The Marvel Cinematic Universe is vast and full of heroes and villains alike, but two of the deadliest are definitely that Mad Titan known as Thanos, and Hela, the Goddess of Death. These two baddies would undoubtedly team up if they ever came across one another, but should either of them run afoul of the other, it would be interesting to see who might win.
Both beings command incredible levels of power, strength and stamina. Even the most powerful Avengers can't take either of them on by themselves, which begs the question as to who would emerge victorious in an all-or-nothing scrap, provided the universe itself managed to survive the ordeal.
Hela Has Superhuman Speed And Stamina
Hela is one of the Thor: Ragnarok, and it also enabled her to easily hold off both Thor and Valkyrie in combat.
This, coupled with her superhuman stamina might prove too much for Thanos, despite the fact that he is also an incredibly powerful being. Her speed gives her reflexes, and she can definitely hit quite hard. Thanos might be physically superior, but if he can't move quickly, he'd probably get overwhelmed.
Thanos Has Titan Physiology
The physiology of Thanos's race is one of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe, and it grants the Mad Titan powers like super strength, durability, and a near-inexhaustible supply of stamina. This makes Thanos one of the strongest, and most difficult beings to kill in the entire MCU.
Similar to Hela, his natural abilities would allow him to remain in a prolonged battle far longer than most. Any being who can beat down the Hulk with little effort is someone Hela would undoubtedly feel intimidated by, and she'd have to plan her attacks quite carefully.
Hela Has An Army
While Thanos's army is certainly formidable, there is something far more terrifying about Hela's. Staying true to her Goddess of Death title, her army is comprised largely of the living dead, reanimated to serve her purposes. In addition to dead soldiers, Hela also has the giant Asgardian wolf, Fenris, on her side.
If she could call upon her army in the battle with Thanos, there is no denying that she would have the upper hand. However, Thanos is no fool, and it's doubtful he'd put himself in a position where he was too far away from his own army. In that case, it would be a matter of which side was more powerful.
Thanos Has His Army
Thanos is a powerful and terrifying enemy in his own right, but he never leaves home without his army, which includes of the infamous Black Order from the Marvel comic books. He'll call down strikes on a moment's notice, or send his soldiers charging forth at the cost of their own lives, without thinking twice.
Hela's army was certainly enough to threaten Asgard, but Thanos's army was something far larger and more sinister. While Hela could conjure more soldiers from the fallen, Thanos's soldiers were undoubtedly better equipped, and better trained to kill.
Hela Conquered Asgard
In of actions, Hela's defeat of Asgard is certainly one of the most impressive in the MCU, thus far. After her return, she would go on to defeat both Thor and Loki before returning to Asgard, and claiming it with barely a scratch to show for it.
Defeating one of the most advanced and powerful civilizations in the galaxy certainly adds to Hela's reputation, showing that she is a very powerful and fearsome being indeed. The question is whether Thanos could have done it in half the time.
Thanos Beat Up The Hulk
The Hulk is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, and his strength potential is limited only by his own rage. Seeing him fall before the sheer, raw might of Thanos's strength was one of the biggest turning points for the Hulk after Phase 1.
The fact that Thanos could so easily defeat the Hulk shows that he is an incredibly skilled and powerful being who would certainly be able to hold his own against people like Hela. Few beings in the galaxy can match the Hulk's brute strength, and audiences have never seen Hela face off against him, so it's a difficult call. For now, Thanos gets massive bragging rights.
Hela Can Create Weapons
The movie version of Hela showed that the Goddess of Death was capable of creating weapons at will. This would certainly be advantageous against the Mad Titan, allowing Hela to craft countless blades out of thin air through magical prowess. Without the gauntlet at his disposal, Thanos had no such equivalent power, but his durability might make up for it.
Hela's ability to create weapons helped her conquer Asgard, among several other worlds, and even helped her defeat both Thor and Loki fairly quickly. The extent of her magical abilities was never clearly defined in the films, but it's logical to assume she can keep up the conjuring of weapons for quite some time.
Thanos Is A Strategist
Despite the fact that Thanos is called the Mad Titan, he is one of the most clever and cerebral characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He clearly thinks through situations, rather than just relying on his strength and power to claim a victory over his enemies.
It is clear that Thanos would be able to think of a strategy to take down the Goddess of Death, even if he did not have the full strength of the Infinity Gauntlet. This might even involve a tactical retreat in order to pour over the data from the first encounter, whereby Thanos could concoct a counter-attack.
Hela Is A Skilled Fighter
As seen from her appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, Hela is not only a hugely powerful character in the Marvel Universe, but she is also one of the most skilled and well-trained of its fighters. The Goddess of Death is more than capable of besting Thor, which is something many powerful enemies failed to do in the past.
Thor was never able to stand up to Thanos on his own, at least not without the aid of his Asgardian axe, but Hela is something else, entirely. Her powers dwarf Thor's with ease, indicating she's several cuts above the rest. Clearly, Thanos would not be dealing with a normal Asgardian.
Thanos Had The Infinity Gauntlet
Naturally, the clearest and most obvious reason why Thanos would win in a fight with Hela would be his Infinity Gauntlet. In the Mad Titan's possession, it would be incredibly difficult for Hela to defeat him either in a straight fight, or some other means.
The powers of the Infinity Gauntlet could turn Hela's conjured blades into pieces of paper, her armies to literal, actual ribbons and Fenris to dust with a simple gesture. Even Doctor Strange, for all his incredible powers, could not handle Thanos at near-full capacity, and since Hela's attacks are largely magic-based, it's doubtful she'd fare much better.
