Fans have seen Thor and Mjolnir be as close to inseparable as it gets since the release of Thor in 2011, and Mjolnir has displayed many powers and abilities since then. Unlike Stormbreaker, Mjolnir is specific to Thor. It was bestowed upon him by his father Odin, and because of the enchantment that Odin put on it, only a select few people have the ability to even lift the hammer, let alone wield it. Mjolnir can be summoned by Thor, as all he needs to do is reach out his hand and it will come. Mjolnir also gives Thor the power of flight, as we’ve seen Thor lack that ability without the hammer in later films. Thor, using Mjolnir, can also affect the weather and summon lightning as his own personal weapon.

On the other hand, Mjolnir doesn’t boast true invulnerability. Though the hammer is made from the enchanted metal Uru just like Stormbreaker, in Thor: Ragnarok, Mjolnir was destroyed by Hela, and fairly easily, too. Thor was unaware that this was even possible, so it is hard to tell who – or what – can destroy Mjolnir. It’s safe to speculate that, based on Eitri’s comments about Stormbreaker, Stormbreaker cannot be destroyed as easily as Mjolnir was. That destruction obviously doesn’t last, as it reforms for Jane Foster to use, but it was still out of action for some time.

Why Stormbreaker Is Thor’s Most Powerful Weapon In The MCU

Although Stormbreaker and Mjolnir have very similar properties and powers, Stormbreaker is the most powerful weapon wielded by Thor so far. The obvious reasons are that Stormbreaker is the physically larger weapon out of the two, and not to mention that it is an axe, which could well be more dangerous than a hammer. Stormbreaker certainly appears to be more powerful in the movies, as it had the ability to impale and kill Thanos, while also overpowering the might of the six Infinity Stones. Mjolnir was destroyed by Hela (one-handed), meaning that it’s breakable on some level, whereas it seems that Stormbreaker cannot be so easily shattered.

The last thing to consider – and what really gives Stormbreaker the edge out of the two – is that Stormbreaker can summon the Bifrost. This means that Thor has the ability to instantaneously travel to virtually anywhere in the Nine Realms while holding the axe. That ability is something he cannot do with Mjolnir. It seems Thor enjoys both weapons; after all, he seemed very happy to find out he was still worthy in Avengers: Endgame. But as mentioned before, it appears that he prefers Stormbreaker out of the two, and rightfully so, because it gives him the best advantage over his enemies – in ways that Mjolnir doesn’t.

How Mjolnir and Stormbreaker Stood Up To Gorr’s Necrosword

    &lt;<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Thor-4-Gorr-reaches-for-his-sword.jpg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1" />
    </figure>